The Rainey's Ramblings

To Do, or Not To Do?

2011-09-11T14:07:00.000-07:00

I really need to make a decision whether or not I'm going to blog or if I need to just scratch this whole thing. I just feel like this is so time consuming for me. Lame, I know! I've also mentioned how I'm not a writer and the thought of people judging my punctuation frightens me. ( : It's just easier to post a picture on FB and write a comment about who or what is going on in the picture. I like "easy"!

But, I'm sorta feeling like the Lord is wanting me to share some things from my heart. Things that he has put there by the Word and the Holy Ghost. So I think I'll do this for a while and see how it goes.

I've had the privilege this Spring and Summer to teach on prayer in our church. And not only did I teach, but we prayed as well! Our times of prayer have been very powerful, very sweet, very precious and very timely. We are not only seeing some of the things we've prayed for come to pass, but we are learning to flow IN THE SPIRIT.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication IN THE SPIRIT, and watching
thereunto with all the perseverance and supplication for all saints. Ephesians 6:18

"In the Spirit" isn't a way you pray, necessarily, but it is a place from which you pray from. Jesus said, "My house shall be called a house of prayer..." (Luke 19:46) It's who we are! We are the house of prayer! And, we've been brought back into fellowship with our heavenly Father because of what Jesus did. Jesus became completely separated from his Father so that we could pray. It's Jesus wonderful!

Prayer doesn't have to be this drudgery, hard task, that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. But, when you learn to team up with the Holy Ghost and listen to him and flow with him, you can change the spiritual make-up of your home, church, town, city, state, nation and nations from the very chair you sit in. Now, that's powerful! Prayer is the driving force behind everything He does in this earth. That's why it's important that we first of all learn how to pray, then pray. As we do, we'll start to see a moving of the Holy Ghost in such a way than we've ever seen before.

Great Book!

2011-01-23T19:44:00.000-08:00

I've decided that instead of reading new books this year, I need to get out the one's I already own and re-read them. It's amazing what you miss or didn't see because you couldn't wrap your heart and mind around some of those truths at the time. This is a great book and I'm excited to dig back into it!

New Year

2011-01-10T22:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm gonna try something new with the blog this year. I think I might write (I use that word loosely since I'm really not a writer.) a little about me. Not a lot, just some things God is doing in my life, and in the church. I'll trust God to help me flow from my heart and we'll go from there.

Anywho...I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is looking forward to a wonderful 2011 full of God's blessings!

Here's a picture of the kids and I taking advantage of a snow day:

My Wonderful Daughter!

2010-12-20T15:13:00.000-08:00

My New Life

2010-10-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

Beau started kindergarten this past August and life has made quite the change around here.There are several things that have transpired since he started. For one, there are a lot more papers lying around on my desk that don't get looked through for days. Being able to write my name on my end tables with my finger is becoming more frequent. I promise you, the dirty-laundry monster makes clothes appear in the baskets to overflowing. It's not just the housework, we've had a lot of things going on outside of the home (e.g. soccer, family visiting, school events, football, church events, LifeLight). We've entered into a new phase of our lives, which actually is kinda exciting to me. Don't get me wrong, I sometimes daydream about the days that Beau and I had all to ourselves. Not because I want to go back to that, but I regret not appreciating the quietness to it's fullness.I think that's why I endeavor to appreciate every stage my family goes through.Since I haven't been very good to blog lately, I'm gonna do a quick rundown of what's taken place in our lives the past couple months.

Beau started playing soccer this fall. Here he is with Ella, which I'm sure in this one they're taking a break from the heat.

Beau and his good buddy, Luke.

The day before school started C.F., Beau, Lucy and I took a quick trip to Kansas City to the Dinosaurs Unearthed Exhibit at Union Station. I'm really glad we did this, even though I dreaded it since I was a little nervous about Beau's first day of kindergarten. Beau especially had fun!


This is such a fake smile, she was very afraid of the dinosaurs.

Beau's first day of kindergarten. He was such a good boy and mommy did really well, too!

Beau and Mrs. Creasey. I'm so blessed to have her as Beau's teacher.

Of course nothing says "end of summer" like the North West Missouri State Fair. Both kids had a blast, but this year Lucy became a full-fledged fair rider. She even enjoyed her experience with her little buddy, Joel. I had to steal these pictures from Joel's mom, Kalsey, since all my pictures were blurry. So, that means I had none of Beau to put on here. : (

Aren't they cute?!

One of Lucy's favorite activities while Beau's at school is playing her "DS" and having tea parties with her babies.

Here's Beau's first Homecoming as a Bulldog. He got to dress up for spirit week 3 days out of the 5.

Crazy Day!

Sports Hero Day! (with daddy's influence, of course)

Had to switch to the shirt, jersey was too big.

PURPLE PRIDE DAY!!

Lucy's Strange Talent.

2010-10-02T21:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the bad lighting; still need a new camera. Lucy has been doing this talent of her's since she was a baby and for some reason I never caught it on camera until now. It makes me weak when I see her doing it and she thinks that's pretty funny..

Happy Summer Times

2010-07-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

These last three weeks have been SO busy, my laundry is proof of that. I say: Boooo.. to laundry, it's so overrated!! We had the best time with all the family, it was so hard to see them go.

Over the weekend of the 4th, brother Kevin got married!!! Yay! (Being that there's 3 Kevin's in the family, we have to identify which one we are talking about, e.g. brother Kevin, Ramona's Kevin and Little Kevin.) He married the most wonderful person, Lori, and we are so blessed to have her in the family. Seriously, I love her. :) We also got new nieces and nephews, who were just as wonderful. Welcome to family Lori, Jake, Kayla, Samantha, Brandon and Family!!

Here's one of Beau at the wedding, which earlier that day he had informed me that he was not going, and that he would just see everyone back at Mimi's for dessert. After I told him that he was in fact going, I found him in his closet going through his clothes looking for his Iron Man shirt 'cause "he needed something to wear". This kid cracks me up.

Here's Lucy being Lucy waiting for her "birthday party" to begin. She believes that any social gathering we go to, it's to celebrate her birthday. "It's-a my birday party, Mom!"

We spent the evening of the third doing all the fireworks being that A.J. and Kevin were leaving the next morning, which worked out really well because of all the rain. All the kids and many of the adults had fun blowin' stuff up. Lucy wasn't too fond of "cracker's". She says, "Cracker's scare me, Mommy!" Sadly, this is the only picture I got the whole evening.

The day of the forth we headed over to Uncle Neal and Louise's, where the kids had such a fun time! They have free-roaming chickens on their farm, and one of them you can actually hold and pet. I didn't have it in me to let Beau and Lucy hold it, but they chased that thing all over the farm. It was very funny to watch.

She found a very good hiding spot.

It's My Birthday!

2010-06-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

Prophesy from Keith Moore

2010-05-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

This was prophesy given to Keith Moore from the Holy Ghost in 2008:

The days ahead are important days.
The days ahead have been predetermined.
The days ahead, the times, the bounds and places
appointed, have been predestined by the Father of Spirits,
the Head of the Church, and you have a part to play... See More
in this plan.
You have a God ordained predestined part. But you’ll not attain to it and you’ll not stand in the fullness of it going your own way. There is much that needs to be prepared in you. There is much that you need to be trained for and changed into. And it will not come all at once, in one fell swoop. But here a little and there a little, and grace upon grace, and build upon build and word upon word, and anointing and supply of the Spirit and grace upon grace.
If you’ll follow me closely every day, if you’ll let me lead you, if you’ll stay close and be committed, and be where I say, when I say and do what I say, then like Moses with Joshua, like Elisha with Elijah, like Timothy with Paul, so shall come upon you, a mantle, so shall come upon you an enablement, and anointing that will cause you to rise and be changed into another man. Changed into a different person, it will not be
for your glory, it will not be for men to see you. It will be for the Plan of God, it will be for the receiving of the needs of the people, it will be for the advancement of the Gospel and for the Glory of the Kingdom.

Snack Bar, Please!

2010-05-21T16:32:00.001-07:00

Lucy had this the other day..

..asking for a snack bar.
Hilarious!!

I Promise I'm their Mother!

2010-05-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

I'm so annoyed with myself, once again I got zero pictures of the kids and I over Mother Day's weekend. The same thing happened on Easter. C.F. leaves at 6 o'clock in the morning on Sunday's to do the radio, then heads on up to church, so I'm alone with the kids trying to get them and myself around to make sure we're on time for church (which doesn't always happen). This past weekend I had some dishes to prepare for a Mother's Day dinner, which made my morning extra busy. So by the time I got the food made, kids dressed, myself dressed, loaded everything in the car, the last thing on my mind was a picture
I'm usually the one who takes all the pictures so I usually get left out, that makes me sad . :( I hope my children don't look back on their lives and think, "Was our mother even around?" "Did she even raise us?"
However, I had a wonderful weekend. My birthday was Saturday and I started off the day by, ahhhh... sleeping in. Thanks to my wonderful husband who made that possible. I was waited on hand and foot and did whatever I wanted all day.
Then on Mother's Day, after the yummy dinner we had at Shawna's, I came home and was waited on, once again, hand and foot. I think C.F. called that weekend, " The Weekend of Nicole". Two day's of handling Beau and Lucy essentially by himself, he was never so happy to see a Monday.
I'm so thankful to celebrate another year, I look forward to what God is going to do.

Kids Worship

2010-05-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a little clip of the kids leading worship on Mother's Day. They did such a good job. However, PLEASE don't judge my singing, we all sang loud for the kids. I love Lucy and Abbey dance.

Happy Mothers Day, Mom!

2010-05-08T15:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

2010-05-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

2010-04-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Beau!

2010-03-31T13:21:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Beau's birthday the weekend before so he could go to his friends party the next weekend.

Beau woke up that morning with his bedroom full of balloons, 50 to be exact. He thought that was the coolest thing; he loved walking through all of 'em. I didn't get a picture of that, though. :(

Breakfast choice: Oatmeal and raisins with bacon.

He then celebrated the rest of his morning at school.

Lunch choice: Pancake with a candle in it. He was highly disappointed he didn't have a candle with his breakfast.

He did whatever he wanted throughout the day. Even played his Nintendo DS way too long for mommy's liking.

Dinner choice: Pizza Hut.

Then the next day we all went to Kansas City to Disney on Ice. They both loved it! I think Beau's favorite was "Lion King."

After we left the Sprint Center, we drove on over to Zona Rosa and went to the new bouncy house they now have. It's not as cool as Air Zone, but still fun.

All in all I think Beau had a pretty great birthday. He celebrated mommy-style: "All week!!"

Beau's 5th Birthday Party

2010-03-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

Let me start this entry off by telling you a sweet little something Beau said to me.

The day before his party I was getting everything around, (decorations, gift bags, ect.) and of course, Beau was ecstatic about all his stuff. He was talking and talking and talking, and being the great mom that I am when I'm busy, I did my usual "Uh-huh. Oh my! Really. Wow! Are you serious?" As I'm continuing to prepare for the party I noticed that all of a sudden he got quiet. Before I could ask him anything he quickly said to me, "Mom, you just like to make things very special for me, don't you?"

You have these little moments with your children, in the midst of all the craziness, where it all becomes worth it. It's kinda like when your children come to you, (in my case, it's just Beau for right now) and butter you up because they want something. Which is fine, cause you'll take that, too. But then there's those moments when they come and hug you for no reason, but just to tell you how much they love you. Those are the best!!

Originally this party was going to be Star Wars, which daddy was very excited to do since his 5th birthday was the same theme. I had all my ideas ready to go, then lo and behold Beau changed his mind and wanted a Mario party. Of course I didn't want him to switch the theme, but it was his birthday, and I wanted him to have what he wanted (even though that's very hard sometimes).

Regardless of him making that last-minute decision, everything turned out great and he had fun. Although, I was informed, by Beau, that his next birthday will be a "friends only" party. Since his birthday is in the winter and we have limited space in our home, we made him decide between a "cousins and two friends" party, or an "all friends" party.

My little boy is gettin' alls growns ups!
So I've decided that I have "issues" with hanging things from the ceilings.
Beau loved his cake

Luke and Abbey hiding out from all the craziness

This was the big gift, a Nintendo DS

A Little Political Humor

2010-03-02T20:04:00.000-08:00

I saw this on Facebook and thought it was great.

Apparently, this is a real billboard on I-35 in Minnesota; not a hoax. Too funny!

Aunt Barbara, I thought you'd get a kick out of this, if you hadn't already seen it.

Birdies and Pom Poms

2010-02-24T13:17:00.000-08:00

So, let me start off by saying that planning a girls birthday party is SO MUCH FUN. The possibilities are limitless, however, my pocketbook is not.. ha.

I chose not to go with a cartoon character theme, just because I could. Actually, I knew this was going to be the last year that I'd get to choose the theme, so I chose birdies with some pom poms. I think I may spend a little too much time on Etsy. Nevertheless, thank you Etsy and Kim Vallee for the inspiration!

Now I have a little girl who's 2, and she is amazing. I never dreamed that our little family could have been so affected by her, but we have been.

I love her little voice. I love the way she tilts her head and moves her eye's around with her perky lips. No matter what, when she hears music she automatically starts singing and dancing. She loves people (with a few exceptions). And of course, she's crazy-smart. She's knows all kind of letters, shapes and numbers. She loves shoes and refuses to leave the house without her Hello Kitty purse and her baby. That actually gets a little old, especially when the purse and baby are no where to be found. When I cough, she'll ask me, "You otay, Mommy?" The only thing that soothes her to go to sleep is my skin. It's usually my arm or my back. She's pretty determined, which I'm hoping to refine a bit; use it for good, perhaps. She thinks she can do everything her brother can, and for the most part, she does. She loves books, coloring, play-doh and now Dora. It's went from Blues Clues to Dora. Which is funny, because Beau loved Blues Clues then moved on over to Diego. Her favorite movies are the Toy Story's. She loves Buzz and Woody! She thinks tooting and burping are so funny, which, we can thank her older brother for that one. Oh, and to top it all off, she's really cute!!

Woke up to her favorite breakfast: Pancakes and bac'ey

Here is my awful attempt at her "#2" pancake.

My husband is amazing. He wowed me again this year.

Beau insisted that this birdie be in the bird nest.

Great picture of Connie and Lucy, but sad I didn't get one of my mom and Lucy. I don't know where my brain was.

The cupcake toppers were hair clippies that all the girls took home as favors.

"Thanks mom and dad for my new bike. I love it!"

Lucy's new friend, Anna! She went nuts over this baby. It was so cute.

The aftermath: Enjoying her new toys.

Happy Birthday, Lucy

2010-02-22T15:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a little video of all of us singing to Lucy. The look on her face is adorable.

Pictures to come.

Cover up those biscuits!!

2010-02-02T19:35:00.000-08:00

Oh my goodness, I'm almost reluctant to write this post. As fun as it is to share things about my children, I always want to be careful to not share too much, I never want to embarrass them. I've noticed Beau has reached a stage where he's starting to tell me not to share certain things with people. I always want to respect that.

But this one is too funny to pass up.

We were watching an episode of America's Funniest Home Video's. The clip was about animals, and they had put a black strip over them, as if they were covering up their nudity.

Beau asked, "Mom, why do they have black strips on those animals?"

Me: "Well Beau, they're covering up their boobies." (Sorry if that offends. He became very familiar with them after I had Lucy.)

Beau: "Oh, and their biscuit, too!"

Me: "Uh, what's a biscuit, Beau?"

Beau: "That's what I call pee pee's. Biscuits!"

After I was able to stop laughing and start to process some of my thoughts. One was, "Where did he hear that??"

Needless to say, C.F. and I had a nice laugh after that one.

Pigtails!

2010-02-02T06:21:00.001-08:00

I know, I know.. I've already talked about her ponytail.. but this is just too much fun.

I adore these times in her life when I get to pick her clothes and fix her hair the way I want it. According to a general census, (friends, family, ect.) this won't always be.

Until the day comes when I won't be able to do this anymore, I'm enjoying myself.

Dreaming..

2010-02-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

..of this as I look out my window and see ice on my car.

He never ceases to amaze me!!

2010-01-25T13:51:00.000-08:00

That boy of mine to too funny. Everywhere we go he's striking up conversations with people. For the most part he's uninhibited.

I love that about him! I have to be careful and not laugh at what he's saying, he thinks I'm laughing at him. He has no idea how clever and funny he is.

Today at Walmart I was at the checkstand checking out, I notice Beau walking over to the benches to have a seat. There was an older lady sitting there, with whom he started having a conversation.

Not real sure what was being said, he had a very serious look on his face, and naturally, he was doing all the talking.

As I walk over to help him zip up his coat, (Yes, he still doesn't know how to do that. I'm learning the difference between nurturing and coddling. I'll let you know when I master that.) I hear him say these these exact words: "It's awfully cold out there." "We haven't been out in weeks." "This weather!"

Oh, my son. Gotta love him!!

I know this is an older picture, but I was in the mood. I miss that age.

Let's count.. or not.

2010-01-10T19:16:00.000-08:00

We were supposed to be counting, instead she wanted to show off for the camera. This better not be a sign of what's to come. I have a feeling it just might be. Once again, she's just like her daddy - likes the attention. ;)

She's a smart little thing, with the cutest personality and she completely amazes me everyday. I'm a blessed mommy to have such sweet kids.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

2009-12-30T22:20:00.000-08:00

2009-12-30T21:42:00.000-08:00

Is that a ponytail I see??

2009-12-28T17:15:00.000-08:00

Look what we can do now!!

When Lucy was born she had "some" hair on her little head, then we came home from the hospital and some of it fell out. She wasn't totally bald but we defiantly wanted it to grow.

Thanks to Aunt Shawna and her overwhelming amount of wisdom, she told me to brush her hair while I nursed her. So every time I sat to nurse, I got my little infant brush out and I would stimulate her scalp. Not really sure how much it helped, but in my mind it was working.

With Beau, I didn't even think about his hair growing. With Lucy, well, yeah.

So now I get to start doing ponytails. So FUN!! As you can see from the photo, I use the sink and a toothbrush to entertain her while I'm working my magic.. ha. Not too sure how long this method of distraction will work, but for now, it works.

I figured it out..

2009-12-23T09:56:00.001-08:00

I believe this is where it all started, her love for "gog", that is.

Don't mean to brag, but don't mind if I do!

2009-12-16T22:22:00.001-08:00

Not on myself, of course, but on C.F..

When Beau's 1st birthday came around, C.F. and I decided that we (Do you like how I used "we?" All I did was show a picture of what I wanted and he worked his magic.) wanted to be creative and do the cakes ourselves. I actually did help with some of it, but he really gets the credit. He has done such a good job, and we've had fun together with Beau and Lucy's birthday parties.

His 1st birthday was "Farm Animals." This one is probably my favorite, right next to his 4th birthday cake.

2nd birthday was "Toy Story." He got a Toy Story figurine set, and I can still see him sitting on the couch playing with Buzz, Woody, Jesse & Bullseye :(

3rd birthday was "Dinosaur." This was the first birthday he picked out his own plates and cups, which was a little hard for me cause there was another design I thought was cuter, but I let him pick. Kudos to mommy for not being so controlling! I think this has been the hardest cake so far.

4th birthday was "Firefighter." This was Beau's first birthday party that a friend from Puppy Pound (a.k.a. pre-preschool) was able to come. That may not seem like a big deal to some, but for us it was. We have so many cousins that live close and were able to come to his parties, we didn't have to have friends. Now that he's in preschool birthday parties will be different from here on out

Also, notice that there are no cups at the table. I got smart and realized you don't need them. Two words: Juice Boxes!!

My Big Tough Guy!

2009-12-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

Ever since Beau was little he's been very good at giving "dirty looks." All we'd have to say is, "Dirty looks, Beau!" and he could turn it on. I'll have to find a picture of him doing that.

I think I have several pictures of C.F., when he was young, standing just like this.

A Girl and Her Dog (Dinosaur)

2009-12-06T10:39:00.000-08:00

I don't think I ever dreamed of Lucy having a t-rex as her comfort toy. For some reason she's taken a liking to this dinosaur that she affectionately calls "Gog." (a.k.a. "Dog.")
She even pets him and scratches his belly like a dog.

A Happy Thanksgiving, Indeed!

2009-11-30T05:03:00.000-08:00

I am so bad. We had all kinds of family in for the weekend and I took zero pictures.
I didn't get one of my mom's table on Thanksgiving day, which was beautiful. I didn't get any of Uncle Kevin, Colby & Lori, who all flew in from Georgia and Michigan.
None with Brighton and Rigley, either.
How bad is that?
In spite of not getting any pictures, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. GREAT food at both my mom's and mother-in-law's. GREAT conversation, and most importantly, we had a GREAT Sunday morning service. The worship was amazing (we have the best worship leaders), and the Holy Ghost moved in an awesome way. God truly is good!

I did, however, take some pictures of a couple things we did before Thanksgiving to celebrate it.
Here's an art project that Beau, Lucy and I did: our "Thankful Tree."
Beau was thankful for mommy (not really sure why daddy got the shaft). Lucy was thankful for juice.

Thanksgiving morning I made the kids their turkey pancakes. They didn't turn out like they were supposed to. Apparently, I used all the red food coloring last Christmas, and red is the color to make brown & orange. So, I had to improvise. The yellow food coloring and chocolate chips came in handy. Beau helped me with the design of the bird.

Lucy had already started to eat her's, without bib and all, before I could snap a picture.

Here's a funny one. When I was little I always wanted long hair. I'd put anything on my head (blankets, towels, long-sleeved t-shirts...ect.) to pretend that it was longer.
Look who's following in mommy's footsteps.
She'll even make her daddy put a blanket on his head and play with her. Too funny!

20 Months

2009-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

I came across a picture of Beau when he was 20 months old, and wanted to see if there's any similarities between him and Lucy at the same age. I'm gonna have to say no.
Most people say no, I do get a few that say they look similar. When Lucy was first born I really wanted them to look alike, and tried to convince myself, and others, that they did. But, I came to terms with the fact that Beau looks like his daddy and Lucy looks like me.

Once again...

2009-11-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

...this further confirms why Lucy can't/shouldn't be left alone for any length of time.

It was pretty darn cute, though!

Shopping

2009-11-04T20:31:00.001-08:00

I went to Kansas City yesterday to help my mother-in-law pick out paint. Before we left we stopped at Target to pick up a few things, and this is what Lucy found. She was so funny. She walked all over the store pushing that cart around.

Ooooo.. What's this, momma? Soccer ball?

A Rainey's Celebration of Fall.

2009-11-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

Beau did this last Fall (without daddy around, of course) and he had the best time. This year he has moved a little higher up on the hill, which made mommy nervous, but I let him go ahead and do it and no one got hurt... yeah! The look on his face as he's going down the hill is great!

Lucy was very content to just sit and watch.

Awe... so sad!

2009-10-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

I will not be winning the "Parent of the Year" award.

Lucy absolutely loves to color, it amazes me just how much she does. If I'm cooking, I can put her at the table and she'll color the whole time. What a difference between her and Beau. He could have cared less about coloring, it just wasn't his thing. Now that Lucy likes to color, and since he started preschool, he's more interested.
The other day Lucy, Beau, Aunt Annie and I were at the table coloring. I look over at Lucy and she's starting to fall asleep. I thought, "Oh, that's so funny. I'll get the camera." I took a few pictures, went to pick her up to take her to bed, and she was burning up.
"Awful" is the word I'll use to describe my feelings. Just right before that I noticed her eyes looked funny and I thought, "She must be tired."
The whole day was spent nursing her back to health and washing blankets after blankets.
Glory to God, she's healed and doing much better.
There's nothing worse than when your children are sick.

Here are the pictures I thought were so "funny" and "cute."

Big Red Barn

2009-09-29T07:30:00.001-07:00

We did it! We made it to and back from Weston with the camera in hand... phew! I will never forget that ride home last year, it was very quite.
This year was a lot of fun. The weather was perfect, the kids were good, and once again, we still have our camera.
We love this little place (in Weston, MO). I'm so glad we found this pumpkin patch that we'll go to every year with the kids.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

2009-09-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

First, let me start this post off by saying, "God is so good!!" He is so faithful, and has showed Himself strong to C.F. and I these last few months.
Some things came up this summer, which didn't allow us to take a vacation. A little over four years ago, we endeavored in our hearts (being led of God) not to use credit cards. It was pretty challenging at first, but once we made some adjustments, it's actually very freeing. We are a cash only family!
So, needless to say, the money just wasn't there this summer to go on a trip.
C.F. and I knew that we wanted to do some things for our kids, and needed to believe Him for the funds. Praise God, after seeking Him, coming in agreement in prayer, He did it!
One of the things we wanted to do was take them to the circus, it was gonna be in K.C. for a week.
The kids had a blast!! Wasn't sure how Lucy would do, but surprisingly, she did really good. It took me a minute to get acclimated to the speed of it all - there was a lot going on.

I really miss my old camera, this was the best pic I could get.

Beau's New Song

2009-09-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

This one's too funny!
C.F. does the announcing at football games for our local high school; he's the "Voice of the Bulldogs!" He's incorporated music and movie sound bites in his gig, he does a great job!
Apparently, Beau listened very closely to the words of one of the songs, "In the air tonight." I heard him singing the song on our way to church, which was really funny, cause he added choreography to go along with the words. I didn't have the camera with me at that moment, so I got him to sing for me later.

Hmm..

2009-09-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

There's a table on my back porch that has a basket of apples on it right now (thanks to David and Lisa).
Well, apparently, Lucy can reach up there and take an apple anytime she wants to.

The evidence: this is what I found when I came out of the kitchen.
Here's the little culprit.

NWMO State Fair

2009-09-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

Another year at the fair has come and gone. Once again, time really does go fast, especially with children.
We had a lot of fun this year. Not really sure how I feel about Beau (and I'm sure Lucy will, as well) thinking this is the greatest fair ever. But, he does. I have a niece and a nephew that went to the Missouri State Fair one year, they thought it was stupid and wanted to go to the Bethany fair - too funny. I think the difference is, all the cousins get to be together at this fair. I love that! I love that Beau and Lucy have a lot of cousins, and that they get to spend quite a bit of time with them. Some of my greatest memories are spending summers with my cousins. Those were wonderful times in my life!
We were so glad Aunt Glynis, Uncle Donovan, Brighton and Rigley came up from Springfield. It made our fair experience that much more fun!
We sure did miss Morgan and Jake, though. It's not the same without ya!
I also didn't get any pictures with Brandon and Collin. They got there late Thursday night as we were getting ready to go :(
Just so everyone knows, C.F. avoided the cotton candy stand this year!

This is what happens when you become a mother again - your second experiences things much sooner than your first one ever did.

Beau and Lily waiting for the pig races. I still can't get over how Beau stands like Uncle Kent.

Lucy even made a new friend - Joel. He lives here in town, they're only a couple weeks apart in age, so I'm sure they'll be seeing more of each other.

Randomness

2009-09-03T20:28:00.000-07:00

There's really no theme for this post, just some pictures taken here and there.

Lucy got her first Hello Kitty electric toothbrush. Beau thought it would be a good idea if they sat on the couch and brushed their teeth together. I don't know?
On a side note, really do not like the curtains in the background. I haven't liked them for several years, but the more I look at them the worse it gets. Something must be done soon.
This is their little spot where they like to play. But, I really put this picture on because Lucy has the funniest look on her face. I'd like to know what she's thinking.

Lucy and Lily waiting for the big kids to get baptized.

Where do you think you're going, lil missy??

2009-08-23T21:04:00.001-07:00

I've got a girl who loves shoes!

Beau's 1st day of preschool.

2009-08-22T05:59:00.000-07:00

Well, we did it, we took Beau to his first day of preschool. I never thought this day would come, but boy did it come fast :( I can still remember holding him when he was tiny and thinking to myself, "There's NO WAY I'm sending my precious baby to school in the care of another person!" On the other hand, I did have a bout of postpartum depression, which would explain a lot of the weird thinking I had when he was little. Oh boy, I was a nut!
But, Beau did great - in fact, he was pretty determined to let me know that I was not staying with him. Mommy did good, as well. No tears or any anxiety...whew. Daddy, well he's another story. There were no tears from him, but he was on the verge.
Beau said he had a great day, made some new friends, and is excited to go back. What more can a mommy ask for?
It's so neat that C.F. and I get to experience all these new stages in his life with him. What a privilege. He's such a blessing.
I remember when we were first married, and the conversations we would have about our children. We would try to imagine what they were gonna look like, their little personalities, likes and dislikes. Never could I have imagined that it was gonna be this good.
That's how good God is!!! He pours his goodness into our lives, and he will use our children to demonstrate that goodness. I praise God that I know him as a good God. Not some religious, stingy, mean God. The church has done an awful job getting that message out. He is so good.
That all being said, knowing how good He is, helps me to show His goodness to Beau and Lucy. If there's one thing they'll grow up knowing, it's that God is good...all the time!!

A rare moment

2009-08-16T14:13:00.001-07:00

Look, they love each other!!

Bless Beau's heart, he can be so sweet to Lucy and sometimes she will strongly resist his kindness. She may be a little like me and has her personal space issues.
But lately I've seen a little turn in her, she's becoming much more affectionate with him.
It's very sweet.
Now, when she's told, "No-No", she runs to him for comfort.. too cute.
Here they are cuddling up with each other :) A rare moment indeed, but hoping that will change.

Eatin' all the corn

2009-08-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

Lucy's new favorite veggie is corn on the cob. We practically have to hide it from her because that's all she wants to eat. She is a great eater, though. Eats all her veggies and her fruits very well.
Rigley (her cousin) was at Mimi's house a few weeks ago, and his mommy gave him some corn on the cob - he loved it.
Plus, it kept them entertained long enough so the mommies could take a few bites themselves.

Showin' off her smarts.

2009-07-26T21:26:00.000-07:00

Going down the slide!!

2009-07-26T15:31:00.001-07:00

I mentioned in a previous post that this has been a big year for Beau, in the pool. Well, here's some shots of him going down the slide. This wasn't his first time, this just happened to be a rare time when I didn't have Lucy so I could snap a couple photos.

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The big dance off!

2009-07-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

Abbey came over to stay the night and her and Beau had a big dance off.

Puppy Town (title courtesy of Beau)

2009-07-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

Beau loves to look at pictures and videos of himself. He especially likes it when I put them on here and write about him. Huh, wonder where he gets that? ;) Anyone remember me sitting at the table at Grandma Haffey's house, looking in the mirror constantly, fixing my hair? I'm sure Aunt Teresa has a few stories.
So, for this entry he wanted me to take a picture of all the dogs that he sleeps with at night and tell all their names.
L to R: Jerry (yes, that is Snoopy), Freddie, Puppy (this is the main one he sleeps with), Black Puppy & Coco.

Swim Lessons

2009-07-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

Beau had swim lessons this last week and did pretty good. We had a few moments where he wanted mommy, but overall he did great. This has a been a big summer for him. He jumps off the edge, in 3 1/2 ft, all by himself and jumped off the diving board. He even jumps in the deep end with his life jacket on and swims to the side. He's becoming quite the little fish.

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-11T13:29:00.001-07:00

We had a great 4th. Cousin Colby (Uncle Kevin's daughter) flew in, which is always good to see her. She got to spend the whole week with all of us. We did all the 4th of July norm; blew up stuff, ate food off a grill and sat around wrapped up in blankets. Ok, so the sitting around wrapped up in blankets wasn't so normal. It was unseasonably cool. Nevertheless, Beau and Lucy had a fun evening with their cousins.

A nice friendly game of...

2009-06-30T21:03:00.001-07:00

Let's Go Fishin'. Lucy's idea of playing is picking them up and placing them all back in. Beau didn't seem to mind, so I didn't stop her.

C.F.'s Birthday

2009-06-17T18:20:00.000-07:00

We celebrated C.F.'s b-day last week on the 8th. His idea of a good b-day is good meals, a nice present and some Wii with Beau. Not me!! I want to go out, eat, and shop. But, it wasn't my day, so for breakfast I made him biscuits and gravy with bacon (his fav). Then for lunch Kent got him pizza and cake. Thanks Kent! By the time I made breakfast and cleaned everything up, it was lunch. For his dinner, we had t-bone steaks, baked potato, and a salad...very yummy. Beau and mommy made the cake and Beau picked out the hats - transformers. They fit the Wii in there sometime that day. Happy Birthday, C.F.. Hope you had a good day. Love ya!

Too fast!

2009-06-13T20:41:00.001-07:00

I came across some older pix of Beau this evening, and my heart is very sad right now. Just to see how fast the last 4 yrs have gone makes me think how fast the next 4 yrs will go (sigh). I'd go back and do that toddler stage any day. Even though it is hard with little ones around at times, someday this will all be over and I'll want it back. He was my little buddy, everywhere I went he was right there with me. He is the sweetest little boy in the whole world, and I love him so much.

Birthday at Kade's.

2009-06-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

Beau got invited to Kade Hodge's birthday party. This was his 2nd school friends party that he's went too. He had so much fun!! They did water guns and slippy slide (as Beau calls it).

Let's see if I can name them all: Front- Kaden, Ian, Luke, Cale, Kade, ?, ?
Back- Drew, Cale's brother and of course, Beau.
Filling up their water-guns!

They started off going in order, that didn't last long. They are typical boys and loved crashing into each other.
This is Beau's best little buddy, Luke!

Frontier Days in Albany.

2009-06-05T17:12:00.000-07:00

C.F., Beau, Lucy, Brandon & I went over to Albany for the Frontier Days. They all had a lot of fun. We caught up with Abbey and Gracie, which Brandon was much happier for that. Beau and Lily rode all the rides together, they even braved the roller coaster.

This was Beau's 1st time on the strawberry.

Lucy loved the Carousel so much, she would scream when she had to get off. That wasn't your normal Carousel, it was extremely wobbly and super fast.

Some have the ocean, we have a pond.

2009-05-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

Shawna invited us over to Aunt Teresa's for an evening in the paddle boat. The kids bad a blast!

Brandon and Collin were the 1st ones in, Gracie followed very shortly.

We finished the evening with a fire and s'mores!

1st game at the "K"

2009-05-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

We finally took Beau to his 1st Royals game. We never felt like he was quite old enough till this year, and he did so good. He made it all the way to the 7 inning, then he was done. The only thing we didn't do was see Slugger, we'll have to do that the next time.

We finished the day with jumping fountains at Zona Rosa.

I feel like I'm raising a little monkey

2009-05-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when I turn my back on Lucy. She's something else!!

Bus station bath.

2009-05-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Bless Lucy's heart, these are the kind of baths she gets when I'm in a hurry. This is what has happened to me with having more than one. She does look pretty darn cute though!

K.C. zoo

2009-05-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was my birthday, so the plan was to take a trip to the zoo for the day. As I'm getting around to walk out the door, I see C.F. looking around in the trunk with the spare tire out. I thought "Oh no, do we have a flat?". He comes in the house and says "We have a problem." "What's the problem?" "I accidentally flung a snake in the trunk!" As I grab my hair with my heart in the pit of my stomach, I yelled "Ohh myy gosh!!!" It took 2 hrs to get that thing out with Kent's help. So, needless to say, we did not make it to the zoo that day. We decided to go today, and the weather was beautiful, and the kids were wonderful! Never did I think I'd have to ask the qeustion "Did you get the snake out of my car??"

Barnyard days!

2009-04-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

Beau and Lucy went to the ECC (Early Childhood Center) for Barnyard Days. Lucy was very afraid of all the animals, so there were no pix of her.

Beau teaching mommy Spanish & French.

2009-04-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

On our way to church

2009-04-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

Resurrection morning!

2009-04-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

Cake on a stick.

2009-04-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

Aunt Glynis brought Easter bunny cake on a stick for all the kids. They were so cute.

Egg Hunt at Mimi's.

2009-04-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

Lucy's 1st hunt.

"Come on Uncle C.F., just say GO!!"

Fishin' at the farm.

2009-04-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

Who is it??

2009-04-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the big surprise!!

Yeaaa...it was Uncle Pat and Danette, or as Beau affectionately called her "Aunt Nette!"
This was the 1st time Lucy met Uncle Pat, and it was the 1st time I met Danette. She is so wonderful, Pat truly is blessed!!

Look what I can do!

2009-04-12T19:04:00.001-07:00

Apparently, Lucy can climb chairs now.

Easter Puppy Pound party.

2009-04-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

Dancing to Star Wars

2009-03-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

4th birthday party!

2009-03-29T07:17:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Beau's b-day party last weekend with a firehouse theme. This was a big for him, he invited a friend from puppy pound, Luke Sweat! This was his first school friend attendee. I think it was a bigger deal for me than it was for him.
Beau was so sweet, he thought he was turning 5 at his party, because he had already celebrated his 4th birthday in Kansas City...so funny.
He was blessed with so many things, and everything he got was just what he wanted - God is good!!!

Once again, C.F. made the cake and I think he did great!

Thought this one was funny, Lucy made her way in the middle of that mess.

Beau needed a little help.

Birthday lunch

2009-03-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

Beau had originally picked O'Charley's to eat at, which, yea for Beau because kids eat for free. But, when we called to see if they sang happy birthday, they did not :( So, his other pick was Olive Garden. It was yummy!

Happy 4th Birthday Beau!

2009-03-23T09:23:00.001-07:00

What a big boy!

Beau and Lucy going down the slide with daddy.

Lucy made a new friend, whose name was Lucy Nicole...that was a middle name we were thinking of doing, but decided to go with my grandma's middle name - Jean!

We went to Kansas City to Air Zone Kids, both Beau and Lucy had lots of fun.

We kicked off the celebration with pancakes and bacon - his favorite!!

"Mmmm...Yea, I think she likes 'em!"

2009-03-11T13:41:00.001-07:00

Feeding herself.

2009-03-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

Her new trick.

2009-03-08T07:31:00.001-07:00

"Look what I can do!!"

Lucy's 1st birthday party!

2009-02-23T10:06:00.001-08:00

Lucy's party was Saturday, and we had such a fun time. Everything turned out wonderful, I wasn't stressed, all the kids were great and Missouri beat Colorado at home. We really didn't have a theme - well, except for Lucy being the theme. We tried to make it about the cakes and decor. C.F. and I really had fun doing this. Having a girl is a lot of fun!

Waiting for the party to start. "Hello, where are all my people??"

C.F. made the cakes, I was so amazed how well he did.

"Uh, excuse me, what is this tight thing around my neck, and why are you all singing to me??"

"HEY....give that back to me!!"
And here's the carcass.

Lucy's 1st Birthday!!

2009-02-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

WOW, it's a little unreal that Lucy's one, and it's crazy to think how fast this year has went. Well, I think it's went fast, C.F. does not! Her first year has a been a blur, much more than Beau's was. I was relieved when Beau turned one, almost like we crossed a finish line. That may seem awful, but the first 2-3 months of his life, I really struggled. He was a great baby, I was the mess. I had some postpartum at first, then just dealing with the constant feedings, constant care....it's was like someone needed to inform me I was having a baby...duh. But, with Lucy, I knew how fast it was gonna go. I was able take a breath and relax with her, which I didn't do with Beau.
It just seems like Lucy has always been here. After we had Beau, C.F. and would frequently comment how boring how life was without him. Then, after Lucy was born, we felt the same way all over again.
I can't describe how I feel about her without sounding quirky. But, she truly is wonderful, and sweet, and a bit feisty at times.
I love having her - I love having this girl!!

She's waiting so patiently for Beau to bring her present to her.

Since her party isn't till Saturday, we wanted her to have something on her actual birthday

Beau is such a good little helper. He helped me paint these lanterns for the party.

Playin' outside in February.

2009-02-19T09:44:00.000-08:00

Last week (I'm a little behind) mom and dad came over for lunch, then took the kids outside to play. It was so nice for them to breathe fairly warm fresh air. Lucy took a 3 1/2 hr nap after that. It was very nice!

Beau is helping Lucy go down the slide for the 1st time, and she loved it. She was throwing herself down after she got comfortable.

Papa taken them for a ride in the wagon
Nana helping Lucy go down the little slide
Lucy didn't like touching the grass, so when she feel down, unless someone came to help her, that's where she stayed.

Sweet Hot Hands

2009-02-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

Stayin' in the lines....yeah he is!

2009-02-09T18:40:00.001-08:00

We've struggled a little bit with getting Beau interested in coloring, tracing object....basically anything to do with his small motor skills, he could cared less. After our visit with the parents as teachers the other day, she said we needed to work on small motor skills. Of course, I freaked out. She reassured me that he was fine, but that was something he needed to work on. So, this afternoon we got our homework out (If Beau thinks it's homework he's very excited to do it, all his older cousins have homework) and this is what he did. I'm so proud of him. It was like something clicked inside of him, and he was excited to color. I think he was interested because it was a puzzle, something that was hidden and he had to find it. He never fails to amaze me!!

I helped him the tentacles, he did the rest. (I think they're tentacles?!?!)

Tarzan

2009-02-09T11:01:00.000-08:00

Beau didn't want to put clothes on today, he said "I want to just wear my underwear so I can look like Tarzan." He also frequently tells me that his body is "ripped"....nice.
The other night, him and his dad were reading his bible story about King Solomon. C.F. read how God told Solomon he could ask for anything and He'd give it to him - so Solomon asked for wisdom. So, C.F. asked "Beau, if you could ask God for one thing, what would that be?" Beau's response was "Bacon"!

Getting caught

2009-01-28T16:17:00.000-08:00

I know I've been posting a lot about Lucy lately, but her personality has started to come out quite a bit. Here are a few "caught in the action" pics. Lucy's a bit curious and likes to climb.

Here she is digging in the potato bin.

Not to long after this she had the onion in her hand

She now will stand on anything to climb on anything.

If it would've been taller she still would've found a way to get on top of it.

Abbey and Grace

2009-01-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

Abbey, Gracie & Lily came and stayed the afternoon with us. Here's a shot of them playing Wii music.

No reason for this one, just thought it was cute!

Why must she??

2009-01-22T22:01:00.000-08:00

Lucy loves to get in the cabinets, so much more than Beau ever did, and throw all the bowls on the floor. She doesn't play with them, she just wants them on the floor. If I pick them up, she's frustrated, goes an open the door, and throws them on the floor again. I've learned with the 2nd one, 'who cares'!! It's actually very cute.

Lil' growler

2009-01-18T11:07:00.000-08:00

Lucy can growl now, but not just for a bear or a lion, according to her every animal growls.

2009-01-18T09:32:00.000-08:00

Beau wasn't feeling well today so we stayed home from church. He was really needing mommy time, so we played gorilla mountain all morning.

I thought these were to funny. She couldn't keep her eyes open because of the flash.

Cheeks

2009-01-16T20:02:00.000-08:00

Look at those cheeks....I seriously want to squeeze them. She's growing up so fast, seems like it's much faster than it was with Beau. Her new thing now is to be shy and a little flirty, it's very enduring. The other night at church she was standing by David & he was tickling her neck, her response was putting her head down, shoulders up with a little smile on her face. She's a sweet little girl.

2009-01-16T14:01:00.000-08:00

I had been trying to catch Brandon with his iPod singing. I tried to be sneaky, this was as good as I could get.

Lucy's favorite spot

2009-01-10T19:20:00.001-08:00

Lucy has found a little spot she likes to go to, so of course now that Lucy's likes it Beau likes it. They're so funny

Beau at the skating rink

2009-01-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Beau and I met Annie, Brandon, Shawna and the girls at the skating rink for Beau's 1st skating experience. He really wasn't to sure about it at first, he kept saying "Get me out of here!" But we pushed through and he didn't do to bad. I didn't do a good job getting pics, he needed both my hands. He had fun, and I'm sure we'll be returning soon.

Beau and Auntie Annie taking a turn

Taking a well deserved snack break

Smackin' her lips

2009-01-02T06:02:00.000-08:00

This is the only time smacking your lips with food in your mouth is cute.

Beau and Lily

2008-12-30T18:37:00.000-08:00

Lily came and stayed the night with Beau the other night, they played the Wii and had a fun time. I thought this was a sweet picture of Lily. They also were playing in the play room, Lily asked Beau to play with her, He said "No, I don't like girl toys" she in turn said "Beau, why did you asked me to stay with you." Kids are so funny.

Christmas at Connie's

2008-12-29T14:50:00.000-08:00

We had our last Christmas dinner at Connie's and had a really nice time. Glynis, Donovan and their family made it up, and of course Kent, Shawna and the girls were there too. All the kids had a fun time opening gifts, and I enjoyed all the appetizers.....yummy!!
Lucy loves babies...so cute.
Not really sure what I was thinking here, perhaps "Please stop taking pic's and help me." Tis the season!!Lucy wants to play with him so bad.

Tryin' it out

2008-12-28T19:07:00.000-08:00