Handful of Love

March on 2012

2013-01-04T23:27:00.000-06:00

2012 was a remarkable year for our family! In fact, it has been such a great year that realizing it has come and gone is a little emotional...

We were reunited as a family under one roof. I was able to become a full-time "work at home" mom (some would refer to this at "stay at home" mom...but I just don't remember how I did it while working full time too. Well, I just didn't do it well.) We are able to be close enough to my family to be able to share lots of milestones with them. Andrew played baseball, basketball and joined the swim team (l.o.v.e.s swimming!). Ryan enjoys "mommy school." I have "found myself" again - well, truly God has reminded me of whose I am and who I am. It just has felt like we were meant to be exactly where we are now.

This really makes resolutions hard if you think of them as trying to shake off old habits and make anew.

So I have decided to dedicate 2013 to a renewing of my mind and capitalizing on the good that 2012 brought with it.

My verse of the year:
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans12:2 NIV

My list of focus for the new year:

1. Knowing God More
Devoting time to seek Him, to be still in His presence and learn from Him. Keep in step with Him. Finding Him with my head and my heart. Keeping a strong relationship with my Savior, my Heavenly Father and His Holy Spirit. Laughing with Him. Making joyful noise with Him. Shining His light for His flock to see. Crying with Him. Waiting patiently for Him. Listening to Him. Acting when nudged by Him. Worshipping Him. Wanting to amaze Him with my faithfulness, hope and trust.

2. Family
Devoting attention to my husband and my children. Staying up and talking in bed with my husband. Letting my hair down. Waking up 15 minutes early to have a bible devotion with my oldest son. Singing "Bushel and a Peck" with Ryan. Feeding my growing boys (tallest one included!) healthy, whole foods. Being a good example of Christ's love for us and His light of truth. Building a strong relationship with each of my boys. Laughing together. Playing together. Praying together. Worshipping together. Joyfully loving each other. Building a heavenly family together because of Jesus.

3. Jewelry Business
Focusing on my customers and hostesses. Mapping out plan for growing my business. Sticking to the plan. Encouraging ladies to feel great about themselves. Setting a personal record for the most free jewelry given away. Shining Jesus' light to the ladies I am fortunate to meet. Enjoying lots of new friends.

There you have it in a nut shell.

You can expect to hear from me on these 3 continued focuses for 2013.

May your year also be a blessing unto you and your Heavenly Father.

The Merriest

2012-12-10T22:38:00.000-06:00

It is just when you feel like you have "everything together" (ha!) that you look up and see the threads unraveling around you...like keeping up with everyone through this outlet known as "the blog"...well, all good intentions.

Intentions...preparing for this season of celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, has been very intentional this year. With the time I have been blessed with to focus on my family, I have used it to draw closer to "the daddy" (God) to "the head of my household" (my husband) and to "the raising up to be in His favor" (my children).

This focus has in turn brought incomprehensible joy, love and understanding of the Truth to my life.

This realization hit hard while listening to Andrew's music for the children's program at church...by the way, he was the cutest oxen ever! The song was an upbeat version of Joy to the World. Really listening, intently listening to the lyrics hit me square in the chest. And brought tears, lots of tears.

I keep finding reasons to fall to my knees in praise and thanksgiving for my Heavenly Daddy as we walk closer and closer to our Christmas celebration.

Here are some of the blessings I have joyfully enjoyed as we countdown to Christmas Day:

1. Andrew and I have been waking up 15 minutes early before getting ready for school to have a Bible study together. It has been a very precious time. Time that we will never forget.

2. I just love spending time with Ryan. He is such a funny kiddo! Every 20 minutes (or less!) over the last week or so he has stopped to ask "Mom, what's MY name?" I respond. "OH! Yes, Ralph Ryan." Not to mention his running up and exclaiming, "Help mommy! My nose is blinkin'!" Which has us searching for a kleenex to wipe the dripping!

3. The strong blessing of having friends anchored in TRUTH...and willing to share that truth with me, no strings attached. I honestly don't know where I would be today if I did not have them in my life. And all that they were (are) doing was answering God's call to help me seek Him more!

4. A husband who loves me dearly. I am blessed beyond understanding when it comes to the man that God gave me to be my husband. I am working hard (and still failing, but then picking up pieces and working harder!) to become the wife that God wants me to be for him. He is my best friend, and I am so thankful to God for reminding me of that! I love this man with all my heart. (Okay, okay...enough of the mushiness!)

Our memory verses for this month (one for our little guy and one more for the rest of us!):
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. Isaiah 9:6
For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Handful's Sunday Comics

2012-10-14T21:53:00.001-05:00

It's about time I documented some silly happenings around here...

Believe me, there have been enough to keep anyone in stitches of laughter! But I'll share some of my favorites of late:

1. Ryan is still on the kick of "knock-knock jokes"... and his favorite one is still: "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Bug." "Bug who?" "Did you get that???" With lots of silly, 2 year-old belly laughter to follow! Nothing better!

2. Andrew has been pretty serious about his swim team and practice. He has been staying in the pool when his age group is done with practice and the older groups keep going for another 30 minutes. When asked to get out of the pool he replies "Just one more lap mom, please! Remember, I'm trying to be an Olympic swimmer one of these days! Gee, can you not let me just practice hard?" Oh, what I would give to be 5 going on 20 again!

3. Hide-and-Go-Seek has become a very favorite game for both of the boys. Just yesterday my mom was over and playing the beloved game with Ryan. She found him under a big reclining chair and asked if he was stuck. It was very apparent he was. He adamantly said, "No, grandma, I NO-it stuck!" Pause for a little bit of a struggle under the chair... "Umm, grandma, I can't get out!"

4. Andrew was out helping my dad in their yard. Of course not because he is being a good, thoughtful and helpful grandson, but because he was "working" to be paid for "helping". He is saving up money for a plastic (very plastic) bow and arrow set, an electric scooter, an IPod, a DS... you get the picture, he will be picking up a LOT of sticks in the yard for 25 cents per hour! I guess you can't discourage a man with a vision...

5. During one of these "working" sessions with my dad, Andrew was asked to bring down an empty trash can that was standing right by a wagon. The same wagon that my dad had just laid down a fresh cup of coffee. Andrew picked up the handle of the wagon...my dad called out, "Andrew, we don't need the wagon. We just need the trash can." "Oh," was Andrew's reply. My dad walked up to where Andrew was, looked down and saw his coffee mug turned over on its side, coffee everywhere. "Andrew, did you knock over my coffee?" "Huh? Oh, no, grandpa...the wind did it." "Andrew, do you feel any wind?" "Uhhhh, nope grandpa..." "Andrew, are you telling me a story?" "Well, gee grandpa, most people buy my stories!"

New Dog Learning Old Tricks

2012-10-03T13:29:00.000-05:00

Just call me "Modern Millie"...

Before moving to our new locale, I thought I was hip, cool, collected, together... A truly MODERN woman!

WRONG!

Full-time job, full-time mom, full-time wife - and more often than not in that order! I was not a rock-star or superwoman at any of it! I was paddling upstream with one broken high heel as my oar.

Have you seen the Got Milk? commercials with Salma Hayek (Penelope Cruz's look-alike) frantically searching for milk? That is what I now realize I felt like (and quite possibly looked like)!

Then, BOOM!, God said "Melody, child of mine, REST in me!" HUH?!?! Rest...what is that! I don't have time to rest, God... you have given me two full-of-life little blessings, I have things to do, some of them for you (what!?!), and you want me to rest???

Hold the presses!

1. How was I doing "things" in honor of my Father without His blessing? He was telling me to REST, right, yet I thought I was busy doing work FOR Him?

2. How was I living out my first calling to my Father if I was not honoring my husband by putting Mike second only to God on my totem pole? (1 Peter 3:1-6)

3. How was I mothering my children and showing them God's love when my focus was never, let's be blantly honest, fixed on them? (Proverbs 22:6)

Man, it is SO good to finally have opened eyes, an open heart and mind to the TRUTH! How many other beautiful women of God have been listening to half-truths of their worth in the home? Ladies, the enemy is out working, spinning these lies, twisting them so that they sound true.

I no longer want to be "I am woman hear me roar!" I yearn and strive each day to belong to my Heavenly Father, my husband and my children.

That is where I have found myself. Thoroughly Modern Millie, as I now call myself. I am a modern daughter, wife and mother learning some wonderful tricks of old.

As Ryan so sweetly sings these days, "The Bible tells me so..."

Sowing Seeds of Truth

2012-09-10T22:16:00.000-05:00

The start of a new school year begins with lots of excitement, new clothes, a real schedule...and if you are a mom like me - FEAR that your little handful of love will be exposed to things that, quite frankly, you don't want him to know or see until he is 37 years old!

This has been very hard to swallow this year. Kindergarten just seems SO old and Andrew loves life so much and especially loves to be the center of attention. (ahem, I have NO idea who he gets this wonderfully charming characteristic from!) Because of this, he is usually right in the middle of all kinds of activity and is pretty inclusive with anyone who laughs at him and his jokes.

I opened up some conversation between me and my husband a couple of weeks ago about guarding our loving boy's heart and mind. How do we protect him to the best of our ability? How do we make sure that there are more seeds of truth being planted in his growing heart than seeds of the enemy and his lies? (Luke 8:4-15) What are things that we can do at home to make sure that we build the character traits that will make him the strong, loving man of God that we pray each night over him?

Now, I know some will say, "Melody, come on now girl, you simply can't protect him from all the evil of the world. That we would be silly to expect to and that he needs to learn how to "deal" with and respond to it because it will be all around him his entire life.

But I am convicted that the answer to these statements is "NO!" We can and should shield our children from as much evil and corruptness as we possibly can. Our world and its ways have given us an excuse to say "Oh, well, it is just the way it is...We can't let them be caught in naivety."

I will not let Satan lie to my family in this way. We can and should give our children a solid foundation of truth while shielding them until they have all the tools that God's Word offers to stand on stamped onto their hearts. (Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.)

I won't go into all the things that we began to discuss and pray about, but I wanted to share with you one thing (of many) that we are doing to promote a solid foundation in truth and faith.

On our way to and from school (especially on the way to school) we are memorizing small verses of scripture. It really has been amazing to see the change in Andrew's day when it starts off this way, and to be completely honest the change in my attitude throughout the day. We have also just recently begun to say some of the verses after praying at the dinner table together.

Dr. Gary Smalley wrote a wonderful guide for parents concerning this topic, HERE. It is material that I have studied and taken to heart. Dr. Smalley advocates placing God's Word in your heart and your children's hearts so that you all have the tools in place to react out of love, grace and mercy.

Here are some of the scriptures that we know, and were the first ones we memorized (about 2-3 weeks for each):

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30

Love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:31

For you are great and work wonders. You alone are God. Psalm 86:10

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; I know this full well. Psalm 139:14

Call me a "holy roller" or call me a wise mama, I don't care... but one thing is certain:
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! Joshua 24:16

What are ways that you plant seeds of truth in your child's (children's) heart?

Bonds That Tie

2012-08-14T23:44:00.001-05:00

This is a heartfelt, mixed emotion, loving tribute to my baby sister, Melissa.

Yesterday, she climbed into her car and started the next chapter of her life by driving to Arizona (14 hours away! boohoo!) to be closer to her fiance and begin the search for a dietetics internship.

It was extremely sad to see her go, of course. Everyone LOVES their Aunt LaLa. But it was especially sad because it marks a finality in my mind of truly growing up and being a "grown-up" family.

I don't know if that even makes an ounce of sense, but it is a page of the "Mac-Family" book that will never be re-opened (except for in home movies and digging through the huge box of pictures). Growing up is done in the house of Mac. I know this is hard for my parents. I just didn't realize it would hit me like a ton of bricks too. I mean, I have two children of my own and seven years of bliss (oh yes, bliss!) behind Mike and me. You would think that the growing up thing had already sunk in!

Melissa has always been the comic relief in our family, especially with my dad. She walks into the room and the tension relaxes somehow. I wouldn't say she was the peacemaker...that's my job as the oldest sibling, but certainly the expert timing, knowing-just-what-to-say, crack-the-perfect-joke sister. She is the baby of the family and has always played her part well... waiting until you were in the kitchen getting some ice cream and then begging you to bring some to her too... making Megan feel guilty enough to help her clean her room, and then leaving Megan (without her realizing it!) to clean it by herself... being the female version of Van Wilder...

I am really going to miss having her so close. Smurf Dance Party will certainly not be the same without her. But at least the wonderfully goofy poems written in birthday cards are sure to be better!

So, with her poems in mind, I give you the Melissa poem in honor of the next chapter of her life... (Disclaimer - our family is a little odd):

The Melissa Poem
Melissa, Melissa, our dear Melissa,
How did we all so fastly grow?
It isn't easy watching you go and go and go and go (it is a LONG way out there).
I look forward to skiing and trees so tall,
I hope you will not ever see me fall.
You are so dear,
and that is why I'm sad you won't be near
but I'll love you always through the year.

Keep your ear down so you can hear
the stampede of Hansen's drawing near.
Whenever the snow starts to fall
we will certainly come far to call.

Now to get this poem on track
I just want you to know we want you to be happy
so I guess that means you will never be back.
But if you do,
Smurf Dance Party is waiting just for you!

God's shower of immense blessings rain down on you, dear sister and friend.

Just a Few Handfuls of Love...

2012-08-07T16:25:00.000-05:00

I hate to admit that I just uncovered this draft...and I have no idea why it didn't get published for the world to have this very, ahem!, important update from the Hansen homestead. (This had to have been started around April, maybe...oops!)

Andrew is a funny kid and he has a great, fun loving personality. I have really enjoyed him the last several days. It is nothing that he has done. It really is all me. It's funny because I know that I am a good mom. I at least try my hardest to be. Andrew is a great kid, just very independent, self-reliant and bullheaded. The red headed temper doesn't help much either. This past Saturday was the first time since we have moved and I have been staying at home 5 days a week (working part-time for a university) that I have felt like a REALLY good stay-at-home mom. It made me sad to think about everything I have missed, but gratefully and completely blessed to be finding my path to what life can be like for all of us in our new journey. (Update: As you know, I am now thankful to be able to stay at home full time with my little red and blond headed monsters!)

Speaking of Andrew being a funny kid... Tonight at the dinner table Mike asked Andrew if he had told anyone at school about going fishing and making a catch (family trip to the pond on the golf course last night). Andrew said, "Ah, man, no! I told myself I was going to remember, but I didn't." Mike said, "Boy, you sound like your mom." To which Andrew replied, "Well, I better change my voice, ahem, ahem!" he said clearing his throat.

Ryan's favorite song right now is "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." He has just been singing it randomly out of the blue. His little voice becomes so high and sweet sounding. He will sing and sing until he gets to "like a diamond in the sky"... and then he gets stuck, like a record player (if anyone can remember what those are) and he sings that one line over and over and over and over again until you help him continue on. It is pretty funny. We counted eleven times before my sister couldn't take it any more and helped him get to the end of the song.

Andrew is playing t-ball this spring. He is in the "competitive" t-ball group. It is amazing to sit back and watch the dynamics of the parents of each team we have played so far. Our team's parents are very laid back, positive and cheerful. The parents of the team that we played last week were intense, focused and yelled a LOT. Might I remind you that while we are on the "competitive" side of the league that these kids are just 5 and 6 years-old. 1.2.3.4.5 & 6. We had to chuckle under our breath at one mom who was KEEPING STATS and argued with the 13 year-old umpire about how many runs they had during one of the innings. Ridiculous. What happened to letting kids have fun? Especially at school these days! But that is a soap box to be saved for another day.

The Vet in Me

2012-08-06T15:43:00.004-05:00

Today I was taken back down memory lane.

During the first two summers of college I worked for a veterinarian and enjoyed it immensely.

In fact, if I had worked for them before I went to college, I more than likely would have studied to become a vet.

And then I would have to live on a farm to have enough room for all of the animals that would come home with me. And I would not be married to Mike anymore... he couldn't deal with all my adopted orphans.

In fact he told me he had one rule during the time I filled in - NO MORE PETS! And just in my defense, he was the one to bring home the last pet - Bob the Turtle... or Bobby for short!

I have had the opportunity to work for the same family again at their new clinic, just to fill in until they can find a replacement for an employee who gave them a one day notice that she was quitting. However, the three hours that I worked today was SO much fun. I forgot how much fun it was to be around people AND their pets.

People are crazy about their pets. I love hearing the stories of people's pets. Some people are sincerely IN LOVE with their pets. For real. They talk more about their pets than I do my children (and that's saying a LOT).

It was a fun morning and I am looking forward to helping out again tomorrow!

Don't Blink July!

2012-08-02T22:51:00.000-05:00

It is just amazing to me how fast July was here and gone! The summer was going by at such a nice pace.

And then JULY happened. Or did it? I really can't remember!

July was a fun month, though!

We had a visit from our dear friend Jaime (or Auntie Jewels), and Andrew and I played in our first golf tournament with Jaime and Mike.
Andrew worked on his skills as a fish. He actually took swimming lessons (for the second week this summer) from the lady who taught me how to swim oh so many years ago! He is now swimming by himself from one end of my parents' pool to the other! He has grown gills!
Ryan's little personality keeps blooming and blooming. Which in turns means that Mike keeps looking at me and saying, "Never mind, he is yours!" I got in trouble for this, but he HAD to have his toe nails painted when I was painting mine. I told him, "No, you're a boy. Boys don't paint their nails." But it is hard to argue with a two year-old in tears screaming, "No, mom, I BOY, I BOY!!! I bugs on them!" So despite the remarks and intervention attempts from Mike and other family members...he has had blue-greenish toenails for the past two weeks that he is VERY proud of!
We made it over to see my inlaws and play at the lake WITH Mike the last full week of July! It was a great time!!! We took our good family friends aka Mike's "other wife" (his best friend...separated from birth I swear) along with us too. We took boat rides, rode the jet ski, ate yummy "night treats" and Andrew SKIED! I'll share a video soon! (I even got up on one ski this time!)
Ryan is all about the knock-knock jokes right now! He is quite the comedian! His knock-knock jokes go something like this...

Ryan: Knock, knock
Mom: Who's there?
Ryan: Ladybug
Mom: Ladybug who?
Ryan: Did ya get that?

Ryan walked in with a massive booger on his finger and said, "Look mom, a BIG one!" "Ew! Yuck, Ryan! Let's put that one in the trash." "No! Mom, I eat it!" "No sir! Let's go get some tissue." "No!" Gulp. "Yucky, Ryan! We don't eat boogers!" Ryan shrugs. "Want some mommy?"

It's been a good summer. And I am SO blessed and thankful that I have had the opportunity to witness every minute of it!

Laundry, Laundry, Who Likes Laundry???

2012-07-07T23:26:00.000-05:00

Hmmm... I don't want to even say (type?) the word.

It is like saying "the Scottish play" name in a theater. Bad luck for everyone involved.

That is how I feel about laun... laund... laundry!

There, I said it (typed it!).

After spending an HOUR sorting out Mike's clothes that he wanted wrinkle free by putting them in the dryer - all 100 articles of clothing (okay, an exaggeration, but not by much), I thought there has to be a better way to do this thing called laundry.

I don't mind sticking a load in the washer, moving it to the dryer and then placing it in a laundry basket... or more often reality in our home, a pile on the bed that then gets moved to the floor, then back to the bed before going back to the floor again, and then moved to an undisclosed location when company is coming over. (No, you will never find my hiding place so don't even try!)

I have been on the search for some fabulous, laundry-hate curing tips.

Here are my top 10 that I have (or will) put into practice...

10. To help reduce wrinkling, fold or hang clothes as soon as possible after the dryer cycle ends. If this is not possible, slightly dampen a cloth, add it to the load and then run the dryer for a few minutes. The moisture and heat will help the wrinkles fall out. It's also a good idea to run a cool-down cycle at the end of the drying time. All laundry items are more prone to wrinkling if left sitting in a pile when they are hot. If your washer has steam washes, this can also reduce wrinkles. (Tip from LG Laundry Tips)

9. Sort your laundry by fabric type, color and water temperature. Keep clothes that require hand washing or dry clean only items separate. Divide the rest into 5 piles for best results:

1. Whites — everything white, underwear, t-shirts, handkerchiefs, etc.
2. Lights — including striped whites, off-whites and pastels
3. Darks — everything dark, like blacks, blues, browns
4. Brights — reds, yellows, oranges, fluorescents
5. Delicates — fine linens, lingerie, some synthetic fabrics

Who knew that there was more sorting to do than just WHITES and DARKS? Yikes! (Tip from LG Laundry Tips)

8. You can make your own homemade laundry detergent...cheap! I found Bethany and her blog The Big Red Pot on Pinterest. She gives some directions and shares a tutorial about how you can make your own laundry detergent. Certainly going to give it a try!

7. White distilled vinegar is my new bff. It can do EVERYTHING! Check out the WDV resume HERE.

6. I actually learned this tip from my mother-in-law... Use your washing machine to prolong the life of your shower curtain (vinyl, heavy plastic or cloth). Just add your laundry detergent and a little bleach and hang that sparkling baby back up in your shower to dry. Amazing!

5. Body oils rub onto shirt collars and attract dirt, leaving them grimy and worse for wear. Reverse the damage by grabbing your shampoo and a clean paintbrush and paint a line over the soiled collar before washing. (Tip from Shine from Yahoo)

4. Get organized. Get your children involved as soon as they can help with even the simplest of tasks when it comes to laundry. I make Andrew help with the laundry by making sure all his dirty clothes make it into his dirty clothes basket. Now that he is capable of doing more, I will certainly be taking some cues from Amy at The Idea Room who has a laundry system like no other! I will strive for this organization in my laundry life!

3. Like the homemade laundry detergent, I am blown away with the idea of making your own dryer sheets. Totally going to try by following the Damsel at Old School blog and her tips for stopping static cling and saving some money too!

2. Taking advantage of spaces for storage that you might be missing - I sure have been, but not after reading the wonderful tips from Infarrantly Creative. She has found ways to utilize the space on the inside of her cabinets all over her house - and especially in the laundry room. Brilliant!

1. Clean your washing machine. It is important (so I have learned the absolute hard way)! I have front loading machines and no one told me how I would have to care for them in any specific way to prevent build up of gunk, mold and mildew. But, boy do you ever! Gross, gross, gross! I have searched and tried several different ways of cleaning my washing machine, but ecokaren's step by step instructions are the best and most helpful I have found that work! Just one more thing to add to the list of cleaning chores, but so, so worth it!

Whew! This just makes me tired thinking about laundry. I will be dreaming of laundry fairies dancing with magical folding wands tonight!

Happy washing!

America the Beautiful!

2012-07-06T23:58:00.000-05:00

We had SO much fun celebrating the 4th of July this year and reconnecting with the great small town traditions of celebrating the freedom we in America should all be very thankful for!

My wonderful friend, Jamie, came down to stay two nights with us over the holiday. It was SO nice to have her here with us. We share the same brain, separated at birth I'm pretty sure. We have attended the same church for 11 years and just before we moved a year ago some fellow church-goers had just realized we weren't sisters!

Now, I have to put in this disclaimer: I have made this confession before, but I truly am not the best at capturing each wonderful moment and memory with film! However, I was actually on top of things this year, trying to be so organized and have everything ready for this fun filled day... but, alas!, fate was against me - and I could NOT find my camera anywhere to save my life! And we would have had SO, SO many neat pictures!!! Oh well... we can always stage a re-enactment!

Moving on from the never-ending disclaimer...

We started Jamie's visit by decorating Andrew's bike for the parade, dinner, a practice round of golf at the club and then I put Jamie to work by asking her to help me complete decorating the club for the 4th. I had 13" mesh ribbon in red, white and blue to decorate the outside entrance and patio areas of the country club. It turned out very well. (Sure wish I had a picture, but it was dark when we finished anyway!)

We woke up on the 4th, ate cinnamon rolls and got ready for the parade. Andrew was SUPER excited about riding his bike in the parade and throwing out candy. He received a "Participation" ribbon and everything! He was so proud, and so were Mike and I!

After the parade we met up with my parents, aunt and her boyfriend at the city park. This is where you will find the start to that good ol-fashioned small home town lovin'... pony rides, talent show (including an appearance of the late Michael Jackson!), a gun fight show every half hour, carnival rides, funnel cakes, corn dogs, turkey legs, lemonade, bingo, face paint - you name it, they have it!

We left the park to get ready to play in the "Firecracker" golf tournament (scramble) at the country club. Mike, Andrew, Jamie and I made up the team. It was Andrew's and my first golf tournament to ever play in! Mike and Andrew really carried our team - Jamie always found the water hazards (but also made some really good shots) and I always found the pavement, which meant running across the street several times to retrieve my ball from some very nicely cut lawns!

Once we had completed our 18 holes, we made our way over to my parents' house for family time and yummy food! I made this fabulous Peanut Butter Cup homemade ice cream. Yum!

I found the recipe on Pinterest, and it sure is a keeper! Super easy, few ingredients, and delicious!

Independence Day came to a BOOM! when we laid out at the park on blankets and lawn chairs, listened to a local band (the Grisselheads...don't ask! but good music), and took in a great fireworks show. I don't know if you were able to see the paper lanterns that were sold at firework stands this year, but they were absolutely gorgeous! Those were my favorite this year!

I'm so thankful for a wonderful friend, great family and this country's freedom that I cherish and will never forget that it came with a significant price.

God bless America, and God bless you!

A 30 Day Challenge

2012-06-28T23:28:00.000-05:00

I feel like I need to do a quick (or not so quick, based on all the thoughts swimming around in my head) check-in for myself regarding my emotions and feelings at this point in our new way of living.

Change is hard, no matter if you don't mind it or not, but thankfully God is on our side and in total control as long as we give up the driver's seat. This is what I have had to re-learn (and a little bit the hard way) recently.

Thankfully I have met an amazing group of women on FIRE for God and Jesus Christ. And the introduction to these wonderful ladies came from a fast friend who is just the sweetest gal in the world.

She brought over chocolate and a southern sweet tea and left it on my doorstep when Ryan was down in the dumps (literally, no need to elaborate on this fond memory!). So sweet. (And, yes, Mike drank the tea since I don't like tea... but it was the thought that absolutely counted! And what decent southern lady doesn't like tea?!?)

I have never in my life felt so close to the Lord and wanting to learn more and read more of His Word.

I have been working on a 30 day challenge to read the Bible and ONLY the Bible. Not even Christian related books... just the good-ole B.I.B.L.E.

I'm glad to tell you that I am on day 28 and holding strong!

At first I had this incredible itch to pick up any book, just anything and started reading. I have gathered "The Five Love Languages of Children", "Have a New Kid in Five Days" (Really?? How could I not pick up that promise!), and a great marriage book that my parents gave us for our anniversary (they must have been worried about our one night stand!) over the first two weeks of this challenge and yearned to start reading one of them. But I held strong.

And, whew!, it has been a ride of my life!

I have learned SO much about myself, and not just myself... about my Heavenly Father, my creator.

Did you know He is JEALOUS for me?! Jealous for me!!! I just am enthralled with basking in this perfectly true love.

God always has a way to blossom goodness, beauty and love out of everything. Why would I ever doubt him on any path He leads me?

Amazing. God is good.

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14 NIV

A New Chapter Called Home

2012-06-20T15:19:00.000-05:00

It happened so fast that I haven't really had any time to tell many friends what Mike and I have been talking and praying about over the last several weeks.

I am now working on a new routine and huge changes in life. And I am enjoying EVERY minute so far!

I am now officially a stay-at-home mama!

The decision was made through LOTS of prayer and discussion and lots of trust! I am very excited about this journey and look forward to the next three years (at least) of this focus on my family. God is good all the time! I have completely put my faith in Him and this decision is one of those wonderful leaps.

Just to show you what we have been up to recently in the wake of this decision...

Andrew has used his fabulous jewelry making skills to make a beautiful pipe cleaner necklace and bracelet set. He has been adamant about me wearing them out of the house on our errands. They have made quite the first impression! (Sorry that the picture isn't very good. The necklace is rockin!)

Ryan has been wearing my jewelry! Isn't he SO pretty! He certainly knows his fashion trends by stacking up those bracelets!

Enjoying time with Grandma and Grandpa and Cherry Berry is the best!

I am so blessed to be given this opportunity to spend this precious time with my fun loving boys!

Now... I just have to plan what this time at home looks like. You know me, I have to have a plan!

And saving the world of D-town might just be part of that plan... Andrew does like to pretend to be a superhero, so why not?

More to come on our superhero victories soon!

Wedding March

2012-06-18T23:10:00.000-05:00

Last week Mike and I celebrated 7 years of marriage.

Also referred to as the beginning of the "seven year itch."

Let me tell you that after our anniversary celebration, there is no way that itch is even close to separating our undying love for each other.

I would just like to recount our expression of love for each other in the form of a romantic evening aka The One Night Stand.

Mike said, "Would you like to leave on Sunday night so that I can go straight from the hotel to the golf tournament or would you rather meet me after the golf tournament on Monday?"

Melody thought, "Gee, me and golf OR golf and me? Really, how nice to be considered as first in that sequence..." And what I shouldn't have said (you think I would have learned this lesson by now!), "It doesn't matter to me, whatever works best to work me into your busy schedule." Yikes! Why do we do this to ourselves, ladies?

Mike said, "I'll meet you at the restaurant."

Melody thought, "Oh, how romantic. A nice hour and a half hour drive...separately." And then we drove to the movie and the hotel...separately.

Mike said, "I'll have to get up and leave for the golf tournament by 6:30am."

Melody said, "Well, be very quite as you leave the room."

Then I thought, "Awesome - who can say that they have essentially had a one night stand on their 7th anniversary... or any wedding anniversary for that matter?"

Until I woke up, walked into the bathroom and saw this...

Then reality set in and the thought of a one night stand was quickly wiped away.

I honestly couldn't be more happy or more in love with this man than I am today. He is a wonderful husband and father.

Thank you for the wonderful 7 years of growing, loving and blessings!

A Memorial Day Countdown

2012-05-29T00:45:00.000-05:00

1. Playing hide-and-seek with Grandma and Grandpa. Andrew has a new set of rules every time we play. This time the "it" had to touch the "found" player with a ball. When asked by my dad who made him the king of the house, Andrew squarely looked him in the eye and said "Jesus." Hard to argue with that kind of alabi.

2. Moving on from hide-and-seek (which grandpa is really good at) we mastered our badmitten skills. Andrew was seriously in the game. We even beat Grandma and Grandpa one game out of two (and they were trying)!

3. Making strawberry jam for awesome Pre-K teachers. This is one of the good things about living in a small town. You know how to find everyone. With the craziness of the end of the school year, I had the best intentions to search out some great end-of-year teacher gifts but just ran out of time. Until now. I found some perfect ideas on pinterest.com. We had a great time making the jam - and it was super easy (no cooking kind, recipe right off the pectin label)! This project gave me the idea to make this a weekly activity...not neccesarily making jam but doing something nice for someone else each week. Next week, I think we will take some of our gorgeous hydrangeas to the nursing home for Andrew and Ryan to hand out. I'll let you know how it goes...

Our special teacher berry gifts

4. Wearing high heels and playing hide-and-seek. The fun didn't stop at Grandma and Grandpa's house! Andrew and Ryan were running around the house playing hide-and-seek with each other - each in a pair of my heels. Daddy is SO proud! (It is a good thing that he was at the country club working non-stop this weekend so he didn't have to witness this!)

5. Painting the walls. We have FINALLY settled on a wall color that we both like for the entry hall and family room. It has been a BIG looming cloud for a while now, but I can finally finish painting and begin decorating the one place that it has been killing me to see so bare! I will have to do a reveal of the final to-do when it is complete.

6. Talking to Grandma H. on the phone. You never know these days if the overly talkative Andrew is going to show up when a phone call is made. Today he was all about talking to Grandma. Ryan was right there wanting in on the action too. He was SO sweet asking to go to Grandma's hous-ch.

A Pet Peeve and Frogs

2012-05-25T00:37:00.000-05:00

In an effort to eat and live a little healthier I have made it a goal to get in bed at a decent hour. I say it is still a goal because it hasn't quite happened yet.

It is just amazing to me how fast the time goes from when we put the boys to bed to the clock reading 1 am. The other "morning" I accused Mike of playing a trick on me by moving the clock up two hours. I was really convinced. But alas, it was truly one in the morning.

I tell you all of this because I wasn't going to write a blog post today because I knew it would be a completely crazy day since my, ahem!, awesome landscaping skills were demanded at the country club.

Anyway, on to the pet peeve and why I am staying up late to write this out.

Andrew is playing t-ball this spring in the competitive 5 and 6 year-old league. It seems like our team and parents are the most relaxed, laid-back and fun. I understand following the rules is important since we are in the competitive league, but some teams we have played have been INTENSE. Parents yelling all the time, keeping stats, and expecting a great deal from something that is supposed to be FUN.

It was our turn to bring snacks tonight, and surprise, surprise! I forgot the snacks at home. By the time we turned around to get the snackies and then to the ballpark, they had already started the first inning and were 5 minutes into the game.

On the bottom of the second inning, Andrew was up to bat first. He stepped up to the plate, measured up to the T... and then a mother on the other team stood up and yelled, "He can't play! He's NOT on your roster! There is NO WAY that kid can play without being on your roster!!"

Everyone surrounding me on our team was expressing disbelief that someone would object like this.

I mean really they are FIVE years-old! Just let them play.

Since when are we so worried about wins and losses at this age, more so than instilling the love of the game, simple fundamentals, teamwork, good sportsmanship, and FUN!

They finally got it sorted out and Andrew sauntered up to the ball on the T and smacked one down the third base line for a double.

After the solid hit, I couldn't help yelling out "Way to go! We are on our way to the College World Series!"

I have seen so many very talented kids give up a sport in high school that they used to love because the fun was gone. Don't steal the f.u.n.!

On a lighter note, while at the club working on the flower beds by the pool. Andrew caught at least eleven small frogs (about the size of dimes or smaller). He carried them around all day in a huge plastic bear that used to hold animal crackers.

One of the little ones bit the dust and he was devastated! He came running up to me asking what was wrong.

I told him that the frog had passed away and was now in Heaven with God and Jesus. He said, "But why is his body still here in my hand." "Because God gives you a brand new body when you get to Heaven," I lovingly responded. "Why don't you find a pretty flower and put him under it?" I suggested. Tearfully, Andrew picked a flower and buried him underneath it.

Sweet boy. Growing up and dealing with our world is so hard sometimes.

I'm just so thankful and humbled to have the love of God sent by the Holy Spirit to speak through me when I don't know what to say as a mom during those tough conversations.

Hansen Sunday Comics (on Monday)

2012-05-21T23:01:00.001-05:00

And-a-one...And-a-two... It is time to have some silly fun with you!

Here are some of the crazy, bizarre and precious moments of late...

Ryan has been a dumpster-bottomless pit-never full-devouring-everything-in-sight monster. I was cooking dinner last night and he kept coming in whining, crying, stamping his little feet for "mooore cheesssse! moooore fishies! mooooore crackers! PUHleez mommmmy!" I walked away from the kitchen for two seconds and came back in to see the box of Goldfish slide off the counter and hear Ryan happily sing-song "Ryan got the fishies. I did it! I did it!" He whipped around the corner SO proud of himself until he saw me, and then turned on his little heels and bolted in a diapered-blur for the door. He is growing so FAST right before our eyes! Much too fast.

Andrew lost his second tooth yesterday! He came over to show me how far his tooth could "stretch." I asked him if I could wiggle it to see and he hesitantly let me. Boy, was it loose! He wouldn't let me touch it again, but with my encouragement he pulled it one time and POP! It was out! His little lisp with both bottom teeth out is just so stinkin' cute!

It is now officially summer in the Hansen household. We were invited over to our first pool party of the summer on Saturday. We all had a blast, especially the boys being surrounded by other little boys and water. We marked the start of summer by Mike and I both performing the daring race into the pool fully clothed to fish out the two-year old. Who, by the way, just screamed "Ryan swim, Ryan swim!" as we pulled him up to safety.

Is bigger better? I live with three boys who say, "YES!" Last night this was proven. Andrew said "AWESOME, Dude!", Mike had a goofy grin and Ryan woke up and said "Wow-wee!" And now I can see Kevin Durant's NOSE HAIR as I watch the Thunder on our new 55" TV. Seriously. (Go Thunder!)

We are in the middle of potty training. Nothing too serious, but just a little acknowledgement of his interest. It is amazing how your memory fails you sometimes. I truly can't remember the steps we took with Andrew. I know every child is different, but sure would have helped to have something written down or memory of it left somewhere (like in my brain). Call me crazy, but I am really not into reading all of the "how to" potty books. It will happen when it happens. For now it is so cute watching Andrew encourage Ryan to use the "froggy" (training toilet). Don't ask how it got that name...

It's great and wonderful to have friends visit us from our last stomping grounds. Until they teach your children things... like lines from movies. I have a cute wipe-off weekly menu that my mother-in-law made me for Christmas. On it is our weekly menu for this week. It served as inspiration for the lesson taught. I walk into the living room where the boys were playing together and our family friend says "Ryan, what do you tell mom?" Ryan (the two year-old) grins up at me and says "Mom, meatloaf!" Nice! This has now been repeated continuously over the last two days. (Thank you Wedding Crashers, and thank you friend!)

Therapist Needed

2012-05-17T13:19:00.000-05:00

Okay, so if you haven't noticed by now I'M worried because it appears I am having a major blog identity CRISIS!

I was thinking about changing the look of my blog's layout, but somehow (being the self-proclaimed novice I am) I did more than I intended to and now I am hopeless.

I don't know if this is a reflection of my life right now, but I am beginning to see some similarities!

For instance...

I hear God speaking to me about some major changes and decisions I have been struggling with recently. I mean, it has been LOUD and CLEAR. Which is what I have been asking Him for, but I just can't seem to obey. He was even been talking to me through a co-worker and the lady who cut my hair last night, so what's the problem? Why can't I take the leap of faith? Do you ever find yourself in the middle of these struggles? It seems like such an easy decision when you remove yourself from what you know you need to do. I don't know if that made sense to you, but it hits me hard.

This is what I envision when I think of God sending me His powerful message and His loving grace.

This is silly when compared to just pouring my heart out above, but we are about to need to purchase a new car for me, which = our main "family" vehicle. I desperately want a Ford Flex, but realistically that might be out just out of our reach right now. Just like I wanted to jazz up my blog and have failed at the current moment, I really would love to upgrade to a nice family vehicle that will meet some of the travel wants (I have) with a third seat in tow.

Shopping. Something that every, well most every, girl l.o.v.e.s. But here's the thing, I don't know if it is because I keep being reminded that I am approaching 3.0. or if tastes just can change drastically overnight, but I am having a very hard time finding clothes that I like. Which believe me - I have never had this problem before. (It would be typical for Mike to groan about now since I just mentioned clothes. I enjoy the same response when I mention our closet). Here's the thing, I have not been one to pay full price for my clothes. I walk into any store and immediately dart for the sale rack first. But what I find is just not what my mind's eye has there waiting for me to uncover, love and take home. So, like the look of my blog, I am having a hard time depicting just what my look is at this point in my life. And maybe, just maybe, it has something to do with the fact that five days out of the week I am now wearing more "casual" wear instead of my normal work dress apparel. Aha!

Finding or reinventing the person you think that you were, are, want to be is hard work. Giving it ALL to my Lord and Savior is the first step.

Lions, Tigers, Bears...Fur Real!

2012-05-03T23:01:00.000-05:00

Today Andrew's class went to the Tiger Safari near Oklahoma City. It was a wonderful adventure!

Two buses of 4 and 5 year-olds, exotic animals so close you almost literally could reach out and touch them, and two bathrooms...need I say more!

The "safari" started out with tortoise rides, a petting and educational talk session with several different animals, and a guided tour to see the other animals.

They have some of the biggest, most majestic tigers I have ever seen. However, I haven't seen tigers so up close and personal either. They had kangaroos, llamas and a huge grizzly bear. The kiddos were able to feed several of the animals, and Andrew's favorite moment was feeding the wart hog. The wart hog - that's my son!

At the end of the guided tour, we went inside the educational center. And there were more animals!

A huge iguana, an albino python, a joey (baby kangaroo), and a baby spider monkey were passed around to pet. Shrieks and rolling laughter were a constant The kids were going WILD! It was a lot of fun!

We then ate lunch, and prepared for the hayride. It was a short ride, but just right for the age group.

Once we left the Tiger Safari, we went over to the town we used to live in for Ryan's two year-old check up (finally!). He received a clean bill of health and a shot (boo hoo!). He was NOT a happy camper.

On our way home, we stopped at our favorite fast food restaurant, Chick-fil-a. I decided to get just a sandwich, no fries, but added the yummy banana pudding milkshake. I thought I was doing a good job by limiting the intake of fatty foods, subtracting one to have the other.

I actually have come up with a new weight loss tip, especially for those of you who are like me - sporting a sweet tooth and the will power of a robust kid in a candy store in Disneyland.

While driving down the highway on our way out of town, I picked up the shake for a scrumptious slurp. And then dropped the cup in my lap along with half of the yummy goodness. Stunned, shocked and COLD, I wasn't quite sure what to do (the effects of the cold!). I finally realized I needed to pull over (HELLO! Genius!), and I made my way to the next exit and pulled off into a medical business park.

Not really sure what to do as I stared at the melting mess making its way around my posterior, so I decided to use the napkins (three total) I had to scoop up enough for me to get out of the car without a landslide of ice cream following me out.

I then climbed out of the car and began wiping myself off, realizing that this was not just ordinary ice cream but had small bits of cookie crumbs in it. Nice.

Not only did it look like I had efficiently wet my pants, but also might have had another type of problem.

At this point I had not even thought of anyone seeing me wipe myself off...until I realized that there was a gentleman who seemed to be trying to figure out if I needed help or not. Nice again.

I decided that I had cleaned it up enough and it was time to GO!

So this is my new weight loss strategy. I don't necessarily like it, but it certainly cut my intake in half. I could have had the fries!

Great ending to a very "I Love Lucy" day!

Hidden Food Treasure

2012-05-02T22:54:00.002-05:00

I continue to try to find easy-peasy meals that are are high in yield (I am feeding three famished boys, after all), low in cost and still are considered yummy and nutritional. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law and I trade recipes back and forth all the time. Especially if they meet at least three of the four criteria listed above!

I uncovered a jackpot of recipes containing several very yummy, cost efficient, nutritional and ample servings... have I mentioned that these are all the things I dearly love now-a-days in food preparation!?

I have done the necessary daughter and sister-in-law duties of fulfilling the trade quota, so now I will share them with you!

Meat/Veggie (Your Choice) & Cheese Calzone

2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup fresh broccoli florets
1 8oz deli meat, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped
8 oz Swiss cheese, grated, divided
1 tbsp vegetable/olive oil, divided
2 pkg refrigerated pizza crust (13.8 oz each)
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 450F. Combine mayonnaise and mustard in bowl and mix well. Cut broccoli into small florets; dice meat. Combine broccoli, meat, onion and half of the Swiss cheese into mustard mixture; mix well.

Lightly brush large cookie sheet with 1 tsp of oil using basting brush. Unroll one package of dough onto bottom of cookie sheet, gently stretching and pressing dough to cover bottom. Sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese to within 1 in. of edges; spoon meat mixture over cheese. Unroll remaining dough directly over filling; matching edges of dough and shaping to fit as dough is unrolled. Trim 1/2 in. off sides of dough. Press edges to seal. Brush remaining oil over dough. Using knife, make 12 slits, in three rows of four each, into top crust.

Bake 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over calzone. Return calzone to oven; bake 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is deep golden brown. Yield: 8 servings

My boys LOVED it!

Here's another one that became a favorite in our home within 30 seconds of dishing it up - which is the time it took for Andrew to ask for seconds! (By the way, this recipe has also received rave reviews from the mother-in-law - so you know it is a WINNER!)

Cheese Ravioli with Zest

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach leaves

6 oz Provolone cheese, grated

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

3 garlic cloves

2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes with onions, undrained

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1 pkg (24 oz) small frozen cheese ravioli

halved grape tomatoes (optional)

Add oil to 12 in. skillet, heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Add jalapeno to skillet; cook and stir 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Press garlic into skillet; cook and stir 15-20 seconds or until fragrant.

Add tomatoes, salt and black pepper to skillet; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until simmering. Add ravioli; stir to coat. Cook, uncovered, 4-5 minutes or until tender. Stir in cream. Cook, uncovered, 1-2 minutes or until simmering. Sprinkle spinach over ravioli; cook, covered, 1 minute or until spinach starts to wilt.

Remove skillet from heat. Top with cheese; cover skillet and let stand 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with grape tomatoes, if desired. Yield: 8 servings

I hope you and your family enjoy these dishes as much as we have!

I'm glad I uncovered that little recipe book! I'm sure there will be more to come!

(Not to brag on myself...but I am pretty impressed with my camera skills in capturing these two bon appetit dishes! Sadly, they turned out so good only because I stumbled on to the "food" setting on our camera. We have only had it for about two years now, and yes, I had NO idea it could do such marvelous things!)

Catching Up...

2012-05-01T22:05:00.000-05:00

This certainly has been the longest blog hiatus that I have had since its creation. I don't want to drift away from updating everyone who used to be in our lives daily before we moved. It is my one sound way to feel like I am staying connected in between the phone calls and visits that seem much too brief and too far apart!

So here is what has been happening over the last couple of months. I will warn you - it is a LOT (good grief, it has been TWO months, really!):

The biggest news of the past two months is... we have a Toothless Wonder in our midst! Andrew lost his first tooth on Sunday night (March 18th). He and Mike had been wiggling and rocking that tooth back and forth and back and forth ALL weekend trying to get the little sucker to come out. Mike was determined to make this momentous occasion happen before the boys and I left town to visit his parents for spring break. So finally, after much wriggling and pulling, Andrew said he wanted to take over. He began wiggling and with eyes wide said, "I can twist it!" Mike and I said "Go for it!" He kept twisting and on the fourth twist and eyes even wider Andrew was holding his tooth in his hand grinning, laughing and shrieking!

Golly! Doesn't he look SO old! (My heart is breaking! Boohoo!)

During our great stay outside of Branson with Mike's parents, we were able to just relax and hang out with Grandma and Grandpa H. We had a great time playing with cars and the super-duper snake track that used to be Mike's, getting beat by Andrew playing the game "Trouble" and checking on the dock as the lake kept rising and rising over the week. On Thursday we ventured out and headed to Silver Dollar City. I LOVE this place! It holds so many wonderful family vacation memories for me and I am so fortunate to have gracious in-laws who love treating us to a day there. We had a great time even though the afternoon was cut short by more rain. However, it did make me sad to know how fast my first baby boy is growing! Andrew was measured for a wrist band to ride the "big" rides... and there is only ONE ride in the entire park he can't ride because of his height!!!

It is so much fun riding with Grandma H.!

I finally have all the trim painted white in our playroom! It took 3 ridiculous coats of paint, but it is now time to move on to painting the walls and getting everything back in order. I am embarrassed to show you this picture, but it is the reality of the progress at this point. We'll get there... I have to keep reminding myself that the real fun will begin once I start working on the finishing touches!

(A MUCH bigger update is coming on the playroom... I mean, it's been two months since a real post here, friends! You don't think that I have been sitting around eating bon-bons and folding laundry, do ya? ...especially not the folding laundry part!)

We have acquired several new pets on the transition to D-town! A new doggie named Zoe (she was with us before the official move), a half-dollar sized turtle that Mike found on the golf course named Bob (or Bobbie for short, as Andrew reminds us!), and another loving addition...

By the way, this is not my doing (although I wish I had thought of this before)!

I told Andrew to go lay down for a "rest" and then couldn't find him until... behold!

Easter was great fun this year. We went to church and then had my parents, sisters, brother-in-law, a family friend who has not missed an Easter with us in seven years, and more family friends when lunch was over and games were gearing up! A good ol-fashion Easter egg hunt, the indoor kind since it had been raining off and on, was the highlight of the afternoon.

Whew! Finally - this is posted after almost another month of hiatus!

With a handful of love (and patience),

Melody

The Sweet Moments

2012-04-13T20:56:00.003-05:00

Ryan, the two year-old, loves the idea of sweets - candy, cookies, cake. You name it he asks for it, begs for it, whines for it, cries out as if in dying pain for it. So we relent and hand him some of the oh-so-good sweet stuff.

And then he takes one lick - a single LICK - and spits it out, throws it down or immediately sends his tongue flying out of his mouth and leaves it hanging there for you to help him scrap the not-so-desired any longer sweet stuff out of his mouth.

Funny kid.

Well, today after nap time he catches me sneaking a Fun Dip from the Easter candy stash - yes, I'll admit it, I am THAT mom - and begs me for some. So, I oblige thinking that this is going to be like every other candy experiment with this kiddo.

Wrong! He LOVES it! Of course! Pure sugar and that yummy little lick-a-stick.

While we were enjoying this straight jolt of hyperactivity seeping into his little body, I started to ask him about the different sounds animals make.

He gets all of the ones I throw at him right - even the sound a rooster makes ("tock-o-toodle-ew!"), a goat ("bLaaa!") and robin ("twee-eeeet!")

I decide to challenge him a little. I say, "Ryan, what does an elephant say?" He looks up at me with those big baby blues very wide and stares at me a sec. Then he says, "Hmm..." and begins to giggle, "Mom! An eley-fant?! That's sill-y!"

I say, "Ryan, does an elephant go like this?" And give my best elephant trumpet sound while raising my arm in front of my nose. He starts laughing hysterically, and then stops and looks at me VERY seriously, "Good job, Mommy!"

I think I can take my elephant impersonation on the road.

Long time, No See

2012-04-10T13:01:00.001-05:00

Where do you begin when it has been a month - a MONTH - since I have shared about everything that has been happening around this fun-filled house of ours.

A major update is coming soon, but I just wanted to let you know that we are alive and crazy as ever.

Here are some recent pics to tide you over until the "monster post":

We took a break from the 7 hour car ride on our way home from G&G's
to meet up with Aunt LaLa and BFF, Sarah, at the city park.

Just another silly day!

Easter Egg Hunt Fun at church.

Thanks for keeping up with us!

Andrew's First School Program

2012-03-15T22:17:00.000-05:00

Tonight marked a milestone in Andrew's elementary school career. He had his very first school program. There were 96 little Pre-K kiddos excitedly buzzing through the school's auditorium surrounded by hundreds of loving family and friends.

It is just amazing to watch your child grow up so much in front of your eyes.

From the moment we walked into the auditorium, Andrew was high-fiving, waving and talking with boys and girls all over the place. He certainly is a social butterfly.

He was pretty excited about what the evening was going to entail. I kept asking him throughout the day what he was going to perform during the program and he would produce a sly little cock-eyed smile and say "It's a surprise, mom. Don't ask again, you'll just ruin it for you."

It was a very cute program that lasted 45 minutes. They sang about 8 songs with hand motions and all. It was a "rock star" theme. The "PreK Rocks" t-shirts they wore said "AB/CD (like the AC/DC logo) Future Rock Stars of Marlow Elementary."

We knew that he was going to have some microphone time while saying his name and what he was going to be when he grew up. If you have ever had the side-splitting opportunity to watch Andrew in any of the past church programs, you understand how nervous this made Mike and me. And yet again, Andrew would not tell us what he was going to say. This could be bad. Hilarious without a doubt. But very bad.

Whew! I am glad to say that we made it through without so much as a hiccup. He spoke very loud and clear. He stated his name and then said "I am going to be fighting fire when I grow up." We hope he meant he wanted to be a firefighter. Fingers crossed.

The Celebration of Two's

2012-03-13T22:06:00.000-05:00

Most of you know that my baby turned two in January. Unfortunately, the timing of our big move didn't allow us to celebrate little Ryan's two years of life appropriately.

Call it procrastination, call it laziness, the feeling of being overwhelmed with life or just plain neglect, but we JUST had a birthday party for Ryan on Saturday, three months almost to the day of his birthday.

Andrew really started the party planning on Saturday morning. He came into our room bright and early and announced with his nose pressed against mine as he woke me up excitedly, "Mom! It is a party day! We have to have a party today, I can feel it!"

I responded saying, "Yes, you know what Andrew? I think you are right. It needs to be a party day today."

So we unpacked the box filled with Ryan's wrapped birthday gifts that had been sitting outside the boys' rooms since we moved in, we called to invite my parents and sisters over to join in the festivities, and we went to the store to let Ryan pick out his birthday cake.

When we were in the grocery store, Andrew and Ryan were sitting in the "truck" together. They were so cute snuggling together in the shopping cart. Andrew kept patting Ryan and hugging him saying, "Happy Birthday, Ryan! Happy Birthday, little Buddie! I love you. Bubba loves you, even though mommy is tricking you and it REALLY isn't your birthday today!"

Nothing like having a five year-old to keep you honest.

Ryan was very strategic about the order he opened his presents.

What could it be?

Digging in! "I like it, Ryan!" was the exclamation from the approving two year-old.

Yummy tractor cake! Ryan sang Happy Birthday along with us...

and we lit the candle and sang to him after his request of "AGAIN!" three times!

We all figured after waiting for three months he deserved

three rounds of happy birthday and wish making.

And the night couldn't be complete without a little Smurf Dance Party competition!

Ryan's favorites are "Go, Go, Go Get It" and "Who Let the Smurfs Out".

(Aunt LaLa and Mommy were getting down with their boogie!)

Happy Birthday (Belated!), my precious little handful!