I Love Mr. Pibb

It Was High Time For A Makeover

2012-01-14T15:18:00.001-06:00

You know what’s a good surprise? One you don’t see coming.

In case you haven’t noticed, my blog header is different. It’s different in that it now exists. Ha!

My friend, Amy, texted the other day to ask if I trusted her with my blog password. Of course this made me super curious but I do trust her, so I gave her the password. A couple minutes later, the new and improved I Love Mr. Pibb was up and running. (Thanks Amy!)

I love the pictures that Mandy took, the wider text area…all of it. Hope you enjoy it too!

Someone Else Made Some Goals for Himself AND For Me

2012-01-12T15:00:00.003-06:00

I haven’t made any New Year’s Resolutions…or really any solid goals for the year. I have a few goals floating around in my head but again, nothing solid, no goals written down and definitely no goals written down with stickers decorating the paper.

Sam on the other hand…

Let me zoom in for ya…

Apparently one of my goals needs to be “bus the kids to the pool and playground more often.”

Simple enough.

It Could Happen So Fast

2012-01-11T10:17:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, as I was leaving Walmart, our second home, Bo was strapped in the cart and Grey was walking. (The older boys always want to"walk inside.”)

I saw the mom of a boy in Sam's class and stopped to talk to her right outside, in the overhang area.

Grey was apparently bored and darted out towards the parking lot, right by the pedestrian crosswalk just as a car was coming by.

I had to run to catch him. Like, the scary move quickly run…not a leisurely jog.

I grabbed him under his arms and whipped him back to safety.
Too close, I tell myself, that was too freakin' close.

It could happen so fast.

A Look Back at 2011

2012-01-09T10:42:00.001-06:00

Last year’s recap was so, well-written, comprehensive, attention-grabbing…I figured I’d do another one. (ahem)

2011 flew by. Anyone else feel that way? The older I get, the faster time passes. That sort of seems backwards now doesn’t it?

In January, we all passed around a nasty stomach bug.
I lamented over the sickness.
I snuggled a bunch with Bo and he turned 2 months old.

In February, Ya-Ya visited.
Bo turned 3 months.
And the weather was pretty awesome.

In March, Grey assaulted Bo.
We all got the flu.
I hung out a bunch with just Grey (and it was great!).
Bo started beatboxing and turned 4 months old.

Please oh please, Winter 2012, don’t bring so much sickness!

In April, Sam and Grey tended to their very own baby…seahorse.
I read an awesome book, one that I need to re-read soon!
Bo turned 5 months.
Terrible tornadoes blew over Alabama, and thankfully spared where we live.

In May, I enjoyed my last full year in my 20s, although I have no blog-record of this.
We went to the GA Aquarium.
Bob, Bo, and I did some tornado clean-up and saw first hand how horrific the damage was.
Ya-Ya visited again.
I stopped and thought about how much of a joy Sam was!
Bo turned 6 months.

In June, we had a termite inspection and I blogged about it.
I started to realize how much Grey loves animals.
We had some family pictures taken and therefore ended up with quite a few outtakes.
Sam got a short anatomy lesson.
I talked about what a great dad Bob is.
We met Dusty & Amy!
Bob and I celebrated 7 years. Good gracious, I love that man.
Bo turned 7 months.

In July, the boys (and I) thoroughly enjoyed the new deck.
We had a sweet tent in which Sam told me I was “da onwy-ist girl in da world.”
Sam attempted a little self-discipline.
Bo turned 8 months.

In August, Grey turned 2 and had a Lighting McQueen party.
Bo turned 9 months.

In September, I started making our own GF bread.
Sam and I did that crayon thing.
Bob and I went on a much-needed, much-appreciated vacation.
Bo turned 10 months old.

In October, Sam turned 4 and had a Mater party.
I came across this broccoli recipe.
Bo turned 11 months.

In November, Bo turned 1 (which I have yet to blog about)!
I got to go to Orlando and spend the weekend with some friends from college!
Maw-Maw, Paw-Paw, and Aunt Janie came to visit.

In December, Bob turned 30…thur-dee (which I also haven’t blogged about yet).
We visited the McWane Center with Pop-Pop & Nana.
I had a small Christmas tour.
We had such a fun Christmas!
We sent out and got a bunch of lovely Christmas cards!

Happy New Year everybody!

Merry Belated Christmas - 2011

2011-12-27T10:39:00.003-06:00

Stocking Loot

2011-12-27T10:38:00.002-06:00

Oh my word, I have so many things that need to be blogged about. For now, here’s a picture of the boys on Christmas morning!

Christmas Cheer…As Promised

2011-12-20T18:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who sent in pictures. I’d love to see your homes in person, if I haven’t already, but this is the next best thing!

Jessica’s Home
Beautiful tree, beautiful mantle and great advent banner!
May I add that Jessica’s son, Deacon is adorable…just adorable! Next Christmas, they’ll have a little girl thrown in the mix!

Heather’s Wreath
Heather, who just got married recently, has an adorable house with lots of great Christmas decorations! Here is one that she made herself.

My childhood (and current) friend, Julie’s adorable home.
Lovely tree with a lovely little being oh so careful with those ornaments! I need to get one of those Little People nativity scenes…do they ever go on sale?
And that Advent calendar? Little bit of Pinterest, little bit of Naptime Diaries? What did we do before Pinterest?

A few quick shots of my decorations, which apparently, don’t change much year-to-year. I want to add a few new things so maybe I’ll hit up some clearance Christmas sales!
The lights around the TV are new. I kinda love them. (Thanks Bob).
Of course, I’m obsessed with my Christmas card frame. I love seeing it fill up! The Noel, tree, and frame ornament are hanging from a chandelier in the sitting part of the kitchen. I like the mixed media/non-matching side of that. And I’ve got the Merry Christmas banner hanging behind that, over the couch. (Also, our tree and the boys’).

And Melissa’s beautiful home, complete with a new kitchen remodel you can read all about here!
Isn’t that soft glow from Christmas lights the best? She’s also got ornaments her mother-in-law gives her each year, hanging from the chandelier.
Melissa’s daughter, Vale, made that awesome glass tree in the middle. I love it! On the right, you’ve got the kids’ tree, complete with Jesse tree ornaments.
And at the bottom, an awesome Advent wreath from A Holy Experience and their family Christmas cards from years past, displayed on their piano. I’m totally stealing that idea.
There you have it. A little bit of Christmas cheer. If anyone else wants to add in, feel free. I can always throw up another post!

Tell Me This Isn’t Awesome

2011-12-19T10:40:00.001-06:00

*The Christmas “tour” will be posted tomorrow. I’ve got a couple participants who requested an extra day AND I need to take my pictures. Sigh*

I Guess It's Just Gonna Be Me and My Mom

2011-12-15T15:30:00.000-06:00

Alright folks, I haven't heard from any.one about decorations.
I know I basically quit blogging but I can tell you're looking....

Snap a quick pic and email it to me.*
Otherwise, you'll be left with a tour of my house, very similar to the ones I've posted here before, and a few pictures from my mom's house that I plan on stealing tomorrow.

*If you don't have my email address, leave me a comment and I'll get it to ya!

Let's Share Some Holiday Cheer

2011-12-12T10:21:00.001-06:00

We're less than two weeks away from Christmas, which makes me simultaneously very happy and very sad. Happy for obvious reasons and sad because I love, love, love, this time of year. I love Christmas decorations, the glow of the lights, the food, the smells, the chance to focus on God coming to Earth. It's just perfect in my opinion and I dread all of it coming to an end. Who actually enjoys taking down Christmas decorations?!

.A couple years ago, I asked you guys to send me pictures of your houses decorated for Christmas. Anybody up for doing it again? You can send a bunch (in which case, I'll probably turn them into a collage), or just one or two pictures of a favorite decoration. You can even send me a picture of your Christmas card if you want! Really, whatever you want to share. This is a safe place. We're all friends.

I'm so unprepared, I don't even have my pictures yet but I'm planning on having it done by next Monday. That gives us a week.

Y'all don't leave me hangin'.

I’ve So Been That Mom

2011-11-28T16:51:00.000-06:00

I’m sure you’re familiar with this scene.
You come out of the grocery store and everyone is standing at the door, or under the overhang, pleading with the rain to stop. Hearing it begin while you’re checking out seems like a cruel joke. You were so close. The only thing worse than having to book it to your car with a cart full of groceries and then return your cart, is having to do that with kids in tow.

I had a little trip to Costco recently that went down just like that. Thankfully, my sister was kind enough to stay home with the boys while they napped so I was flyin’ solo. As I stood under the overhang with many other people, some with umbrellas, some without, I noticed a young mom with a little boy about 2 years old, and 3 ginormous pumpkin pies which she was unloading from her cart and precariously trying to hold. (Has anyone seen how huge the pies are from Costco?!)

I overheard an older woman ask this mom if she was parked close and then offer to let her use her umbrella. After declining with the reason that she couldn’t hold everything and finagle the umbrella, the older woman offered to walk out with her. Young mom still declined saying she’d be alright. The lady with the umbrella headed out and the young mom still hung back. I asked if she wanted to just stick her kid in my cart and I’d wheel him out while she carried the pies. She, again, declined. I realized I may seem like a creeper so I told her I have 3 little boys and laughingly said it might be better than his shoes and pants getting soaked. Still, she declined.

So then she heads out, balancing three huge pies in one arm, along with her wallet and keys, and holding her son’s hand with the other hand. Then he tripped, and she dragged him through a puddle. Just as they got to the car, there was a huge clap of thunder and that poor little kid’s cries turned into wailing.

I’m still not sure who I felt worse for.

I’ve been that mom. The one who wouldn’t accept any help. The one who suffered or caused her kid to suffer because of it.

Shoot, I still am that mom. I still have that pride. I’ve just learned to step back and accept a little help.
That’s just one more thing in a long list of things I wish I had understood a few years back.

A Great Day That Ended With Grey Throwing Up Everywhere

2011-11-17T16:08:00.000-06:00

My grandparents and aunt, my dad’s parents and sister, recently came to visit. They stayed out at my parents’ house and the boys spend all day out there with them. Bob and I headed over for dinner and to celebrate my grandfather’s birthday.
It was so nice to see them and they boys especially loved seeing their great-grandparents.
Thanks for coming, Maw-Maw, Paw-Paw and Janie!

Cheese faces all around.

My dad and his dad don’t look anything alike do they….?
So what if Grey puked all over the place right before we left? When will I learn my lesson not to force him to eat?

11 Months–Bo

2011-11-16T15:46:00.001-06:00

I’ve gotta say, one good thing about Bo turning a year old is that I release myself from the pressure of getting these month posts up. What’s that you say? It seems like I have already released myself. Well I don’t know if that’s fair…I have gotten 3 of his 11 months posted in a timely fashion!
Moving along.
We’re at about 11 1/2 months right now. * Thankfully, I’m probably the only one that actually cares about these posts and I don’t really mind too terribly much that they’re up late. I’m just glad they’re up.
Let it go, Greta. Let it go.
So Bo is 11 months. As in, my baby…who never was very teeny tiny, is almost 1. I love the age he is right now. But honestly, I haven’t disliked any age with him. He is so laid back and just plain sweet. Like the other two have been/are, he is just so much fun to watch as he learns new things and gets better at communicating. Watching his little personality develop is such a wonderful thing.
This little guy, who Grey has really taken to calling Bo Bo, has not tried to take any steps, but he is standing on his own and cruising like crazy. He has also become quite the little speed crawler. I think I mentioned that last month, but shocker, he’s even faster now. He tries to chase his brothers as they run around and around the house. I have visions of what our house will look, feel , and sound like in about 6-8 months when he can walk/run without falling down every couple steps. Bob may want to come home a little later because they seem to be at their craziest right as he is getting home.
We’ll miss the noise and chaos when they’re gone. (sniff, sniff)
Bo is so sweet. He leans in to give head bonks and he’ll just lay in my lap and snuggle. He loves if I face him on the floor and crawl really fast at him. The kid just sits back up on his knees and laughs…it’s pretty great.
He is still taking 2 naps and sleeping great at night, unless he’s teething. He’s been teething the last couple weeks. I expect 3 or 4 teeth to bust out very soon with the way he’s been gnawing on his hands and responding to Tylenol. He sleeps about 1 1/2 hours in the morning and then at least 2 1/2, sometimes 3 in the afternoon. The child is ready for bed around 7:30/7:45 and up until the recent time change, he was sleeping almost 12 hours.
He gets 5 bottles but praise the Lord, we’re almost done with that! Yay!!! However, that probably means I’ll be buying 3 gallons of milk a week, maybe 4. Good gracious. He has a very healthy appetite and will eat, or try, just about anything we put in front of him. He especially loves ice cream. Can you blame him?

Bo, we love ya buddy! You are such a sweetheart and you bring out sweetness in your brothers too. Most of the time, they’re really gentle with you and they like to share. I’m hoping all that will rub off on you. You’re blessed to have them for big brothers. And I’m blessed to have all of you for sons.

The Whole Group

2011-11-07T17:30:00.002-06:00

Many people made it possible for me to meet up with some college friends for a girls' weekend (to celebrate one of the girl's 30th birthday).

It was so great! Fun and relaxing...perfect balance.
Here's a shot of all of us.

To Sam, On His 4th Birthday

2011-10-31T23:14:00.001-05:00

Sam,
I remember walking around our living room having contractions, the night before you were born.
Shoot, I remember the doctor's appointment that got things going with your evacuation. Remember, you were 13 days past your due date. We were more than ready to meet you!
I remember going out to lunch with Michelle at Panera and realizing I was contracting about every 5 minutes.
I remember checking into the hospital.
I remember not sleeping much and being in a lot of pain over night. (Your dad slept like a baby (not really), on a hospital couch, like I instructed him to.)
I remember the doctor who came in to induce me and I remember deciding to go ahead and get the epidural since I was so worn out and figured I end up getting it anyway.
I remember our awesome nurse, Stacey and how your dad and I joked with her in between pushes.
I remember how LONG I had to push to get you into this world.
I remember thinking, "well, yea, of course he's a boy" when your dad announced your gender, because I'd had a feeling the whole pregnancy.

I remember the feeling of amazement when you were laying on my chest for the first time.

You are a blessing to me.
You make me laugh and you make me cry (in a good way, and sometimes in a bad).
You are teaching me what it means to be a mother.
You are teaching me how much young children can comprehend.
You are teaching me more about your dad (since you two are so similar).

You are a tool for God's sanctification in me. (That part is tough but I'm really thankful for it.)
You help me understand more fully His love for me. (Even when I don't do what He wants, or go against what He knows to be best, His love and affection for me is still very present.)

You are so smart. Sometimes it kinda scares me. ;)
You are compassionate, especially with your brothers.
You have a great smile and an awesome laugh.
You always want me to snuggle with you at bedtime.
You're atheletic.
You are so handsome. (I'm sure I'll be meeting lots of "girlfriends" in another 7 or 8 years.)
You are a wonderful brother. Really, you are.
You are extremely perceptive.
You're a great help to me, when you want to be ;).
You can be extremely obedient, complete with nice manners and "above and beyond" behavior. (I love those days!)
Oh my goodness, you are 4.

And I love you so, so stinkin' much.
Thanks for telling me you love me so often.
You say it just like I started off this letter.

Rosemary & Feta New Potatoes

2011-10-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

If you haven't tried the broccoli recipe yet, do it.
Yep, it's been posted for a day.
Get on it. It's that good.

Here's another delicious one.

And I promise I'm not going to just start posting every good recipe I find on Pinterest.

It Was Like a Breath of Fresh Air

2011-10-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

*If you can believe it, I started this post quite a few weeks ago. I’m finally getting around to posting it. Just keep that in mind as you read the part about me just getting on top of the laundry. I have since, gotten behind and back on top of it roughly 3 times.

Bob and I just got back from a 4 day vacation...without kids. I have 2 main points.
1 - It.was.amazing.
Getting the house back under control is a tough task. We actually got back Monday night and I'm just beginning to feel like I'm getting on top of the laundry. It's beginning to look like we vacation in search of cooler weather, even to the beach!

Bob and I consider it to very important to take time out for each other. I'm talking about regular date nights or meals out with friends as well as overnight and (gasp, is it possible!?) multiple overnights away with just each other.
I can't tell you what the quiet does for me.

Let's sit for a minute and just sit...

I'm typing this while the kids are asleep and/or resting so it is actually quiet in this house. That doesn't happen often. I've got nap times lined up and it seems like there are just never many days where everyone sleeps as long as they should or stays in the bed when they should be resting, ahem,
Sam, I'm talking to you.

So yea, back to the quiet.

Bob's parents and mine were so, SO gracious to watch our 3 little bundles of energy while we took a much needed and thoroughly enjoyed vacation. As always, the anticipation of the trip was half the fun. On particularly challenging days, we'd look at each other and say, "just think...in a couple weeks, we'll be all alone." We expected it to be great.

2 - It was wonderful.

At the beginning of the year, ~~I begged and pushed for~~ we decided to plan a trip for the two of us. Lots of stuff needed to be taken care of but the big one was childcare. Cue amazing grandparents. Both sets live relatively close by and we recognize what a huge blessing that is. Our kids will know all of their grandparents very well. And most importantly, they love spending time with all of them! Being able to leave the kids with our parents, knowing they will be cared for, loved, disciplined if need be, and knowing they will have fun makes it easy for us to leave for a couple days and really, really enjoy ourselves.

Nana & Pop-Pop, Ebee & Poppa, thank you.
I suspect you know how much I mean that, since you obviously have children, but seriously, thank you. It may seem like it, but we do not take you for granted.
Anyway, here's what our "days away" looked like:

A beautiful, long beach with only a few holes of golf between it and our hotel.

And speaking of golf. Bob played quite a bit and I drove the golf cart, quite a bit.

Bob played really well, especially considering it had been about 5 years since he had hit. There were a few of these moments though.

Playing oceanfront, with Victor, a little guy we picked up along the way.

Sick houses on the golf course / oceanfront.

Plenty of beautiful scenery.

A fun meet-up with an old friend , Stephanie (who just had her first son a couple days ago!!!)

Lots of delicious food. As in, every meal we ate was either amazing food or really good food with a great atmosphere. We ate at this one, Pepper’s, twice.

This place served as much as they could from local farmers. It was like an old farm house, situated on a quaint downtown street. We ate outside on the front porch. So fun! We walked down the road afterwards to listen to a band we spotted (and heard) while eating.

My made-to-order omelet from the hotel restaurant. It was delicious!! The resort even had a huge assortment of fresh fruit and cheese, as well as a gluten-free table complete with a few types of baked goods, bread, a dedicated GF toaster, and a couple cereals. Great news for anyone with a gluten allergy!

We rode bikes quite a bit. I borrowed one from Amy. (and now I want my own) This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The weather was fantastic so it was great to be outside so much!

And lots of self-portraits that I’ve narrowed down to two.

I love, love, love that guy.
Hey Bob, thanks again for taking me on vacation! I love living our lives together!

DIY Eye Make-up Remover

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

I'm on a little "make my own stuff" kick.
Have you noticed? You haven't? That's probably b/c I haven't quite finished my batch of DIY laundry detergent. When I do finish, I promise to post about it. (hopefully sometime this year....)
However, I have posted about DIY dishwashing detergent (See here for that.)

And now this...eye make-up remover.

This is incredibly easy, incredibly cheap, and incredibly effective.

I'm running low on eye make-up remover and have been mulling over when is the best time to hike it up to the mall, our nearest Sephora, to get a bottle of their remover. I bought some with a gift card last year and really, really like it. It cleans easily, isn't oily, and it's pretty cheap.
It's not as cheap as this concoction though!

Mix the following ingredients:
1 cup of water
1 1/2 tablespoons of baby shampoo (tear-free)
1/8 teaspoon of olive oil (you can also use coconut oil or baby oil, although apparently there are people up in arms about putting baby oil on your eyes...) *

Anyway, stir that up real well in a bowl and immediately pour some into a tiny bottle.
I say immediately because I think it separates pretty quickly and you want a good mix in your tiny bottle.

Verdict: This cleans really well, there is no oily residue, and it's scented with my kids' shampoo! Who doesn't love clean baby smell?!

*I got the recipe from here.

Roasted Broccoli Recipe

2011-10-24T16:33:00.000-05:00

I'm completely stealing someone else's recipe that I found on Pinterest here, but oh-mah-goodness, please make this broccoli.
It's delicious!

I made it just like this recipe, leaving out the pine nuts and basil. (I actually also left out the lemon zest since I didn't use fresh lemon juice. Gasp!) I'm not sure how it would be with them but I can't believe it wouldn't taste good.

Trust me. You'll thank me later.

Feel Free to Add Your Own Caption in the Comments

2011-10-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

According to Sam, he was trying very hard to peddle the trailer with Grey on it. That’s a legit explanation. But that expression?
That expression still looks pretty evil to me.

Maybe not his very best picture ever.

Pumpkin Vases

2011-10-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

See these?
Easy.
Here’s how we put them together!

Three smallish pumpkins and three small plastic cups. We like to do things ghetto around here so that middle, clear cup is actually a Crystal Light peach tea container cut in half. Uh-huh.

Sam strikes again. I got him to help me out with this little craft project.

I cut.
Sam scooped.

And here are the “vases” ready to be filled with flowers!

Ta-da!

Do You Take Dis…Black Card?

2011-10-13T08:00:00.001-05:00

Bear with my videography and obnoxious laugh. And pay close attention to around the 25 second mark.

Does my son have The World's Most Prestigious Card?

Also, Grey takes a lot of abuse.

10 Months–Bo

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

Again, super late getting this up…well I guess, not as late as I was with the other ones.

Before I know it, you'll be running around with the other two.
Y'all are either keeping me young or turning my hair gray.

Anyway, here’s what you’re up to.
You’re signing “more”, maybe “please.” You’ve been doing “so big” for a couple months now. You are extremely interactive, put everything in your mouth that you find on the floor, eat just about anything I give you, strongly prefer me, and sleep like a champ.
Basically, you rock. We.love.you.

Sometimes, you look so old. And that’s without hair!

I get lots and lots and lots of blurry pictures right now. I think that’s the plight of life with boys/toddlers. They don’t stop moving and unless you’re an excellent photographer, which I am not, you end up with blurry photos.

I may not have clear pictures, but I’ll remember what a busy and active time of life this is!

9 Months–Bo

2011-10-11T15:40:00.000-05:00

Apparently this month I did not do the chair pictures.
Fail.
Regardless, let’s check out what Bo was like around 9 months.

Sometimes these two look so so similar. I see it here, raised eyebrows and wide eyes.

Bo, you’re crawling like a speed demon and getting into all the “big kid” toys. You’ve got your work cut out for you, buddy.

Every once in a while, you prevail.

Did I mention what I happy little guy this one is?

There’s Something About 3 Months and 9 Months

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Note: I wrote this a few almost two months ago and am just getting around to posting it...so goes my life.Around 3 months, babies change.
They stop crying so much, or at least for no reason.
I’d like to believe their little systems are getting used to living outside the womb. They also start to interact a good bit more.
I’ve always focused on that 3 month mark and encouraged other moms who are trudging through sleepless nights which to lead to zombie-like days, rip-your-heart-out crying, nursing woes, and many other difficulties that come along with precious babies in their first months “outside.”
Just recently, I’ve realized the 9 month mark is another turning point. Babies really start to understand a lot, interact with their eyes (really looking at you knowingly), some are signing, clapping, waving, and they’re usually pretty vocal.
I love the little baby phase, but have always thought 12-18/20 months is my favorite age (so far). Well, I think I need to bump back my favorite age to include 9 months.
I know I’ve said it to everyone we talk to and I’ve mentioned it on here but Bo is soooo easy. I mean, ea.sy. But he really is such a joy...a bright spot (if I can say that without it sounding TOO cheesy).
If you haven’t guessed yet, he just turned 9 months. (That post, along with his 8 month post, to come. Good gracious I’m behind!) It’s hard to focus and enjoy each part of a child’s growing up. There’s so much going on! But Bo is really helping me to step back and relish it all. And I pretty much love that about him.