Sighing

We are rolling with our fall routine...I like staying busy and we have several different activities throughout each week. I still have some days where we have no committments, and we can head to the library for storytime or grab lunch with a friend.

But, many days lately I have found myself sighing. It seems like in this season of my life it's so hard to do a great job in each of my roles. I have some days where I am a great mom but find myself lacking in the great wife category. Other days I may be a great wife but I failed to spend that quality time alone and with God. I have found myself sometimes physically sighing as I go from task to task throughout my day and feeling frustrated that I am succeeding in some areas and falling short in others.

I know that all of these feelings are normal and that just like the seasons change our responsibilities and committments also change and adjust. I pray that God will help me learn how to better "be"...a wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend...instead of always "doing."

In this season I am also soaking up the joys that come with being a mom and enjoying the time I have with the children I have longed for and prayed for for so long...the answers to many, many prayers.





Today, Mary Kenzie was having fun getting me to put these sunglasses on her and then she would take them off and say "boo!" She was cracking herself up and kept bringing the glasses to me so that I could put them on her over and over again. We just laughed and laughed and I sat there in awe...once again...that I get to be her mommy. Amazing!

Mr. Opinion

So, today is the first day of fall and as much as I LOVE the summer (3 cheers for the waterpark!) I also love the changing of the seasons. Pretty soon it will be time for wearing jeans and burning my pumpkin spice candle!

I also can't believe how soon it will be time to put the kids in their costumes for Halloween. This brings me to my tip for this Tuesday...don't plan too far ahead what your kids will wear for Halloween because they might surprise you and have their own opinions.

For you veteran moms the fact that children have their own opinions is probably old news, but this past week my 3 year old's opinion and I became very good friends. You see, until this past week, my 3 year old's opinion and I had yet to really meet. We had casually been introduced during the "pacifier throwing phase" and the occasional "Target meltdown" but really I would have to say we were more acquaintances than good friends.

Well, this all changed this past week. You see, back in March as you may remember, we took a family trip to Disney World. It was SUCH a fun week and we had the best time! While we were at Disney (in March, mind you!) I had what I thought was a genius idea! I should dress the kids up as Mickey and Minnie for Halloween!

It would be so fun because this would be the first Halloween we would have 2 kids and how fun to dress them in corresponding outfits and how even more fun that we would be able to always remember that the year we went to Disney the kids dressed up like the king and queen of Disney for Halloween!

I have spent a lot of time scouting out costumes on Ebay and kids consignment sales. I have spent a lot of time thinking about HOW CUTE Riley and Mary Kenzie were going to be as Mickey and Minnie. I have spent a lot of time talking about my great idea to friends and family members and random strangers who would listen to my costume plans for this Halloween.

BUT, I failed to mention MY plans to my 3 year old's opinion. You see, Mr. Opinion does not want to be Mickey Mouse. Mr. Opinion asked if he could please be Superman or a Power Ranger or really ANYTHING but Mickey Mouse. I begged and pleaded and tried to talk up the Big Cheese as best as I could but Mr. Opinion was not to be swayed.

You can call me a wus...you can accuse me of trying too hard to be my 3 year old's friend instead of his mom...but honestly it wasn't any of those things. Instead, it all boiled down to this one statement made by my 3 YEAR OLD:

"But, Mommy, if I dress up like Mickey Mouse the other kids will laugh at me!"

Gulp...I think my 3 year old is growing up...

So, down the drain go my plans for a Mickey and Minnie Halloween but my wallet is happy because the costume he ultimately begged me to let him wear this year was already hanging in the closet!

Shattering the Image

So, in an attempt to foster authenticity I am writing this post today.

You see we all hide behind masks...or in this case blogs...and choose to share whatever we want with our audience. So, maybe I am the only one, but when I read other people's blogs I sometimes come away a little jealous, a little envious, a little jaundiced (don't be too impressed, I used the online Webster's).

It seems like so often the things we put on our blogs are the things we're most proud of. To the reader it may appear that everything in our life is perfect...we have the perfect marriages, the perfect homes decorated to the nines, the perfect days, and definitely the perfect children.

How many pictures do we go through before we find the ones that we deem "blog worthy?"

So, in today's attempt at authenticity and so that I can remind you (once again) that I am just an ordinary girl with struggles and baggage and highs and lows, I wanted to share these pictures of my sweet kids. Some of you may remember that I had the kids' pictures taken recently and we definitely got a few good ones. BUT, we also had a few bloopers, too. Here are my little ones in their blooperfied best!

Feel free to laugh...I sure did!!

It's a Sleepy Day

It has been a rainy, dreary, rainy, sleepy, rainy Wednesday around here! The kids have been napping for almost 3 HOURS! Wow! I wish they would tell me before naptime that they're going to sleep for that long because then I would have had the chance to get something accomplished!

Instead, I haven't started any projects from my to-do list because for the past hour and a half I've been sure that at least one of them would wake up at any moment! In honor of the sleepy afternoon around my house today, I am posting some pj pictures from last week.

I hope it's sunny where you are and if not I hope you've had a relaxing afternoon like me! :)

It's Gotcha Day!!

Today we celebrated Riley's 3rd Gotcha Day! 3 years ago today our sweet Riley boy flew to America from Korea and joined our family for forever!

It was one of the very happiest days of my life. It was the day I finally got to hold my very own baby in my arms...the baby I had prayed for since I was a little girl. I know that this doesn't happen for everyone...everyone has a different story, a different experience...but for me, the minute I saw that sweet baby carried through the doors I was in love.

This was my child and I couldn't imagine loving any child any more than I loved him. It was a sweet, sweet day and better than I could have ever dreamed it would be.

Today we celebrated with airplane shaped cookies and reminiscing that incredible day in the Detroit airport when my son came home.

Here's the link for the homecoming/first year video I made for Riley six months after he came home: Riley's Video

Redecorating

I've spent this week redecorating around here. I have lots of posts up my sleeve so come back soon!!

Game Time!

Thursday night was the first football game of the season for the Wolfpack! We have been getting season tickets with another couple for the last 9 years. We love going to games together! Riley has been so excited about football season starting that even though the first game was a night game we decided to take him. We left Mary Kenzie at home with Michael's parents but we had to dress her up for game day, too!! Despite the loss, we had a fun time at the game and Riley did so great. He sat there and watched the game and didn't ask to go home until about 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter! Here are some pics of our Wolfpack family!




(Isn't this dress adorable?!?! One of my friends from college has started making these dresses and selling them. If you aren't an NC State fan, she can try to find your team and custom design it for you. The dresses are pre-washed 100% cotton, fully lined, handmade, and boutique quality! Email Maridith at fittsfamily@hotmail.com if you are interested! They are even cuter--if that's possible--in person!!)