Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Things to Teach my Boys

I have read several lists of "things to teach/tell my boys/girls" and I decided I wanted to write my own.

Things to Teach my Boys:

1) Love with your whole heart.
2) Pray daily
3) Give hugs and smiles freely
4) Read books besides the ones you are made to read in school.
5) Forgive others as you wish to be forgiven.
6) Live like David in the Bible..A man after God's own heart.
7) Play sports. But don't get caught up on winning. Enjoy the camaraderie of being part of a team.
8) Get closer to nature. Walk through the woods, hunt, fish. Enjoy God's creation.
9) Always remain close to your family. Your Mom, Dad, siblings, and grandparents will always be on your team in the game of life.
10) Get dirty.
11) Jump in puddles and play in the rain.
12) Read your Bible
13) Own a pet. It's a great way to learn responsibility and practice for becoming a parent one day.
14) Don't be arrogant. It is very unbecoming
15) Be grateful. You have more than most.
16) Treat women with respect. Open doors for them, compliment them, and don't discuss bodily functions, burp, or fart in front of them.
17) Eat healthy. Fast food is killing Americans.
18) Be active.
19) Work hard at what you love.
20) Go to college and live on campus. A degree is the least of what you gain from going to college. You will learn about yourself and make life-long friends.
21) Drive the speed limit. Too many boys think they are invincible.
22) Don't be late. It is disrespectful.
23) Do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it. It's called integrity.
24) High School is hard. And it is NOT close to "the best time of your life." Just stay out of trouble during those years.
25) Stand up for what is right. Don't allow kids to be bullies. 
26) Be a leader. Everyone else will follow your example.

and the one my Momma always told me...
"Everything will come out in the wash." 


*****I thank my Momma for teaching me so many of these things. She showed me how to love others by always volunteering her time and money to help those in need. She allowed me to color my hair blue when I was 13, pierce my nose and the cartilage of my ear when I was 12, and to do every sport that was offered in Fairview, TN..except soccer. I wasn't any good at soccer.  I always walked to my own beat because my Momma encouraged me to.
I love you, Momma!

Kelly

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Christmas 2012

We had such a great Christmas this year at Nana and Papa's house. It has been so fun living with them. I'm serious. I will be sad to move out in the spring when our house is finished. The boys love it so much. We got some Christmas lights out for a few pictures.
 
 



 
This year for Christmas we took Cohen to see Santa twice. Once at Lipscomb and the other time at Green Hills mall. He asked Santa for "a guitar, big boy pants, and a wittle Chrissmas tree for my room." So sweet. We put a small tree in their room for a few nights but it didn't go over so well....for us. They would stay awake looking at the tree and talking about it for hours. The tree left after 3-4 nights. But he did get his big boy pants and a guitar from Santa.
Sutton got a Mr Potato Head and he loves it! Carries it with him everywhere... will spend 30 minutes playing with him on the floor..Nice for us!
 
I've got baby fever but Chad says "absolutely NOT now!!!" I'd have 5 kids if he would agree to it. That won't happen though.
But I am certainly enjoying each moment with these boys.
Well, that's a bit of a lie. Cohen is prone to tantrums daily before 10am. He is NOT a morning person. He morphs into this demon child for a bit. I am NOT enjoying those moments.
 
Happy New Year!!


Such a big boy!

Cohen is growing so fast!  He uses the potty all the time.  Only having 1 in diapers is nice:)
If he has an accident in his pants he says, "I so sad. I sorry, Mommy!" It is so sweet. He also shows everyone that he is wearing "big boy pants" and often times doesn't want to wear pants because he is so proud of his underware.

At night he has been asking to watch a movie. There is a VCR in our "house" at Nana and Pop's. My mom gave us some VHS tapes from when my niece Ariel was little. We have Shrek, Toy Story, Bambi, The Jungle Book, and The Tigger Movie.  Cohen loves all of them. He lays on the couch with his "Puppy Dog" and paci and watches a movie until we put him to sleep in his bed. He always asks if Chad or I will "watch a movie and take a nap with me?" It is so sweet.
We have been taking drives to look at Christmas lights. He says, "they're so bootiful" "I like them. You like them, Mommy?" "there everywhere." Seeing the holiday season through a kid's eyes is so magical.
He loves his brother and Sutton loves him so much too. I have said before that I like to "take a nap" with Cohen and put him in our bed for a bit. Well, Cohen now asks to go to his bed to "see Sutton" or "sleep with my best brother" when he is in bed with me. It is so sweet!
I tell Cohen I "love him to the moon." and he says it back. Then he says, "I said it first. I beat you!" Such a smart, witty kid! He also says, "I strong, I smart, I handsome." He got this from me because I tell him those things daily.

Sutton is still the happiest baby! He has the best smile with those big dimples. He toddles around and does what Cohen does. He also says "more" and "please" in sign-language. However, he says several words these days too. He says, "milk" "bottle" "more" "cracker" "Mama" "Dada" "Poppa" "Nana" "Mimi" and pretty much any other 1-2 syllable word that you ask him to say.
It is SUCH a joy to have these boys so close in age. I wish I could keep them at 1 and 2 years old forever!
Sutton's newest thing is when he hurts himself, no matter if he falls, or what...he brings his right pointer finger to you for you to kiss it. He then smiles, and is off to play again. I love this!
He is such a tough boy. He takes hard falls and when we look to see if he is going to cry, he just gets up, brings you his finger to kiss, then he's off.



 


God is so gracious to give us these sweet, smart boys to parent.  We are so thankful we were picked to raise these boys. I pray nightly that we raise boys that love the Lord and desire to please Him.

Blessings!

Oh, What a woman!

Chad's most wonderful grandmother Maxine passed away on Friday, December 21. She was the most amazing Christian woman I have ever met. She was 89 when she passed onto glory. She was still able to walk and drive until the end. She also maintained her mind which was full of humor and wit.
When she heard that Chad's brother Kyle and his wife Mollie were expecting a baby again, she said, "I hope the Lord lets me live long enough to hold that baby." The Lord honors those who are faithful to him, and Gigi got her wish.
Monday she went into the hospital with shortness of breath. She was not improving and the docs told the family that she wouldn't make it much longer. Wednesday she wasn't doing well, but then she learned that Mollie was in labor. She got a bit better. She ate some food, drank some water, and was talking more. The baby was born Wednesday night and she saw a picture of him and smiled. Thursday I was able to take our boys to go see her. She told them she loved them "to the moon." Friday, Kyle and Mollie were discharged from the hospital and went across the street to Baptist to see her. She held the new baby Hudson and they got a picture of her holding him. After they left, she took off her oxygen and said "I want to go home." She died surrounded by 20+ family members 2 hours later.
People that didn't know her truly missed out on knowing the best woman around. She was the epitome of a Christian woman. She served her community and her church daily. She traveled the world visiting churches and missionaries. She helped found African Christian Schools with her late husband. She started a Monday Meals program where she delivered 40+ meals to shut-ins.
In the Bible it says there are different houses in heaven. I know that when I get to heaven, I will look for the area with the biggest mansions and that's where I will find our Gigi!
Gigi with Cohen

Four generations.
Oh, how our hearts miss Gigi and yearn for her sweetness and love.  Yet we are only separated from her for a short while.
 
Blessings for a wonderful 2013!!