Rambling Dan

I'm working on a longer post of our week with Grandparents and Thanksgiving but for now I will leave you with 2 videos of my children enjoying Rambling Dan in the Boston Gardens.  If Rambling Dan doesn't make you want to come to Boston than I don't know what will.




Here's a picture of Ramblin Dan. He really is amazing. My kids could watch him for hours. Austin calls him the Music Man.

Five for Friday

Five for Friday...

1.  I am soo thankful for my mom for numerous reasons but today I am thankful that is she is taking care of our precious Sadie.

Since we left Memphis 5 months ago, Sadie has lived with quite a few people and it just wasn't working out. She was traumatized by us leaving and took it out on the people she was living with. Thankfully my mom was willing to take Sadie into her home and let her live with her until we return. Thanks Mom! I am so thankful for you.

2.  Thankful that David's parents are here visiting.  The boys have LOVED having their grandparents here.  We will be sad to see them leave on Monday.

3.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with the Spences.  Thankful that Diane was here to help with the cooking.  It was a tight squeeze around the dinner table but we loved all being together.

4.  Excited we are heading to Edaville Railroad in Carver, MA today.  We are taking a train ride through the Christmas Festival of Lights and playing on the vintage amusement rides for kids.  I know Austin is going to love it.
5. So thankful for these precious men in my life. I am so blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from my little turkeys.

Precious shirts made by my friend Bridgette.  We love them! 
I have so many things to be thankful for.  Gratitude is a choice...I pray I wake up everyday thankful for the many blessings I have been given.

We hope you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Thinking of him...

I'm missing him today...I heard this song a while back and immediately thought of Forrest.  Steven Curtis Chapman understands the deep grief that goes with losing a child.

With Hope

This is not at all how 


We thought it was supposed to be 


We had so many plans for you 


We had so many dreams 


And now you've gone away 


And left us with the memories of your smile 


And nothing we can say 


And nothing we can do 


Can take away the pain 


The pain of losing you, but ...

We can cry with hope 


We can say goodbye with hope 


'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no 


And we can grieve with hope 


'Cause we believe with hope 


(There's a place by God's grace) 


There's a place where we'll see your face again 


We'll see your face again

And never have I known 


Anything so hard to understand 


And never have I questioned more 


The wisdom of God's plan 


But through the cloud of tears 


I see the Father's smile and say well done 


And I imagine you 


Where you wanted most to be 


Seeing all your dreams come true 


'Cause now you're home 


And now you're free, and ...

We have this hope as an anchor 


'Cause we believe that everything 


God promised us is true, so ...

We wait with hope 


And we ache with hope 


We hold on with hope 


We let go with hope

-Stephen Curtis Chapman

Hope is definitely something we hold onto.  We know we will see his face again and what a reunion that will be.  He's home...what a beautiful image to think about.  He's home where he belongs...with his Father...his Creator.  

Come quickly Jesus...

Five for Friday

Woo hoo!  It's Friday...Five for Friday time!

1.  Yaya and Dingdad are coming to visit us next week...everyone is so excited to have them in town.

2.  I booked the boys and my trip home in January.  We are going home for 2 weeks!  Can't wait to see friends and family, eat some good Mexican food, worship in our home church, participate in the Forrest Spence Fund dinner at the FedEx House, and so much more!

3.  The Forrest Spence Fund newsletter is ready to send to the printer.  This year we started working on it in September but no matter how much time we give ourselves, it is always so stressful at the end.  David and I have been working day and night updating the database.  There are almost 1300 names on our database so it's a lot to keep up with.  I will be so thankful when these bad boys are in the mail.

4.  Austin is doing so well with his letters and loves making our craft letter of the day.  Yesterday was P so we read a book about Penguins and made a P-Penguin craft.


5.  I am so thankful for precious, Godly women who are pouring into my lives here in Boston.  I am a part of a wonderful Bible study full of incredible women of God and they have loved me deeply even without knowing me that well.  I shared 2 weeks ago about the anniversary of Forrest's passing coming up and this past Wednesday she brought me this.  What a treasure!  I really will miss these ladies when we leave.

Swim Lessons and Soccer

Austin finished up swim lessons this week.
He took for 10 weeks.  He was the youngest in his class by at least a year.
I think his age  and size definitely hindered him a little in this class.  He had a hard time paying attention.  He had no fear of the water so the teachers didn't mind that he was so young but I don't think they pushed him hard enough.
It was hard as a swim lesson teacher myself to sit and watch him not be pushed to do more.  I felt like he was doing more with me this summer than he was doing during class.  He was so little compared to the other kids that I don't think his teachers thought he could do it.
I didn't say anything throughout the whole class until the last class.  Yes, I was that mom who came up at the end of the class and threw him in the water and told him he could swim.  He had a life jacket on so I knew he would be fine but I was tired of watching the teachers gently lower him into the water and not let him do anything on his own.  David only made it to the last class so I am pretty sure I humiliated him but I wanted to show Austin he could do more than they were letting him do.  Looking back I probably shouldn't have done it but he was fine and did great on his own in the water (with a life jacket).

We are going to try another swim school in town this Spring.  I know he can do it if someone pushed him a little.

He is also taking Soccer right now (indoor) and loving it.  There are only 3 boys in his class so it is a lot of high energy.  One of the boys in the class is his best bud William (he missed the day I took pictures).  They are loving it!

What am I doing while Austin plays soccer...entertaining this little guy.

He wants to play with his brother so badly that he runs for the soccer balls and I am constantly chasing him away from the practice.

David came to watch this soccer practice so he helped contain the littlest one.
My 2 guys are at a really fun age.  They are playing together and really love being together.
They make up games together, chase and wrestle each other, and every morning Austin asks if he can read to Miller in his crib. I need to get this on tape. It's precious. He only reads for about a minute and then they start to wrestle. Boys will be boys!

Tired...

This blog post is authored by one tired mommy.  David worked last Wednesday night until midnight, a regular 12 hour day Thursday, Friday morning until Saturday night and then worked Monday until 11:30 at night.  There has been a lot of mommy/little guys time and even though I love it...I am tired.  I can't even imagine how exhausted my husband is.  I don't know about you other wives out there but if David isn't home at a decent time then I don't go to bed at a decent time.  I stay up doing ridiculous things until I can't keep my eyes open any longer.  So because of my lack of sleep this blogpost will be a filled with a wide assortment of subjects.

What I have been up to that has kept me up late...

Reading incredible books like this one.  The Hunger Games Trilogy was awesome...I mean awesome!  A must read!  I wanted something similar to read after I finished this series so I just started this series.
I know they are both Young Adult books but I don't care...I will shout from the mountain top that I love these books. I am also a HUGE Harry Potter fan so maybe that tells you a little about me.  David bought me a Kindle for Mother's Day and I love reading at night on my Kindle.  He also made the mistake of buying me a light for it so now I stay up too late (often disturbing him) reading on my Kindle.

This morning I watched the trailer for the Hunger Games coming in March and I am pumped!

Anyone want to fly to Boston to see the movie with me?  Hoping I can talk my husband into it.  He made fun of me for years about being obsessed with Harry Potter and now he is a huge fan as well after reading all the books.

I have also been up late scouring deals for Christmas shopping.  I kinda obsess about finishing my Christmas shopping early.  I really want to spend the month of December focusing on the real meaning of Christmas and not being stressed about shopping so instead I'm just stressed now.

Austin has entertained himself as well...

Yes, he is playing on the iPod touch while going to the bathroom. Are you kidding me...he's only 3 and he's acting like a full fledged grown man. =)

On a final, very important note...my precious niece is turning 4 today.  Happy 4th birthday Olivia...we love you very much and wish we could be with you to celebrate your special day!

Five for Friday

Five for Friday - doing things I am thankful for since it's almost Thanksgiving!

1.  So thankful for this man.  He works so hard everyday. He is a wonderful physician, father, and husband.

2.  Thankful for friends.  Both of our husbands are working tomorrow so we are spending the day together.  So much nicer than spending a Saturday alone.
3.  Thankful that Austin is in a little better mood.  Notice I said little. =)

4.  Thankful to a friend who sent old pictures she found from our wedding.

5.  Thankful for great friendships that go back 13 years and still make you laugh.
What are you thankful for today?

Last few days...

I don't know what it is with 3 year olds but I tell you what...they are moody!  Austin was the sweetest thing last week and this week he has been anything but sweet.  He has been moody, irritable, and disobedient.  We have gone round and round with his behavior and it is about to do me in.  A little prayer on my behalf would be much appreciated!

On Saturday we had breakfast at another bakery in town.  If you haven't guessed already, my family likes bakeries.  My husband loves bakeries so we have made it our mission to find all the good ones in town.  We enjoyed this one but think we have been spoiled by the one we had a little over a month ago.
The oldest didn't want his picture taken...see what I mean...moody!

After the bakery we headed back to Walden Pond to redeem ourselves. We went prepared this time. I wore Miller in the Ergo carrier and David wore Austin in our new (new to us-I bought it at a Consignment store in Boston) Kelty Backpack Carrier.
 
I had very high expectations for our hike and unfortunately they weren't completely met. Austin kept wanting to go everywhere besides the path we were supposed to stay on.
 
Miller was a little uncomfortable in the Ergo so I had to turn him around.
Looking back though it was nice.

Saturday evening David and I went on a nice date to the Northend. It was so great to be alone with my husband and enjoy a quiet dinner together.

Sunday we attended church and heard an amazing testimony of Libby Little who along with her husband Tom served as missionaries in Afghanistan. A year ago August Tom along with 9 others were killed by gunmen in Badakhshan, a remote northeastern region of the country. Her testimony was incredible. You can read more about them in this CNN article.

Monday the boys and I met up with friends at a new park near the Charles River. It has been beautiful the last few days so we are taking full advantage of it.
Tuesday night David had a work event so we hired a babysitter, dressed up nice, and went out on the town.  It was really nice and such a treat to go out 2 times in one week.