joyfullness

A Week in Review

2011-11-05T13:18:00.001-04:00

I hope everyone has had a beautiful week!

What a full one we had!

Owen and I went to visit Lora in Charlotte last Saturday...

fun for me!!

My wonderful mom came to watch MnS..

and I was able to take my time coming home since my husband took over when he was done with work!

Yay Team MOMMYNEEDSABREAK!!

Lora did a great job..she is such a blessing!!

What adoration she has for the Lord!!

Each of her pieces she prays over..

if you are in need of a word from the Lord.. take some time in her shop or over on her blog..

what contagious love she has!!

Owen was his sweet smiley self..

all of her lovelies..

she gave me a necklace too..i forgot to take a picture of it..

so beautiful.

a simple leaf with two beads..one rough and one smooth..

i'm remembering that He is with me in ALL circumstances!!

Thankyou so much friend..for my mini get away!!

On Sunday..we went to the park w/ PopPop..my Dad.

This was so much fun.

We each took a kid..

no blinking.

blinking=disappearing child

do.not.blink.

Love me a rainbow..and a sweet boy hovering overhead..

umm.cute kid in the train..

we spent over an hour there.

the boys had a great time!

Monday..Halloween.

Myles..Ele-ger

Sam..sweetest pirate you ever did see..arrrr
I can tell from this picture that Sam is saying the /ween/ part of happy halloween..
and Myles is saying happy...but it sounds like he is Santa Claus.. hohoho..

yup..there's my matey!

Oh..Dada pulled out all the stops for the boys..

he shows them the pepperoni..

oh boy..

the pepperoni love was in the house!!

You know how much Sam loves spaghetti??

Well, the peps is equally adored.

His mouth may or may not have touched...bit.. into the end of that thing.

Just waiting for my fresh sliced peps..with my peeps..

yup.

one punkin peep here!

Owen was spending some time on the floor.. just hangin'

Myles decided to join him.

love.

Map making with Dada.

For the love of school and all the learning going on.

Yowzers!

Wednesday...CoGat testing...

at an unfamiliar location..

with strangers..

with no accomodations..

for 2 1/2 hours..

(with lots of breaks...and a snack of popcorn and juice)

Myles Rocked it!!
He came out at the end and said in his sweet tired voice.."hi mom"

we started to walk towards the car and I asked him if he answered lots of questions and he said...

"Yup! I'm Awesome!!"

ummmm.

Yup.. You Are!!

The teacher said that at first he was saying the answers outloud..woops.

but did much better after a few reminders to (keep it down in the back row)..just write his answers.

On Thursday we went back for ITBS testing..

yeah..his awesomeness was maxed out on Wednesday.

When asked to open up his test he kindly said.."no thankyou"

He spent the rest of the time in the hallway with a ( very wonderful) teacher.

I had gone to Goodwill..down the street, you know, because the first day was so awesome and Owen and I had sat there waiting for 2 1/2 hours..and Owen and I really wanted to go to Goodwill..

The teacher had called (whilst i was at goodwill)...but I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in a couple years..

and I didn't recognize the #..

What in the world..

I got back there and realized it had been the teacher..

who had called..

MOR.TI.FIED.

He is still awesome!

me..not so much.

Oh well!

Thursday was my 10 year wedding anniversary!!

We are totally official now!!

After I dropped the boys off at therapy

(this is after taking sam to school..myles taking,but not really, his test..and

a quicky trip to goodwill..lunch in the car..and the 30 minute drive home..)

Owen and I picked up Dada..

He had gotten up at 3am for inventory at work..

and was home early..

at 2pm..

we went to a frozen yogurt place and then to Target..

I sure love this man..

he's wearing that hat..

I don't know what it is about it..but i think he looks extra handsome in it..

so we were on our date..celebrating our 10th anniversary..

he let me pick out what we got..

i chose..blueberry...and cheesecake...mmmm.

w/ fresh berries...and sprinkles (rainbow)..chocolate chips..and waffle cone pieces.

over $5.00 later..

we were in tutti frutti yogurt bliss.!!

(this looks like tut..like king tut-ti..frut-ti)

surely they mean fruit-ti!!

onward!

We picked the boys up at 6.

and went to Whole Foods Market..

Did you know they have this amazing animal "exhibit" there now.?

Yuppers!

Myles was in heaven.

We got more pepperonies for the boys..and I loaded up on my salad bar fixins..extra fruit and veggies for the boys..Lee got a hot bar dinner.. and we ate dinner out!!

like..as a whole family..

bring it!

we n.e.v.e.r go out to eat.

what a treat!

Oh-wen!

Ofcourse..Charlie was there too.

and Myles got to push his little buggy.

we were on ankle alert..cuz this kids got some work to do in the steering depo.

Love.

Back to the animal exibit.

Sammy really like these tigers!

hmm...which was Myles favorite.??

the only one.

for.evers.

My friend Ahisha, from my first job in high school, sent me this great apron..

a vintage one from her grandmother.. so pretty..I loovey it.

It has a rickrac L on it..for their name... I will think of it as standing for LOOVEY!

Thanks friend! what a sweet gift!

and my sister Jenny sent a box full of Gluten free mixes for baking and making..

I made chocolate chip pancakes for dinner...mmmm.

Thanks Aunt Jenny. We Love you!

Friday..

sweet peas for my sweet pea!!

he liked them alot!

green was representing!

to the bath he went..

Sam has been so helpful.

When Owen starts crying, he brings him a spoon..

or a bottle..

sometimes from the dirty sink..but so helpful none the less.

What a week!!

We've been painting and doing therapy..and I am in touch with a friend from elementary school..

on a similar journey as ours..

ahh.

the love.

Thanksgiving is in a couple weeks..3..

I've been doing a stitch..ing..ery..

i can't wait to decorate for Christmas.

what are you doing?

we are still in our pjs.

it is after 1 o'clock.

I think this video worked.

enjoy.

(from whole foods 10th anniversary date marathon)

and have a love-fully!

Off The Hook!

2011-10-28T23:31:00.000-04:00

In an attempt to keep it real...

this is a little video i took on wednesday.

hmmmm.

i didn't get around to the after shots..but it did look better.

i did do the jillian michaels dvd..

30 day shred.

i have 29 days left.

i skipped thurs and fri.

ouch!

a checkup...myles said something about..."arrrrr.nice costume matey!"

during this eye exam. :)

and a hearing test.

Charlie even looks like he is raising his trunk to the left!!

Good Morning!!

see the elephant biscuits in the background!!

i used one of those sandwich cutters and they turned out great! fun for my elephant lovin' boy!

the kids were able to dress up at the clinic where they go to therapy..

I was thinking we would dress up as pirates for Halloween, because of the reference during the eye exam...and every time i wear my red boots myles tells me i look like Jake from the Neverland Pirates..anywhooo...

Myles played it safe and wanted to wear his tiger costume...

he LOOOVED the face panting...(just some eyeliner from my makeup bag)

fu-un!

and what's a tiger costume without an elephant hat!!???

seriously.

Sam is not really the dress up kind of fellow..

but he loves him some motorcycles...

said..."NOTOR-cycles!!!"

so i drew a quickie notor on his cheek.

perfect.

oh..the day looks like it is wearing on us..

my love was carving the pumpkin...

Myles drew the picture he wanted carved and Lee carved at it while the boys and I watched Sally say "Blockhead" 27 times too many!!

What in the world!

Sweet Sammy turned on the camera today and took this himself.

funny boy!

I am very excited about tomorrow.

I am going to Charlotte to visit my friend Lora from Eagerhands.

She is participating in HarvestFest at her church and i'm going to stop by..

my Mom is watching the big boys..and Owen and I are going to steal away.

Did anyone see Extreme HomeMakeover tonight??

WOW.

What a great presentation.

Totally wishing we could go to Hawaii.

you know.

who wouldn't? right.

Also loving the Sparrowclub organization.

I tried to view the website during the show and it had crashed from all the love.

Does anyone know if SC has a chapter of Sparrowclub?

do you serve in your community?

What do you do?

i would love to serve in some way..

Although..I could probably do a better job at keeping in touch with my besties..

****it looks like my awesome video did not stand a chance.

you only missed my messy house.

i'll try again..maybe with a happy baby video instead.

Thanks for the encouragement from the last post!

You made me smile.

Have a love-FULLY!

Busy Loving

2011-10-16T18:48:00.000-04:00

Hello!Hello!

I have been up to my eyeballs with the doings and beings in this family!!

There are a lot of pictures..i took a couple from each folder over the past few months...

just a little recap for you..

oh sweet Sammy Love..

and Baby Love..

here is sweet Owen in July...with a lovey blanket from my friend Lora..

he loves his blankie!!

At his 2 month checkup he weighed in at 9 lbs 6 oz...

this put him in the 1st percentile for his weight...eek!

I am nursing and supplementing with formula..and he is a sturdy almost 13 lbs now!

Wahoo baby boy!

Did i tell you Sam loves painting...??

Like serious LOVE!! He has been painting everything he can get his hands on..

Goggles!! What more can i say?

Sammy's first picture of his house!!

Weeeeee!

It looks like we live in a smurfy village..

I love our home...and our swagger wagon!!

Yay Sam!

Ummmm.

(that's Myles...on the pot...who could have let the water overflow...hmmmm???)

We celebrated Sam's 6th Birthday on September 10th!!

What in the world!!

We started online school for both of the boys..

It was TOOOOO much for me..

What was I thinking...???

Myles is still chugging along with the program..however we have enrolled Sam back in school.

He has only been there for a week and a half..but what a different.

I'm a busy gal...but I have recruited the most awesome help!!

My parents live here in SC now...

I have been waiting my whole life for this!!

It has been unbelievable sharing this little life with them too.

The children love their Mama and Papa so much..it makes my heart so swollen with gratitude every time they are near!!

Seriously!!

.....

a little math lesson...

after several years of bad allergies..and a allergist..and and ENT...we were sent to get a CT scan ..

WITH SEDATION!!!!

Myles nurse carrying him back to the room..

he was quite loopy for about 30 minutes..

the CTscan hasn't shown any abnormalities that would require immediate attention..ie..surgery..

we are diapering with cloth!!

some days i feel super empowered..

others..

not so much.

sigh.

Mauldin is doing great!

He is still a dog you know..

and he loves squirrels..and cats..

but he also loves us!!

Sam has actually become a flight risk recently..

so so so so very scarey!!

We are concentrating only on his love for Sam right now...

(please pray...i cannot even say the what ifs...)

Dada time...Owen LOVES his Dada!!

He smiles so big when he comes home..and before long, I am sure he will be chasing behind his brothers to greet him upon his arrival..

Oh the love.

I caught Sam

PLAYING!!!

a rare sighting..

a beautiful moment for this Mommy!

Well hello there!

Owen is not a fan of tummy time...but he is a social butterfly..

the "other baby" helped him endure longer..

My boys..

A Sweet Sammy Smile after eating some chocolate fondue dip...with avacado in it..

sounds yucky..tastes....YUUUUMMMMYY!

Our girls are the best!!

They are so accomodating to the boys..

They are so kind!

They are very smart!

They are intensely committed!

They are permanently a part of our hearts!

They are so dear to me!

bulking up..

Dada has been taking Sam on one on one outings..

Sam loves going to Dada's work..he color while Lee checks important work stuff out..

typing added to Myles' ABA program..

for the love of chesseburgers!!

This was this morning..Owen is looking at himself in the mirror..I am looking rather disheveled..

I have a hefty patch of gray hairs glistening on the top of my head..

all of a sudden..if its not gray it is falling out..

post baby, getting older season...:)...bring it!

today..painting on the tree..

relaxing..

We made a fort under the picnic table...and had a snack..

F.U.N!!

Sooooo.sleepy...yawn..

I have thought to do many a post...

...

and then i think..nobody would want to see this life all disheveled like..

so now i am resolving to just show it..

a dear friend recently shared with me that when she first met me it was hard for her to

spend time with me because it seemed like everything was always so perfect...

and i was always so happy..

Smoke and mirrors baby!!

My life is far from perfect..

my disposition is WAY far from perfect..

I was heartbroken to hear this from her..

What did I miss out on because I gave the illusion that all was always well???

I do feel it is important to be positive..

and truely i strive to be overflowing...

half full is not enough for this girl..

I struggle..

I long for this..

I fear a dry cup..

I have plenty to share..and I keep to myself..to avoid being vulnerable..

I don't want to miss out on opportunities to reach out to others...or just express who i am and this beautiful life we have ..just because I DON'T HAVE IT TOGETHER!!!

Where am i going with this..??

I don't really know.

and that is okay.

it has been heavy on my heart.

I love others.

I love to have others over..and peeking into this big life we have..

So I will show it.

If you have already told me to post..thankyou!

I needed that!

If you want me to post about something..tell me..

I would love that too...

if i haven't reached out to you lately..please forgive me..

I miss doing that.

This season of my life is a tastey one...

I love my portion..

I am happy to share!

Okay.

That's all.

Have a love-fully!

A new day!

2011-07-27T06:22:00.001-04:00

Our Vacation is officially over today!!

Dada went back to work an hour ago..

i sure will miss having him around everyday..

we went to the Foster Family reunion again this year, but we had our own cabin..

what a difference for the boys..

new locations are always a little tricky..

the newness..the exploring...the light switches!!

So much to be interested in..

we decided to get our own place to be accomodating to our children..

and other family members...and OUR SANITY!!

What a great blessing this was!!

Cute baby alert!!!

We ventured out on the property one day..it was HOT there just like everywhere else..but the fresh mountain air was a delight!!

Sam really is an explorer!

so much more this year than ever before!!

he is also an artist..more often than not, you can find him with the bucket of crayons..

or watercolor paints!!

97 cents...atleast 30 minutes of creative wonder!!

Mauldin came on vacation with us!!

He did great!

The car ride was perfect..we looked like the Clampets..bringing everything possible to accomodate our family of 5!!err...6 w/ Mauldin..

we hadn't even left the driveway and Myles asked.."are we going on vacation?"

a close second to "are we there yet?" which was equally asked throughout the trip..!

more painting!!

Move over Picasso!

ALERT!!!

My little dream boat!

I am forever saying.."Come look at him...look! Look! ooh..he's smiling...he's laughing!!

Oh I love him!! Look!Look!"...

Even something very planned can feel spontaneous for us!!

After therapy on Monday, We took the boys for a picnic at Pooh's park..you've seen us there before..remember the huge Winnie the Pooh statue?? hence the reason we call it Pooh's park..

Yeah...NO WINNIE THE POOH STATUE!!!

WHAT.IN.THE.WORLD!!

we survived the initial onslaught of the obvious

"where's Pooh?" questions..

we enjoyed our picnic..and then pulled out Myles' bike and went for a little ride..

until in POURED buckets on us!!

Myles LOVED this...Lee really did too..

Sam ran behind the two of them chuckling and sporting his silly self..

owen and i brought up the rear in the stroller...

BUCKETS of rain people!!

One of our favorite summer memories so far!!

Look at him!!:)

My Mom came over one day last week..we had a craft day...

she made a fun robot with the boys from the Family Circle magazine..

and hemmed 2 pairs of jeans for me...and made a Mrs.Roper dress into a skirt... for me!!

SO MUCH FUN!!

This is a silly picture of her..but i think she is adorable!!

"Look at her!!!" :)

Sweet Sammy listening to Owen on the "telephone"..

baby monitor!! He cracks me up!

the begginings of a quilt i've started..

happiness!

Can't.get.enough.of.this.one!!

Look At Him!!

Have a love-FULLY day dear friends!!

Birthday week!!

2011-07-13T14:07:00.000-04:00

Look at this sweet face!!!

This was this morning after his morning snack...we dropped his brothers off at therapy and had some bonding time...

He makes this face alot...classic Owen!!

Myles earned a trip to the zoo on Sunday..he had 5 days of leaving Charlie (his favorite elephant) in the van when we went places...trying to phase out the OCHoarding of all of his faves everywhere we go! It was a scorcher this weekend..and i had never seen his nose and forehead with beads of sweat on it before.. :)

His favorite spot at the zoo....!

Sweet Sammy after a morning playing outside!!

he has a new facination with mud!!

"he's very dirty Mommy!!"

getting ready to make some

C-O-F-F-E-E!!!

It's

SOOOO

worth it!!

in other news...

yesterday was my birthday!!!

i'm having a sale in my shop all week...

enter promotion/coupon code

joyfully35

at check out..

35% off everything...not including shipping, ofcourse!!

I am saving up to by me some of these...

you'll be helping contribute to my sassy red boot fund!!

thanks!

have a love FULLY!!!

Updates!!

2011-07-11T20:24:00.001-04:00

We are settling in to this wonderful new life here..

Sammy absolutely LOVES Owen!!

We all do...

What's not to love??

One of our Dearest friends, Rhonda Danner, took some family portraits on Owen's first week of life.. I will be posting more of these..i just can't get enough of all of our "living" that she captured!!

Thankyou so much!!

Both of the big boys (i have to get use to distinguishing...there are 3 boys here now, you know)

go to therapy every day now...

They are really making such progress and it is exciting to see..

this is at Mamas and Papas house a few weeks ago...Sammy and Dada were exploring their property...

the whirlwind...a day by myself...with all three..there's laundry, my blog music..and a blurry kiddo running thru the house... :)

oh sweet sleepy baby...

his daily pattern has become more evident... the mornings are filled with little kitty cat naps..and the afternoons hold a solid stretch of 4 hours of peaceful sleep...we have even been able to consistently get 4-6 hours of sleep at a time every night!!

What a blessing!!

this is what the mornings usually look like...

everyone piles on the couch and i try to down a good cup of coffee..

mmmm...

myles is writing a line from one of our favorite songs..

"M-O-M-M-Y needs C-O-F-F-E-E...D-A-D-D-Y needs C-O-F-F-E-E!"

that's us alright!!

this pictures was taken weeks ago...he has grown so much..

Are you wearing your sunscreen this year???

well..you should be wearing it everyday all year long anyway...but i know many of you aren't and won't...for almost 2 years i have been seeing a dermatologist..each time i go he finds another suspicious spot on my body...the latest one was under my eye..he removed the cancer using MOHS surgery..Lee came with me to watch Owen..it was a 3 hour procedure..they got it all..

hopefully my next appointment will leave me in the clear!!

Please wear your sunscreen...

a shot glass worth of it everyday..

I haven't always..clearly...and now i wish i had!!

some new decor...

when we had Myles, this room was a chocolate brown...very coffee shopish...

after Sam was born, we painted it yellow...sunny and happy!!

now with Owen we have gone gray..the new neutral... with pops of color everywhere..

i'm thinking about painting the fireplace a fun color...??

orange even??? what do you think?? maybe yellow?? or blue??like the robin's egg in the frames..

Every morning..in between naps....Owen likes to spend some nice time on my lap..everyday his smile seems to come more readily...he really is engaging with me..some coos even...:)...

He is so dear to me!

sweet toes..

peaches are in!!! we have gotten many of them already!!

My Mom has made a couple cobblers...oooh..the taste of summer!!

my view.

every 2-4 hours..

not even close to tiring of this!!

have

love

fully!!

Sweet Baby

2011-06-07T17:25:00.004-04:00

It has been just over a week now.
and this little guy has stolen my heart!!

My picture uploading is a little rusty..so these are all out of order...

This is Smylie upon arriving at the hospital to meet his baby brother..

Owen Cole

Born...May 27th...at 5:32pm...

This was at 6am

we went in for an induction

We were so excited to meet our newest addition to our family..

not knowing who they were totally added to the anticipation!!

all hooked up...with my epi...and a lemon ice pop!!

I had some issues with my blood pressure after getting the epi...so they unplugged me for a little bit....i labored with some unexpected post epidural contraction pain...and then they gave me a little boost towards the end...all in a days work....

and we had this sweet boy!!

Sammy cannot get enough of his little brother.

Myles is just starting to warm up to him...he was expecting a her....

Owen is...

SWEET

Sweet

SWEET

a great eater...

a great sleeper...(just not at night yet..)

so easy going...

our favorite gift this year!!!

I am falling in love with him more and more every day!!!

and even starting to get the hang of just a little sleep...

I have much blog catching up to do.. and i do miss all the inspiration to be had out there..

for now...the sweet smell of fresh baby is keeping me going...

and some strong black tea...and chocolate!!!

Happy Spot of Summer!!!

We have a long list of Summer time wishes inspired by Meg at Whatever...(hyperlink not working :(...)..

What do you have planned this year???

Whatever it is...make it a Love-fully one!!

New in the shop!!

2011-04-16T16:20:00.003-04:00

Okay...not quite in the shop yet~

these are my destash bottles...

filled with yummy baubles and trinkets for scrapping or other projects...

I asked Myles to take a picture of one of my "Blue Ribbon Prize" pins.... I think he did a great job... This one isn't actually listed...but the one below...and 6 others are in the shop right now!!

There are other things in there too.....

My mom is here right now sewing curtains for the baby's room...

can you hear the hum of the machine...

ahhhhhh!

Lee started painting the room today...

I've been putting things in the shop and keeping the boys occupied...

I have 2 bags to add ....sneek peek after supper!!

Happy Weekend!!

Have a Love-fully!!!

Preggy Picts..and other stuffs..

2011-04-14T09:49:00.005-04:00

I thought i would share my growing belly with you...

First..i want you to see what Lori made for me... (i'm actually wearing it right now..today)

look at this A.DOR.ABLE. necklace!!!

It should be called "Joyfullness"...it has brought me so much already!!

Thankyou sweet friend!!

This was me yesterday...

so comfy..

I usually wear this dress in the summer...but it was perfect for layering..over the bump..:)

This is what you would find me in on an average day...

even in the summer..

I LOVE CARDIGANS!!!!

My favorite preggy jeans... $7.00 on the clearance rack at Target!!

I wear them every-other-day...

they are hip...do people still say Hip???

It's probably not hip to say hip...but hey...my jeans ARE HIP!!!

anyway..a tank...and a cardi...and i'm on my way!!

my sweet Smylie has been home with me Mon-Wed...

EVERY year he has a brutal welcoming of allergy season!!

We go to an official allergist on Monday!!

I'll be so glad to get him all fixed up..

this year, in addition to the coughing..he has this incredible acne breakout...

!!!!!!!!!!!!

I counted 6 this morning...

I've enjoyed having him at home with me...

but wish he wasn't so miserable.

another belly shot..

Lora gave me this necklace at the walk... LOOK HOW STUNNING!!! i love the green bead....and my word...and the puzzle piece!! Thankyou so much!! I am still coming down from my high from your visit!! sigh!! Speaking of BLOOMING!! Lee cut these beauties from the yard yesterday. Look how HUGE they are!!

I put them next to my bed...

in a simple mason jar..

So...

I have some new stuff to put in the shop...

I am trying to clear away room for baby..

This weekend...we paint!!

I am so excited about finally making those pretty curtains..

My Mom is coming over on Saturday..

(Did you guys know that my parents MOVED here???

yeah..like...packed up their stuff..sold their house...found a great house here... and it only takes 35 minutes to get to them now...instead of 8-10 HOURS people!!!MOVED!!!

Lee and I still cannot believe it...We are so blessed!!..

I mean..people say that all the time, right??

but for reals...what an amazing blessed year this has been...

What a faithful, patient God we serve!!)

(just sayin')

Tomorrow...

new stuff in shop.

Saturday...

Baby room

Sunday...

another peek around the house...

for now...

Have a Love-FULLY!!!

Autism Awareness Month

2011-04-09T15:50:00.006-04:00

We are at that time of year again...

APRIL is Autism awareness month

...

I have been busy for a few months making autismblooms!!

Since January, Myles has been receiving ABA therapy..and Sammy started shortly after in February...

"OUR GIRLS"

come over every day...and the boys....(AND I).... LOVE THEM SO!!!!

Sam has made HUGE progress..

He spontaneously does so much...

makes eye contact...sings songs....plays...Yeah..PLAYS.... puts together 25-42 piece puzzles..

HUGS....loves babies....this will be so valuable in just a few short weeks...

he is really coming into a significant place of happiness...

BE.STILL.

So today was the Strides for Autism Walk!

Our third year participating...but my first year as a vendor!!

This has been my main crafy focus for months now...

Here is my AWESOME friend Lora...THE Lora from Eagerhands...

she made my Chosen necklace, remember???

So, I asked her if she would like to make some special pieces for the walk and i would sell them at the event....well...she lives 2 hours from me...and CAME!!!

What a Blessing!!!

If you have not had the pleasure of visiting her on her blog or her etsy shop, I highly recommend it!!

I am so encouraged after spending this morning with her!!

Thankyou friend!!

Sam loved exploring the firetruck that was there!!

My guys... playing...

balancing...

and enjoying each other!!

Smylie, doing his best cheeseburger pose..

I sat at the table the whole time...but Lee said the boys had a great time!!

He said Myles held Sammy's hand the whole time around the walking course.

SWEET!

And our official table!!

I was going with a farmer's market type of a look..

Hubby picked out fresh flowers for the set up...and the boy's pictures in their annual t-shirts were on display too!! What a day!!

We saw so many familiar faces..oh my!!

I am beyond blessed and honored that so many of our friends came out to say hello and show their support..

Friends..teachers...therapists...new friends...

and our special guys!!

I am one humbled Mommy!

I would NEVER have guessed that this day would BRIGHTLY overshadow (does that make sense) the weight of Autism in our lives!!

That this day would cast it's delicious warmth on us.

Thankyou Lord.

We are approaching our three year anniversary... of finding out.

I was asked recently why i chose "Autism Blooms"

as my name for my etsy shop..etc...

and i joked saying...

"I thought it sounded better than Autism Sucks"

because sometimes it does!

for reals!

But that is only sometimes!!

All the time.... we are concentrating on loving.

period.

and Autism is a part of our children... a part we have learned to LOVE too!

The Lord has used Autism as a platform...

for HIS GLORY!

What an honor.

......

In other news...

we have 7 weeks left!

Let the NURSERY DECORATING Begin!!!!

Belly pictures all week!!

Have a Love-FULLY!!!

For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you.

Plans to give you HOPE and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

HaaaaaaBrrrrrrr!

2011-01-18T19:25:00.004-05:00

Is this a new Yoga move?? (Miss Nikki??Erin??)

Dada painted the kitchen closet with chalkboard paint!!
(I feel so Sara Mincy)

The boys took to it immediately!!

Ofcourse..Myles chose an elephant as his first drawing on the wall!!
:)

...and Sam's drawing below it..

and.... what an elephant says......

coming right out of the trunk was...

"Haaa Brrrrr"

(can you hear it??)

And sweet little one..

taking our breath away..

this is TOTALLY the profile of our babies.. I was so tickled to see the same little profile of our boys..baby is moving around like crazy...

stats...approximately 7 inches long..or tall..:)

and just under 1 lb..

WHAT!!???

have you seen my belly??

and besides..

i just can't get over that this picture above depicts the features of an amazing little person that is only 15 ounces!!

There are legs and arms..

feet with tiny toes..and hands with little fingers..

all growing up a storm in my ever expanding belly!!

I.AM.AMAZED.

I know i have done this twice before already..

but i think this time...

(as my 6 year old says from the other room..."hey Mom...I LOVE YOU!)

...this time i have been savoring this simmering life we have grown so fond of..

this slow paced..amazing...jam-packed with LOVE...life we have..

and to think another little life is getting ready to be added to it..

this perfectly placed human being...

at just the right pace..

and moment..

please continue to pray for each and every moment to come..

for all the growing still to be done..

for the welcoming of our early summer sunny spot...

for the boys as we continue introducing little one into their lives..

did i mention the growing still to be done..

????

WITH.TOTAL.ADORATION.

(Thankyou)

and have a love-fully!!

Snow days= Sew days

2011-01-12T13:53:00.005-05:00

As many of you know..

we are snowed in!!

We loved getting out for just enough time yesterday to play in the snow!!

Myles was so helpful clearing off the snow...we haven't even been in the van yet..

Dada has been going to work and today is his first day off...

They did close down the PUBLIX early on Monday and Tuesday!!

We LOVED having him home extra these past couple days!!

Oh How they loved it outside!!

Sam wasn't as excited the last time during Christmas... but after the rain over the soft snow...he couldn't get enough of the crackling snow beneath his feet!!

It was a weird but really neat feeling!!

I could see why he loved it so much!!

Myles was very protective of his snowman!!

Sweet boy!

Played our homemade version of HEADBANDZ today..

it is a game we play at therapy...

have you played it..

?????

Lee drew this picture of Saturn... then we told Myles all sorts of clues about this picture on his headband... and then he guessed...

when it was my turn...i ask..."Am I something you can drive in??"

"Am I an animal??" "Am i green??" and Myles answers accordingly

...

So.Much.Fun.

We couldn't let all that snow go to waste outside...

so we brought it inside!!

Sensory Winter Wonderland!!

Look at that crazy icicle!!

Meanwhile...

I was happy sewing!!

I just put it in the shop today!!

and this little pillow cover!!

What a great week to stay home with our little family...

we have rescheduled for our 21 week visit next week...

and welcome the many pictures of our sweet little one...

which incidently...is getting MUCH bigger!!

That's what I think..surely it has nothing to do with the amount of food I am devouring daily!!

Surely!!

Have a Love-fully!!

My Stitcha-Roo and Shop Redo..

2011-01-10T16:46:00.004-05:00

I was able to get some crafting done the other day and found some stitching that Myles had started ...

he found a clear spot in the (crazy messy) craft room..

and started stitching away..

I love how he is wearing his boots and his Dada's old high school t-shirt!!

WE were stitching together!!

BLISS!

Some new things went in the shop today!!

some pretty hair clippies!!

my stitching..

you know i'm loving this word...

a vintagey pillow..

a valentiney door hanger
YOU ARE LOVED!!!

and my new header for the shop...

I have had my shop since 2008...

and had never changed out my header.. Yeeks..

which wouldn't have been so bad if it was a cute little header like this one..(you think??)

Go check out my shop and let me know what you think..
I haven't gotten my destash stuff together yet...

but it's growing... let me know if there is anything you may like...

in my mind i have some piles set aside for some of you already..

like ...some Beads and buttons for LORI (morning glories lori)

...some fabric for SARA (art house)

....i would love to send you a little package...

and JEN(lipstick and laundry)

and LORA (eager hands)

and my non bloggy buddies that know me best..

and then there is still tons of stuff..

we need to make room for this baby..so don't be shy!! k??

also...we are under about 8 inches of snow right now..

we were supposed to see the baby today... 20 weeks..

we'll be rescheduling for next week...

Waiting...waiting...waiting....

Waiting to hear from you!!

ALSO ALSO ALSO...you guys really know how to make a growing girl feel pretty..

Thankyou for all of your sweet preggo comments!!

I will post another growing picture this week...I think I grew some more over the weekend!!

Have a Love-fully!

Miss Joy...You look like....

2011-01-04T18:42:00.005-05:00

I went to Sammy's school today for "terrific tuesday"

the word of the day was "beginning"..

and keeping with the sound of music theme our family has been on...i thought we would start from the very beginning...a very good place to start!!

I had the children watch a clip from the movie...you know the one...

Maria and the children are on her mountain..and she is teaching them to sing...

they were captivated..

then we moved on to singing it ourselves, and all the children had a paper plate with "Do", "Ray", "Me"...on it...and off we went..it.was.so.much.fun.for.me...!!

They even remembered the word of the day after all of that great singing!!

So, the children have not seen me in a couple weeks, Christmas break,..

and upon everyone sitting in circle, one of the little friends said to me...

"Miss Joy...you look like you...

just ate!!!!"

ummmmmm!
I do look like i just downed the most gigantic plate of spaghetti in history!!
:0)

So...I only have 2 pairs of pants that are officially comfortable..
but i have managed to alter my favorite jeans
for the time being..

see my hair tie/button is too far away... fastener...
and my zipper surely won't go up all the way..
so i made my own BEBAND...
I just cut a tight fitting tank top at the bottom and it helps keep my pants fastening contraption smooth(er)..

i am so proud of myself!!!

Sammy came in to see what i was taking pictures for..

see some of his art work from a week ago when i thought i could take a shower ever so quickly...and Mauldin would do a fine job at keeping the mischeif to a minimum...

only to come out to the loveliest of art work on the wall...and armoire...oh..the mirror was completely covered in orange dry erase marker too...Who could have done all of that though???

hmmmm....I found Sam with his body included in the marking...

He drew his favorite person on his face too..i wish i had a picture..

Some Sammy Bear love!!

Just the other day...

I gotta remember to keep those markers up higher..

THIS is Sammy's favorite thing to draw..

I LOVE IT!!!

He says..

"Draw face...

Two eyes..

draw nose..

mowf..

draw ears..draw ears..

draw hair...

draw body...

two arms..

draw hands..

legs..

draw feet

draw feet..

HOOO-RAY!!"

He says it EVERY TIME!!

i imagine that he did this when he drew on himself as well!!

Ahhhh! sigh!

I LOVE HIM!

I gotta go..

Hubs is on his way home with hotdog buns...

I'm gonna look like I just ate again!!

Have a Love-fully!

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T08:12:00.008-05:00

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, That Great Shepherd of the sheep, may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever, Amen! Hebrews 13:20-21

I have been admiring the work of LORA over at Eagerhands for awhile now.

I asked her if she would make a custom piece for me.

All of her pieces have a verse that comes with it..she creates the pieces with the scripture in mind...and heart... and her work is truly a mission and a powerful gift!

I had seen a pendant that she had already made with the word "chosen" on it..but no specific verse... i asked her if she would consider a verse for me..and she grabbed a hold of my heart with this one from Hebrews.

So many times...ALL THE TIME...we are chosen and don't even realize it!!

We don't take hold of the responsibility that we have been HAND CHOSEN to fulfill!!!

We can't even grasp the magnitude of the tiniest of gifts...and we are always waiting for the BIG moment went our life is going to change for the better...

I am holding on to the truth that I have been, and am Being, CHOSEN, daily to fulfill my responsibilities...my daily lot of hugging..and squeezing every ounce of love i can into this life i have been gifted!!!

I do walk with trepidation...but i know this choosing would not be without much forethought..

He knows and has a fantastic plan for us!!

I am so excited for this new year!!

We had a lovely Christmas and are finishing up our holiday break this weekend..
It snowed here for Christmas..
we admired it closely the Monday after...

my crazy sweet boy..

my crazy wrinkly sharpe' forehead...

trust me..this was the least wrinkly one...

yowzers..

Myles was so much fun...

i took about 200 pictures...i started to get a cramp in my hand..

Sam is growing up right before our eyes..

he is actually testing the waters...

now that his language is starting to blossom...i am hoping by spring he will be communicating like a field of wildflowers..

he seems grumpy, and dissatisfied...VERY 3!!! and we haven't really had to deal with this
issue with him on a regular basis. We've seen some tantrums..YIKES!! and he has spent much time in his thinking chair...but he also gives us TONS of hugs and is initiating much of our interactions..so we say HOORAY!! He no longer needs a pullup at night...so we are free from all diapers for 5 more months!! Hooray!! Hooray!!

He is changing so much i wonder who he is sometimes...are you still my sweet baby bear in there??

Myles is on a TV detox... no kid tv or commercials for nearly 3 weeks...
although they did see THE SOUND OF MUSIC yesterday..

this kid remembers everything..

One of his teachers and good friend of mine one used the analogy of a loop...

like all the information is on a big loop and every-so-often it comes running past his thoughts..

and he can't help but talk about it...TV TALK..is what we call it...he does this with books too, but it is more subtle.

I knew it was time when Myles said, "Hey Mom, Dove is a proud sponsor of the Oprah Winfrey Show.."

Great!

So we have been listening alot to Pandora Radio...

and his imagination has been rocking out!!

He is reading a Lion King book here.

pretty icicles!!

funny doggie!

Mauldin Loved the snow!

I think he really loved that we were out there with him too..

happiness...

is everywhere..

even the swing is smiling!! :)

i thought this looked like a snow cone...
mmmmmmmm.

Here is my sweet bloggy friend ELISE!!

She only lives about 2 hours from me... and she happened to be traveling through to get a couch..

and we met up at Chick-fil-A.

She was with her friend Leah..and we chatted it up for almost 3 hours..

She encouraged me to show more house photos...

she kept asking me what kind of house we have and making crazy sweet comments on how she likes our house (from the pictures i have posted over the years) but wants to see MORE MORE MORE of it!!

So....seeing as how i like to be accommodating...

AND we are redecorating/decluttering/organizing/hurling things into the garbage..

i'm actually excited about sharing our "new" house.

We purchased a few new things with some (VERY GENEROUS INLAWS) Christmas money!

A new Dining room table and chairs from Target...and the room dividing double bookshelves..

this is how it usually looks...toys all over the place..

well, cuz..we have kids that like to play with their toys!!!

I like how having the rooms divided actually makes the entire space seem bigger...

i felt like the dining room was always trying to encroach upon the living room...

and here is our new (to us) couch..we got it at a consignment store..

It is just right..we have had our share of couches...and this one has to be my favorite..

it is completely/professionally slip covered..and had 5 pillows that i am going to slipcover with vintagey goodness... YUM!!

as soon as i get this craft room decluttered/ bulldozed...you know, whatever it takes...

no seriously..THIS is going to be the baby's room.../ crafting supplies stored in here until i miraculously have time to craft...anything....we are going to get a IKEA shelving unit.. which means a trip to IKEA may be happening... (maybe i can come see you Sara)

i mean this is going to take me all day....

easy. :/

see the sweet yellow fabric..???..that is the baby's curtain fabric...i am totally motivated by yummy fabric!!
and chocolate...

and all of you knowing that this is what my crafty-room looks like.

i will probably need to sell a ton of stuff...

i 've been looking on etsy for destash listings..

what do you think as far as receiving a bunch of random crafties..

would you buy them??

how would you like them presented??

how much would you pay??

like fabric..i have lots of small pieces..that someone surely could make a gazillion yoyos out of..

or fabric covered buttons...i would keep them for myself...but time is of the essence..

oh i have beads too..and some scrapbooky stuff...i totally have stampin' up stuff too... I really love sewing and think i am going to limit my crafties to that...i've tried so much..and have, well...

you get the picture!!

Truly..please let me know what you think...
I always wonder if someone is willing to pay for an item AND pay for shipping too...

Thoughts..ideas...

Welcoming them with open arms!!!!

Like this new year!!

I hope yours is off to a fantastic start!!

Have a love-fully!

I love my babies!

2010-12-05T17:06:00.003-05:00

Let's do some catching up,eh?

Myles is doing so good in first grade.

Just little growing pains here and there...therapy has been a success..

he is using more words to express his thoughts and ideas...he loves to draw pictures on his magna doodle...his mind is a steel trap..what a memory!!...he loves his books and is really embracing his role as big brother now!

We put up our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving...OH MY!

This kid can hang some ornaments!!

We've made gingerbread cookies...the first year in a new tradition!!

And Myles # was selected in the PDD waiver....(this is a list we have been on for 2 years.. he is now eligible for Applied Behavior Therapy Services...for as many as 3 years... or until we become wealthy enough to afford this service on our own...)

HUGE ! this is!

We cut Sammy's hair last week..
I've been holding on to his crazy great hair..he really does have great hair..fine lemony goodness.. but Lee was referring to him as Justin...like Beiber...so we made the decision..
and he looks so grown up..
a whole new personality is showing in him now!
He likes to look at his forehead and the expressions it makes..
A.D.O.R.A.T.I.O.N.
Sam is starting to read sight words from flash cards.
he knows so many...getting a head start on Kindergarten for next year!
ofcourse "spaghetti" made the list! :)
I thought i might reintroduce casein (milk products) to him...
I changed my mind...he had a stomach bug the week we started to give him some new yogurt..
the whole thing was so stressful deciding if it was a reaction to the yogurt or the crazy stomach bug that was going around...we just hit the 1 year mark for being Gluten and Casein free.. and have seen the most consistent improvement in these last several months...
why mess with a good thing??
What else about our sweet Sammy??
His # was selected as well for the PDD waiver! They were just 1 number away from each other.
We just found out last week!
This is such an awesome BLESSING!!
We will have several therapists coming to our home for awhile after school and perhaps even on Saturdays..
HUGE...

....like this news!
Many of my Facebook and regular buddies already

know this...this is where all of my energy has been..

What a first trimester!!!

I am so relieved to be out of there!

Please pray for our little one as he or she is growing in my womb!

We are so in love.

I had always anticipated 3 children...

and with the lives we have with the boys, clearly it wasn't the right time before now...

Within just months ...like 2..of this news I had (finally)sold most of our baby things in our yard sale..

(except all the stripey onesies and shirts to make a blanket out of)

and the week before, shared with my Bestest that i thought we might be finished with little ones...that my heart was nearing the edge of letting go..

my test confirmed i was

wrong.

Timing.

Perfect.

Timing.

My heart sings...Oh happy Day!

I am expecting a miracle.

I hope to be back more now that I am feeling better (alive) again!

Praise the LORD!!

Have a lOvE-FuLlY!!

ps..Elise..i have a box of fabric for you..so sorry friend.

New...

2010-09-18T07:50:00.003-04:00

I hope everyone has had a nice week!

Last weekend i played around with my other blog header..
and this is what i came up with...
so much to share..

waiting for Dada to come home...

he's everyone's favorite pal!!

:)

We are collecting Box Tops..are you??
My Mom and Dad have been clipping away as well....AND some of our super sweet best friends have been saving them for us also !!!

Is anyone else interested in donating their box tops to our classroom too???
Let me know...

every 10 box tops equals $1.00...

I will reward the same discount in either of my shops for collected boxtops!!

and I say thankyou so much...
there are only 4 children in our classroom..

YOU would be making a difference!!

The last gardenia of the summer!!

I am the longest good-bye-er...

ever!!

Word on the street is that autumn starts next week!!

Is this true??

Say it ain't so!!

ooooh...

I can feel the blues a comin'..

although...

THIS should keep me cheery!!

I'm not the biggest fan of ice cream...not like my husband..

seriously..he could eat it every night.

I must, however, be an ice cream snob!
I found this in my grocer's freezer..

fancy tin canister..(i'll be saving it for baubles later)

De.li.ci.ous.

I eat it right out of the canister..

with a hanky wrapped around it because of it's ultimate coldness..

and see my favorite spoon!!??

I think this is a sugar spoon.

It's my favorite..

I heart cold icecream spoons..

do you??

Have a Love-Fully Weekend!

Happy Birthday!!

2010-09-11T09:03:00.010-04:00

5 Years ago..

Sammy came into our lives!

Our sweet boy

we love you so much!

you see this world so differently than the rest of us..

you take an extra close look at everything..

you are cool like that..

and delicious, i might add!

and irresistable..

you've been in the thick of your own place..where you have not needed much from me,

only coming out of your place so briefly to be loved upon..

to retreat until you were ready again for more of our world..

you've been so surprising..

so laid back..

so intensly comfortable with yourself..

approaching all of life with the same intensity..

different..

but

intense.

your laughter is so contagious..

you are such a light to gaze upon.

you were created so wonderfully!

this was such a lucky yellow swing..you spent SOOO much time soaring to new heights

on this yellow swing
:)

and this hammock...

lucky little hammock!

you've been emerging from your cocoon..

at your own pace..

and we are so excited for you!!

for all of the newness you are experiencing..

even the little things are big for you

( this one had to go in this montage... elmo underwear...Mommy's shoes.. and a view...)

you've been taking your time..

that's just like you..

you know when it's time to rest..

you know when you've had too much..

you know so much!!

you know life shouldn't be about doing everything so fast..

you've perfected the art of savoring..

of dwelling...

and forever..dwell... is what you will do in my heart..

my perfectly made..

quiet.

courageous.

gentle.

sweet.

loveable.

bright.

tender.

intense.

one of a kind.

silly.

surprising.

emerging.

Joy of my life!

Sammy Bear!

Dada and Mommy went to your school with cupcakes for your Special day!!

YOU LOVE CUPCAKES!!

you haven't always...

actually, you just started liking them a couple months ago..

hooray you!

There is no doubt now!!

We had your favorite meal..

with a few decorations..

you were satisfied..

which was a perfect ending..

to the day we celebrated YOU!!!

I adore you Baby Bear!

always..

Mommy

Have a Love-fully!

Whatever!

2010-09-04T08:13:00.006-04:00

These pictures could not be more random!!

I haven't posted in awhile, and my sweet summer is coming to a close..and it saddens me so!!

So I added the brightest YELLOW to my background...must hold on for as.long.as...possible!!

and went back through some summer pictures that i downloaded on June 30th!

I was lovin' me some happy yummy coffee drinks this summer!

I found THESE!!
Have you found them too??
Cashews.. oh cashews!
These are so good..not much on the artificial side..appealing!
crunchy...sweet...a tiny salty...just a little smackerel of Yum!
Warning...you may fall in love!

on one of our park adventures..Smylie...and
Charlie and Roary!

Knitting and journaling...

my poor knitting...

what's that?

is it finished?

NO!

I'm not even really sure what IT is...

an aweful mess...

Yet...Way to Go for me...Trying something new!

My sweet Sammy...
words cannot describe him!

Here...peak into my heart...

see what i mean..???

Switched bedrooms this summer...

painted the boy's room(our old room)

wall by wall, moving furniture as i went...now onto our new room...and the hall way...too much organizing to share right now...Yeeks!

I scored some chenille blankets from my mom's yard sale this summer...

we tore them in half so we could each have some to work with on projects and what not..

Sammy has claimed them...

HE LOVES TO BE UNDER BLANKETS...this just started on one of our long trips this summer...

and now he nearly tries to suffocate me into having fun with him too...

I've been lured into a pillowcase people...

i say, "no Sammy...Mommy doesn't want that pillowcase over my head..with you inside it too..there's not enough...."

And there we are...BOTH in the pillowcase..

He is so happy!

And this is one thing that is HIS thing!

He is "inviting" me into his world... and although it may be tight quarters..i'd rather be within 2 inches of his sweet face under a blanket, or in a pillowcase, than not in his world at all!

Just some summer doodling...of the solar system.

Chicken Tacos!
Sammy has spaghetti with chicken taco meat in it..

we are eating together..

we are so happy!

This was by far our best summer ever!

We were so busy doing FUN stuff!

And we are back in the swing of things now.

back to school.

H.A.P.P.Y.

growing.

thriving.

we even have a new member of our family.

(story coming soon)

we are so blessed.

so blessed.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable~

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy~

think about such things.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me~ put it into practice.

And the God of peace will be with you!

Phillipians 4:8-9

And..

Have a Love~FULLY day!

Obessions....take 2

2010-07-29T08:09:00.009-04:00

We just returned from the annual family reunion!!

Just a quick little trip to my perfect retreat...

a quiet sandy beach..a little lake at Uniquoi State Park near Helen,Georgia ..i just love this place!!

(it's not fancy...just wonderful!~= wonder-filled)

This butterfly was not camera shy at all...
should we say...social?? ;)

Get ready..there is much to see...
i'm obsessed with this place...
oh..and changing...

obsessions....
upon our arrival...
Myles' "need" to keep it clean..no litter please...or leaves for that matter... kicked in!!
You cannot see his face here..but look at that shadow...
i can tell here how concerned/serious his face is..and well, i did have the benefit of recieving all of the found items...

We have been spending time ,here and there, at sweet friend's pools this summer...so i knew the boys would like the water..

you'll see in these pictures just how much these boys
FEEL..

yeah..i think i'm gonna like this...

speaking of insecurity...(aren't we all..?)

My amazing friend Jess (hey girl..i just love you..)

recommended that i read Beth Moore's book SO LONG INSECURITY..

one might feel a bit insecure at the mere recommendation..but i adore her for sharing this gift with me.. Thankyou my Friend!!

I barreled through half of this massive book (bigger than most books around our house)

while on our vacation..

hmmmm.

obsessions...

insecurity..

me???

The Lord is changing me..

i will not have a spirit of timidity..

i will not let my heart hang in the balance of what if and why not..

i have come to realize that my obsessions with change are because sometimes its hard to let go of what you are so accustomed to doing..but sometimes it is the only way...

THE ONLY WAY!!!

His ways are far greater than mine...and the conditions by which he has chosen to carry me through this life on earth are not intimidating...they are anticipated...

i truly DO anticipate great things...even...especially... in the discouraging times..

He has given me a heart for him..a heart of JOY!!

A HEART OF JOY!!

(as i read back through that....you should know this is not something i would normally say..just sayin...:)

Sooo..i HIGHLY recommend this book to all of you!!

Do NOT be afraid!!

FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU...

WHEREVER YOU GO...

(even as you turn the pages of this book..especially..)

Back to the beach..

experiencing the sand...
when was the last time you experienced the sand...

this picture must have been worth putting in twice..

okay..here we go people..

my heart is all giddy just looking at this picture..

and this one..

oh heaven help me..

My Love..

this will go in our collection of US pictures..

look in his glasses at all the people on the beach...

what's that??

you cannot see anyone??

yep!

my favorite little beach...

he cannot get enough of this sensory wonderland!

;)

do you think we could get a little beach for our backyard??

I love pictures of our Sammy when he is looking at the camera..

but i have become So fond of this type of picture too..

we have lots of the tops of his head..

you know...eye contact is fleeting..

let me just tell you what i LOVE..

the way his lemony hair stretches the length of his beautiful head to meet up with his eye lashes...oh those eyelashes
...

eyelashes that frame those beautiful blueberry blue eyes...and whatever they are discovering over and over again...

oh to know what he knows!!

and then the cheeks..

the angle of this type of picture lends itself to displaying his apple cheeks..

oh i could gush over this kid all day..

Watch out for hippos in the water!!

my heart is racing with feelings for this kid...

his autism has seemed to carry him away from us recently..

AND

we have seen more of SAM this summer too..

being in the water has "brought him out of himself"...
do you understand what i mean..??

He is our sensory kid...he needs LOTS of sensory input to get his motor running!!

like most of us need our coffee drinks..he needs revin' too!

the water incorporates all of him!!

and we SEE him..

Here's another thing too..

oh my heart aches..

the pool/water is a "normal" situation..it has a "normal" look to it..

where other times he may look not so ...you know...

i like to think of all the ways he sees things..

and wonder...what that must be like for him..

Lee loves these next pictures...i don't think they really need any explanation..

but i will anyway..

It looks like he is swimming here doesn't it!!

I like this picture because I LOVE..

like seriously over the top blessed-o-rama...

to see him with our boys!!

They love him!!

He adores them!!

He rocks..

a whole lot!!

so...

a day at the beach would not be complete without an animal adventure...now would it!!??

i could not miss this photo op!!!

What are you waiting for???

(a preview of more to come)

THIS IS SO TYPICAL!!

(i am laughing as i type that...no really...i'm no liar..

i don't know if i have ever had the chance to say that about my guys...
i'm so funny)

more exploring...

and discovering...

oh my word!!

The last night Dada took over..

he made the kids dinner..and made sure they ate it.. while i got to relax with family members..

yeah...he's the man!

A happy ending to our fun little trip!

I've been working on new stuff..

new crafts..

and gearing up for school to start..

still 2 1/2 more weeks to go..

just getting myself ready to start getting ready...

revin'!!

and lovin'...

and playin'...

and prayin'...

Have a Love-fully!!

Obsessions....(take 1)

2010-07-13T21:34:00.004-04:00

I may or may not have an obsession with the bag section at Goodwill these days!!

I found this one and although it had some vintage residue..(nothing bad...just, vintagey)

i couldn't resist it!!

or the other 4 bags near it...

obsessed!!

I covered up the vintage..and spruced it up...and I.Love.It!

Some of us have some sensitive skin around here..and we love our earth..
after a conversation with a dear friend of mine and her homemade laundry soap endeavor..i decided when we were finished with our huge tub of free and clear soap that i would give it a go..
i tore into my ingredients...and loved every second of it!!
This was so easy!

it smells divine...i can't get enough of it!!

This is for you sweet Nancy!!

obsessed!!

Bring on the day!

Smylie got a hold of our camera over the weekend!

when i uploaded the pictures..i found this one..

and this one...

oh dear!!

it was so sweet to see this picture being taken..

Myles said...."Smile Sam!"

Sam wasn't feeling it..

oh hello...it's me again!

who's obsession is this..his or mine..

i couldn't resist the camera..

except when i was sitting on the potty and Myles wanted to continue his documentary..

but every other time he would say in his sweet little voice..

"Smile"

"Say Cheeseburger"

ahhhh..

obsessed with his sweetness

Today while I was putting items in my shop ..i was listening to my blog music..

and he said..."Hey Mom...I want some Beauty in the world!"

I keep trying to get some footage of him singing..which he does all the time now...but he can hear the camera and stops everything to cheese it up!

"Cheese...burger!"

the way he sees it...

every moment is worth capturing!!

I have much that i have recently become obsessed with..the biggest being change..

not pocket change..

CHANGE!!

I think i like change.

I move our furniture around a lot..

ask any friend of mine..my house is not the same (rarely) as it was the last time they were visiting
:)

and i chalk it up to my rad interior design self..

until recently..

i'm obsessed.

we are moving rooms..getting rid of things..paring down..(except for the Goodwill purses)

and i think it is actually because...

are you ready..

i'm not okay with change...
there are some..few.... things we have control over..

like..where do i want to put the couch this week..?

or..do i want granola or blueberries in my yogurt??or both??

or...which vase do i want to put the beautiful flowers my hubbie brought home for me??

i'm sure there are more choices we have control over...

but really, we don't.

even the choice of color to paint the walls in our rooms i feel was placed on my heart..

for, although we (i) think i have plans..they are not my own..

They do not belong to me.

"For I know the plans I have for you..declares the Lord"

So..me and my God have been busy moving furniture and picking out colors..and enjoying the waiting in the unknown...

i'm obsessed with HIS plan..not my own...

new in the shop..finally..

enjoy..

more obsessions to come!

Have a Love-fully!

ps..

What's the beauty in your world?

Water Water Everywhere

2010-07-08T13:13:00.000-04:00

Hello there!!

These pictures were taken the day we went on our afternoon picnic!!

Dada was a little apprehensive..which surprised me..i'm usually all safety patrolling
my family...i just wanted the boys to experience the water on the rocks...and this (officially) is illegal..well sort of..actually, i think "Strictly Prohibited" means it's illegal if you do it!!

anywho...

so...Charlie fell into the water when Myles had a little fall...
(that must have been why they put that sign up...)

((rules, folks, are made to be followed!!))

so... he needed a shower/soaking/cleaner-upper!!

now..if that doesn't scream summer...i'm not sure what does..

well...

maybe ...

this...

is an...

accurate...

picture...

of..

Summer!!

Sammy drinkin' it up!
This was the first time this summer that we went to this little spot..we've been back twice now and it is definitely a hit for Sammy!

I am always so tickled by Sam's inquisitive nature..

he likes lights and sharp angles and architecture... he was just checkin' out this shop when it was time to leave..

waiting for the boys to get changed...

((my husband rocks... he took the boys AT THE SAME TIME...to a public restroom...and changed their wet clothes.... i'm not sure i can even type the sound that comes from my being...let me try...bwutabwut bwaaaa!! this includes some body shaking and my eyes are definitely closed..and my face looks wretched...i mean..i would do it..have done it...but he JUST DID IT!! yeppers..i LOVE HIM!!))

i'm not sure if anyone knows this about me yet...but

I also...
LOVE
SUMMER!!

I've been enjoying my skirt collection daily..
and sunscreen..
and my sandals..

oh..look who is all done..

these two

are

two

favorite

souls

have

ever

had

the priveledge

knowing!!

and their Dada!!

Yeah!

He's a keeper!!

Have a Love-fully day!!

On the 1st day of July my true love gave to me...

2010-07-02T08:16:00.014-04:00

We made some plans to spend some time together..

imagine that!!

Thanks Rhonda and Clay..and Charis!

We had a wonderful time and without a care in the world!!

I've been spending so much time "in the city" lately with the boys..i decided to take my big guy out to see the sights.. our city rocks!!

We started on Main street...greeted by musicians warming up for Thursday night's "Music on Main" ..we walked up the street and saw some great shops..one was a vintage
clothing store...BE.STILL.MY.HEART.. Saliva producing wonder :)

Color coded polyester dresses..wild flowery prints..gingham galore..peachy pinky limey lemon dresses, shirts and skirts as far as the eye could see!!

Boys on one side...girls on the other..

swing your partner round and round..

dosey-doe your partner...

and boots..

for cowboys and gals..

This was such fun for me..especially to see my guy touching vintagey goodness with a slight fondness..

i don't think he was drooling much...at all...

but he did find this cool hat..

it WAS NOT vintage..

he wanted it!

i got it for him!

it made him happy!

but not as much as it made me!!

Dinner at Trios!!

Go get the car...repark closer to the park..

walk with picnic basket in hand..we were also holding each other's hands too ..:)

that was exciting...you know..we are usually holding somebody else's smallish hands..

As we approached Starbuck's...The Mr. went to get our coffee beverage...and i went to go find a spot to have our special dessert..

homemade blueberry pie with real whipped cream

I told him to come and find me..

and with dessert awaiting...he didn't take long..

We enjoyed our quiet spot..took some pictures...ate... sipped..

made plans...for our 10th anniversary.. a year and a half from now (my guy likes him some planning!! I try to be accommodating...)

The last date we had was in April just before the Autism walk...

we needed this!!

a lot!

Have

Love

Fully!

Afternoon Picnic

2010-07-01T05:09:00.000-04:00

After we picked up Sammy from school we went for a little picnic under the bridge at the park..

Sambo eatin' up his Fritos!!

Happiness ...

L.O.V.E.

Sammy "asked me" (pulled me over to this swing from our lunch site)
to come over with him to watch the river..

i took my knitting...

and he became my perfect view...

soaking it in..

sweet sillouette
..soft perfect hands..

who needs a river?

This is Sammy's favorite place to be..upon me!!

If I am sitting..he is upon me..

If I am laying..he is upon me...

If I am busy..he is not happy..

especially if he NEEDS me for something..you know..like river watching..

Have a love-fully!

Pooh's Park

2010-06-29T13:04:00.000-04:00

We went to Pooh's park
with Dada one day last week...

Myles was showing off all of the sights..
Hello Mr. Rabbit!

The three bears..

I heart Queen Anne's Lace
hopefully we will have some in our garden next year!!

another bear shot..

writing in his journal...
LOVE this..

he was sitting criss cross applesauce on the ground and found a much more practical place to jot down his thoughts!!

sweet..

.....bears at Pooh's park!

look at him concentrating..

you can almost imagine the creator of these sculptures being so tickled by our sweet boy on this little bear..

the bear seems pleased!!

Have a Love-fully!

Officially Summertime

2010-06-28T12:00:00.001-04:00

Oh Summertime...

How do I love you..let me count the ways...

this kid goes topless..and shoeless..most of your days..

he loves your sunlight..

your HOT air..

your sweet freedom..

the little treasures you leave for him..

...for real...and apple tree in our back yard..
now..we THINK it is a crab apple tree..it is smallish..the fruit is ..well...smallish too...and the taste is..hmmm..crabby...
SOW-WER!!
But we had some friends over the other day and they reminded me that apples are ready to be picked in the fall...hmm..didn't think about THAT one!!
Silly us..maybe we've been picking them too early..???..
anywho...This tree and our early picking reminds me of summer...and these hands (as they grow each year..sigh..) wrapped around the fruit!!

We found this FAB small picnic basket at Goodwill 2 Tuesdays ago...
It has already been on a few adventures with us.. just big enough for a picnic snack!!

oh excuse me...pardon me...just need to get by...
these (and many others)..can be found lining the path to our back door..
this can usually be found anytime of the year...but most everyday in the summer!!

mmmm...look at that sweet face...ah..my summertime baby..
his birthday is officially in September..but he would always rather be hot than cold..
he definitely (officially) got that from me..

oh..summer reading at the library..
this is our first year doing an official...(well, all we had to do was register..but still...)
program..Myles is the champion reader...(He DID NOT get that from me...)
and Sam is learning to read on the BOB books series..
2 weeks in ...2 books down!!
"Mat"..and "Sam"...how appropriate!!
This was at the library, listening to an author play his guitar..harmonica..sing and read!!
The boys really liked it!
Me too!
When we left..Myles said.."Hey Mom...I really liked the library!"
Officially... elated!!

Also...at our library, i took a knitting class...Yeeks!!
Just one Saturday morning..I was paired with an amazing..most patient, teacher
and lover of knitting...I am really liking it..here is a sample of my little project..
i know you are SHOCKED that i chose the yarn that i did!! :)
I try to do a little whenever I can..
I like to keep my hands busy..but lets face it..the sewing machine is a bit bulky!
this is the perfect activity for me.. I have done it while Lee drives..(he thinks i'm crazy..what else is new)..while waiting in line at the zoo..at the park..while watching the kids play in the back yard.. while "watching" a movie...while i wait for my computer to get crankin'..and even..
(at church)...
officially..what do you think about that..??
my needles aren't all clanking around..tap.tap.tap.click..tap..click..
I AM VERY quiet...and it does seem to help me focus better..as focused as i can be with a wiggly six year old next to me...still...this could be seen as a rule breaking activity..
again...i didn't bring my sewing machine....no pressure...officially...
?????

Both of my grandmothers were knitters..
I just found out that one of them was..My dad's mom.."Nanny"..never knew this...shameful..i never saw anything remotely crafty at her house..Nanny did listen to classical music..and she loved iced coffee..and she worked at the library..but i never knew she was a knitter...like officially...a meticulous knitter..as told to me by not one but two family members..WHAT!! She would knit an entire blanket and notice she had "dropped" a stitch...and then take the whole thing out!!
I DID NOT get that from her..
I will show you what i did with my very first attempt,on another post.. this here is really my second attempt..
If it doesn't make it into a scarf...intended finished project...who knows what i will use it for..but i will NOT be taking the whole thing apart..as if i would even know how to do THAT!!
So..knitting warm and toasty items is officially..a summertime activity for me!!

Relaxing a bit after a morning at the library..we are sitting at the corner of coffee and main watching people go by.. and the lights change...
we will stop by OP Taylors after our break..
We (HE) will do a great job NOT touching anything..as i have informed him we are NOT touching, just LOOKING!!
For real...
Complete sensory overloaded toy store..
(officially)Mastered!

I hope you're making your summer OFFICIAL too!
Have a love....FULLY!

Odds & Ends

2010-06-24T13:21:00.012-04:00

We got back from vacation at my Mom and Dad's about 2 weeks ago..

Boy did we need some time to relax..i'm not posting about our first week of summer vacay..

this was the next couple days..clearly, I have some catching up to do..

I think this was last Wednesday ... everyone was up at 4am..

i decided to make some french toast for my guys..so they spent some quality time getting washed up..

so did the animals..

attention to detail is not one of our downfalls..

i love the spray bottle for fine motor exercises..

almost..just a little more...

Hey Sammy!

meanwhile...in the kitchen..

ooooh lala!!

le french toast!

we had just been to the farmers market over the weekend and got some fresh peaches..

this is my plate...scored some new stuff from my Mom's yard sale..

I mean tons .. Lee is still with me..don't worry...

I love these plates though..very robin's eggy/blueish/green..right up my alley!

LOVES him some French toast!!

Sam has been in summer school for the past 2 weeks of vacay too...Myles and I are totally taking advantage of the 2 1/2 hrs each morning..we are all usually together, so enjoying these times has been a real treat for me!!

we are at the children's garden here..look at these beauts!!

"Hey Mom!! Can I go through the tunnel??!!"

Look who is with us..of course it's Charlie...I need to put together a book , like Flat Stanley, of all of Charlie's adventures.. he goes everywhere..

Oh Hi Mr. Squirrelio!!

This is a beautiful American Red Bud.. Love these trees...

not as much as this fellow though!!

But look...the leaves look like the fullest happiest hearts!!

Just beautiful to me!!

We have one growing in our yard from the National Arbor Society..it is just a couple years old, but is till holding strong..Does anyone else have one of these in their yard??

Buds..

he and I..or me..

look at the lovely dew on this daisy..ahhh..

it looks like it is opening up to the day ahead..

i've been completely embracing Summer this year..

Summer is totally my season..

You won't catch me without my sunscreen..

(for real..my skin is so soft..and hopefully the Dr.Dermi won't find anything suspicious
the next time i go back in July..)

Myles and I are staying busy each morning..

the library...and summer reading program...
Goodwill..need i say more..??.. Great Harvest Bread Co for our fresh gluten free bread on Tuesdays..Whole Foods..to spend the rest of our earnings..

Pooh's park...and the Zoo..playdates...swimming..

farmer's markets..blueberries up to our eyeballs..picnics..people watching...and embracing spontaneity..

sunshine..rainy afternoons.. and sleepy eyes at the 7:00 hour..

Hello Summer!

My Love..

and for the ends...my hair is long enough now for the smallest of braids..

ahhh..summer..

I hope you are enjoying all of the beauty in YOUR world..

I have much more lovely to share..

more summer fun to come..

Love.

Fully!

My Pictures were too BIG!!

2010-05-20T22:16:00.005-04:00

My Myles and his girl!

She has a way with him...

when she walks in the room he lights up..

it was field day this week..

Myles was not a fan of field day!!

Most of the time was spent on the sidelines...
the other time was spent with his girl...
a sweet friendship as a reinforcer...no problem!!

So..I went to put up my new stuff in the shop..like i said..
and they said these pretty pictures were TOO BIG!!!

For REAL!!??

It would be the time that I had all my windows open (or whatever you call them)
and got each step done at the same time...grrrr..

until the upload photos part...

and they were TOO BIG!!!

I am watching Grey's..

OH MY WORD!!

I'll have to retake these pictures later tater..

SALE!!! HALF OFF!!!

2010-05-17T12:12:00.004-04:00

New items coming to the shop!!

my new "SUMMER Line"
I'm in love..but first..

Hey there!

Go to my etsy shop....

HERE

and get yourself a little something...

everything is HALF OFF!!!

Making room for my new goodies...

listing on Thursday night!!

Have

Lovefully!

Saturn is 6 !!

2010-05-14T10:49:00.011-04:00

6 years ago...oh my soul!!

You came to make your mark on my heart ...

we spent countless hours together..those early days.. i can still feel your amazing softness..

and eagerly awaiting..

your smile...you were so giggly.. simply delicious for my Mommy heart!

this ever growing heart of mine..

how i 've loved watching you become a brother..

(this is one of my all time favorite pictures of you..a little out of place here...but not in my mind..
sometimes i imagine your "little" self...and it makes me beam..)

you've been so fun to watch grow..

...so fun to watch as you become somebody else's buddy...

(you are some people's VERY special buddy)

You are a BEST friend...

and you HAVE a best friend!!

YOU ARE PATIENT!!

You are sweet!

and silly!

YOU PLAY HARD!!

and have a healthy sense of adventure!

you are kind and generous...

and you know how to use your outside voice..

you've been a GREAT eater for a long time now..

you've been writing your name for a couple years now..this is not very recent...you would have chosen RED now..

you are an amazing HELPER!!

and are happy to share..

You know fun when you see it!!

(on our way to Disney World!!)

You SHOW your LOVE...

and you work hard...

(you LoVe elephants..but everyone knows that already!!)

You are someone I am so proud to call mine..

everything about you, my love,

i adore..

every

little

amazing

unique

unforgettable

LOVELY

6 years old
boy of my heart...

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!!

I am over the moon in love with you..

always..

your Mom

Gratitude

2010-04-30T21:49:00.004-04:00

I am so GRATEFUL!!!

Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou to everyone who donated for the walk!

It was a beautiful day..

The night before the walk, I was on a date...an official date with my hubs.. Our amazing therapists had a date night offering for several families..

What a huge blessing!

We went out for pizza at Happy Pie, then we went to Barnes and Noble..just browsing..

then to get a coffee at Starbucks...and back to get the boys..

3 hours people!!

This was big!

and we were told that the boys did great!

Happiness!

The coffee was much needed as i stayed up late pushing these shirts through my machine!
Nothing like the last minute, huh?
I work best under pressure..what's up with that?

Sammy sporting his new puzzle tee..

Dada with his new shirt too..

A few of our closest friends came..and it was so nice to spend this time together..

Thankyou, our sweet friends!

Just sayin'.

Have a love-fully weekend!

Queen Of Procrastination....

2010-04-11T08:16:00.003-04:00

Hello My Friends!!

So..it's April AGAIN!!!!

Autism Awareness Month.

I am sure you have been noticing all of the memorabilia and news and ads asking for and sharing support. Every time i see a puzzle piece or Autism information out where everyone else can see it, i sort of feel exposed and vulnerable instantly...like when you trip and wonder if anyone saw that..maybe that is not the best example..I am not embarrassed in any way, i just feel like all of our efforts to BLEND in are realized as more and more people KNOW..

I wear one of my Autism blooms nearly everyday... an accessory i am so proud to wear.

I started a 6 week class called "playing 5th base-learning a new parenting game" just this past week. WOW!! So many sweet families that are there...soooooo early on in their "finding out"..

I AM SO ENCOURAGED!!!!!

We are only 2 years in...

and the progress..Oh the progress!
Our perspective continues to change...

we have felt carried through this...the boys have worked so hard to overcome their obstacles, and we have had an amazing support system.

Ever reliant on our God... for

the Joy of the Lord is our Strength!

being the queen of procrastination that i am...

panic has ensued..

The Strides for Autism walk is next Saturday...that's one week from yesterday!!!

Yikes!!

We have a team..AutismBlooms...and a goal to raise $2000.00.!

So far we have $150.00...so we are a tad short.. I think we can raise it still...in only 1 week!!

what do you think???

That's like...1,850 giving only $1.00

or 925 people giving $2.00

0r 462.5 people giving $4.00 :)

Now I don't have many facebook friends or followers for that matter...but i know some of you are naturally social butterflies and HAVE 1, 850 or so friends who may or may not have an extra $1.00 to spare...

GO HERE

to our team

and click on DONATE...

Just $1.00

I would be so tickled to see what the Lord would do with this ONE week!!!

and just $1.00 from everyone !
I would also ADORE my dear friends to walk wherever you are next Saturday...

and take a picture... It would be so sweet for my heart to see you walking for AUTISM..

for our boys and so many others..

WE are planning on wearing yellow or red..the boys favorite colors!!

Will you do the same??

Have a Love-fully day...and Thankyou so very much!

Much Love,

My boys

2010-02-19T06:05:00.000-05:00

A "typical" occurance in our house!

Dada loves to wrestle... he was a wrestler in high school...

he's got moves!

what's this one called??

the double -trouble???
the mac-dada sandwich??
the squeeze-machine??(autism awareness anyone??)
the welcome home Dada??
any others?

(note the only underwear-wearing kid! no pants please!!)

Dada..You're the best!
We Love You SO!

Everyone else..

Have a love-fully!

Snow Day!!

2010-02-18T05:41:00.000-05:00

Oh yummy wonderful, only snow and no ice day!!

I could not believe all of the snow..

i know this is not as much as most of the country normally gets..but we are usually looking for ice only and just a dusting of snow.. I can't stand ice...but snow...lovely snow...

like a beautifully iced cake..

even Sam, our happiest in his underwear only kid, got decked out in as many layers as possible and ventured out!!

Come on in..the water's....
f.f.f.f.fine.

cold seat cushion, anyone??

oh, they HAD to go outside and make a path!!

wonderful!

cold hubby toes..

i was inside whipping up some mittens ...

his fingers were nearly frozen...

ahh...homemade warmth...(repurposed felted sweater..)

the thumbs were a little too skinny...but they did the trick!

Hope you are staying warm and cozy wherever you are!

Have a Love-fully!

Home

2010-02-17T05:19:00.001-05:00

I am sitting at the computer here...and turn around to see Myles playing with some blocks...

He loves to spell...and read...

i love that he has used this tool to figure out the world of spelling..

we have magnets on the fridge...foam letters..felt letters...good old paper and crayons..

and these blocks ...

he spelled home...just cuz...

i hope because he loves it here..

i hope he always has great memories of this place..it may not always be the most tidy...

and it may not be the grandest of homesteads..

but it is filled here...to the top...in the corners...every crevice...filled with LOVE!!!

I hope you like it here my sweet boy!
We Love YOU here!!

MY "Home" blocks from Lori
(again..sweet Lori)

And this is just outside our gate to the side of our home!
Our dear friend Rhonda took pictures of us at our home in December.
We have gone to a fancy place once... we will not go to a fancy place again.
Last year we went to the zoo and she took amazing pictures of us there..
We Love the zoo...
We Love our Home..
Just us being us...
And Rhonda is such a sweet and great photographer...and amazing friend...
we will never GO somewhere again...unless Rhonda is there...
go see her new blog here..
if you live here in South Carolina... and need a fantastic picture of your sweet family...
especially if you have kids that don't like those fancy places...
let Rhonda take your picture!!
She is awesome!and her little family is beautiful...oh my..wait 'til you see her little girl!
Her hubs is a great guy too! They Love the Lord!
We Love them!
(and Apolo:)
...
FYI...She took our header picture on both blogs
yeah...she's great!
...
Home.
take your pictures there.
or the zoo.
Oh and Lori,
Rhonda's hub's family lives in Arkansas..
They go there sometimes..
just sayin'..

okay..have a love-fully!

Guac!!

2010-02-16T07:57:00.002-05:00

Soooo....

Are you ready for the big game !!??

This was what i made to snack on for the Super bowl!! Love me some Ugly Green Guac!

So, Super bowl was last week...but the Olympics are on now!!

Guac doesn't seem like a great thing to eat in the cold...but YOU aren't in the cold... YOU aren't speed skating , are you?? You are snuggled up in your cozy home, watching these amazing atheletes... truth be told..I have NEVER been interested in any event but ice skating...

but this year.. I LOVE YOU APOLO!!!!!!!....okay..i'm back... We watched last night..(Saturday..i'm preposting ,you know...)..as he blasted past the other skaters in the 1st heat!! I had never seen anything like it!! My heart was racing.!! Ofcourse, I did see Apolo compete in Dancing With the Stars and was totally rooting for him then... But Now...

I LOVE YOU APOLO!! (And you too, hubs..)

Way to go! Six-TIME Olympic medal Winner that you are!!

...

I was getting ready to say have a Love-fully!

I totally forgot there is Guac to get to!!

...

sorry about that.

...

So here is what you need!!

***An Avacado
***a 1/4 of a lemon

***some garlic powder

*** a pinch or two of SEA SALT

*** your favorite chips to scoop with

Here is our pretty avacado!!
slice it in half all the way around and twist the halves from each other... you will have this super slippery pit in the middle...
push your sharp knife into the pit and twist that sucker out...

use a spoon to scoop out the yummy green-ness!!

put in in your bowl.

all of it..

sprinkle about this much garlic powder over the green...

just a few shakes...maybe more if you like more!!

sqeeze that lemon wedge over ..use more if you like more..

moosh the yummy green all around...mmmmm

I like mine chunky....so i don't go mooshing too much!!

lookin' good!

oh yum!

now just sprinkle your SEA salt on the top!!

more if you like more..

keep tasting..this won't hurt a thing!!

Enjoy!!

This is such a great food!

Avacados are packed with good fat!!

I don't know exactly what kind of good fat that is...but it makes eating this yummy food even more enjoyable!!

It is also great spread over your turkey sandwich, INSTEAD of mayo...

Okay.

so go make some Guac!

And

Have

Love

Fully

Day!

(go Apolo)

oh look..there is one more picture here...

Want some??

mmmm...

Go check out Autism Blooms if you haven't had a chance to...i've been posting alot..

there is a video of my Sammy on the 10th...

I went from not having any posts..pretty much disappearing from the face of the earth..to posting on both blogs...enjoy...

okay, i just realized that the dates are not on the posts..

sooooo....you will have to scroll all the way down the page and click on older posts..

the video is called Lucky Spaghetti..

okay..that's all.

February Decor

2010-02-15T05:09:00.000-05:00

Thankyou so much for all of the love-ly comments you have been leaving!!

(Chelsea..I cannot believe we are neighbors and haven't managed to see each other in so long!! What in the world?? Thankyou for leaving such great comments! i love hearing how those little friends of mine are doing!!...and you too!! let's get together soon...)

Here is my glass collection shelf...

the majority of the jars were candles..I always try to find glass candle holders that are going to have a better use after the candle burns down..

another way we are going more green... I also look for spaghetti sauce jars that we can use again...and jelly jars too... look at all the goodies these lovely shiney jars can hold!

My pink bird of happiness from Lori from last year...ahh, love.
( Lori...sweet Lori..... I got your box this week... THANKYOU so much! Everything is SOO pretty! I LOVE MY SCARF!! I wore it and got all kind of compliments...
and the chocolates..and the beautiful silver heart...and our journal!!
I Love getting sweet packages from You!!! still putting yours together...
Thankyou my friend!!)

I will keep this sentiment For-E-VER !!
My mom gave me this "Lobster" Gift certificate for Christmas...and i just love her notie to me..
In the spring we are getting a "studio" (barn-like shed) for my (addiction) crafts!!!
This will be framed and prominantly displayed..
I did not go to college.
But this is like i got my degree.
in CREATING!!
It means so much to me that MY MOM wrote this..
i'm silly. i know.
but it is so special to me.
(i love you Mommy)

I got this idea from Julie from Joy's hope.
This is my collection of used spools since the spring.
not bad, eh?

oh the pretty!

these will get put away and decorated for next year.
I "big puffy heart" love you!!

ooohhh!

and look at this pretty!

(not too closely...i haven't been up there dusting..i was just takin' pictures, k?)

My Mom got it for us (from Lowes)

on a super duper discount!!
I love the black..i could paint it another color some day..like my ugly green..

but we have wrought iron other places in the living room..and it helps bring everything together..

I am behind on this posting...

Half way through February, and i am just posting my decor!!

Tomorrow...

Guacamole for the Super bowl!!!

mmmmm!

Have a Love-fully!

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T08:28:00.003-05:00

And now I will show you the most excellent way.

If I speak in tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give all I posess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13.... keep reading..

Love is..

in this man.
My Friend for Life.
My Love.
The one man who is most patient with me.
The kindest.
He does NOT envy my organizational skills...at all!!
(he does boast... in our family...he IS so proud of us!!)
He sometimes pushes my buttons...but is NEVER rude!!!!
He does seek food for his hungry belly...but always makes it his top priority to seek after all that would provide nourishment, protection and comfort to and for us...
I don't know if I have ever seen him easily angered...if angered at all... my love is so gentle, perfectly what i need.
He never seems to remember the many details of my wrongs... is this possible to be loved by someone like he loves me..and our boys...
He is simply truthful.
Our protector.
So Trusting in the Lord!
and Hopeful.
He works so hard.
He perseveres.
I Love so much about this man..
and i don't show him enough..
I could not imagine this life without him.
He is my constant.
Happy Valentine's Day, My Love.

I hope you tell those you adore how irreplaceable they are..
and know you are loved too...

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son,
that whoever believes in Him, shall NOT perish, but have eternal life!!
John 3:16

Have a real Love-fully!

Who Knew?

2010-02-07T06:52:00.005-05:00

Who knew one of my creations would be so useful

to one car lining up kid!!

Who loves this book??

This was one of my all time favorite books a little girl...the boys love it too..

even Sammy bear is getting the hang of the word/picture association...and the rhythm
of the pages..

Who Knew???

I could take so many pictures...

Look at those eyelashes..

Who Knew??

Are you talkin' to me??

Who knew...

...i would love to quilt??

...i would be so determined in completing things i don't even know how to do?

...that not knowing is part of the thrill...and the reward??

...i would survive the holidays..or for that matter, that my family would survive...

i launched a full on crazy month of December...AGAIN.... and who knew...i would FINALLY come to my senses...we've got plans this year people...

our family will enjoy the ENTIRE month leading up to Christmas this year...

we will drive around looking at lights...we will go to friend's houses, prepared with handmade/homemade gifts...we will use our dining room table for eating...and only have "picnics" out of desire and not neccessity...

This was my third quilt. I made a little one for my sweet friend Sullivan...

Then the one on my Autism Blooms header (go see...a new post everyday this week!! i promise..i already did them...seriously...who knew??)

and this was my last one..

actually, this was the first one i started, but i measured wrong...cut really wrong...and had to practice on something else...the red polka dottie fabric was my fix for mis-measuring...

who knew it would make a great road ?!!

I have a couple other quilt "tops" i have started already, but Sweet crazy Christmas pushed those to the side.. i have really gotten the hang of my machine though...she hums so beautifully..

so reminiscent of my own childhood...and watching as my mom sewed to her heart's content..

it seems to me that my longing to create is something so strong, i cannot deny it..

i have dabbled in so many mediums...paper, stamps, scrapbooking, painting, jewelry making, sewing....ahhh...sewing.....i still love making something out of "nothing" most..giving something an extended life..a rescuing of sorts...THAT is my favorite!!!

wait til you see my latest rescue....

Happy day!

Have a Love-fully!

And in the morning...we're having waffles!!!

2010-02-06T06:44:00.002-05:00

Good Morning!

A yummy gluten free waffle with cashew butter, real maple syrup and, ofcourse
a sprinkling of dark chocolate chips!!
Oh My!

Speaking of oh my!!

It's been some time now, eh?

What in the world!

We are still around..as a matter of fact, we are all over the place all the time it seems...

The boys are doing great!

You'll see. I have several posts planned.. Tons of pictures..not so many words...

That holds me back ...cuz, i'm an explainer...and i like to picnik my pictures...and before i know it...it's been 5 months with NO posting!!

Before long, we'll be all caught up!

Back to Yummy!

Oh this boy!

We cut his hair a month or so ago... what a big kid he is..

more close ups to come...

We are enjoying life...

It Is SOOO Delicious!!

Have a Love-fully!!

A craft

2009-10-01T12:31:00.002-04:00

okay...so i was so excited about this little craft i whipped up!

a fancy mailbox cover!!!

every step of the way was delicious...

except the plastic covering...yeah, need some practice with sewing plastic...VERY tempermental it/I was....

so...i got it all done...after the rain stopped, i put it out...admired it for a day...and then it rained again...poo-wie!
condensation is pooling at the bottom seams...what should i do??

there is just enough space for the moisture to get in through the stitches...or maybe it is something more scientific..too much for this crafty brain...

i may just make another one with only fabric..no plastic, and spray it with scotch guard..

what do you think...Do you want one???

i mean, it's not like i don't have enough fabric to make another one...for every day of the week...

from now until eternity... okay, maybe not THAT much fabric...

but it was fun to make...

and it DOES make our mailbox look exceptionally adorable..i think.

and now showing on the side of my Minivan (yeah, i was supposed to do a post on the arrival of our mini back in the spring...i LOVE it...i feel more safe...when i drive in our tiny car now, i feel like my hiney is on the ground...anyway..LOVE My MINIVAN!!!)

I am not the happiest with this car magnet..."free" at Vistaprints

I really want an Autismbloom on there...but they are all so patterned that it is hard to get the writing/info on it to stand out..i'm still playing with it...

i've posted next door at AutismBlooms

so go see...

and have a Love-fully!

Ahhhh!Sweetness...

2009-09-18T09:03:00.003-04:00

Thankyou my friend!!

Lori sent me this sweet cup of "me"

I just love it!

Look at the fine yummy green detail at the base...mmmm!

"Happiness is Having Someone to care for"

and the perfcet slogan for my week...since..

A sweet little baby girl will be my new companion...
yesterday was my first go at it...
mmmmmmmmmmmmm!
She was great!
I am trying to be hospitable to her..
i want her to like it here, you know...
She LOVED the baby strappy to yourself carrier..
my babies loved it too...
i miss them while they are at school...
but the (pink) substitute..is keeping me occupied nicely!!
As well as my crafting..both of my shops are filling up..
i'll be having a special each week of some sort..
gotta get some traffic through there you know!!
let me know if you have any coo-ky ideas...
Thankyou so much to the amazing friends who took advantage of my 50% off sale yesterday!
No more Oh My Word Crazy Yummy YoYO swag!!!
and Elise..where is the follower thingy...on my other blog the follower icon just showed up... where do i find one for this blog? You make me laugh...followers...of MY blog!!??!!
anyway..i'll do it for you friend!!
just show me the way...
okay, gotta go..must SHOWER!!
then lunch at school with Smylie..
Heaven...LOUD heaven, but heaven!!
Have a love-fully!

SURPRISE!!!

2009-09-17T10:58:00.002-04:00

A mini ..."get your girl scout on" banner...

this would be great on your mantel..or in your little girl's room..or a doorway..or a window...

I am choosing Jen!!!

because she was the first to get in on the giveaway..which means...she keeps an eye on me for any emerging from my cave...

so it is yours JEN!!!

(please email me with your addy...@

igiveascrap@gmail.com)

But wait... LORI...sweet LORI..is getting a sursie too...

she went OTT (over the top) in the comment department!!

Thankyou my friend!!!

(I did get MY sursie in the mail..i am sipping from it right now....mmmmmmm! Thankyou so much!)

For those who commented on this giveaway....

I am giving a special discount in my shop!!!

you won't believe it!!

50% off....ANYTHING!!!!!Everything!!!

but only TODAY!!! (9/17/09)

whatcha waitin' for....

if you didn't get a chance to leave a comment....

you'll know better next time!!

for instance..next week....

i'll be giving away another secret sursie...

Have a Love-fully!!

I feel a giveaway coming....

2009-09-16T13:25:00.002-04:00

What do you think it will be?????

Leave me a comment...

give us a hint??

okay i will..

i made it.

you'll love it!

leave lots of comments... you know, if you want to...

i'm feeling generous...

How are you feeling?

Have a Happy..

...fabulous..secret..prize ...entry gathering.. ends...tomorrow...at lunchish...

New new and more new

2009-09-03T20:30:00.006-04:00

My dream is coming true...

i started a new blog my friends...

my heart has been calling me in this direction.

i must answer.

i have been so busy with my free....eager hands....both of the boys are back in school now.

Yes..Kindergarten.

Our angel teacher is carving her name upon our hearts...we are in love.

10 days in...timeout(s) everyday.... yesterday..NO TIMEOUTS!!!

we celebrated big...1 huge cookie from Publix please!!

today...only 1 timeout...Myles did not want to come in from jumping rope...

oh well.

Sammy is so happy in his class..same teacher (of the year) as last year!!

we are so blessed.

we know it.

LOVE!!

Lookee in my shop at my new goodies...

Happy fall is almost here...so i'm on my way to the shop to slash some old prices...

go see here.

But also...to my dream...my heart...Autism Blooms.

I am opening another little store too..with only Autism related pretties...

i have lots of things already made and can't wait to show everyone...

i'm crafty people...not a computer wiz though..so hang in there..

I hope everyone is enjoying this early fall season... I wore my new (from a thrift store) brown sweater yesterday!!! I am soooo Mr. Rogers' beloved... I could wear a sweater everyday..i could change out of my outside sweater and put on my inside sweater...and change into my slippers..

i could even go around singing a song about our neighborhood...

what's become of this young gal??

ancient, i tell you!!

I also like house coats now..seriously... Mrs. Roper..or Rogers...Rogers-Roper???

Anyway.

I'd be so glad if you checked out my other little blog...and gave me a little hootie-hoo...

you'll be glad you did!

promise.

Thanks so much friends!!

Have a Love-fully!!

Glass of Joy

2009-08-02T07:15:00.000-04:00

A generous man will prosper;

he who refreshes others

will himself be refreshed

Proverbs 11:25

Have a Love-fully day!!

Box of Books..Box of LOVE

2009-07-31T07:00:00.000-04:00

WE LOVE BABY EINSTEIN!!

We always have...
Sammy simply adores the puppets..

They make him laugh uncontrolably

and they are a constant source of information that he seems able and willing to process...

he LOVES the books...

seriously LOVES!!!

he is carrying one right now..it has a dog and cat and duck and frog and bird and sun on the front.. as i type he keeps coming over to show me these pictures...and HE IS saying the words... Sun sounds like /sah/

and duck sounds like /guack guack/

MMMMMM! the sound of his voice is such a treasure to me.. so here we are on the blanket under the tree out in our backyard....with a box of books i pulled down from the attic... atleast an hour was spent looking at each and every page..the bright, captivating pictures are interesting to Sam now...he wants to know what the pictures are..he takes my hand and puts my finger on each picture as if to say.."tell me about this Mommy"...

Sam, not too long ago, had no interest in being told about anything in a book...he only liked to line them up and look at the back of the books...

Seriously...we are so blessed!
We are so grateful for the entire line of Baby Einstein products
It is single handedly our "Go to"
favorite for both of the boys...and the cds and music in the dvds are easy on the ears for the Mommy and Dada

and what could be better than hearing your little guys, who have such a hard time relating to this world....actually

become an active part in what they are seeing, reading, and hearing!!

L-O-V-E!!!

Have a Love-fully!!

I Heart Tree Huggers

2009-07-30T07:22:00.000-04:00

Here is his favorite tree...the Mimosa...

a close second is the Magnolia a few pictures down

His favorite buddy

Okay...i may get in trouble for this one...
I DO let my kids go barefoot ALOT!!!
I prefer to be shoeless...and i think they do too..
it's summer...and we have seen ALOT of dirty, squirmy toes these days..
I just love these toesies...
I miss the tiny-ness of them when he was so new and fresh from my womb...
they fit within the center of my palm...i would lay with my first tiny guy on my belly, rubbing his tiny feet..all pink and rosey..perfectly wrinkly...delishishness....
You know the first!!( this tiny overall delight did not stop at baby one...baby two was simply yummy and surprisingly..there was so much more to give...you don't think there is...but God is so purposeful in His choosing of hearts we are to fall in LOVE with...) Everything seemed so intense with Myles ...so overwhelmed i felt, with adoration for this child of mine...weeping at the drop of a hat to sweet sappy music about Mommy's and their babies...and holding them all the time because one day they would be too...tooooo...BIG ...we aren't quite there yet...
but he IS rapidly growing...and those toesies are climbing trees now...
but i still love them...and

they take him places he likes going...
way up high..in trees that wish they were bigger and stronger...enough to keep up with this kid...

clearly..this Magnolia is not quite made to be a climbing tree just yet...but..
That hasn't stopped him...
I Heart my tree lovin', toe showin', crazy climbin'..baby of mine!!!
Have a Love-fully!!

From The Hand of (MY) Babe

2009-07-29T10:10:00.003-04:00

So....Smylie comes to me with his hand open...ready to show me his first treasure..

I was so excited..even if the treasure was a snakie...i was so ready to recieve this sweet offering!!

He had been playing at the bottom of one of his favorite trees...and crossed the whole yard to bring this to me...

Sweet ladybug..

Sweeter BOY!!

a little pat on the back...

whoops..

I can't wait to see what he brings me next!!

LOVE!!

Have a Love-fully day!!

A breath of fresh air!!

2009-07-21T14:15:00.004-04:00

This kid is going to be a Zoo Keeper one day!!

In our very last IEP meeting this past year..i was told that NEXT year..

KINDERGARTEN...

I would NOT be able to hang out at the school all day long!!

What....???

And that Myles will be a big boy...and that he will need to be responsible for getting himself into his classroom all by himself...yadayada..

and i was thinking of all sorts of pictures schedule/symbols to make the transition go smoothly..

like, taking pictures of his friend Charlie..his little elephant..in all sorts of new places at his new school..like the cafeteria...and the library...on the playground...and i was told by someone at that meeting...who makes me really nervous at all of these meetings by the way...that Myles may need to start "phasing out" of his love for animals...

What!!

I said...OUTLOUD...."Seriously...Myles might be a zoo keeper one day, because of his crazy love for all animals...and you are telling me he may need to start phasing animals out of his life..i mean out of his very HEART!!!"

Craziness!!

So...we went to the zoo on thursday...and oh my..this kid is no where near a phase out plan...

I need to go through all of our old zoo pictures...

most people have a growth chart on a corner of their wall at home...

we could measure Myles growth in front of that Elephant exhibit...

the guard rail/bar, keeps getting lower and lower on his body..

or he is growing into the little zookeeper he was made to be...

sigh!

I Finally got my necklaces in the shop..no really i did....
here's one...

oh...and smell this...a gardenia...ahhhhhhhhh!mmmmmmm!

here's another....my fave!!

and another Fisher Price appearance...getting some fresh air after a long stay on the bottom of the toybox!!

ahhh...i think she cam smell that gardenia..she looks happy!!

Okay friends...

Have a Happy...Love-fully...Joy-fully day!!