Another Back-to-School Project

Here's another one of Lane's school items that I decorated for him. I love that there's no doubt that his stuff is his. It's totally one-of-a-kind!

MMMmmm.... Day Two

Day Two -- New York Strips. Yes, I'm a big fan of eating. I'm not one of those "Oh, just a salad" kind of girls. I take everything I do quite seriously and my meals are no exception. These were our main course from Back-to-School have a meal at the table challenge Day Two and boy were they good!

My Back-to-School Goal

If you've been reading my blog or if you know me very well, you know that I do not try to and/or claim to be a "domestic diva" (as I call it). Quite honestly, I am not one of those mommies who "has it all together." My house is usually a mess, there are piles of laundry to do, I look a fright and there is no doubt that I will be late anywhere I ever go! I would love to be that woman that's always put together, always gets everything done, has an immaculate house and is always on time. Thus far, it's not happened. I have good intentions. I really do, but it always seems that one of those opportunities I can't pass up presents itself. You can guess the ones I'm talking about --- an opportunity to create a little something, to take pictures of my kiddos, or just to do something else that's a whole lot more fun than cleaning toilets! What good is it going to do me to have sparkling toilets and miss my little boys growing up?

My back-to-school goal is to have dinner at the table every week night until we start having soccer practice. So far, so good. This was night one's supper. Not exactly Top Chef cuisine, but it tasted quite alright. Hamburger steak, fresh buttered squash and purple hull peas. It appears I am a southern girl after all!

One more thing I MUST add -- No! This is not the normal portion size at our home!! These are all the extras after dinner. I piled them all on one plate to take to my mom (broken arm, remember?) and dad.

Back to School Project

I was completely surprised when Lane picked out a totally plain black notebook when we went school supply shopping. I was sure we'd have to buy some Transformers or Spiderman or some other highly decorated version but instead a plain black spiral was cool with him.

I love plain. I see plain as a blank canvas, an inviting opportunity an outlet for my creativity. Of course, with little boys there are limitations. Can't be too over-the-top with little boys. Lucky for me, Lane loves his school and loves being a "Hornet." His plain black notebook was just asking for this cute little hornet to be painted on it!

Sweet Dreams

I'm sure that I have 400 pictures of my boys while they are sleeping. There is something just gorgeous about a sleeping child to me. The only thing that could make that better is to capture a sleeping child times two. My sweet boys love to sleep side-by-side. Lane even tolerates little brother sleeping on his arm. Aren't they sweet?

Fun Family Float

Yesterday was the last Saturday before school starts back for the fall. Our family simply couldn't let it pass without doing something. One past time that we've discovered this summer is floating the Caddo River, so we invited another family to join us for the adventure. We knew it would be a blast for the kids and hoped we weren't in for a harrowing experience. Funny thing is, we have 2 children, they have 4 and I was much more concerned about our children's behavior, but I suppose that's my job as a mom, huh?

Even after several hours of floating, this gang still had plenty of energy -- Photo 1 is of the whole gang after the float!

At around the half-way point of the trip, there is a deep portion of the river with a rope swing. Several of our gang were game to give it a try -- Photo 2 is of Rick as Tarzan!

Of course, I was a bit concerned about how the little ones would do. Kenny, Cohen, Lane and I had floated before, but Cohen has a bit of a stubborn streak so when we approached the first little area of rapids, he refused to get in his tube. The result? He was left screaming in the little area of rapids while Laney and I floated ahead. Don't worry folks, we're talking Class I rapids --- at best. I ran our tube aground and called to him to walk down (yes, it was that shallow) to us. Of course, he was in full meltdown mode at this point and required the kindness of a stranger who held his hand as he walked to us. After a bit, the little ones decided that the best ride on the river was with me. Aren't they cute? A bit heavy after a while, but cute --- Photo 3 is of Cohen, Laney and I loaded up on the tube.

I don't know about your family, but in my family, I am the designated photographer. I love the assignment of capturing our family's memories and snobbishly think I'm far superior at the job. The downside of this is that very, very few photos ever exist to document that I was present at said activities. Occasionally, this fact comes to mind and I'll hand the camera over and ask someone else to take a photo with me in it. Oddly, making this request makes me feel quite self-centered but I'm generally glad that I've done so in the end. From the friends that I've spoken to, it seems this is the mommy's fate in many families so I couldn't let the day pass without capturing one of those rare photos -- Photo 4 actually captures two of the rarely seen mommy of the species.

Photo 5 captures the often photographed daddies!

Photo 6 is the whole brood of children at the beginning of the trip. From what I can tell, we ended the trip with the same kids we started with so I guess we can call it a successful trip.

Hobby Number 906

This one, I inherited directly from my mother. She is a total pro at floral arrangements. I can pull off a thing or two... nothing compared to her skills. My parents have been married 46 years. Obviously, last year was their 45 wedding anniversary. I don't know about you, but I find that to be something to celebrate!! My dad is the really quiet type and doesn't care much for parties, so I tried to come up with something special that I could do without making him uncomfortable.

Since my parents came from modest backgrounds, they didn't have an actual "wedding" but were married in the home of their pastor. This meant, of course that they didn't have two of the things we most likely think of when we think of weddings -- a bridal bouquet and a cake. There was my idea! In celebration of their 45 years, I wanted them to finally have these things.

My mother has a deep love for flowers, so I knew it would mean even more if she knew I made her bouquet myself. Deep breath..... I could do this. I hit up our local grocery store, purchased a couple dozen roses and some filler. By God's grace, all went well and this was the end result.

It just happened that their anniversary fell on a Sunday and I was singing at church that morning (hobby number 907). I invited mom and dad to come hear me sing in early service so that they could avoid missing worship at their church. Generally, I'm a bit nervous before I sing, but this morning, I was terribly excited because I was going to give my mom her bouquet before church. She was so surprised and proud. I think she told everyone she saw that day about her bouquet.

It's amazing how much in life we take for granted. We all have so much and waste so much. Our society seems to subscribe to the philosophy that bigger and more expensive is always better. If we only stopped to realize how untrue this is. Platinum ceremonies and designer gowns do not a good marriage make. What makes a good marriage can't be found on any runway or in any boutique, but can be exchanged between two people without cost. I am thankful to have been witness to such a marriage and the recipient of such love. It was truly my privilege to reinvest this love into a gesture that made my mom light up and my dad don his famous sheepish grin. It may have been their anniversary, but I feel that I am the one who received the gift.