FUN!

It has been a constant for us the past couple of weeks.  We've been packing in visits with family and friends...park playing, lunch consuming, a lot of swimming, bike riding, and popsicle eating.  We got to go to some friends' wedding reception the other evening, and the only pictures I got were of one of the sweetest girls holding my sweetie and being extremely gracious and pleasant after being spit up on several times (seriously Jenny I'll take your dress to dry cleaning if you need me to).

Nothing warms this momma's heart like seeing my children being loved on so well.  I probably gush to Sean daily about how well our children are loved by our friends.  It also warms my heart to see my son's face when he got to pet this horse.  The carriage driver saw SE and purposefully pulled the horse over to let SE pet it. 

We got to have a little unexpected park trip the other morning with two other awesome families.  I mean who couldn't have fun just looking at these sweet faces.

SE jumping off the rock wall into a front roll.  Little dare devil running obstacle courses and trying to do flips.

The mommas managed to squeeze in some fun and exercise as we found out the next couple days when the soreness set it.

SE has been quite the little helper around the house.  Sean can't go outside without SE running after him declaring him to wait on his little helper!

We got to take a quick trip to Dallas for a visit to Ikea (is that ever a quick trip?) and to meet this beauty.  Sweet Olivia was born to our good friends, Brian and Rachel.  Isn't she a beauty?

Olivia Lynn

And today, though it seemed like a sweet culmination to our weekend, was in actuality a fun and exciting beginning to our week.  We got to see so many favorites today. 

Aunt Emma

Sophie and SE

Megan and Alice

Emma Rose

 We say let the fun continue!

The best title

He puts his arms around my neck and smiles up at me..."you're my best friend."  Time stops and my heart melts into a puddle.  I pray for God to protect our relationship, that He will allow us to be "best friends" into his adulthood. 

I can see it now the bits of independence he's gaining...making choices, forming thoughts and opinions, wanting to do his own thing. 

Sean and I talk about the tension of SE growing up and how excited we are to see the man he becomes, but at the same time hesitant to want to embrace it because it means letting go of a little person who right now thinks mom and dad (yes, he's begun calling us that) are his best friends. 

A friend has all of 4 of her dear babes going to school this year, one in middle school, two in elementary and one in pre-K.  I couldn't even let my thoughts go to the day where SE is in school 5 days a week let alone all of our kiddos.  But I know that day is on the horizon...and he'll probably be overly excited to go and to do and to be.  Until then though I'll soak in his delightful personality, cherishing all the moments where he will randomly throw his arms around me and declare me to be his best friend.

I've struggled a little after quitting a corporate job outside the home to be a stay at home mom.  Someone asked me recently what I do.  I paused, swallowed hard and answered "I'm a stay at home mom".  Why was it so difficult to say? With the answer brought about feelings I hadn't experienced since making the decision to leave work. 

Is that all I am...a stay at home mom.  No, that's not all I am.  I am a little boy's (and a beautiful little girl's) momma, a little boy who is worth the sacrifice of my wanting to be able to reply with a brilliant braniac title to the question "what do you do?".  I get to pray over him every day and speak truth and life into his heart:  you, Sean Edward, are a man of God, you are strong, you are valiant.  You have what it takes. 

We stay at home mommas are in the thick of it; we are on the front lines of the battlefields, affirming hearts, shaping minds, being best friends to our little ones so one day they will understand and value the trust we have worked so diligently to establish.  Being a best friend to my son, it's perhaps the BEST title I've ever been given. 

A weekend of loveliness

We headed to Tulsa this past weekend for some of our FAVORITES' wedding!  Amanda and Tyler have been planning their wedding for several months, and we were absolutely thrilled and honored to be a part of it.  They asked SE to be carry a banner that said "here comes the bride".  It was one of the most JOYOUS weddings we've ever been to.

SE took some major ownership over the banner

Rehearsed and ready to wed!

 There were lovely moments between father and son

Between sweet friends 

Mrs. Jill Pyle and me

Me and the bride (isn't she GLOWING!)

The rehearsal dinner was awesome full of sentimental and funny toasts...a special time to share one of the best love stories.  It is so evident that God wanted these two together!

The most amazing Jenny

Sarah Morgan (aunt Te-a) and Cherrie Warden (all the way from LA)

SE even shared (love you Manda, love you Tyler)

 The wedding day was perfect.

The bride and her girls

Waiting for Amanda

SE kind of walking down the aisle.  

SIDENOTE: SE didn't make it all the way down.  I had to battle some disappointment.  I wanted to be sad and upset, but had I chosen those feelings, the rest of the evening would have been rough for me.  Instead I did what we always tell SE when he's having a moment...I chose JOY!  I looked at my son and said "I'm so proud of you Sean Edward." because I was.  And I needed to remember that he's only 2.5 years old, and the last thing he needed from me was to withhold feelings of love for him because my flesh wanted something different.  He did a GREAT job and looked pretty darn cute!

And then it was time to partay!  And party we did.  SE danced and danced and danced.  And when it was time for the newly weds to leave, they exited to cheers and tears and the anticipation of how amazingly awesome their marriage is going to be!

To Mr. and Mrs. Hardage:  you are perhaps some of the loveliest people we know.  Your marriage will be blessed and anointed, marked by the love of the Father's hands.  

The Boyds love you guys!

Colorado in our hearts

When Sean and I first got married, we had three agreed on states to where we could move...Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado.  Since then, we've taken numerous trips to the other two states and obviously lived in OK.  I can honestly say some of our trips to CO have been some of our most fun memories.  The one we just got back from was no different.

Hello mountains!

Our sweet friends, Jill and Stephen, invited us to be a part of little group trip to Stephen's parents vacation house in Silverthorne, CO.  We immediately said YES!

This sweet face was ready to go

So was this one!

We packed up our kiddos, had the pleasure of a lovely riding partner, Nicole, who sacrificially sat in the backseat with two crazy, and sometimes screaming (Finley), kids.  She was awesome!  We drove through the night and arrived early Thursday morning.  And then the fun began!

There was plenty of beautiful scenery...mountains, trees, flowers.  SE loved his walks...he would try to talk anyone into going with him.  Finley stuck with Jill a lot...Fin's face would literally light up every time she locked eyes on Jill.  One time Jill was holding her and Finley started jabbering away...it was like she was telling Jill all of Fin's little secrets.

Our new friend Alison!

We celebrated...birthdays, fun friendships, sweet family time, the beauty of God's creations and life.

Not really his birthday although he did get sung to and a cake

But it was his!

Going to the mountains of Breckenridge where SE got to ride the gondola, play putt putt and climb a little snow packed mound.  These two became little buddies.  It was so fun watching their new little friendship!

We opted out of naps and bedtimes for outdoor concerts, dance parties, the "hot pool", laughter, fellowship, community.

Kind of rolling down the hill with Alison

Some new favorites, Alison and Nicole (or Miss Cole)

We got up early for sweet walks, and perhaps kind of a run, and amazing breakfasts.  We even caught a triathlon...right up our alley!

Not a bad back drop to do a triathlon

And then we had to say good-bye to CO and the mountains...but we didn't have to say good-bye to the love we got to experience, the fun memories we got to make and the high points of the trip, which for me was getting to be a part of a group who loved my family so well especially my kids.  One day Colorado we might live there, but until then, you will be in our hearts and so will the sweet friends with whom we got to experience it!