Joyfully Overloaded

- You can quote the Sout law and Oath right along with them. - You know what it means to whip or fuse a rope. - You know the difference between a knot and a lashing. - You know every single fact about popcorn there is to know. - You’ve dreamed about popcorn.   - You’ve left signs on your door for the UPS man letting him know it really was you who order 15 cases of meat sticks. - You know the best fire staters and how to turn a cardboard box into an oven. - You’ve camped in temperatures below freezing... more then once... - You’ve been on wilderness adventure when a tree just wasn’t going to work for you like it did the boys and you’ve calculated just how long you can go without using a bathroom. - Your currently trying to psych yourself up for a winter camping trip. - You watch the scouts repeatedly step outside of there comfort zones to find that items actually not bad out there. - You keep your cool when critters visit your shelter in t...

November is my favorite month of the year. I love the crunch of leaves under your feet. The smell of the wood stove and the baked goods wafting from the kitchen. My favorite tradition is the thankful tree we create together. It started 10 years ago with some paper and crayons. As the month moves on we’ll add to it the little things that bring our hearts joy.  Honestly, I almost didn’t set it up this year. It’s one more thing I have to guard from my whirling-dervish but my middle boy he insisted we continue the trandition. So today school started late. The boys collected sticks while I cut up note cards. We played Christmas music to help set the mood.  My bigs ones fought. We experienced an epic two year old tantrum. I burnt myself while rushing at the stove to rescue the destruction of our new creation. Even still the two year old is in awe. The first note to go up was from one brother about the way the other brother loves.  My throbbing thumb is a sweet reminde...

You know what my least favorite holiday is?... Halloween... It's because of the candy.  The sugar high.  The constant asking for more junk.  The candy.  If you took the other 364 days and smushed them together my kids still wouldn't have had as much candy as they collect on this day. 2016 With that said there are some things I really do love about his day.  I love watching families come together and PLAY TOGETHER.  I love seeing how creative people are.  I love that my kids get to walk up to strangers and interact in a way that isn't intimidating for anyone.  But this year as we get ready to venture out into the pouring rain my biggest boy isn't coming.  This year he's bowing out.  About a week ago he said, "You know Ma someday I'll be too old for trick-or-treating.  I'm not sure I want to go this year." 2017 Back in the spring when he made my gym shoes his own I started noticing that he walks a little taller, t...

I found this tucked away in my school cabinet:   We didn't end up buying a truck load of food for the orphans that year, instead we brought home and fell in love with our very own orphan.  We got blurry eyed and stopped writing our joys on little notes so we never made it to 208, but we gushed over every sound he made.  We did a little less fishing that year too.   Just got home from the hospital. Five days old. Even though none of our goals were met I still consider it to be one of the best years of our lives.   Meeting our third son. Falling in love with him. Learning to love deeply, even though we had no idea he would be ours until 2019. Letting go of fear. Learning to trust in ways that cannot be put into words. Real life photo op right here. His shirt reads: Current Family Favorite I will forever be thankful that our plans changed that year.

This summer has been full of the unexpected.  I have seen a neurologist, a rheumatologist, mental health, a Lyme specialist, and a sleep doctor.  I have had an EEG done, nerve testing on all my limbs, multiple MRI's, and had my blood studied.  I have woken in the middle of the night to severe pain, and wondered if I should ask my Strong Man to call 911.  I have asked God if I was dying. My Strong man has woken in the middle of the night and asked me if he needed to take me to the hospital.  He has missed work to take me to walk in care because I can't walk without holding onto the wall.  Every test comes back normal, but my family has watched me drop the milk simply because my hands were too weak.  They've watched me writhe in pain as they put ice packs on my head. We have moved our whole family to one floor because some days I struggle to walk upstairs.  Getting ready for the EEG. It has been a hard summer, full of unexpected things....

To my Happy One, Just days old! I have many thoughts running through my mind as I think over the last year.  I remembering wondering if the letter I wrote to you last year would be the only letter I ever wrote to you.  I wondered how long it would be until you held your own bottle...A lot has changed in this last year.  You no longer live in limbo, this year you officially became our son, with our last name.  Nothing has changed for you, as you've only known us as yours, but for me my heart is settled without fear of your future.  You are loved, and adored and one of my favorite people, even at two. You on your first birthday! Some mile stones: ~ You rolled over intentionally just after your first birthday. ~ At 13 months you learned to walk, skipping the crawling part. First time holding your own drink! ~ At 18 months you started holding your own bottles, and feeding yourself. ~ You're pretty much past the gagging/vomiting part.  Yo...

Sometimes pictures say it best: