Loving Life

It could be your lucky day...

2011-03-09T22:08:00.002-06:00

This is very last minute, but you never know...it could still be your lucky day. My friend Shannon is doing her first giveaway ever on her blog. It ends tonight at midnight, though, so you better visit her blog soon to see how you can enter to win a really special recordable storybook for your family. Just click on this link: www.familybringsjoy.com and follow her instructions. Thanks for this fun opportunity, Shannon! I hope I win! :)

Lexi's 3 Month Pics by MiMi

2011-02-21T17:38:00.001-06:00

Here are all the pictures from her three month photo shoot with MiMi. Just click on the picture below to see them.

Three Months Old!!!

2011-02-21T16:58:00.001-06:00

Lexi Reese
Three Months Old
by: "Aunt Flashy" (my sister Amy)

Our littlest princess turned three months old a couple of days ago, and I can't believe it! She is one of our greatest joys! We're blessed by what a peaceful, happy baby she is. She loves to smile and interact with her mommy, daddy, sister, and brother! She adds so much to our little family! She is healthy...probably about 12 1/2 lbs. now, I'm guessing. She's growing and growing! She still loves to sleep, which is surprising and great! I've heard some people are just sleepers, and she seems to be one of them (like her mommy :)). She loves to cuddle and be held in her new Moby wrap (Thank you Chance and Lee!!!) but also loves to sleep on her tummy in her bed. (I know you're not "supposed" to do this, but she's got great head control, and she's still sleeping beside us in her pack'n'play, so we feel good about it. :)) She's starting to "talk" to us more and "tell us stories". She likes it when we sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and things like that. She likes to hold onto whatever her hands find - shirts, blankets, hair, etc. (Asher likes to put swords and shields and things like that in her hands, but she's not too good at holding onto those kinds of things yet. :)) Her newest thing is finding her hands and trying to put them in her mouth. One of my favorite things is the way she kind of "hugs" my arms when I'm holding her. She's just so sweet! I love it when she stares into my eyes. It's like I can see her love for me. I definitely love her back!!! She melts my heart! She's a precious gift from God for sure!!!

Asher's Christmas Program

2010-12-12T22:14:00.000-06:00

Asher performed in his Christmas program tonight at church. He and his little friends were pretty darn cute!!!
(Click on the collage to see the pictures better.)

We Made It!

2010-12-12T11:45:00.002-06:00

Our first week of December started off with my dad coming to pick up my mom, then we were on our own! My friends Ruth and Shannon both made visits. We made our first outing by ourselves as a family of five and survived. And Asher had his four year checkup with his doctor. He's now 3'5" and 35lbs. He's right on track for his age (50th percentile). Other than that, toys were played with, baths were taken, food was eaten, naps were taken, and all the other "normal" stuff that happens in a house with three little kids ages four and under. We're figuring it out. :)

Click on the little princess to see more from this week.

Happy 4th Birthday, Asher!!!

2010-12-11T22:39:00.001-06:00

We celebrated Asher's 4th birthday on November 30th! I can't believe he's FOUR! Our lives changed forever when he was born! We had no idea what it was like to love like that until he came along. The love a parent has for a child is indescribable, and he makes it EASY to love him! He may be a little rascal, but he's got a very tender heart and sweet spirit. He's hilarious, and he always makes us laugh! He's a smart little cookie too! He never ceases to amaze us! I cannot imagine our lives without our Asher Case Waters!!! We love him to pieces!!!

We had a really fun day on his birthday. His Gibbie (my mom) was still here, so that was special. We had birthday muffins in the morning - with a candle, of course. He opened a few different gifts throughout the day. We fixed special snowmen cookies as a surprise for his morning snack. He wanted to help me make his cake, so we did that before naptime, then he blew out more candles and we ate the cake after their naps. That evening, he got to choose where we ate dinner, and he chose "Old McDonald's", of course, where he and Ainsley also played. (That was our first outing as a family of five, but we had help - my mom. :)) And after that, Mom took Ainsley home to go to bed, and the rest of us went to see "Tangled", which was a great movie! On our way home, he said excitedly, "Thanks for my birthday movie! It was SO MUCH fun!" He's so sweet! We love our little four year old!

Happy Birthday to Asher!!!
(Click on the picture to see more!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-12-10T11:11:00.001-06:00

We loved having many of our family members here for Thanksgiving! It works out really well that we live at a camp. There are plenty of places for people to sleep. Thanks for coming, everyone! You made Lexi's first Thanksgiving special! :)

My mom stayed for several days after everyone else left to help us out for a while. She was a great help in lots of ways, but the things that stick out the most were her keeping up with the laundry, dishes, and straightening. Let's just say, it's obvious that she's gone now. :( (We're trying though. Beau has been a great husband and daddy!) She also put up our tree, which was awesome. I love having the Christmas tree up, but it probably still wouldn't be up without her. You were a lifesaver, Mom. Thanks for being here!

Click on the picture to see more of those days.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Welcome Home Lexi

2010-12-09T18:54:00.002-06:00

I am a person who actually likes being in the hospital and being taken care of, but by the time it's time to go home, I'm ready. Grammie, Grandad, and Uncle Coby all came by the hospital on their way out of town to say bye. Then it was great to get home where we were greeted by more of my side of the family. Everyone enjoyed getting to see Lexi again before they headed home to go back to work and take care of their own kiddos except for MiMi (my sister Amy). She stuck around for a couple of days to help take care of us and was a huge help with Asher and Ainsley especially while Lexi and I got lots of rest and worked on recovering. Lexi was a little angel who basically slept non-stop, except when I woke her up to feed her. So far she's been very peaceful overall. Lexi had her first doctor's appointment that Monday and was doing really well. She weighed 7lbs. 1oz. (about 5.5 lbs. down from her birthweight, which was fine), and her jaundice was not serious enough to warrant another test, so that was good news. She also did her first modeling job for her newborn photo shoot before MiMi left on Tuesday. (You may have seen those precious pictures a few posts ago.) Then, we spent our first night alone as a family of five before everyone started trickling in again the next day for Thanksgiving. (Those pictures coming up in the next post.)

Click on the picture above to see our documentation of those few days.

Lexi Reese is HERE!

2010-12-08T11:24:00.001-06:00

Well, I've already given the stats, but I finally got the pictures uploaded. Click on Lexi's FIRST photo to see more of our time in the hospital. And below is the story of when she decided to make her appearance.

The end of the pregnancy is always the hardest for me as far as the waiting goes. Even though I try not to, it's difficult not to wonder if every little thing might mean that it's almost "time". The week before she came, I remember feeling "different", but I was also trying to tell myself that it was probably nothing. Lucky for me, she really was getting ready to come out and meet us. It was a very productive week. The house was totally (well, that's a bit relative) in order, and my family and friend Shannon had gone in together to get our house cleaned. It was a HUGE blessing!!! Thank you again, family and Shannon!!! That was one of the best gifts ever...really!!!

At 11:30pm on Thursday, November 18th I started having contractions every 1-3 minutes. I timed them for about 30 minutes, then woke up Beau. Then I started getting ready to go but waited another 30 minutes to call the hospital. All I knew is that the contractions were very regular and somewhat uncomfortable but not intense. I was really torn about whether or not we should go to the hospital, but I have a history of handling a good part of labor very well and then it becoming unbearable all of a sudden. So, we opted to go. We called Hannah and Jesseka, the sisters who live less than five minutes away from us and keep the kids a lot. They got here at about 12:30, and we left about 1:00, I think. We needed just a few little things for the hospital, so we went to Walmart first before going to the hospital. Funny, I know! :) Afterall, what could a little walking hurt?

We got to the hospital around 2:30, just in time to WAIT MANY more hours to meet our little princess. I contracted every 1-3 minutes for about 14 hours and progressed a little but not much. I walked the halls several times and tried some different things to help things along, but to no avail. I was hoping to avoid pitocin, but that seemed to be the best option after so many hours. I was making some progress when my dr. had two surprise surgeries come up in the middle of the afternoon, so they turned off the pitocin for a couple of hours while he took care of those patients, to try to slow things down for me. It worked. I completely stalled during those two hours, which was a bit discouraging. They started it back up, then eventually broke my water. Things had already started intensifying quite a bit, but the difference after my water was broken was amazing and instant! The pain was steadily becoming more and more unbearable. I had also really wanted to not get an epidural this time because of my two previous negative experiences, but I was as "tough" as possible for as long as possible. I was practicing my breathing and remaining as "peaceful" as possible, but it wasn't working. :) I was hurting SO badly and even ended up throwing up from the pain, which I had never done before. It was brutal. The nurse anesthetist was wonderful! He was so kind and explained every little thing to me before it happened, and although I was in awful pain, he made the experience go as smoothly as possible. I really, really liked him! I was progressing really quickly at that point, so the medicine did not have time to take its full effect, but it was SO much better than it had been. All of a sudden, it was time to push. I pushed for about 30 minutes with Asher and 1 1/2 hours with Ainsley, so I was SHOCKED this time!!! Also, I was determined to push "well" from the very first push this time. I wanted this baby out! :) I pushed three times with the first contraction and after the second push on the second contraction the nurse told me to stop pushing and ran out the door. She had someone get Dr. Riddel IMMEDIATELY. I knew from the way I was feeling that Lexi was ABOUT to be born. I've felt it with my other babies, but it was so much more distinct this time. She was right there, and it BURNED like FIRE! Dr. Riddel got in there, and on my next push, there she was...at 8:55pm. The pain right before she was born was crazy, but the indescribable relief and JOY I felt the INSTANT she was born was beyond amazing!!! It was definitely one of the BEST moments of my life!!! And through it all, Beau was so sweet, encouraging, supportive, and sympathetic. He was the PERFECT husband! I'm so thankful for him!!!

And the pictures can tell the rest of the story. We were overwhelmed with joy...and EXHAUSTION!!! I hadn't slept more than three hours in the 48 hours or so before she was born, so in addition to the regular exhaustion from labor and delivery, there were HOURS more added onto that. I could barely keep my eyes open from the time she was born through the next day or so. But she was WORTH it!!!

We've loved getting to know our newest little princess! She is peaceful and so precious. We are so blessed!!!

The Rest of November 2010 - Pre-Lexi

2010-12-07T21:41:00.002-06:00

LOTS of "growing up" has been going on around here lately - even before Lexi made her appearance. Ainsley had gotten to where she was climbing out of her bed all the time, so even though we had planned on waiting until we move, we ended up switching her to her toddler bed two nights before Lexi was born. Crazy, I know! But she has done great! Asher is still perfecting his potty training. He has been pretty much potty trained for quite sometime, but he reverts every once in a while. And the last month has been one of those "once in a whiles". However, he's been doing much better the last few days. He is also in and out of his bed many times a night typically, but he's also getting much better at not coming to our room until 7:00 in the morning. We're a work in progress, that's for sure! :)

So here are a few pictures to wrap up the pre-Lexi era. One of my favorite things this last month was watching Asher write his letter to Santa. It's pretty cute! :) (Click on his picture to see all the pics.)

Lexi's Newborn Photo Shoot with MiMi - 3 1/2 days old

2010-12-06T21:52:00.002-06:00

She's only been here a couple of weeks, and we already love her to pieces! She's a very peaceful, easy baby so far, which we are thankful for!

Lexi Reese Waters
Friday, November 19, 2010
8:55pm
7lbs. 6.7oz.
21"

Click on the picture to see the first of hundreds that I'm hoping to post in the next few days. These are from Lexi's newborn photo shoot with her aunt, MiMi (my sister Amy). The pictures she takes of my kids are always so special and such a treasure to me! Thank you, Amy!!! I love them!!!

More to come soon on life with Lexi...

November 2010 - Part 1

2010-11-13T22:27:00.001-06:00

We've had a great November so far. Click the picture of Super Asher to see what we've been up to.
Soon, there will be one more little one in our pictures...

Waters Family: September/October

2010-11-01T13:35:00.001-05:00

Click the picture of Asher climbing his first tree to see our family's photos and videos from the end of September through October. Who knows? This could be the last installment before Lexi arrives! Only three and a half weeks until her due date!

Lots of Big Things in September 2010

2010-09-26T07:52:00.000-05:00

September has been a big month for us. Ainsley turned two! My Mom's Group friends threw a baby shower to celebrate Lexi. We found out we're moving and went and saw the house we will be moving into. Plus everyday life. Click below to see pics/videos of all of this:

The Last of August 2010 Pics/Videos

2010-09-25T13:37:00.001-05:00

After summer camp was over, we had so much fun visiting Nacogdoches for Beau's Pawpaw's 80th birthday! Then we spent a couple of nights in Livingston, which was, as always, a blast.
Click to see the rest of our August pics/videos:

California Trip Pics and Videos

2010-09-10T15:40:00.000-05:00

Still catching up on August...
Here are the pics and videos from our fun trip to see Aunt Lee and Uncle Chance in California. Thanks for having us Lee and Chance! It was so great to finally get to come see you!!!

Big Brother

2010-09-04T14:15:00.003-05:00

We put up Lexi's bed today, and both kids were so excited. Asher "helped", and they both had fun crawling under it. Ainsley's so cute when she says, "Lexi's bed?" However, I was just putting Asher down for his nap, and we had the following conversation:

A: But I wanted Lexi to sleep in my room.
M: I know, but there's just not enough room.
A: But I wanted a bed up there and one down here (bunkbeds).
M: That would be really cool, but we would have to get another mattress. And Lexi can't sleep on a bed like that yet, because she's going to be so little. She'll have to sleep in a baby bed.
A: Well, we could put a baby bed up there (on the top bunk).
M: That wouldn't be very safe. It could fall down.
A: But I would catch her.
M: Not if you were asleep.
A: Well, we could put logs around the baby bed, and if it started to fall, I would hear the logs start to rattle, and then I would catch her.
M: We can talk to Daddy about it after naptime.

That was good enough to hold him over for now. We're talking about putting a bunkbed up in his room anyway. He would love it.

And speaking of Asher. It's been really fun watching him learn these days. Well, it always is, but he's been amazing us in new ways just in the last week. He sounded out his first word the other night - pentaceratops. :) Just to clarify, he knew what the word was, because we were reading about the pentaceratops, and we've read that book a million times. But he pointed to each letter and sounded it out - something we haven't really worked with him on yet. It was so exciting! :)He's done that a little more with a few other words, and he's also started writing a couple more letters - D and K. He also has recently started writing his name - in order! And he even wrote the number 10 today. It's really fun watching him start to develop in this way. I love all of my kids so much - even Lexi! :)

P.S. Only 11 weeks and 6 days until her due date!

Pics and Videos - American Idol Concert and Waco Visit

2010-08-31T15:07:00.000-05:00

Click here to see pics and videos from our fun American Idol evening and our very short visit in Waco:

Pics - First Events of August

2010-08-31T13:08:00.000-05:00

Click to see us saying bye to our summer staff and visiting grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

Grammie's & Grandad's - August 2010

2010-08-19T22:06:00.001-05:00

And here are the pictures from their 2nd trip... I love their hats, Grammie!

Grammie's & Grandad's - June 2010

2010-08-19T20:24:00.001-05:00

The kids had a blast at their Grammie's and Grandad's this summer. Here are the pics from their trip in June. Thanks for sharing these pictures, Grammie. It's so much fun to get a peek into what they did while they were with you!

Let's try this again...

2010-08-19T16:11:00.002-05:00

I just read over a few of my past posts and love being reminded of what my babies were doing "then". I've got to get back into the swing of things on here! I'm telling you, I fell apart again when I got pregnant. I wish I wasn't like that, but I'm not good at keeping it "together" when change comes my way - even if it's a great change!

Speaking of...Lexi Reese is due to arrive in about 14 weeks. It doesn't seem that long when I put it that way. I'm 26 weeks along, so I've almost made it to my third trimester. First I was EMOTIONAL (before I even knew I was expecting), then I was EXHAUSTED but excited. Then I had a few episodes of spotting, which was difficult. A few weeks into my 2nd trimester, I started feeling a lot better. No more problems, more energy, etc. We found out that she was a GIRL, then sifted through our list of a hundred names or more to come up with HER name. And about six or seven weeks after I started having more energy, I started feeling it decline again. :) But that's all just part of it. We're so excited to meet our new little "Princess Buttercup", as Asher has nicknamed her, pretty soon! I'm starting to feel "nesty". I've gotten all the newborn baby stuff out of storage, hung it in the closet and put it away in her drawers. I've got my "to-do" list going and am slowly marking things off. We've got a ways to go for everything to be in its ideal state, but so far it doesn't seem to be quite as big of a deal as it has in the past. There's only so much we have to/can do to squeeze her into our little home that God has blessed us with. :)

Ainsley Grace is one month away from her 2nd birthday and is turning into QUITE the funny little girl! She is cute, funny, spirited, passionate, and sweet. (Notice that a few of those adjectives can be good OR bad. :)) She can definitely make some mean girl faces and belt it out when she feels like it, but she's also super affectionate, and she cracks us up! (See the video below to see what I mean about the faces and the funniness. :)) She LOVES her daddy, mommy (She also calls me "Memaw" and "Memoo"), Ashie, Loki (dog), and Mary (cat) - and of course her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Here's a funny story about her from this summer: When we drive by the prison here, Asher points and says, "Bad guys! Bad guys!" And when he started doing that, there happened to be big round hay bales in the field between us and the prison. Sooo...whenever we drive past big round hay bales, she points at them and says, "Bad guys! Bad guys!" She obviously doesn't "get it". :) Although, recently she has started saying both: "Bad guys" and "hay bales". Another thing about her is that she is a little copy cat. ANYTHING that Asher (or anybody else for that matter) says or does, she says or does too. It's pretty funny. She also LOVES to sing and dance. And she's talking more and more everyday. Four word sentences are becoming really common. She's becoming a good little communicator. I don't necessarily think she'll be fully potty trained by the time Lexi arrives, but she usually potties in the potty a few times a week, and she sits on it many more times than that. So she's on her way. :) Another big deal that has happened over the course of the last few months is that she mostly has her paci when she's in her bed now. There are exceptions, but we've been making a slow and steady transition, and it's gone pretty well. To give it up in her bed may be a different story, but we're not crossing that road yet! :)

Asher. Oh, Asher. Where do I begin? He's as great as ever - and as rascally as ever! He's a BOY, that's for sure!!! He still LOVES his "weapons" - swords, guns, staff, etc. And if he doesn't have one of his "real" weapons handy, anything else is sure to become one. He loves super heroes! Some of his favorites are the Hulk, Silver Surfer, Iron Man, Wolverine, Spiderman, and Captain America. He's got a few pair of underwear with superheroes on them, and he'll "throw" his bottom towards us to pretend to "get" us. Beau gave him that idea, and he loves it. :) Speaking of underwear...I would say that he's mostly potty-trained, but we still haven't conquered accidents completely - especially at mother's day out. He's about to start back up for the fall, and I HOPE that he does better than he did this summer there - otherwise, he won't be able to stay in his same "big boy" class (a little prayer request). He's a great big brother (most of the time)! He loves his Ains so much, and he already loves Lexi too. :) Ainsley and Asher are having more and more fun playing together all the time. I love that they have each other!

We had a good summer that went by super fast! It was full and busy as all summers are for us, but we made it! Beau worked long, hard days and is actually enjoying his first full week off right now since it's been over. We loved having our summer staff here. Asher and Ainsley loved them and so did Loki. Loki seems a little "sad" without them.

The kids got to go see their Grammie and Grandad twice by themselves this summer and had a BLAST!!! It was SAD for me to say goodbye on their first trip, but it was such a blessing to be able to relax a little and get a few things done while they were gone. They also got to stay with my parents one night, then they brought them home to us and spent the 4th of July weekend with us. We loved having them!

And when Beau was finally able to get away for a few days (the first time since February or March), the four (five) of us were able to take a trip to CA for a long weekend to see Beau's sister, Lee, and her husband, Chance. That was just this last weekend, and we loved getting to finally visit their home and seeing where they live. It was beautiful, and they were great hosts! The weather was perfect outside of San Jose, and we enjoyed relaxing there and eating a couple of Chance's homecooked meals. (He's a great cook!) We also took a trip to Monterey one day and went to a big aquarium there and drove the 17 Mile Drive on the way back to their house. Our last full day there, we went to THE most beautiful rose garden I've ever seen in San Jose, walked around dowtown Los Gatos, and ate at The Counter (an amazing burger restaurant) and Pink Berry (a delicious yogurt shop). It was a great visit - despite the fact that Ainsley and I were both sick. :(

I'm sure there is much more that I could share, but for today that is it. And hopefully I'll get better about posting again. This is such a great way for me to keep up with the memories we're making in our little family. And the memories are about to increase...again! :)

Ainsley's "Jesus Loves Me"

2010-08-18T20:02:00.000-05:00

This child cracks me up! I laugh out loud every time I watch this! Thanks, Grammie! :)

Updated Family Pics/Videos

2010-08-08T22:58:00.002-05:00

I am still alive! Here's proof: Click on the link below to see what's been going on in our lives over the last few months. We've been having lots of fun. Summer has come and gone. Now we're starting to get ready for the arrival of Lexi Reese around Thanksgiving. Less than four months to go! :)

www.picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters

Enjoy!

New Pics and Videos

2010-04-05T09:46:00.003-05:00

Some of you may have seen most of the March pics, but I updated them a few days ago with the end of the month pictures. And I added the ones from Easter last night. So...click on the link (www.picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters), if you wish, and look for "March 2010" and "Easter 2010". Perhaps a new post will be coming soon, but we'll see...I can only do so much. :) Happy Easter!!!

We need a new car!!!

2010-03-21T14:38:00.003-05:00

We sent this picture to our parents and siblings the other day with the subject being, "It could work!" Well, it COULD...but it would be a TIGHT squeeze!!! :) So, we'll see what we can do about that before our new little turkey arrives around Thanksgiving. We're SO EXCITED (and admittedly crazy) about our THIRD BABY being on his/her way!!! Ainsley is clueless of course, but Asher has already been super cute about it! The other day he said, "We're going to have another buddy baby!...And another sister baby!" He's stuck on me having more than one, but at least that was less than the four that he first predicted: "Two more boy babies and two more girl babies." :) And he's offered to share his room with the baby. He thinks it would be great if the baby would sleep with him, so that he (Asher) wouldn't be afraid at night. :) The baby, of course, won't be sleeping with him, but who knows where he/she will end up landing. We'll figure it out! :)

She DID it!!!

2010-03-21T12:53:00.004-05:00

AINSLEY TEE-TEED IN THE POTTY!!!!!! She's been INSISTING on sitting on the little potty the last few days by saying, "Sotty! Sotty! Sotty!" until we entertain her by letting her. And OF COURSE she hadn't actually done anything. She's just now 18 months after all. (Those were our thoughts.) But today, she DID...twice!!! YEA for Ainsley!!! We HOPE that she's going to go ahead and get potty-trained. That would be SO NICE! But we'll see...:) (Asher is another story. We're TRYING!!!)

THANK YOU GRAMMIE AND GRANDAD!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-02-13T12:32:00.001-06:00

Asher and Ainsley had so much fun this morning opening packages that Grammie and Grandad sent in the mail for Valentine's Day! Thank you Grammie and Grandad! They loved it all!!! And Beau and I are excited about our gifts too. :) We'll put it ALL to good use! Thank you for thinking of all of us!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY 2010!!!

The Kiddos

2010-02-05T14:21:00.005-06:00

My kids!!! I love 'em!!! I haven't posted in so long. I've been trying to "get my life together", so this has fallen to the wayside. I hope I don't forget too much. They're such a joy! They're both SO FUNNY and FULL of LIFE - even when we wish they would cool it a little! :)

Ainsley Grace is almost 17 months old and is growing up more every day.
Some things she loves these days:
*Bringing Asher's cowboy boots or rainboots to us to put on her, and then she'll often take one off and just walk around with one on. I don't know why, but it's funny.
*Playing with Allie's old toy kitchen that we recently moved into her room
*Pointing at the coat rack and adamantly requesting (in her unique way/language) that I put her coat and her hat on her and then saying, "Ba-ba" (bye-bye)
*She loves to wear gloves and immediately starts clapping her hands together after I've put them on her, saying, "YA-AY!" (I like it how she can make a one syllable word into two. :))
*Climbing! - up on the couch, Asher's bed, chairs...
*She and Asher have been having fun lately by turning Beau's video rocker (little rocking chair thing that sits on the floor) over and using it as an indoor slide. And it's a good thing, since it's been so COLD outside lately!
*Playing with her bag of 100 balls in her room or in Asher's firetruck tent - kicking them, "swimming" in them
*And OF COURSE playing with Asher!!! They're becoming better and better buddies all the time!!!

Some of the things she's saying:
*Rubbing her hand on her chest ("please" in sign language), exclaiming, "Nya-nya...Nya-nya...Nya-nya!!!" This means that she wants her cup of milk. :)
*"Shsh" - shoes
*"Mommy"!!! - She has, of course, been saying "Mama" for months, but just this week (first from her bed), she started calling, "Mommy."
*"Dae-dee" - baby
*"Dah-dee" - Loki (our dog)
*"Da-da" and "Daddy" - Daddy (She's been saying that forever too.)
*"Ghi-ghi" (or something like that) - blanket
*"A(short "a" sound)-he" - Asher - It's so cute! It had been "Aya" (or something like that), but it's evolving.
*"Eye" - eye - And although she knows where the mouth, nose, ears, and hair are, she says, "Eye" for all of them. :) Just yesterday she started learning where her arms and legs are.
*And she says a ton of things that I understand by tone alone, like when I ask her what a turtle does, and she "says", "Walks very slowly!" There are no words, but we've been saying the same thing the same exact WAY since Asher was a baby, and she has picked up on it. It's hilarious!
*I'm sure there are more things that she's saying, but that's all I can think of for now.

And then there's Asher Case - 3 1/4 (almost) - I was holding him the other day, and it seemed as though I could literally FEEL him getting bigger in my arms! I hated it!!! Of course I want nothing more than for him to be healthy and grow into the man that God has created him to be, but to feel his "littleness" slipping away just KILLS me sometimes!!! BUT...as HE says, "I'm still little...but I AM bigger." I love it that he's still "little" even though he's getting bigger! I love my little first born so much it makes me teary!!! He's absolutely WONDERFUL and LIGHTS up our lives (as Ainsley does!)!!!

*He is WORKING on potty training. He does GREAT sometimes...and sometimes our timing is all wrong! I have to believe that we'll get it ONE day! :)
*He LOVES guns, swords, and cowboy hats!!! He loves watching "The Three Mousketeers" (as he calls it) - sensored, of course - and "The Princess Bride". Much of everyday is spent wearing his blue cape that Uncle Tyler got him for Christmas BACKWARDS (on the front of him), his cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat (that he really wishes had a big feather on the side of it), holding a gun and a sword. He's definitely "Wild at Heart", like the book says. :) Ainsley even likes to pretend with him. It's hilarious! He'll get her, and she'll say, "Aaaah!" and fall on the ground.
*He's started getting a little more into full length movies like "Toy Story", "Toy Story 2", "Monsters, Inc." to name a few.
*He, as always, loves playing outside, and he's getting dirtier than ever, which is just fine by me! I love it!
*He's getting more into building towers with wooden blocks, Legos, and Lincoln Logs.
*He loves his remote control cars and trucks!
*He likes to "help" me cook and switch out laundry (when I'll let him - sometimes I just need some SPACE! :)).
*He LOVES his dog and is getting good at just ducking his head into himself when Loki jumps on him (which we're ALSO working on!). For some reason we haven't been successful at getting Asher to be forceful with Loki yet in saying "no" and popping her on her nose. Instead he just ducks his head. Hopefully we'll solve this problem eventually! :)
*He loves writing and drawing. He writes these letters: H, T, i, S (as of yesterday!), A, L, O. And we've started working through a workbook that helps him learn his letters. We're on "B" so far. :) He seems to be a smart little boy! We just pray for wisdom as we try to parent him in the best way.

Asher went to mother's day out last year and really liked it, but he seems to be in a stage this year where he just needs me, and that's ok with me. I don't completely understand what's going on with him all the time, but it's been interesting to just take life step-by-step with him and Ainsley and try to be sensitive to their individual needs and personalities. He is 100% OUTGOING at home and with those he feels really close to but tends to be on the shy-er side when in a group of people. We're always seeking to make the best choices for him - sometimes to push him a little, because obviously it's good for him to relate with others, but at the same time letting his little personality blossom the way that God intends it to. We started going to the library this past week for story time on Tuesdays and play time on Thursdays, and I am excited about this. It's an opportunity to be in a classroom setting (on Tuesdays) in a way and to have interaction with others but having me there at the same time. I think it's a good fit for him right now, and I'm thankful that God led us to find it. His favorite part about it so far has been the "bear hunt". I'm hoping that he can start tee-ball in the spring, but I still need to check and see what is offered here. He took a tumbling class in the fall and really enjoyed it, but I'd rather find him something that he can take part in with other little boys his age. Girls are fine, but he was the only boy in his class. :)

So that's the scoop on the kiddos. Hopefully I can get some pictures posted soon. Speaking of, I do have PART of our Christmas pics uploaded to Picasa, so if you're interested, go take a look. I hope to get the rest posted soon! Click here if you'd like to see the new ones so far: www.picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters.

A Little About ME... :)

2010-02-05T11:12:00.003-06:00

...since we've been strangers to the bloggy world for a couple of months now. I'm just not good at keeping up. What can I say?

Before I got married and had kids I thought I "had it together" for the most part - as far as feeling somewhat in control of life, keeping a pretty and clean home, etc. Since I've gotten married and had kids, I've been progressively amazed and distraught about who I've "become" in that regard. Over the last year or so, I've been learning a lot about myself through books and FlyLady.com. Some things I already knew, but as I read more, I'm more convinced of different things. Like...that I am a perfectionist, and if I don't feel like I have the time, energy, or "know how" to do something the way it "should" be done, then I feel INCREDIBLY overwhelmed, sometimes a bit depressed, and the end result is that I become "crippled" and don't do anything. Then my house (and everything else) goes down hill until I can pull myself together again. (I will confess that even as I write about this, I feel a little "sheepish" :), because I think I'm "weird", but oh well, this is me...)

Well, I feel like I am rounding a corner and that God is faithfully changing me - little by little. My friend Autumn loaned me a book called Tender Mercy for a Mother's Soul, or something like that. It's been GREAT for me!!! I think every mother can relate to giving, giving, giving, and giving some more, then feeling completely drained, with NOTHING or LESS than nothing left!!! I LOVE my family FIERCELY. I would absolutely NEVER choose another life than the one God has given me!!! I am moved to tears when I think about how MUCH I love Beau, Asher, and Ainsley. I am BLESSED!!! And at the same time, my soul needs to be FILLED by God EVERY day, or I become an unpleasant mess, because no one can give the way a wife and mother are required to (and blessed to) and not feel depleted at the end of the day. Even as I type this, I feel rediculous, because it seems like complete common sense, but it's been the struggle of my life to set aside time every day to give God the place He deserves. Anyway...the book I've been reading deals with making it a priority to get your sould filled by God every day, and I've seen SUCH a difference since I've made that commitment AGAIN in my life. (This whole issue is so much more complex than anything I could ever describe in writing.)

So...I certainly don't have it all "together", which I know is actually a good thing, because it keeps me striving toward the goal of knowing God more every day, but lately my days have looked something like this: Beau takes care of the kids for a while when they wake up, and I stay in bed reading, journaling, and praying. Then sometimes I EVEN take a shower before he gets his turn. :) I am being silly, but this has actually been a really big deal for me to make a conscious effort to get dressed and ready for the day at the BEGINNING of the day like a "normal" person does. :) (I know it would be ideal for me to get up earlier, but I haven't conquered that part yet. :)) Then I go downstairs, feed the kids and myself breakfast (if they haven't eaten yet). Then I get to work. Breakfast dishes done, beds made, straighten anything that needs to be straightened, get the kids dressed, get laundry going, etc. By the time all of that is done, it's usually 10:00 or so, and we generally either go outside and play for a while or go into town for errands or something. And then the rest of the day consists of what you would think it does, fixing meals, playing, changing diapers, potty training (when I remember - we're working on it!), cleaning, dishes, straightening, laundry, naptime, bathtime, bedtime, etc., etc., etc. (You may be wondering why I'm writing a post like this. It may be a little BORING, but it's what's been going on with me, and this is my "journal". :))

So, thanks to God, Autumn for loaning me that book, the lady who wrote the book (I can't think of her name right now), and FlyLady. I am focusing on a few new daily habits that are really helping me a LOT: 1)concentrated (even if not super lengthy) time alone with God, 2)getting ready for the day (not staying in my pjs all day :)), 3)making our beds, 4)keeping the dishes (especially since we don't have a dishwasher) and laundry "done", 5)keeping things picked up, and 6)decluttering for 15 minutes a day. Again, these things seem SO BASIC, I KNOW, but to break it all down has really been helping me. And I also want to say that there are so many more to credit for teaching me these things and encouraging me in them over the course of my life. I've been inspired by countless people and resources throughout my life in these areas...like my MOM! :)

Even as mundane as these things sound, they (and my kids, hubby, and life in general) keep me on my toes! It's a full time job to "keep up", and I'm still trying to figure out the balance of it all, because although I'm happier these days from keeping up with the basics, I'm SO TIRED by mid-afternoon or so, and I haven't quite figured out yet how not to be. I usually try to rest during naptime, and that helps for the afternoon, but then I'm ready to "quit" by 7:00 in the evening. :) Luckily, Ainsley goes to sleep at 7:00, but Asher doesn't. I'll welcome any tips, but maybe being tired is just part of life. :)

Well, I planned to fill you in on the kids too, but I've got to go fix lunch. So...I'll leave you with this for now, and I'll make it a point to update you on them later this afternoon. They're changing every day, and we're loving every minute of it...ok, maybe not EVERY minute of it, but you know what I mean!!! :)

Happy Birthday to Me...and Other Things

2009-12-15T11:04:00.003-06:00

My FAMILY made my birthday very special yesterday!
I LOVE THEM!!!

Memorable Moments: December 6-14, 2009

(previously posted on facebook)

Dec. 6th:

*We've had Hallmark Christmas movies going all evening. I love them! And I got one whole gift wrapped today, but when into Asher's room to make sure his bed was ready for him to go night-night, I found a pile of little pieces of wrapping paper and an UNWRAPPED gift (the one I HAD wrapped). I don't think we're going to be able to put gifts under the tree until we're ready to open them. :(

Dec. 9th:

*Asher calls Loki (our new puppy) his "pal", because "Tuto (Pluto) is Mickey's pal." :)

Dec. 10th:

*Busy week! OKC on Monday to Christmas shop with no kids; kids and Beau to doctors on Tuesday - and grocery shopping; Wednesday - brought new puppy home, and I went to the doc, which means more time at Walmart waiting for prescription; Thursday took Loki to the vet for her first checkup; plus antibiotics for all, breathing treatments for both kids two times a day...

*My kids are cracking me up playing together!

Dec. 11th:

*Asher just said, "You are frustrated to me, Mom." I asked him why, and he said, "Because I don't want you to go on a birthday date." Too bad! Tomorrow, he and Ainsley are staying with our friend Dina, and Beau and I are going to a movie and lunch. Thank you Dina!!! :)

*Asher is holding a cup up to his ear, drumming on it with a straw, and said, "What's that sound?" Well, what do you think it is? Funny question. :) Ainsley is starting to fill things with other things - like wagons with sippy cups and cups with spoons. It's a cute stage.

*Silence. Aaaaaahhhhh... (naptime)

Dec. 13th:

*Ainsley is starting to push her doll stroller around by herself for the first time, which is super cute! But she's getting really upset when she runs into something, because she doesn't know how to turn it - which is NOT super cute. :)

*She's also trying to eat with a fork, but it's not really working. :)

*Low grade fevers for all. :(

*I'm thankful for the RICHNESS that I've been blessed with in my life - my husband, kids, parents, siblings, in-laws, extended family, dear friends. I've been given so many gifts in these people - YOU people!

*Today Asher was talking about the birds that are in the sky with God, and that he could hold the little ones, and I could hold the really big ones. It was pretty funny.

*I think I've decided that what I want just about more than anything is a person who is a professional organizer (like my friend Shannon has) to help me get on top of life. I feel like if I could just get "there" that I could do so much more in this life! It may sound rediculous, but I'm serious!

*This cracks me up. I just read a quote on my friend Brandon's wall: "Sarcasm is the humor of my generation. If that changes in future generations, I'm going to be the meanest grandfather ever." I thought my family would appreciate that! :)

Dec. 14th (My Birthday!):

*I was SO BLESSED by the gazillion well-wishes on facebook. Lots of friends and family helped to make the day super special with those and phone calls. And the kids and Beau gave me a LABEL-MAKER, which I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE!!!!! :)

*It was a bit of a rough first half of the day, since we all had fever and couldn't really go see friends or anything, but the day got better. I got a short nap in the afternoon. The kids and I went on a walk with Loki before it got TOOOO cold. Then Beau surprised me with red roses, chocolate covered cherries, sparkling cider, and a chocolate cake! He even took us to Chili's for dinner. Then we came home, and Asher helped me blow out my candles. It was a special day! :)

*Asher said, "I'm a mousketeer (aka Musketeer), as he was waving his wreath hanger (aka sword).

*Asher was disobeying, so I started counting, "1.2.3. Ok you're getting a spanking." He made a grabbing motion toward me and then threw the imaginary thing he grabbed into the air in the opposite direction. "I threw the three.", he said. Little rascal!

*We're watching Mary Poppins, and Ainsley LOVES it! IT'S SO CUTE!!!

*Asher usually says, "Forse" when he's trying to say "horse". But his Aunt Lee worked with him at Thanksgiving on saying, "H-h-Horse." He's still been saying it with an "f" sound for the most part, but yesterday he said, "Forse. I mean h-h-Horse." It was pretty cute! I told him his Aunt Lee would be proud. But, to be honest, I'll be a little sad when he says everything correctly. :)

That's it for now, folks. Until next time...

Oh! And new pics/videos from the last nine days or so: www.picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/december6142009

P.S. I don't know why I wasn't able to align things on the left in this post. It annoys me, but oh well...:)

Some of My Favs from the Day

2009-12-10T20:41:00.000-06:00

More Looks at Loki

2009-12-09T22:13:00.001-06:00

Ainsley did NOT want to come in!!!

But we didn't want her fingers to fall off, because it was SO COLD!!! :)

Welcome Home Loki!

2009-12-09T21:18:00.003-06:00

We love our new puppy, Loki!

(Beau got the name from Norse mythology, but we're pretending that it's just a cute name.) :)

I had been nervous all weekend about whether or not we made the best decision by adopting her, but I fell in love with her again immediately when I saw her at the shelter this morning.

She's so adorable!!!

Beau hadn't seen her in person yet until this morning, and he thinks she's a GREAT dog too!!!

Ainsley was squealing and jabbering away when she saw her! She couldn't get enough of her!

Asher LOVES getting her to chase him! They're going to be great pals...just like Mickey and Pluto (as Asher brought to my attention tonight)!!!

More pictures to come. I couldn't get more than this to post at a time.

First Week of December Pics/Videos

2009-12-06T13:03:00.002-06:00

Trying to dish it out in smaller doses than my usual HUNDREDS at a time...:)
www.picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/December152009#

Happy December!

2009-12-06T00:47:00.002-06:00

FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER

This is what I've got so far:
Dec. 2nd:
*Asher came to me with his guitar and said, "PLEEEEAAAASE be a rocker. PLEEEEEAAAAASE!!!" So I took his guitar, and he sang in his mic. And his song went something like this: "I love guitars, and Mommies, and Ainsleys, and Daddies. And I love walls, and newspaper, and Osos ("bears" in Spanish, in case you were wondering), and beaches." That kid!
Dec. 3rd:
*I'm shocked that it hasn't been more difficult to keep Ainsley from destroying the tree. She's very interested but mostly really gentle. (And two seconds later I had to chase her down, because she got an ornament off the tree.) :)
*Ainsley's new thing is saying, "This!" about everything.
Dec. 4th:
*Asher just took a ribbon off of an ornament, and I asked him if he did that, and he said, "Yes, I'm a worker." I said, "How did you do that?" He answered, "Because I'm a worker. Workers take fings (things) off of fings." Aha! Good to know!
*Here I sit at naptime enjoying my therapeutic hot chocolate. We have had many fun moments today, but I tell you, I may very well have to be committed before my life on earth is over!
Dec. 5th:
***HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WONDERFUL SISTER AMY!!!!!!***
*We bought our first DOG today!!! She's a four month old German Shepherd/Boxer mix. Very cute, fun-loving puppy. Those are both great breeds, so she should be a wonderful dog for our family...we hope! :) She'll be spayed, then we'll pick her up on Wednesday - an early Christmas gift for the kids. We're very excited!
***HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FANTABULOUS SISTER AMY!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU IMMENSELY!!!!!!!!!!***

November 2009 Waters Fam Pics/Videos

2009-12-02T01:09:00.002-06:00

And here are the latest! Aren't you impressed?! It's just barely December 2nd, and I'm already posting these! www.picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/November2009#

October 2009 Photos and Videos

2009-11-25T09:39:00.001-06:00

Well...I'm almost caught up. Only November to go.
www.picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/October2009#

September 2009 Pictures/Videos

2009-11-25T01:06:00.002-06:00

I'm getting there...Here are the pictures and videos from September 2009 - included are the pics from Ainsley's First Birthday! www.picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/September09#

Colorado Pics...FINALLY!

2009-11-23T10:25:00.002-06:00

Click here to see LOTS of pics from our little family's vacation to Colorado at the end of August - and then a few pictures into the beginning of September as well. Maybe one day I'll get caught up. :) http://picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/COTrip2009AndMiscEndOfAugBeginningOfSept09?feat=directlink#

October 2009 Facebook Status Updates

2009-11-19T14:29:00.003-06:00

I'll post them in the opposite order this time. Which do you think is better?

1st:
*Asher just said, "I'm a little boy, cause I can't draw a M."
*First of all, I feel pretty sure that overalls are completely illegal to wear anymore, and although I haven't pulled them out in a long time, I just needed to today. Sometimes it's just an overall day. And this afternoon, they just seemed so appropriate, as my kids were having so much fun playing outside, in the dirt, with nothing but their diapers on. I loved it! :)
2nd:
*Asher tee-teed in the potty THREE times today so far!!! Later, I did too...and he said, "Great job, Mommy! Now you can get some candy!"
4th:
*I had an EXCELLENT Sunday afternoon nap! They're the BEST kind!!!
5th:
*I told Asher I was going to fix biscuits this morning, and he said, "But not in the oven, I will be hot...in the MICROPHONE!" (He meant microwave...not that one can bake biscuits in the microwave.) :)
6th:
*Ainsley's walking around waving, saying, "Hiiii!" (in a good TX accent), and she figured out how to blow a whistle this morning - all by herself. She's a GENIUS! :)
7th:
*Getting ready to leave for Seattle with my sisters! (The dads are keeping the kids - except for Jacob.) Heading to Em's tonight and to the airport EARLY in the morning! We're so excited!!!
14th:
*My sisters and I had a GREAT trip to the Northwest! Beau did an amazing job with the kids while I was gone!
*Found out Asher has bronchitis - breathing treatments for a week or so.
*Beau is sick too. (The rest of us were soon to follow...)
15th:
*Asher just said, "I'm FRUSTRATED!" (I didn't even know he knew that word.) I said, "What are you frustrated about?" He said, "I KEEP dropping my animal crackers!" Yes, that IS frustrating! :) He then brought me a book, and said, "This isn't frustrated.", then put his bowl of animal crackers next to me and said, "But this is frustrated." That boy! He cracks me up!!!
*Pregnancy and Infant Loss Rememberance Day
*I literally have a pulse in the center of my forehead, and my shoulders need a serious massage! I think those are markers of my stress level. I'm TRYING not to be stressed, but it's not working. Asher's the only one awake and still making noise, and it's even "cute" noise. He's asking me if his drawing is "almost beautiful"...but I'm ready for SILENCE! :)
20th:
*You think you've finally reached a moment of "quiet", and then a kid thinks he has to come play his drum right where you are. Oh well...:)...I wouldn't trade my little ones for anything in the world!!!
*For those of you who know what the top of my refrigerator looked like for two years, it is now CLUTTER-FREE!!! I sang a little tune when THAT happened! It's a MIRACLE!!! :)
*A perfectly blue sky, leaves changing colors and falling to the ground because of the strong breeze, and to top it all off, playing outside with my kids...I love moments like those!
*Two kids asleep.... ssssssssiiiiiiiiiigggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
*I made really yummy meatloaf tonight. Who knew that meatloaf was good?! :)
21st:
*Children can be such little terrors sometimes! How can they be so adorable and conjure up such feelings of love at one moment and be so evil the next? Don't worry, I say this with a smile on my face...kind of. :)
*Off to eat coconut meringue pie (my FAVORITE!!!!!!!), wrap up in a quilt, and watch something on tv. PLLLLLEEEEEAAAASSSSEEEE don't wake up children! (It didn't happen...Ainsley woke up RIGHT when I hit "share".)
22nd:
*We just filled the firetruck tent with pillows and had storytime. It was so fun! :)
*Yesterday, as we were driving into town, Asher said to me, "When you were a little boy, and I was a mommy, I was driving you, Dr. Wilson fixed you, and you got a sucker!" Then he started talking about everything we don't eat. "We don't eat old food. We don't eat grass. We don't eat those signs...those lights...those cars...those trucks..." You get the picture. It was a good "lesson" for us all. :)
25th:
*Asher and Ainsley are up WAY too early this morning, and Asher said, "Do you want to play with me?" I said, "I'm enjoying sitting right here right now." Which he replied to, "I'd rather you play with me." "I'D RATHER!" So funny hearing that come out of a little guy's mouth! Then I needed to change his diaper, and he said, "In a minute. I need to do something really cool first." At least he's funny! :)
28th:
*Ainsley keeps walking behind the arm of the couch, peeking over, and saying, "Boo! Hahahaha!" It's so funny!
*Asher was outside playing, then came to the door saying, "Mommy, there are bugs EVERYWHERE! GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!" It was really funny! And, by the way, there were NOT bugs EVERYWHERE! There was ONE on his tractor - and it was dead! We're trying to toughen him up! :)
*I know this is gross, but it's funny. First of all, sometimes Asher calls his boogers his "hamburgers". Secondly, he just said that his boogers were sad, because they wanted to stay in his nose. Who ever thought of their you-know-whats having feelings before?! :)
29th:
*Ainsley is holding a stuffed duck up by her head, rocking back and forth, and singing to it. It's so cute!
*We're in the process of taking down our HIDEOUS vertical blinds and putting up curtains upstairs - FINALLY! This makes me VERY HAPPY!

And that's October, folks! More to come...

November 2009 - Facebook Status Updates I Don't Want to Forget

2009-11-19T10:23:00.006-06:00

I've been out of the loop for WAAAAAYYYYY too long as far as blogging goes. I think I got behind when we went to Colorado, so I keep thinking I need to "catch up" before I can blog. I've decided that's a bad idea. So, here's a start. Memorable moments from November (so far) that I recorded on facebook...so I wouldn't forget. Now...just in case facebook deletes my status updates, and for the sake of those who aren't on fb, here are those memories. :) And HOPEFULLY...I will get the other MONTHS recorded sometime soon!

19th:
*Asher was looking through a book, naming lots of animals, but when he got to a dragonfly and a moth he didn't recognize, he called them "put-put" and "tuk-tuk". Sound good to me. :)
*Ainsley is spinning around in her cupcake pajamas, getting dizzy, falling down, and laughing. She's never gotten dizzy before. It's quite entertaining! :)
18th:
*Asher just said, "Y as in yes. And now he's peeking over the computer screen at me saying, "Sir, do you have any money?"
*Asher's new thing is begging me to go upstairs - without him. And I know what he's up to! He wants to climb up on the kitchen counter and get candy, but he knows he's not supposed to. Little toot!
*"Children, obey your daddy and mommy ALL the time, for this makes God happy." (Colossians 3:20, paraphrased, of course) I told Asher this is what God tells us in the Bible, and he thoughtfully said, "That makes sense."
*Asher put on his OWN sock this morning - ALL BY HIMSELF!!! I said, "Open the hole and put your toes in.", and he DID!!!
*I think it's significant that when I'm cradling my baby girl in my arms, our hearts are almost touching.
17th:
*Sometime between 7:30 and 8:00, Ainsley found her special blanket and paci all by herself, came over to Beau and laid her head down. She was practically begging to go night-night. (She normally goes to sleep at 7:00.) It was so sweet!!!
*Asher is wearing batman pjs tonight, but with his blanket wrapped around his shoulders like a cape, he said he was "BLANKET MAN" - which is very appropriate for him, because he LOVES his "blue blankets", as he calls his two silky, soft blue blankets. :) I love that he's entering the stage of dress-up and make-believe!!! It melts my heart! :)
*Our fireplace is now gone from our living room! Beau and Randy moved it out this morning. Now we have a little more ROOM!
*Ainsley just came and piled up eight shoes beside me - one by one. She was so proud of herself everytime she would go get one and bring it back for the pile. :)
16th:
*Ainsley has lately been "Jame" (not "Jane") to Asher. Now it's "Jamea". I love his growing imagination!
*I have a wonderful husband! Yesterday he stayed home from church with the kids, since Asher had been sick and Ainsley was sleeping, and when I got home, he was finishing up fixing lunch - tilapia, corn, and toast. Then he EVEN did the dishes! It was a GREAT surprise!!!
*Asher asked me, "Do you have a diaper?" I said, "I did when I was a baby." He replied, "Oh, cute!"
14th:
*I love my kids more than I could ever express, but like I told a friend this evening...Mommies get no rest!
*Just made my first craigslist sell! I'm so excited!!!
13th:
*Sick baby boy! He's just crying, because he says his mouth and tummy hurt!
*I worked so hard to finish something before lunch, JUST so I could MARK IT OFF my to-do list, and when I went to mark it off, I hadn't even written it ON the list!!! SO disappointing! :)
*I said, "Asher, you have the grossest dad in the whole world!" He replied, "Thanks!" That kid doesn't know when it's a compliment and when it's not! :)
*My babies are playing outside ALONE! I love it that Ainsley's getting to a stage where that is somewhat possible!!! Don't worry...the door is open, and I'm right beside them! :)
*Asher quotes of the day (so far...and all unrelated): "This room looks great!" (speaking of the living room that I straightened this morning); "He wants his kids." (referring to a daddy long-legs); "I think she likes me! My brother likes me!" (talking about Ainsley - his SISTER) :)
9th:
*We're settled into our hotel room. It's funny what a great time the kids are having in a new place with no toys - just space, closet, nooks, etc.
5th:
*My husband surprised me with sterling (light purple, thornless) roses and a really sweet card today...just because! He knew I was having a hard morning, and he wanted to make me happy. I cried...happy tears. :)
4th:
*Asher was talking about driving HIS car to HIS football game, so I asked him how old he would be when he could drive, and he said, "Three." We love his "stories" that are becoming more elaborate every day! :)
*I'm off to take a walk with the kids. We ALL need to get out of the house!!! :)

New Waters July/August Pics

2009-10-06T23:13:00.001-05:00

I'm getting a LITTLE closer to being caught up with editing/uploading our pics. Take a look at the latest if you'd like to: http://picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/JulyAugust09?feat=directlink

Ainsley's First Birthday Party Pictures

2009-09-20T19:44:00.002-05:00

My friend Shannon was SO SWEET to bring her camera to Ainsley's party yesterday (even though I didn't even ask her), and she took these GREAT pictures! I love them! Thank you Shannon!!! Ainsley was the perfect birthday princess. :)

You'll have to click on these two links separately to see all the pictures.
#1: http://smilebox.com/playEmail/4d5445304e544d794e6a4a384d5467334d6a637a4e6a673d0d0a&sb=1
#2: http://smilebox.com/playEmail/4d5445304e544d304f545a384d5467334d6a637a4e6a673d0d0a&sb=1

Then and Now

2009-09-18T11:52:00.000-05:00

The Difference One Year Can Make...

Ainsley's First Couple of Days

2009-09-18T10:35:00.000-05:00

Ainsley Grace is ONE Today!!!

2009-09-18T09:58:00.000-05:00

Our baby girl is turning ONE YEAR OLD today!!!

I can't BELIEVE it! This year has gone by INCREDIBLY FAST!!! We love her like crazy, and we've had so much fun with her over this past year! She's growing up so much lately! Yesterday we counted her take 14 steps! She's starting to talk a little bit more. This morning, she walked up to Asher and me and said, "Hi!", while waving. It was so cute. :) She can eat almost anything without it being cut up in small pieces. She loves to make us laugh! And her hair is getting a little longer...SLOWLY but surely. :) And yet, she's still my little baby. I was just savoring this morning how when I take her in her room to put her down to go to sleep, I sit down in her chair with her for a minute before laying her down, and she instantly lays her head on my chest, wraps her arms around me, and just relaxes completely. Those are some of my favorite moments to share with her every day! She's pretty much just altogether GREAT and PRICELESS!!!

WE LOVE YOU AINSLEY GRACE!!!!
You're our little princess!
Happy FIRST birthday Baby Girl!

New Waters June/July Pics and Videos

2009-09-16T19:46:00.003-05:00

They're getting uploaded...slowly but surely. Only two and half months behind now. :) Here are our family's pics and videos from June-July 4th. As always, enjoy as many or as few of them as you'd like. :) There are lots! http://picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/JuneJuly42009?feat=directlink

Where do I begin???

2009-08-16T14:04:00.004-05:00

NOTE: I wrote this entry a few WEEKS ago - BEFORE our vacation to CO, because I kept meaning to "finish" it. I never did finish it, but I'll go ahead and post it anyway. I'll try to get better in the blog-world...AGAIN! :)

Well, it's been a while! When I get busy like I have been lately, and I haven't had much time to get on the computer, I get a little overwhelmed when I think about "catching up" on my blog (and others' blogs) and facebook. But I suppose I'll just go for it and see what comes out. :)

I think since the last time I blogged, we've had several visitors. My sister Amy and her kids came around the last of July or so (I think - I've lost track. :)). We had such a fun time! Some of the highlights were going to a waterpark about an hour away and Beau taking us all tubing on the lake. Asher even tubed with me (as Beau drove the boat VERY slowly of course!) and loved it!

A few weekends ago, we went rafting with our Sunday school class down the Illinois River. It was a nice, slow trip down the river, so Asher got to join us for that too. It was a very beautiful area, and Asher had a lot of fun. But he did get a little tired and bored by the end. He even fell asleep for a while - first on the floor of the raft, then he slept in my arms for a while longer. I don't know if I would do it again, just because there were lots of things around us that were very distasteful to say the least. But we're glad we got to spend a fun day with some friends and get to know a few people better!

A couple of weeks ago, Beau's parents brought us our car and picked up their truck. Mark did a lot of work on our car and had some work done on it too! Thank you so much Mark!!! And thank you Barbara for letting us use your truck while it was getting fixed! We appreciate y'all SO MUCH!!! And it was great to see them! Their visit was perfect timing for helping our friend Dina move. Beau and Mark also fixed our water heater. And the kids loved playing with their Grammy and Grandad!!!

That same week after Mark and Barbara had gone home, I spent some more time helping Dina move. Then Friday, the kids and I left to go to their cousin Claire Bear's 3rd birthday party. It was a fun time with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Then Saturday, we headed to Waco to spend the week with my parents. We see my parents fairly often but hardly ever get to go to Waco, so it was really special to be at my old "home" - with my old parents...just kidding Mom and Dad. You're not OLD! Sunday morning we went to church. It was a great service, and as always I loved seeing lots and lots of old friends! The rest of the week was spent seeing Coby, Adrielle, and the girls, and a few other friends. I loved seeing all of them and catching up. I don't usually get to spend much time with friends when I go home, because I'm always there for some family event - which is great :), but it was fun to see a few of my close friends! Hopefully I'll get to see more of my old, close friends around the holidays!!!

.....So that's my "unfinished" post. I'll work on updating now. :)

FUNNY!

2009-07-27T15:08:00.000-05:00

Asher Case

2009-07-22T20:43:00.003-05:00

Asher has started saying things like : "by the way", "actually", and "Can you mind to put this on your face?" (pointing to the sunscreen that was setting on the bathroom counter). He also said several times today, "It's a nice day." And many of those times was as he was floating on his back in the bathtub - with an "Ahhhh..." before the sentence. It's so fun to hear him trying to talk like we do. :)

He took his first road-trip without us last week! And he did GREAT! Our friend Dina was going to her daughter-in-law's baby shower fairly near Livingston, where Beau's parents live. So Asher rode with her on the six hour drive to see his Grammie and Grandad for the weekend. He was only there for one full day (two nights), and he didn't miss us at all! :) Next time, maybe it can be longer. But we missed HIM!!! It was nice to have special time with Ainsley, though. Thank you Dina, Mark, and Barbara!!! It was such a fun weekend for him!

Today he went to work with his daddy. :) Beau had to drive to Tulsa to pick up some parts for something, so Asher went with him. They had a fun time together, and I got a LOT done around here! It was needed BADLY!!! So badly, in fact, that I held my hand up and made a vow to Beau that I would work as steadily as possible ALL day long today (with NO computer breaks)! :) It worked. The house isn't perfect by any means, but I got a lot done!

And tonight Uncle Tyler (Beau's brother) is here. He's never gotten to come see us in Oklahoma before, so we're really happy to see him!!!

New May Pics...

2009-07-10T16:29:00.002-05:00

New Waters family pics from May '09. June is on its way... http://picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/May2009
NOTE: There are a billion! Look as quickly as you want, or take your time...it will probably take lots of it. Sorry! If you skip the videos, that will help. :)

I Don't Want to Forget...

2009-07-10T10:21:00.004-05:00

*We were talking about fire ants, and how Cooper got in fire ants a while back. And Asher said, "When we were at Poppie's and Gibbie's, and we were playing in the sparkle?" #1: Good memory! #2: SPARKLE?! That's the cutest name for a sprinkler I've ever heard! :)
*We had been looking at pictures of Asher when he was a baby the other night, from when we lived at our old house, and in some of those pictures, he was playing in a little blue inflatable swimming pool. So, the other day, we were driving, and he saw a blue swimming pool in someone's yard and said, "Is that my old little blue swimming pool at our other house?" We love where we are, but sometimes I really miss where we were!!!
*We're borrowing Beau's mom's truck right now while his dad fixes our car, and today when Beau drove up in it, Asher said, "Did you drive your mom's truck?" Funny. :)
*Ainsley's got on a shirt today that has polk-a-dots on it, and when I put it on her, Asher said, "Are those her princess polk-a-dots?" Awwwww...
*As Beau drives off for work, Asher yells, "Be careful!"
*The bridge we normally drive across to get home from town has been closed down a lot lately, and yesterday when we drove across a different bridge, Asher very excitedly said, "The bridge is open! YEA!!!!" He cracks me up.

Just a few things I wanted to remember...

News Flash!!!

2009-07-08T18:56:00.003-05:00

Ainsley has been saying "Mama" for quite a while now, but we haven't been SURE that she has said "Dada"...UNTIL just a few minutes ago!!! We're so happy. :) Especially Beau! I was sitting downstairs with her, and she was looking up at our landing, as if she was looking FOR something, and she started saying, "Dada. Dada." She was looking for Beau. It was too cute! :)

Our Kids

2009-07-08T16:10:00.007-05:00

ASHER CASE

*Asher said, "I got an ant. I see his face and his legs. They're so little. But he'll eat food and get big, then he can play basketball." - or something like that. Then he thought for a minute and said, "No. He not play basketball."
*I mentioned something about Grandad (Beau's dad) fixing our car, and Asher said, "Daddy's dad?" He's starting to get connections better. The other day he said, "Daddy was a little baby, and Grammy held him."
*"I do it all my byself." (the "m" and "b" intentionally switched)
*He has started saying "music" instead of "sumic". I hate it! I want him to call it "sumic" forever! :)
*On that same note of reversing letters...We have a summer staffer here named Fisa, and Asher called him "Sifa". It's so interesting how his little brain switches things.
*Our conversation yesterday:
A: Where is Santa Claus?
M: At his house in the North Pole.
A: In the swimming pole? He took his shirt off, and you can see his armpits.
I thought I was going to lose it! That's hilarious! Has ANYONE in the whole wide world ever mentioned Santa's armpits before? I doubt it! :)

AINSLEY GRACE

*Her fifth tooth is breaking through (top middle right).
*She's having more fun playing, since she can move around more now.

*She still usually falls asleep easily in her bed when I put her down, but it's getting a little trickier at times, because she'll sit up or stand up and then not know what to do with herself.

That's all I've got for now, folks. Happy July 8th!

Movin' On Up!

2009-07-04T23:39:00.002-05:00

We (the kids and I) got home yesterday from spending the week with my sister Emily and her family. While we were there, Ainsley really started blossoming! She had pulled up a few times before we went there, but it really became easy to her during our stay. And she is FINALLY crawling! She's only really taken off on a "long" stretch of carpet once that I've seen, but she's on the move! That happened about three days ago. Two days ago, she started "cruising" - walking along furniture while holding on. And yesterday she had her first meal of adult food - green beans, pork chops, and crescent rolls - all cut up in TINY pieces, of course! :) And she's lovin' all of it! She's become even more content in general just because she's starting to have more to DO. It's really fun!

Asher had a great time with his cousin "Claire Bear" - except when he didn't, because they're TWO! :) They really did have a good time together, but they had countless run-ins...like the time when Claire was saying, "You're a-dor-a-ble." to him, and he was saying, "No." And then they kept saying the SAME things to each other back and forth and back and forth a million times until they were almost screaming at each other: "YOU'RE A-DOR-A-BLE!" "NOOOOO!" They are too cute, but ohhhh...it's hard to teach little people how to communicate effectively! :)

We loved being there, though! Baby Jacob, my new nephew, is SO SWEET! I loved taking care of him some in the mornings and when all the other kids were down for naps in the afternoon, so Emily could get some extra sleep. He loves being swaddled, given his paci, and held close - or laid on his side in his boppy. :) He's such a little, blue-eyed sweety! I miss him already! And of course, I always love being with my sister! We even got to go on a double date one night: Allan and Emily, and Jacob and me!

The day before we came home, we also got to see several relatives on Beau's side of the family. It was so special to see them all for a little while! Beau's dad's cousin, Kathy, her husband and their new baby were coming through town, so as many family members that were around got together for lunch. It was great to see everyone at Larry's and Mary's house - or "Uncle Mary's" as Asher said. :)

Today we had a low-key day at home for most of the day, which was nice. Then this evening, we went to the Expo with our friends, the Wilsons, for the kids to do some fun activities: little carnival-type games and inflatables, and to watch our local fireworks show. The kids both really liked the fireworks! Ainsley liked them so much, she couldn't stop clapping. :) And we had fun spending time with friends!

And here's a bit of humor for you: A little history first...I have a TERRIBLE memory. Really! I do! And it's not that hard to imagine me really losing it one day. Some of you know I'm not kidding. :) And I LOVE cute little dogs like lhaso apsos! So, tonight, someone was selling cute little puppies like those, and I was oohing and ahhing over them. Beau told me not to even think about it or something like that. And I told him that one day he would surprise me with one -
"even if it's when I'm 75 or something", I said. And he said, "When you're 75, I'll hand you a crumpled up piece of paper, and you'll think it's a dog." Maybe you would have had to have been there, but it was really funny. :) He cracks me up!

So with that, I'll say...HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!! And good night.

What kind of blogger AM I?! :)

2009-06-23T15:25:00.003-05:00

So, I've been "out" for a while. I'm back...again. :) Here's a little run-down of what's been going on since I last posted.

Wednesday, the 10th, Ainsley and I left the boys here with Grammy and arrived at Emily's about 30 minutes before a tornado hit their NEIGHBORHOOD...and not only their neighborhood, but a house in front of theirs and trees behind their house. It literally JUST missed their house! It was CRAZY, and we were so thankful for God's peace and protection!

Emily was induced the next morning, and Jacob Allan - my new nephew - arrived at 1:51pm! He weighed 8 lbs., 15.4 oz.!!! He's a chub just like his cousin Ainsley. :) He actually broke the record for the biggest great-grandbaby for my grandparents (my Mom's parents). Emily did a great job, and we were AGAIN so thankful for God's protection! Emily hemmoraghed REALLY BADLY after Claire's birth, so we were a little nervous this time. But everything went perfectly, and she and Jacob both are as healthy as can be!

I forgot to mention that on the way to Emily's house, I decided that our air conditioner in our car was officially BROKEN! I stopped and bought a bottle of cold water to put in Ainsley's car seat with her to cool her off. How pathetic is that?! :) Anyway, so after braving a very early morning drive home on Sunday morning (so that it wouldn't be so hot), we were reunited with Daddy, Asher, and Grammy. Asher had a blast with his Daddy and Grammy, and we are SO grateful to her for coming all the way here to do that for us! Then she stayed for a couple more days and got some good time with Ainsley too.

We rented a car on Tuesday to take Beau's mom to the airport and dropped our car off to get fixed that same day. After dropping Barbara off, I even braved a small trip to Sam's (for the camp canteen) with BOTH kids. It was successful. We did it! Ainsley in the Baby Bjorn and Asher on foot. THEN we stopped at Best Buy right quick before we came home for Beau's Father's Day gift (and a phone charger, because I forgot mine in TX). I was feeling really adventurous that day. :) And I was GLAD when we got HOME!!! :)

Since then we discovered that our car was going to be a bit expensive to fix, which we weren't sure if it was worth it to get it fixed, since it's already nearing the end of its life. So we've gone back and forth about what to do. Finally, we decided to go ahead and get it fixed, because summer is no time for Beau to be car-shopping. He has NO time for that with camp going on! So once the car place gets a compressor in (long story...), they will fix it, and we will once again have a car. In the meantime, the kids and I are spending a lot of time at home. But that's ok. We were supposed to leave yesterday for Emily's again. I was going to go help out this week, but because we have no car, and because Asher had a fever of 103 in the middle of the night two nights ago, we are going to wait until next week.

We had a nice Father's Day with Beau. We gave him his gifts and breakfast, went to church, ate at Chili's for lunch, then came home and had a relaxing rest of the day. I even played "The Game of Life" on the computer with him again, which he really enjoyed. :) He's such a gamer! He had a good day - and that's what matters. :) We love him, and he's an AWESOME dad to our kids!!!

And now we're just doing what we do: napping (the kids, not so much me!), eating, diapering, bathing, grocery shopping, playing, and such... And Ainsley has really started "growing up" on us the last few days. She started playing peek-a-boo on Father's Day - just for Beau, I'm sure! It's SO CUTE! The way it started was...she was sitting in her highchair, and she put her hands on her head - for no real reason. And all of a sudden, it was like a lightbulb lit up in her head, and she got a big smile on her face. Then she started putting her hands, fingers spread wide, up to her face (sometimes, if she was lucky, covering her eyes), then she jerks them away from her face with a huge smile. I love it! She's also been really working on crawling and pulling up. Granted, she doesn't have either one of them down yet, but it's fun watching her try. She has been successfully making it up on her knees more in the last couple of days, and today she even made it to her feet once and was SO surprised and happy about it! She'll also "walk" when I'm holding her hands - much to ASHER'S enjoyment! He REALLY likes it that his baby sister is starting to "do" stuff! She's also getting really good at eating cheerios, and the magical "puffs" were introduced today. I can't believe she's already nine months old!!! This is a really fun age! She's been bonding more with her daddy in the last couple of days too, which we ALL love! :) AND...at her nine month appointment she weighed 20lbs. 15oz., I think. And she had LOST a few ounces since an appointment at the end of May. She's really "slimming up". (not really!)

Asher is doing great too. Getting smarter by the day - communicating better and better. No specific stories come to mind, although I'm sure there are countless ones to be told. He loves "working" with his daddy when he gets the chance. Actually, he loves doing just about anything to be like him! And he's a great big brother to Ainsley! Although he says that he's not "big". It's true. He's "wittle", and I'm glad. :)

And that's what I'll leave you with. Beau has had quite a "DAY" at work and is still gone. I'm so sorry for HIM, and I'm so ready for these kids to be asleep! Well, Ainsley actually faded early tonight, so she IS asleep, and thankfully Asher's nap was ruined today, so he'll be asleep soon too. :) I love 'em, but it's nice when the day is "done"! So, I hope you all have a good evening and get breaks from whatever/whoever it is you need breaks from! :)

I'm Here...

2009-06-07T22:13:00.002-05:00

This won't be very in depth, but I wanted to say that I am still here! =) I hadn't put my finger on WHY I have been so out of the loop lately - until the other day when Beau said that it was because he's been so busy that he hasn't been able to relieve me. And I do believe he was correct. Things are going well at the camp so far this summer. Beau has had his plate very, very full and has been working even more hours than usual. He's been stressed off and on, but things are SOOOO MUCH better than last summer! The help he has maintaining the grounds and facilites and our three cooks (vs. ONE last summer) has made ALL the difference! Not to mention that it's not our first summer this year. That helps too.

He was actually able to take this weekend off - the first days he's had completely off in quite some time, and it was great! We relaxed for most of the day yesterday, then left the kids with a couple of girls who live near us, and we went to dinner and a movie. Things have been so busy lately that it felt like a "real date". It was so nice! Then today we went to church, put the kids down for naps, played "The Game of Life" together on the computer for a couple of hours (which is kind of a funny thing to do, I think), then we cooked out with the summer staff, went swimming, and played sand volleyball...well, Beau played, Ainsley and I watched until she fell asleep in the Baby Bjorn, and Asher had a great time "fetching" the ball when it was hit out of the court and playing with Gracie - an eight year old girl who is out here for the whole summer. So it's been a good weekend.

Tomorrow I've got to get busy. Beau's mom, Grammy, is coming on Tuesday to stay with Asher (and Beau :)) while Ainsley and I are gone to TX for the birth of my newest nephew, Jacob Allan! He's going to be here on Thursday!!! So I've got to make sure things are in order here before I leave on Wednesday. (I'll be back Saturday night or Sunday for those of you friends who are wondering. :))

So that's us in a nutshell. I hope you're all doing well!!!

Adventure!

2009-05-23T23:09:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we took the kids on four wheelers! (Don't worry, we were careful...) It was so fun!!! Ainsley was with me in her Baby Bjorn, and Asher rode in front of Beau. We were out for an hour and a half or so, and we just rode around on trails here at the camp, then went to a park near here on the lake. I had one of those two-kids-doesn't-sound-so-bad moments. I mean, what would we have done if we were outnumbered? It was a "perfect" outing! =) It made me excited about all the fun things we can do with them as they get older. (Who knows what will happen, but I would be surprised if they end up being our only two...just for the record. =))

On a different note, I think Ainsley's chub may be keeping her from crawling, but she's working on it (crawling, that is...not her "chub"). For the past few days she's been scooting on her bottom - which is funny. And yesterday she started scooting backwards on her tummy. At least she's moving. =)

The other day I was snapping my fingers, and a couple of days ago she started "snapping" hers. Brilliant baby! =)

Oh! Another funny memory that I was telling Beau about yesterday and realized that I had never recorded was about Asher. One day he asked me, "Where's Barbara?" I said, "Who's Barbarba?" He said matter of factly, "Grammy." It's true. Barbara is Grammy. Funny kid!

And one more thing of noteworthiness...Numbers have really been clicking for Asher lately for some reason, and he's been working on recognizing how many fingers we're holding up and learning to hold a certain number of fingers up himself. Yesterday he held up five fingers on one hand and one on the other and said, "Five and one makes six." He amazes us all the time!

Today the rest of our summer staff is arriving. We're excited to get this summer started!

And...

2009-05-21T20:23:00.002-05:00

I forgot yesterday, but Ainsley is also saying "Mama" now!!! Her FIRST WORD!!! She has been making the ma, ba, da, la, and ya sounds, but just this weekend we decided that she's actually associating ME with "Mama". I LOVE it! =)

And another sweet thing about Asher...Yesterday Beau was starting to get really stressed about a few things that were going wrong here at the camp - one of those being our broken (again!) mower. Asher heard him talking about it, and said, "I fix the mower with my screwdriver and my hammer. Where the mower? I fix it for you." He went upstairs and got his toolbox. He was serious! He was going to fix that lawn mower! It was so cute and sweet!!! It melted Beau's heart...and mine!

I've mentioned before Asher's love for sports, and today we went and bought him his first baseball, glove, bat, and tee. He's been playing his heart out ever since we got home - except for naptime. Tonight we have five of our summer staff guys over here. We cooked out, and I think they all took a turn at playing baseball with Asher. He's about to have PLENTY of playmates for the summer! We're excited that this time of year is here!!!

Until next time...

(By the way, the mower is fixed now. But Asher wasn't the one who did it. =))

New Things!

2009-05-20T12:51:00.003-05:00

Ainsley has started doing several new things since Friday! It's so fun!
*Friday: My mom was making a popping sound at Ainsley with her mouth. Does that make sense??? And she started COPYING her!!! She hadn't really copied us yet...and she'd never done that with her mouth either!
*Sunday: She was playing peek-a-boo on her own. She would pull the blanket over her head, then pull it down and smile really big!
*Monday: She tried to clap while watching Asher and me clap!
*Today: She started WAVING while watching her daddy and us wave at her!

YEA AINSLEY!!!

And here are some Asher Funnies too:
*We've been teaching him not to say, "Oh my God.", because we believe you should only say God's name when you're talking to Him or about Him. So it's been a very big deal to him, and we like to talk about what we CAN say: "Oh my!" "Oh my goodness!" "Oh my gosh!" "Oh my peas!" "Oh my chinny-chin chin!" (both from one of his shows, "Super Why") Anyway...the other day I was listening to a song in the car that said, "Hosanna" in it a lot, and he asked what Hosanna meant, and I told him that it's another name for God. (Now I know that it's actually an expression of praise to God. I had forgotten. But for these purposes, we'll pretend that it's another name for God.) So yesterday, seeing what he could get away with, he said, "Oh my Hosanna!" It was REALLY FUNNY! But I didn't let him know that. I just told him that he can't say that either! =) Little rascal!
*Today he was playing like he was talking on the phone, and he said, "This is Crosstimbers." - just like Daddy. =)
*We sing a song that we stole from the Powells, and in it, we sing, "You're my pumpi-umpi-umpkin..." This morning, I said, "Hi pumpi-umpi-umpkin." And he said, "I'm not Poppie-Poppie-umpkin (Poppie is my dad.). I'm Asher-Asher-umpkin!" Too cute!

And a side-note: Yesterday we got to go to Dusty's state track meet, and he WON!!! He's the state champion in shot put for Division 1 jr. high boys in Oklahoma!!! Way to go Dusty!!! I loved being at the track meet, because I loved track in school. And Asher loved it too! He even got to "run on the track" when we were crossing it to go see Dusty. He thought that was really cool!

Besides all of that, we had a successful trip to TX - tiring but worth it! =) And now we're so happy to be home with Beau!!! Speaking of...a few of our summer staffers arrived Monday, and the rest will arrive this weekend or this coming Monday. Things are picking up! Please pray for Beau! He's doing well! Staying sane so far. But this is crunch-time, and it tends to get extremely stressful during these few weeks. Thankfully, he has help this year, and it's our second summer here, so things are already going SO MUCH better than last year!!!

Had to share about my little girl who is turning into such a fun little thing...and of course our Asher! They light up our lives! =)

Cooper

2009-05-14T09:31:00.003-05:00

I'm at my sister's house taking care of her kids while she and her hubby are livin' it up in Mexico. I've got to document a couple of funny things that Cooper has said so that I don't forget. He's a funny kid!

*On our way to his blastball game yesterday, I told him that he was cute. He said, "It's 'cause I've got my awesome Mudcats clothes on!"

*I gave them all notes from their mom, and his was signed something like, "I love you Baby, Mommy". And he said, "Why'd she call me 'baby'?" I said, "Because you ARE her baby." "No I'm not." "You'll ALWAYS be her baby!" And he said, "SHE thinks that!" =)

*Yesterday he said, "I've never taken care of myself before." I said, "Oh, you don't have to take care of yourself, I'll take care of you." He said, "I don't like it when people take care of me." Last night when I was putting him down for the night, I said, "Thanks for letting me take care of you." (not thinking of our earlier conversation) And he said, "Remember, I'm taking care of myself."

I'm very thankful that I am able to "take care" of my pseudo-kids. It's interesting overseeing five, but we're making it (although I don't know HOW we would have last night without Emily and Allan!!!)! I love my niece and nephews very much!!! =)

April Pics

2009-05-09T19:47:00.000-05:00

Click on the link to see our April pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/April09#

Enjoy! =)

We Love Texas!

2009-05-09T15:05:00.003-05:00

I can't figure out how to post a video to my blog, so just click on this link to see Asher say the chant that we say every time we drive into TX. It's so darn cute (WE think! =))!

"We love Texas, yes we do! We are Texans through and through! Yea Texas!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FObHAJvMi28

Cuties!

2009-05-08T14:11:00.002-05:00

Ainsley has been "blowing raspberries" for a week or two now, but just yesterday she started TRYING to ENTERTAIN us!!! It's SO FUNNY! Her two favorite things to do to make us laugh are blowing raspberries while squinting her eyes and doing her "laugh" that I talked about in the last post. That girl! Also, she's still not really moving anywhere - as far as crawling or anything, but yesterday she was sitting beside me on the couch and turned to the side and lunged herself onto me. That's a step! =) And this morning, she had her first bath where she sat up and really played with toys. She loved it! She's getting so old! =)

And Asher...oh Asher...my little heart melter! Last night I was getting dressed for Dusty's 8th grade graduation (Congratulations Dusty!!!), and Asher said, "Mommy, you look BEAUTIFUL! You have a BEAUTIFUL dress!!!" I love my boy! =)

My Two Favorite Kids

2009-05-05T15:59:00.002-05:00

I LOVE THESE TWO KIDS!!!

This one has been cracking me up lately (of course!)!

Little things like:
*When he is going to play baseball, he has to wear his baseball cap. If he is playing some other sport, he usually takes it off. If I am going to take a picture of him, he usually turns it around backwards (because it's "cute", you know). It's so funny!
*I need to post some pictures of him in his "working hat" too. He's been pretending so much lately. He'll put on this "trucker-looking" hat (which he calls his "working hat"), and say, "I'm going back to work." And yesterday he did that, then said, "Oh. I need my boots." So he had his red rain boots on and his trucker hat with a Stihl chainsaw on the front of it, and said, "Ok, I'm going back to work now."
*He's getting better and better at knowing what he can and can't eat or drink because of his allergies, so the other day, we were kind of playing a "game" with him asking him if he can have "this" or "that", and Beau asked him if he could eat sticks. He said, very seriously, "Yes." We laughed, and said, "People don't eat sticks." He was very confused and said, "I can eat fish sticks." Funny!
*We were sitting at the table yesterday, and he said, "I love you THIS MUCH!" - as he stretched out his arms. We went back and forth a few times and added our hand motions with it. Then I said, "You melt my heart!" And the next time I said that I loved him, he said, "You make my heart!" Sigh...I loved it! He DOES melt my heart!!!

One of my FAVORITE pictures of Ainsley so far!

She's getting funnier and funnier too!
*She likes to turn her tongue sideways in her mouth a lot, and it cracks me up.
*She's been opening her mouth really wide and letting out the funniest laugh. It's almost like she's pretending to laugh. I don't know how to describe it, but when she does it, we ALL laugh!
*She weighed 21.3 lbs. one week ago (at seven and a half months!)! =)
*She LOVES her daddy and her big brother - in small doses. =) But she still loves me the most - which is sweet and tiring all at the same time! =)
*She's a GRABBER! She's getting really good at grabbing whatever it is she's got her eye on! (We're trying to teach Asher to not get things close to her if he doesn't want her to have it, because she grabs it, he yanks it back, then we have a sad baby on our hands. And of course, we're also always teaching him about being kind and sharing too. =))

We're doing well...kind of (trying to get rid of ear infections and colds!). We are very blessed and happy...for the most part (because who is REALLY happy ALL the time?! =)). Beau is gearing up for the summer, and we are so thankful for Randy and B.J. who are both such HUGE helps at the camp. And we're striving to improve our lives daily by letting God be God in and through us (easier said than done...)! We hope you're doing well too!!!

Happy May!

P.S. I know that my alignment is weird in this post. Blogger wouldn't let me fix it for some reason. =)

50 Random Things About Me (I never do this stuff, but why not?)

2009-05-04T19:47:00.003-05:00

1. What color is your toothbrush? Light blue and white, I think (usually pink and white, though)
2. Who made you smile today? Ainsley when she laughed funny and Asher when he brought me a flower from outside
3. What were you doing at 8am this morning? Getting breakfast together for Ainsley and myself (Beau had already taken care of Asher's)
4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Feeding Ainsley before I put her down for the night
5. What is your favorite candy bar? Snickers, Baby Ruth, Milky Way, Three Musketeers (sorry, can't choose just one)
6. Have you ever been to a strip club? No way, NEVER...never WILL go to one either! I pretty much HATE them!
7. What is the last thing you said aloud? "Funny kid!"
8. What is your favorite ice cream? Blue Bell Rocky Road (I also love Cookies and Cream - and lots of others...I REALLY like ice cream!!!)
9. What was the last thing you had to drink? Water
10. Do you like your wallet? No
11. What was the last thing you ate? Chocolate Fudge Sundae from McDonald's - haven't had one of those in a really long time, but it sounded really good this evening!
12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? I wish =)
13. The last sporting event you watched? Golf was on yesterday, but I didn't really watch it...I guess Jack and Cooper's baseball games...or maybe Dusty's...or maybe flag football...what do I know?
14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Kettle or caramel
15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? My friend Jodi - which was an exception, because I'm not usually allowed to text. =)
16. Ever go camping? Yes. I love it! Especially in the mountains...but anywhere pretty will do.
17. Do you take vitamins daily? Yes - JuicePlus (veggies and fruits), folic acid, and DHA
18. Do you go to church every Sunday? Every Sunday that we can
19. Do you have a tan? No. Hopefully that will at least change a little soon...but I'm kind of like Amy when it comes to that. I never get very dark, but I don't get near as many sunburns as I used to, because I was finally convinced of the value of sunscreen when I actually puked because my sunburn was so bad!
20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? It depends. I like them both.
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? Yes, unless it's out of a can or at home.
22. What did your last text message say? That scrapbooking had been rescheduled.
23. What are you doing tomorrow? LAUNDRY! And hopefully cleaning a little too.
25. Look to your left, what do you see? My phone on the arm of the couch
26. What color is your watch? White gold
27. What do you think of when you hear Australia? The Wiggles
29. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Both
30. What is your favorite number? I don't have one.
31. Who's the last person you talked to on the phone? Beau
32. Any plans today? To relax this evening then go to sleep early - Ainsley is asleep, and Beau is putting Asher down. The silence is NICE!
33. How many states have you lived in? Two - but I'm a Texan through and through TOO Amy! =)
34. Biggest annoyance right now? Laundry piled high, messy bedroom and laundry room, and Asher not obeying - It's a tie.
35. Last song listened to? Beau humming "I love you Asher Case, oh yes I do. I love you Asher Case, and I'll be true. When you're not near to me, I'm blue. Oh Asher Case, I love you."
36.Can you say the alphabet backwards? I'm sure I could if I said it slowly enough.
37. Do you have a maid service clean your house? I REALLY WISH!!!
38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? Cheap, black flip flops from Old Navy - cute but terrible quality. I really want some Chacos!!!
39. Are you jealous of anyone? Of course. I shouldn't be, but sometimes I am.
40. Is anyone jealous of you? I couldn't tell ya.
41. Do you love anyone? Yes!
42. Do any of your friends have children? Most of them
43. What do you usually do during the day? Mommy stuff. Fix food for my family, feed my family, clean up after my family, laundry, play, put kids down for naps and bedtime, facebook - and sometimes see my friends =)
44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now? No.
45. Do you use the word 'hello' daily? Yes.
46. What color is your car? Black
47. Do you like cats? They are cute, but I don't just ADORE them. And I am a little allergic to them.
48. Are you thinking about someone right now? David Spade
49. Have you ever been to Six Flags? Yes, I LOVE Six Flags! Roller coasters are one of my FAVORITE things!!!
50. How did you get your worst scar? My finger got slammed in the closet door in the band hall by Rhonda Archer when I was in jr. high. I ran across the campus yelling, "I want my Daddy! I want my Daddy!" - because he was a coach/teacher there. It was very traumatic but pretty funny to think about.

Wonderful Friends =)

2009-04-28T22:46:00.002-05:00

So, I keep putting this post off, because there's so much that could be said about my great friends here in Oklahoma. =) And I would like to post pictures, etc., etc., etc...But I don't think it's ever going to be the PERFECT moment where I have "enough" time, so I'll just go ahead and say it. I love my friends here. Most of them are new - VERY new - but they have already grown to be so dear to me!!!

Dina is...DINA! We can always count on her to fix us GOOD food...and make us beautiful quilts! =) She takes care of us! I want to take pictures of the four quilts that she's made us - and I WILL - but I haven't yet. She and her son Dusty (who we also love so much!) come over a lot on Tuesday evenings to eat dinner with us and watch American Idol. Asher and I went over to their house last season for the same thing, but now that we have Ainsley, and she goes to sleep at about 7:00 every night, it's easier for them to come here. And that way Beau can watch AI with us too (even though he's not really "into it"...supposedly! =)). Tonight we fixed burgers, hot dogs, and "armadillo eggs" (hollowed out jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and a little smokie and wrapped in bacon!) on the grill. Mmmmm! And we had brownies too! We were all stuffed, and we agreed that it is a good thing we only do this once a week. =) And Dusty! We love him for lots of reasons, but one of the main reasons is the way that he loves our kids! He's 14 and SO SWEET with them!!! Asher loves him too!!! And Ainsley's growing pretty fond of him as well. =) And by the way, he just won FIRST PLACE at the Regional track meet for shot put! Way to go DUSTY!!! The state meet is Saturday!

SHANNON! Today I was about to LOSE MY MIND around lunch time! I REALLY thought I was going to! I wanted to SCREAM! My kids were making me NUTS! Every day, Beau comes home for lunch, but he had one of his bosses in town today and found out right about lunch time that he was going into town with him...which was fine, but that about sent me over the edge. =) I NEEDED him! (But OF COURSE I wanted him to go have lunch with his boss!!!) About that time, Shannon called. I almost didn't answer it, because I was really in no state to talk. But I did, and I cried on the phone to her. I didn't mean to...it just happened. =) And she came out to see me. It was SO NICE! The kids went down for naps right before she got here, so we had a really great couple of hours just relaxing and talking. (And then they woke up right as she was leaving, and reality set in again...but I was better by that point.) And she brought me little treats too! She brought us a pretty hanging basket of impatiens - which I HOPE I can keep alive!!! =) And she brought me a stack of magazines to look at and two cds that she burned especially for ME! =) One was music from Twilight, and the other one was inspirational songs for mothers...so sweet! I needed that! =) She also brought some toys for Asher to play with! Thank you Shannon! You truly did brighten my day (and my kids' day too!)! Who knows what would've happened if you hadn't come!!! =) We had a lot of fun the other day too. They are building a new house, and I went over there and helped her glaze her kitchen cabinet doors. I'll post pictures so you'll know what I'm talking about.

MISS WUTH! (Or "Ruth" if you're not Asher =)) She's my newest friend here, and I know that we're going to become very close! I've mentioned her before, but she has two little guys around my kids' ages - three years and almost nine months (I think). And that is what bonds us...not to mention that I just like her!!! =) We've decided that we're going to have "Make a Wish" days for each other. Last week she came to my house and dusted my downstairs and cleaned my windows...and supervised the kids...while I got cleaning done too. It was GREAT! And this week, I'm supposed to go to her house to help her with whatever she needs - although I don't think it's going to happen, because my kids seem to be a bit under the weather. This past Saturday we went to Muskogee together to go to Hobby Lobby (sorry Shannon - I know you asked me first! =)). It was such a fun day. Oh! I also recently found out about a walking track in town (from Shannon =)), and Ruth and the boys met the kids and me there yesterday morning to get a little exercise. I'm glad she is in this season of life with me!!! =)

And Autumn!!! My Wal-Mart friend! =) For a LONG time, Dina was my only friend here...then there was Autumn! =) She also has two small kiddos - four and two, I believe. We don't get to see them quite as much because of schedule conflicts, but she is a special friend as well. She has been my spur-of-the-moment-movie friend a couple of times. Last week we went to see a movie, went to Chili's afterwards and talked there for a VERY long time before heading home. She's a talker...and I love hearing what she has to say! =) From the first time we got together to hang out, we talked about "deeper" things...and I like that. She's one of those rare "as iron sharpens iron" friends! Thanks for getting my number in Wal-Mart Autumn! =) Where would I be without you?! =)

So there you have it. I'll have to post pictures soon...so you can put faces with names. I'm so thankful that God is blessing me with these sweet friends!!!

Big Yawn...

2009-04-27T21:52:00.002-05:00

I'm too sleepy to really post anything tonight (although I have several things I want to blog about), but I thought some of you might appreciate having something else on your "blog lists" under my name besides my last post title. I thought it was funny, but you can only appreciate it for so long. =)

Sorry this is such an empty post, but my brain is dead right now. It's been a decent day, but I must sleep now. =) Good night!

"Don't bite your balls!"

2009-04-23T17:59:00.002-05:00

Usually it's Asher quotes, but I had to share MY latest. And no, it's not what you're thinking...thank goodness! =) Asher has had this thing since he was little - If he gets his hands on a Nerf ball, he takes a bite out of it! I figured it was just a "baby" thing, so I put away all things Nerf. But I decided to break out his Nerf football today, and what do you know? He took a huge chunk off the end. So I (naturally) said, "Don't bite your balls!" And I'm sorry, but that's funny...I don't care how old you are. =)

I do have to brag on one thing about him though. He's been writing "H"es like a mad man. He says, "H. H. Across." When he draws the lines down, that's when he says, "H". And then he says, "across" when he draws the line across. Brilliant! =)

Ainsley's newest thing is wiggling so much in her bed that she ends up in the top corner.

Now. Off to make some dinner...

My Manly Man

2009-04-23T17:49:00.001-05:00

Showing his MUSCLES!

Fun Family Fitness =)

2009-04-23T17:42:00.001-05:00

We went on a great family walk a few evenings ago.

Asher was saying, "They not hear me." about the cows that he was trying to get to say, "Mooooo" to him. And, obviously, he found a puddle of water before this.

Sorbet Cones!!!

2009-04-23T17:05:00.001-05:00

This made us so HAPPY that Asher got to experience what every kid SHOULD experience...an ice cream cone (except his was sorbet...due to his allergies)!

A Few Overdue Easter Pics

2009-04-19T15:48:00.000-05:00

Zerbert!

2009-04-15T10:32:00.002-05:00

I zerberted Asher's cheeks, then he wanted me to zerbert his nose - which was a little challenging. =) Then he returned the same zerberts to me and then said, "Your teeth!" So he zerberted my teeth! Weird! It didn't really work, by the way. =)

"She's a princess, Mommy...just like YOU!" - another cute thing that came out of my boy baby's mouth.

We just returned from a very last minute trip to see one of my close friends and her brand new baby who was taken to Cook Children's hospital in Fort Worth. I won't share names or anything on my blog, because I don't think that's my place. But I will say that the baby boy is getting better. He was severely dehydrated and jaundiced, but he has been steadily improving and as of yesterday they thought he would be moved to a private room today. He was in the NICU, then in the PICU, and he will hopefully be released tomorrow. They had concerns about his heart, but those tests came back with no signs of trouble, so that's wonderful. And they're still waiting on results for another concern. Please pray for my friends and their precious baby boy. My friend had an incredibly difficult labor and delivery (I thought I did, but mine was NOTHING compared to hers!), so please pray specifically for her recovery and rest. Of course all new mommies are beyond exhausted and emotional - but she is way beyond the "norm"! I'm so proud of her as she's done what has needed to be done, but it is catching up with her, and she NEEDS rest! It is obvious that God has been carrying them through this time, and I'm so thankful for that!!!

A bright side to that surprise trip was getting to stay with my childhood friend Angie and her family! It was GREAT to spend time with them! Thank you Chase and Angie for opening your home to us - and for taking care of my kiddos!!! They had a great time playing in their WELL- STOCKED playroom! =) And the backyard was so fun as well. Ella, Angie's four year old, LOVED Ainsley, and Ainsley thought she was pretty great too! =) Thank you Ella for letting us sleep in your room!

We got home LATE last night and are enjoying lounging around this morning before we get back into the swing of things...which I plan on doing this afternoon. Hope you're all doing well and enjoying this sunshine (Shannon!!!)!

My Girl

2009-04-12T00:53:00.004-05:00

Yippeeee!!!

2009-04-11T22:46:00.005-05:00

So, we have a new camera! Dina came over this afternoon and SURPRISED us with one that she and my in-laws, Mark and Barbara, went in on together! Thank you all SO MUCH!!! We're very excited to have it, and now we can document Easter '09 properly. =) Actually, we already started tonight...

We had dinner with our new friends, Marc, Ruth, and their two boys, Luke and Nathan. We had a great time. Luke and Asher even had an Easter egg hunt this evening. It was pretty cute and lots of fun! Thanks for having us over Marc and Ruth! We enjoyed our evening with all of you very much and look forward to more very soon! Ainsley and Nathan even had fun together! They were SO CUTE sitting in front of each other, reaching for the other one's face or whatever.

And now that both kiddos are asleep (finally!), I should get to work. You know, the Easter Bunny is coming!!!

Happy Easter! We're so thankful for Jesus and the lives that we've been given through Him!!!

Today I...

2009-04-10T20:01:00.005-05:00

Right now, I am lying on the couch (loveseat, actually...I'm not quite sure why I chose the shorter of the two. =)), in a living room that is getting darker as the sun disappears for the day. Ainsley is cooing herself to sleep, and Asher and Beau are back in our bedroom watching tv and playing a game. So, it's quiet down here, and I'm doing "nothing". It's a good end to what has ended up being a good day. I was checking blogs, and Amy, my sister, tagged her readers to share about our "today". So here's mine:

Today I...

Ate: Raisin Bran; chocolate pudding cake that Dina made for us - yummy! (yes, BEFORE my lunch), bean and rice quesadillas (made especially for the cheese-less Asher), tilapia, and corn; graham crackers dipped in milk (one of my favorite snacks - perhaps a little strange for a 32 year old); milk duds and popcorn (one milk dud with each bite of popcorn - my favorite movie snack!); and no dinner so far - I guess I should remedy that!

Felt: purposeful as I tried to get ready first thing this morning to go the store (then Ainsley was ready for a nap when I finished actually getting ready, so I never went); relaxed and a little lazy when Beau realized about half way through the day that he had the day off because of Good Friday - We put the kids down for naps and watched one of our new favorite shows, "Lie to Me".; excited that Beau wanted to go see a movie with me if we could find a place for our kids (THANK YOU SHANNON AND KIAH!!!); frazzled as I was trying to get us out the door in time for the movie; happy to be at a movie; in suspense as I watched the movie; bummed that Ainsley was not a "good" baby while we were gone; relaxed again to sit and do "nothing" at home - yet not completely, because in this "felt" section Asher came downstairs, and Ainsley has started fussing some in her bed. So my evening as a mother continues...=)

Listened to: Disney channel shows in the background, our other show and movie, my kids playing, jabbering, singing, and crying =)

Watched: "Lie to Me" (great show!), "Knowing" (glad we saw it: suspenseful, intense, thought-provoking, emotional)

Loved: that my hubby wanted to go on a date - I like to "go" more than he does, so when he does too, it makes me really happy! The funny things Asher says and the way he says them - like when I say, "No Sweetheart." And he says, "Yes Sweetheart." Or I say, "Hi Boogidy-Boo." And he says, "Hi Boogidy-Mommy." My beautiful, rosy-cheeked, chubby baby as she discovers new things every day - today it was her hands!

Hoped: that someone would want to watch our kids so we could go to a movie =)

Enjoyed: meeting my friend Shannon's kids! I'm a FAMILY person, so not knowing a friend's family just seems incomplete to me.

Wished: that I could keep my house straight! That Asher would obey! (He's been tackling Ainsley a lot - and things like that!)

Wondered: if I would actually make it to the store today - and I didn't. =)

Drank: lemonade, water, milk, Dr. Pepper

Wanted: a shower - and I GOT one! - not a small task these days =)

Looked: in the freezer to see what we would have for lunch (Tilapia, it was.)

Tag! You're it.
Leave me a message if you take the tag.

P.S. Ainsley is officially asleep...FINALLY...after "talking", silence, and fussing a little off and on for quite a while. Whew! Always a good part of the evening. =)

Ainsley

2009-04-08T13:16:00.002-05:00

There is nothing more magical than swaddling Ainsley up (yes, she still likes it - even at six and a half months...although she pops her arms out now...anyway...), putting her paci in her mouth, her eyes immediately fluttering like it's the best thing in the world to her, laying her down in her bed, and not hearing a peep out of her until she wakes up from her nap. Granted, this does NOT happen every time I put her down, but it's SO AMAZING when it does! I LOVE it!!! She's turned into such a manageable baby - compared to her first couple of months of life. I'm thankful for that! =)

She's doing the funniest thing today. She's making this very high pitched squealing sound, and it's so funny, so I laugh at her, and she keeps doing it. For the first time, I've wondered if she's actually trying to entertain me. I'm not sure if she is, but that's another one of my favorite parts of being a mommy - your kids trying to make you laugh. It's so fun! =)

Now...I'm off to work HARD! I've gotten a fair amount done around the house this morning, but I've got to get the downstairs and hall bathroom spic-n-span, because we've got company coming over this evening. Mr. Jim (one of our retired volunteers who has helped us out here at the camp a TON) and Randy, or "Sarge" as Asher is calling him - the new man who has recently been hired here at the camp and now lives here too. We really like him and are so thankful that he's here!!! AND...he was a Marine, so he's REALLY clean - which this camp needs! But I'm a little intimidated about my house not "measuring up" to his standards. =) Oh well. It is what it is. =) Hope you're all having a wonderful day!!!

Noooooooo!

2009-04-07T22:29:00.002-05:00

We have a DEAD camera! That is NOT GOOD!!! We must do something about this QUICK! There are too many things to document EVERY DAY at this stage in our lives! So sad!

On a happier note...Asher told Beau yesterday, "Daddy, you're a genius!" Yes, he is, I agree! Literally. I really think he is!

He also told Beau the other day, "I'm not sure, Daddy." Cute. I had never heard him say that before.

Today we had a really fun afternoon at a newly discovered park in town (thanks to Autumn!) with new friends of ours - Ruth and her two boys, Luke, 3, and Nathan, 8 months?. It's great to have a friend who TOTALLY relates to the day to day things I'm experiencing - the misplaced clothing, the late-in-the-day showers, the hormones, etc., etc., etc... And Asher was super impressive to me as he climbed the rock climbing wall at the playground over and over and over. =)

Beau got home today, and he asked me if I was "so tired", because I normally am when he gets home, but I actually felt better today than I normally do at that time of day. Sometimes spending time with friends really energizes me. I enjoy being at home too, but I love friendship!!!

And speaking of, Dina and Dusty came over this evening for dinner and American Idol...and to bring me my new quilt! Thanks Dina! I love it!!! Now I can cover up with something other than my favorite Christmas quilt - that she also made for me. =)

Also speaking of friends...I have recently reconnected with a dear friend from high school, Dani. She was an exchange student from Brazil. My best friend from when I was little bitty, Melinda. (She taught me how to stand on my head. =)) And my best friend from high school, Holly. My little family and I may even go see her and her little family in New Mexico in the fall. We'll see, but I would love to! =) There are countless others I have recently connected with also, and it's been SO FUN! I love facebook!!! I have been blessed so richly with friendships throughout my life, and I love that so many of those connections have not been lost over the years - just misplaced. I love you friends!

And on that note, I really should retire. I have been staying up way too late lately. Too bad you can't just switch off your kids until you're ready to get up in the morning. =) Good night!

New Pics...Finally!

2009-04-01T22:27:00.000-05:00

New pics from the last month and a half: http://picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/2ndHalfOfFebThruMarch0902?feat=directlink

WE'RE EXPECTING AGAIN...

2009-04-01T17:50:00.002-05:00

to have rain tomorrow...at least there's a 50% chance.

Hopefully the title GOTCHA...APRIL FOOLS!!! =)

Today

2009-03-31T20:48:00.005-05:00

This has nothing to do with what I was going to blog about, but I just watched Danny Gokey on American Idol and got tears in my eyes. I love him! And I'm so sad for him that he lost his wife!!!

So here are the Asher funnies from today:
*"Daddy, do you want to go play basketball with me?", Asher said. Beau replied, "I can't Buddy. I've got to work." To our volunteers out here at the camp, Mr. Jim and Mrs. Beth, Asher told on Beau, "My daddy not play basketball with me."
*"I need to go the hospital. I hurt my knee." (It's a scrape from over a week ago, mind you.) I said, "Maybe a Mommy kiss will help it." He said, "No, another doctor." (like the "another doctor" at the ER last week - you know, not his "usual" doc) "A machine with a light on it take a picture of my knee." (like the xray "machine" that took a picture of his arm last week)
*"Where did the big ol' bus go?" Big ol' bus! That's so funny! And of course after he knew how funny I thought it was, everything was "big ol'"...big ol' house, big ol' truck...
*"Mommy, you're my kid."
*"Ainsley, you're my kid."
*"Ainsley, you're a silly rascal!"
*"Ainsley, you're my monster."

Ainsley was lots of fun today too. First of all, she took a really long morning nap - which is always great! Then I had one of those "baby doll moments". I kind of felt like a little girl again, dressing up my baby doll. I don't know if she looked as cute as I thought she did, but I thought she looked REALLY cute today! =) And of course I meant to take pictures all day, and when I finally did, she was about ready for bed, so they're not that good. =) But she also laughed a lot this evening for no apparent reason, and I loved it. =) I feel like all of a sudden her personality is exploding. My little bitty baby is turning into a bigger baby. Bittersweet. I love it and hate it all at the same time.

Today was a good day. I had lunch with my friend Shannon, went to Dusty's baseball game (until we decided it was just too windy), made pizza for dinner, and now my three babies are all asleep, and I'm finishing the day with a little American Idol and the internet. =) So to all a good night!

Roller Coaster!

2009-03-30T14:16:00.004-05:00

So I'm taking a few minutes to vent. I'm so happy with the progress I've made today. I've now got a clean downstairs! Well, almost... And that's where the roller coaster feelings come in. I'm making such a big dent - but there's always MORE to do! Like decluttering the top of my fridge, wiping down the front of my cabinets, decorating things that have needed to be decorated since we moved in (WAY too long ago now to even be saying that!)...and the list goes on...and that doesn't even START to cover the upstairs! And, I KNOW, those things do NOT SOUND like a big deal, but I just start thinking about ALL that needs to be done, and I start feeling panicky and heavy in my chest. That probably sounds psycho, but oh well. My theory is that everybody's a little psycho - in their own way. =) "So why aren't you cleaning right now? Why are you blogging?", you may ask. Because I could feel this "paralyzing" feeling coming on, and I knew that if I did not take a small break that I might get all depressed like I do sometimes. And I would rather avoid that if possible! =) And then I thought maybe "journaling" about my feelings would help. So here I am.

I was reading in I Timothy this morning and came across this verse (1:12): "I give thanks to Him who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able [for THIS], Christ Jesus our Lord, because He has judged and counted me faithful and trustworthy, appointing me to [this stewardship of] the ministry.

This verse makes me feel better! It inspires me and motivates me to do well in this life He's given me. I very much view my roles as a wife and mother as the ministry that He's given me (that He's CHOSEN me to be a steward of - that's humbling!). And I'm thankful that because I've given Him my life, it is not ME who is living this life, but Christ who LIVES IN ME (at least that's the goal - that I fall short of WAY too often!)...and THAT is how it's possible for him to find me faithful and trustworthy. Because apart from Him I truly am a royal wreck! =)

So now, I'll take some deep breaths, and trust that it's all going to be ok. =) And I'll do the next thing...clean my steps off (You know all the stuff that was downstairs that doesn't belong downstairs, so it got put on the steps, and now it all needs to go to its rightful places?). And I'll also pull up "Resolved2Worship's" blog, because I like to listen to the music she has on it while I clean. =) But first, I've got to go put a paci in a baby's mouth...Such is my life. =)

"Poopoohontas"

2009-03-30T12:40:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry to bring poop into this again, but Asher just said one of the funniest things I've ever heard! "Pocohantas" is on tv, and Beau said her name, and Asher said, "It IS Poopoohontas!" And he did not realize he was being funny. He really thought that was her name. That even makes it funnier! =)

By the way, my living/dining rooms are picked up, dusted,and vacuumed - even under the couch cushions! This afternoon I will clean the kitchen - my next goal. It helps me to put these things "out there". I guess it's a type of accountability. First, two kids need to go down for naps. =)

My Amazing Children =)

2009-03-30T08:47:00.002-05:00

Of course every mom thinks her kids are amazing. =) We like to teach our kids a little sign language (and I mean a LITTLE - and those signs probably aren't even correct) when they are as young as possible so that they can communicate with us even before they can speak. So I've been signing "all done" to Ainsley since we started feeding her baby food - at around four months. Well, yesterday I asked her if she was "all done" and did the sign, and she raised her hands up and TRIED to sign it! Beau was there as a witness too. =) And we tried it several times to see if she would do it every time. We're pretty convinced that she was really trying it. What proud parents we are! =) Granted, it's probably perfectly normal that she would do something like that, but it's just fun to see your kids learn something new!

This morning I stood her up at a toy (a little Leapfrog table with different activities on it) so that she and Asher could play together, and she actually stood there for a minute or so (holding onto the table of course!)! I couldn't believe it! She's growing up so fast! =)

And a couple of funny Asherisms...
*"Im going to call my friend Chabata on the phone. Hello my friend Chabata." (That's Chewbacca from Star Wars for those of you who didn't get it!) It's so funny! Although he doesn't really know about Star Wars yet...I'm not sure where he got that!
*"Nice to meet you Dr. Wilson (shaking Ainsley's hand). You're my favorite Dr. Wilson, Ainsley." As I've mentioned before Dr. Wilson is his pediatrician, and he pretends that Ainsley is "Dr. Wilson" fairly often. I don't know why, but it's funny!
*"I've got an idea!", I said. And Asher replied, "What's your idea Mom?!" We've had this conversation in reverse many times. One of HIS favorite things to say is that he's got an idea - although rarely does he know what that idea is. =)

Have a happy Monday! I've got BIG plans today to be super productive in this house of mine! Please pray for me. I'm not kidding...I need it! =)

"I knit you..."

2009-03-29T22:43:00.002-05:00

This weekend, I've been swallowed up by the mess in my house...again! And this may not sound like a big deal, but it effects me emotionally! It's a very real problem for me. I don't understand WHY it is, because this was not "me" as I grew up - and even before I got married. But it is. I want to change - desperately. That's why it's so discouraging when I look around and find myself in my mess...again! So I was reading my emails from the FlyLady tonight, and I read this:

One day, before our newest grand-baby was born, I was struck by these words from God "I knit you..."I looked over at the baby blanket draped over the child's wicker rocker in the corner of the room and started to think about how I felt while I was making it. I LOVED knitting each stitch of this light purple blanket! I followed an elaborate plan that I had settled on, one that I had never made before - not one stitch was haphazard. Every inch of yarn passed through my fingers as I crafted it. I savored every minute of knitting it and deep satisfaction and pride filled me as I watched the beauty of the pattern develop in the yarn. And when it was complete I was absolutely thrilled. I thought, "I love this! I can't wait for everyone to see this beautiful gift that I've made!!!" It took my breath away. This is how God feels as His fingers knit a life together in the quiet of the womb. He delights in His new creation, as he works the intricate pattern that He has never used before. When his plan is complete He thinks, "I love this child! I can't wait for everyone to see this beautiful gift that I've made!!!" "Oh God, this is how you felt when you made me!", I whispered as tears quietly ran down my cheeks. I bowed my head and worshiped, adoring the one who could love so deeply and feeling the embrace of the Knitter.Understanding that I was designed the way I am - on purpose - has made all the difference! I am free from trying to do life like everybody else. I am free to finally love myself and enjoy the adventure of discovering the way of learning and flying that fits how I have been patterned! Beautiful!

I have thought a lot about God being the Orchestrator of each of our lives...the tapestry that He is constantly creating. But I had not ever thought about it quite like this lady described. I thought it was very sweet, and it helps me to think about again that He created me to be ME. I just have to rest in the that and figure out what that means. =) It feels kind of silly saying something like that at 32 years old, but aren't we all still being shaped by Him? I know that we are. And by golly, I'm going to figure out how to be ME and have a clean house at the same time. =)

Poop!

2009-03-29T00:33:00.002-05:00

So, I was lying on the couch with Asher as we were watching beautiful figure skating. And he said, "Mom, her has poop on her!" She actually had on a really pretty outfit/costume/whatever you call it that was mostly white with a layer of brown underneath the skirt. I guess that's what he was seeing! =) I assured him that it was not poop. "It's part of her clothes.", I said. "Why Mom? Why?", he said full of concern! I tried to explain it to him. But he couldn't understand. He said, "Her skating with poop!" Random, I know! And hilarious! Leave it to a BOY to turn something so graceful and elegant into something having to do with POOP! If you know me, you know just how funny I find that. For some reason, bathroom humor is beyond hilarious to me! I don't know why!

Not AGAIN!

2009-03-27T16:43:00.002-05:00

So we took Asher to the ER today...AGAIN!!! But it was not due to allergies this time. I innocently "helped him along" by one arm, and he immediately was in a lot of pain. It was not a big, dramatic thing - you know how you just kind of help a kid get moving sometimes. I won't do that again! I could not imagine what could have happened to him by that small movement, but it kept not getting better. Beau even rocked him and got him to fall asleep so that we could make sure that he wasn't just upset. But even then, he would wince when we would touch it. So in the ER, they x-rayed him, and everything looked fine. So the doctor there told us what it probably was - a "nursemaid's elbow" - which is a partial dislocation of the elbow joint. I guess it's somewhat common in kids under the age of five or six. Anyway, he just quickly adjusted his arm, and he was better! It was AMAZING!!! I think it hurt him when he fixed it, but it was SO FAST, and within a minute he was giving us five and getting down to play. It was the fastest, most dramatic difference I've ever seen! It was a good thing we took him! I felt beyond terrible that I had hurt my little boy, but they made me feel better at the ER - because they knew just what it was, and did not suspect that I had done anything out of the ordinary to my child. I was scared of what might happen. But it all worked out ok, and now he and Ainsley are having late naps because their schedules were thrown off by all the "excitement".

Speaking of Ainsley, I think I forgot to mention that her second tooth broke through last Saturday, and I think a third one might be on its way soon. A couple of days ago, she found her feet for the first time and thought they were very yummy...as she does anything that she can get her mouth on these days! =) Also, I introduced her to veggies this past week, and she is not a fan! I've tried carrots, peas, and sweet potatoes so far, and she pretty much hates them all. I'm not quite sure what to do about that.

I'm sitting here in a quiet house, with three sleeping babies (sick hubby included), and the rain has officially begun! We're even supposed to get some snow tomorrow. I was supposed to go play Bunko tonight, but I'm not sure it's worth getting Ainsley out in this weather. (Asher and Daddy are staying home.) Plus, they may all be sleeping still in thirty minutes - when I should leave if I'm going to go.

Also, please pray for my parents-in-law, brother-in-law, and his girlfriend (and I'm not sure who else) as they're running/walking in the Bataan Memorial Death March in White Sands, NM this weekend. Look it up on the web if you're interested to see what that is. It's pretty amazing! They've been doing it every year for a few years now.

Have a great weekend!!!

Overdue Installment

2009-03-24T15:25:00.003-05:00

Well, we had lots of family in town last week starting on Wednesday, and the last of them left yesterday. It was great having everyone in town - Beau's parents and grandparents, and my parents, sister Amy, and her kids. Beau's parents were planning on coming all along, because it was his mom's spring break. And we've been wanting to dedicate the kids at church for a LONG time, so we decided that that would be a good weekend for it. So that's why the rest of the family came in. It was great to have everyone here (and we missed the ones of you who weren't able to make it - but we understand!). Beau's family was so helpful with the kids, the house and cooking, and projects at the camp. And my family came in just in time for the dedication. We appreciate so much all of them making the long drive for such a short but significant event. Then my sister, niece, and nephews stayed until Monday. The best part of their stay was a really pretty walk that we went on with the kids on Sunday evening. We live in such a pretty place. We can walk out here at the camp and feel like there's nothing and no one for miles - which is beautiful - and a little creepy - but mostly beautiful! =) And every time I do something like that, I can't believe that I don't take advantage of our setting more often. I'm trying to turn over lots of new leaves right now though, so maybe I will do better. =)

So here's the new list of Asher-isms:

*He's playing outside right now, and he just brought in a flower and said, "A little bitty flower. It's so beautiful! A princess flower!"

*And then he ran in and talked about the airplane in the sky: "Sometimes a airplane scares me." So we had a discussion - AGAIN - about how there's nothing to be afraid of. It's way up in the sky, etc. And he said something that sounded like, "There are tires on the airplane." And I said, "Tires?" And he said, "No. (with a very confused look) Only on cars and trucks."

*On our way to King's Kids this morning, he was saying that he didn't want to go, that he wanted me...And then a minute later, he started talking HIMSELF into it (which was so funny and amazing I thought!) by telling himself all the fun stuff he would get to do there. "I can play in the activities room and play basketball..." He had a great time, and on our way home he said, "Mom, you're my best friend!" SIGH! I LOVED it - of course!!!

*Yesterday I saw a lizard outside, and I showed it to him, and he said - very excitedly - "A dinosaur!!!" So smart! =)

*He has a musical toothbrush, and it sings "If You're Happy and You Know It" with toothbrushing words, and part of it says, "If you're happy and you know it brush in front. If you're happy and you know it brush in back." And EVERY time it says that, he starts brushing his literal BACK! It's hilarious! I've explained it many times, that it's his back teeth that it's talking about...but his brain is stuck. Good thing by that point in the song, he has already sucked all the toothpaste off of his toothbrush. =)

*"My cousin Cooper and my Cooper dog." - talking about his cousin Cooper and his Grammie and Grandad's dog Cooper

*And again talking about his cousin Cooper: "I play his xylophone." Xylophone?! What?! I didn't even know he knew that word! =)

*Driving past a choo-choo train: "I love choo-choo trains. I love ravioli." Choo-choo trains I knew about. Ravioli? Not so much. =) (It's a new thing for him to say that he loves a thing - which some people don't encourage, but I thought it was cute.)

*I said, "His name is Mr. Potato Head." He said, "No, his name Mr. Potato Santa Clause!" "Oh is it?", I said. "Sure is!!!", he said. I've never heard him say, "Sure is!" before. =)

*We sing a song to him and Ainsley that we stole from Emily, and it goes: "I love you Asher Case (or Ainsley Grace), oh yes I do. I love you Asher Case, and I'll be true. When you're not near to me, I'm blue. Oh Asher Case, I love you!" We've sung this to him since he was a tiny baby, and he likes to sing it with us. But recently when we've sung it, I'll be singing, "I love you Asher Case...", but he'll change it to "Mommy Case". It's so funny - and cute! =)

*I told him to say, "No thank you Mommy" about something, and he said, "No thank you Sir." He's on a kick with calling me "Sir".

*"Mom there's poop on my sock!" "No, I think it's mud.", I said. "Maybe ravioli.", he said. What's up with the ravioli?! =) He doesn't even like ravioli!

*He's playing football and saying, "You on ten Dad, and I on ten." I'm not sure what he's talking about, but it sounds "football-ish".

*"Hut two three."

*"Baby power!" - speaking of baby powder - It's hilarious! He loves it. =)

*He sings, "Argh, argh, argh, argh. This is the battle of Bad Beard." from one of the shows that he watches.

And then there's our Ains. She's cutting her second tooth. And she's rolling over more frequently - finally. =) She's playing more with her toys, and her favorite things I think are still the same as the last time I blogged about them - laying on a blanket playing with her toys, sitting in her swing (outside is her favorite!), and jumping in her johnny-jump-up. She's a good eater sometimes, and sometimes she's a mouth-clamper. I introduced sweet peas today, and she was NOT a fan! But then again, she hasn't been a fan of any type of nourishment today. I think her mouth is hurting. But she's getting more and more fun! We're lovin' her little emerging personality! She's very sweet and smiley a lot of the time. And then there are the "other" times. =) One of my favorite things is to see the way that she and Asher look at each other. Their little relationship is already a special thing! I love it!

Overall, we're doing well, but we've ALL been sick! Asher and I especially are on the upswing. Ainsley is doing ok - just a little cough-y still. But Beau is not doing very well. He's got an appointment for tomorrow. Please pray for our health!

And one GREAT piece of news is that a new man has been hired to work with Beau full-time here at the camp. He'll start moving in this weekend. I haven't met him yet, but Beau thinks it's going to be a really good situation. I'm SO happy about that! It's going to be an amazing help to have someone else out here - especially as summer is approaching!!!

I guess that's all for now. I hope you're all having a happy spring so far! =)

"Stay calm."

2009-03-10T14:54:00.003-05:00

*"Stay calm Ainsley. Stay calm."

*"Hey Ains."

*"Don't cry Ainsley. I'm right here."

All things that our little guy has been saying to our little girl. So sweet!

One More Thing...

2009-03-09T17:02:00.002-05:00

The other day I had been gone. Asher stayed with Beau all day while I went to hear the FlyLady in person! =) When I got home, Asher was playing outside, and I could tell through my windshield that he was so excited, and he was saying, "Mommy! Mommy!" over and over! And when I opened the door, he said, "I love you so much!" Oh! My heart melted! =) I love that kid!

And last night (ok, this is two things...), I was rocking him trying to get him to calm down and go to sleep (He was REALLY messed up by the time change, I guess.), and I had my hand resting on his cheek. So he reached up and held his hand on my cheek for a little bit. I loved it.

Those new pictures I mentioned a few posts ago are still "coming up"! =)

My Kids =)

2009-03-09T16:04:00.003-05:00

"Ainsley, you're a princess! You're beautiful!" - one of my new favorite things that Asher has been telling Ainsley! =) And this hits a special place in my heart because of the significance of us being "princesses". Beau needs to come around, because he still thinks of a "princess" as basically being a brat - but that's not what I think of at all! =) My mom has always called me her "princess", because that's what "Sara" means. So I already love it because of that. But also, it literally changed my life when I started thinking of myself as a princess - a daughter of God, the King. I love that whole concept! Anyway...plus, it's just CUTE that he tells her that! =)

"Mommy/Daddy, you want to come play football/basketball/soccer/etc. outside with me?" How could we resist?! =) And then the game looks something like this: he/we throw it as far as we can - not TO anyone in particular. He starts running, stops, turns around, and says, "Mommy/Daddy, you want to run with me?" The kid's got bruises and scrapes all over his legs from all the running and playing he's been doing outside these last several days. He's tough! =)

Ainsley has had her first tooth for almost a week now, and she kind of sucks her bottom lip as she's feeling it. She's "discovering" a lot right now too. She examines her hands very closely for no apparent reason - other than figuring out, "I like these things." =) I remember Asher doing that too. It's so cute. It's funny when she "eyes" my hair hanging down on my shoulder, then slowly reaches for it. And once she gets it, it's hard to get loose! =) She has "tummy time" every day, but she still prefers lying on her back. She likes to lay on a blanket and hold toys, and she ends up turning her body every-which-way - while staying on her back. She's still only turned over a couple of times. Her chubby body makes it difficult. =) She'll twist and turn, and almost make it - just not quite! She's finding her voice more and more in this last week - which makes it more difficult to keep her with us during church. =) She loves to jump in her johnny-jump-up. And she's been "clocking" herself in her mouth with her hand as she's learning about "batting". She just makes her arm go back and forth and back and forth, but she doesn't have much control over it, so she ends up punching herself in the face over and over. It's pretty funny! She's enjoying Asher a lot these days too. He got her laughing really good the other day. They're going to be good little buddies! Which reminds me...

*"Ainsley, you're crackin' me up!", Asher said.

*"Asher, Daddy's gonna come meet us for lunch. Isn't that exciting?!" His response: "Not really." "Do you want him to come eat lunch with us?" "Not really." Hilarious! Of course, he really did want him to. I guess he just recently noticed somebody saying, "Not really" and thought he would try it out. =)

*"Mommy, I burped." "What do you say?" "Excuse you Mommy." (in a deep voice)

*"May I be excused please?" - I'm proud of my boy when he uses such good manners! =)

We're looking forward to a visit from Grammie and Grandad over spring break!!! They need to see their changing grandbabies!!! =)

Friends

2009-03-09T15:16:00.005-05:00

When we got married, I moved to a new town, and it was VERY difficult! I had lived in Waco for over 11 years. I had "grown up" there. I had family and LOTS of very close friends there - people who knew me...really KNEW ME...and LOVED ME! I was all of a sudden in a new place, completely stripped of everything and everyone I had known for so many years. I struggled a lot with depression. I think I cried for MONTHS! =) I liked where we lived. I grew to love the people there, but it was a difficult road.

When we moved here, it was not nearly as difficult - probably because I had been through the relocation thing before...and probably more because this time I had Asher to keep me on my toes - and now Ainsley is helping to keep me occupied as well. =) Not to mention, I had a "built-in friend"...Dina - a friend of my mother-in-law's who lives here and immediately took us under her wing! We love her very much!

I have loved being a wife and a mommy, but it has overwhelmed me MUCH MORE than I ever thought it would before I was in these roles. I used to be clean and organized, and I always decorated the places I lived well (at least I thought so =)). Now, I have piles everywhere, my bathrooms are long overdue for a good cleaning, and shelves are YET to be hung and decorated - and we've lived here for almost a year and a half now. (Thankfully, I've recently discovered FlyLady, and I think she's going to help me! =)...I even got to see her in person the other day!)

A few months ago, I met Autumn in line at Wal-Mart. Funny, I know. It's about the only place in this town! =) She is steadily becoming a very good friend to me!!! She even asked me today if she could come help me organize some things at my house! She was hesitant to ask, because she didn't want it to sound "bad" =), but I said, "YES!!!" and told her never to worry about how something "sounds" to me. Things like that rarely bother me! Besides, she said that it wasn't that my house "looked bad" =), it's just that I talk about it, and it seems to bother me. Well, she's right! It does! Anyway, I love her! She's definitely a gift sent to me from God! And I don't just say that because she wants to help me! =)

In January, she started a "mom's group" for stay-at-home-moms. We started out meeting once a month, but we're going to start getting together twice a month, because we all like it so much! =) Today we just scrapbooked together. Well, THEY scrapbooked...I fiddled with Ainsley for two and a half hours, talked, and cropped ONE picture! Oh well! Anyway, the inspiration for this whole post was this...The group is made up almost entirely of women who are not from here. So we all can relate to the struggles of moving to a new place. TWO different ladies - in completely separate conversations - were talking about how they had had old friends or the girls in their family come up for a fun girls' weekend, and how they had so much fun that when their friends and family left, they cried! I KNOW how that feels! It hasn't happened as MUCH here as it did after Beau and I got married, but it just reminded me of HOW IMPORTANT FRIENDSHIPS ARE!!! TRUE FRIENDSHIPS...not just saying hi here or there, but really getting to KNOW each other - and having FUN with each other! It almost makes me want to cry thinking about the loneliness in so many hearts! And sometimes we don't even realize the depth of it until we experience true friendship again - like the weekends that my new friends had. I haven't FELT the loneliness in this new place like I did in the last new place, but just in the last few weeks - since I'm STARTING to make some more friends - it's amazing at how GOOD it feels to connect with other girls (ladies, whatever...)! We all have that need to know and be known...to love and be loved. And I'm glad that it seems to be a season in my life where maybe that's going to start happening a little more again. =)

"It's from..."

2009-03-04T09:51:00.002-06:00

Asher has been telling me where things he says or does are "from" - voluntarily. The last few weeks or so, when he would say or do something that I didn't know where he learned it from, I would ask him where he learned it or where it was from. Yesterday morning, he was sitting in his highchair, and he started fussing - kind of crying very EXAGGERATED-like. I told him not to do that, and he said, "It's from 'Mickey Mouse Clubhouse'." I asked him who did that, and he said, "Baby Goofy". It was funny - and not - that he had seen Baby Goofy "crying" like that, so he thought he would try it out. =) I assured him that "We don't do that!" And he hasn't tested it since. =)

Then this morning, he said, "I supposed to skateboard." I didn't know he knew the word "skateboard". And he said, without me asking, "It's from 'Handy Manny'." Then he stood up on his train that he drives around like it was a skateboard. So inventive. =)

So I Don't Forget...

2009-03-02T13:23:00.002-06:00

I keep putting off posting, because I haven't "felt like it", but a few things have been said and done in the last couple of days that I'm afraid I'll forget if I don't just go ahead and do it. =) And by the way, more February pictures to come in the next day or two.

The other day I called Asher my precious boy, and he said, "Precious Mommy." I LOVED it! =) Or I'll say, "Asher Case", and he'll say, "Mommy Case". Or "Hey my little munchkin man." "Hey Munchkin Mommy." Funny, funny.

Last night he was on a roll getting Ainsley to LAUGH! It was hilarious! She just doesn't really LAUGH that much, and he was getting her good! It was so fun!

Iasked him what he wanted for lunch the other day, he sighed, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "Just nuffin'." I said, "Are you ready to go to sleep?" And he said, "Yeah." "Just nuffin'" - I love it. =)

He had so much fun playing outside the other day. He played with playdough on his table. He sang me songs - like "The Mommy Song" as he called it. It went something like this: "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy..." I loved "The Mommy Song". He's also been pretending more and more, and that day he had picked up a couple of sticks, and he said, "These are my drumsticks...and this is my room (pointing to the outdoors in general)."

Speaking of playdough...That same day was the first time I had ever let him play with playdough. Did I blog about that yet? He really liked it! He played with it three or four times in that same day. And when I played with him and made this or that, he would say, "Wow! Good job Mommy!" Nothing like the praise of your little two year old! =)

Which reminds me of what every Mommy wants to hear. I was in the kitchen cooking or something (probably something that is comparable to corn dogs), and he said, "Wow Mommy! That's AMAZING!" I love his simplicity and his heart!

Which brings me to this morning...He BIT Ainsley! So maybe his heart is not always so sweet! It was terrible...for both of them! He buried his two front teeth into her forehead. She wailed. And soon he did too! I think he felt terrible that he did that to her, AND he got in BIG trouble! It was sad, but it actually turned into kind of a comical moment. When he bit her, I was in the middle of changing her diaper, but I had to snatch him up so he wouldn't do it anymore and to discipline him. She's screaming on the couch, he crying his eyes out in my lap, I realize that she has no diaper on, but she needs to be picked up too. So I got her diaper on, while still holding Asher, because he did NOT want to let me go. He was actually being really sweet with me and was so sorry that he had done that. Then I picked her up too. He fell asleep on my shoulder while she was calming down and wanting to go to sleep too. And by the time Beau got home for lunch (maybe five minutes later), they were both asleep in my arms. It was pretty funny...and frazzling (which is what most of this morning was...frazzling)! =)

Which is why I need FlyLady! =) If you've never gone to FlyLady.net, you should! She's going to help me live a clean and decluttered life. =) I'm even meeting Amy and her friend Amanda in Oklahoma City on Saturday for a conference that she's speaking at. We can't wait!

Oh! One other piece of significant news! Ainsley is cutting her first tooth! Her bottom right tooth is starting to break through, and she's been a bit fussy to prove it. =) Tylenol (or acetaminophen as Asher calls it =)) and Orajel are becoming our close companions once more!

That's all I've got for the moment. I hope you all had a good weekend!

And by the way...if you read my blog, chances are I read yours too. If you wouldn't mind me listing your blog as one I read on the side of my page, would you please leave me a comment telling me that it's ok - or you can email me at beauandsarawaters@yahoo.com. It's nice to have the blogs I read in that list, because it tells me who has updated without having to go to your blog to check. But I don't want to do that without your consent. If you mind, it's no big deal. To each his own. Just thought I would ask.

Have a good week!

Today

2009-02-24T21:21:00.003-06:00

Today has been a great day! I was a little nervous about how Asher would handle going to King's Kids today since his "incident", but he did GREAT when I dropped him off. He didn't even think twice about it!

After that I went to the cutest little 50's style diner with someone who I think will be a new friend to me. Can I just say that friends make such a difference! And I love how God has brought different ones into my life since I've lived here. One was an old friend of my mother-in-law's who "just happens" to live back here now (her hometown). Another one I met in line at Wal-Mart (of course...we all know I spend enough time there!) while we were talking about our two year old boys. A couple of them I know through our church. And this most recent friend is our pediatrician's wife. And none of them are "accidents". I have been feeling very strongly lately that God is orchestrating my life. I love it!

After I picked Asher up from MDO, I took him and Ainsley to a park in town, and he had so much fun playing!

Then Beau came into town to meet us for dinner.

And last but not least, Goody's is going out of business here, and TOMORROW is their last day to be open. So my good hubby suggested that I go buy some things. So he took Ainsley home for me, and Asher and I went and shopped for a while. I bought 16 items for $76!!! I'm SO HAPPY about that!!! What a good ending to a good day!

And here is a short list of brilliant quotes: =)
*After telling me that he rode an ambulance and that it took him to the hospital, he said, "I drink wrong cup. I hurt my eyes. It make me sad." And I told him I was so sorry that he was sad but asked him if he is ok now, and he said, "I ok now."

*Out of nowhere (and I don't know what he was thinking about): "Thanks Skyler and Coby."

*There were some birds standing on an outside wall and pecking at something on the top of the walll: "Birds eating wall. Silly birds."

*"Grammie play tennis." We were at the park, and there were HIGH SCHOOL students playing tennis. He saw a girl with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, with a hat on, and dark complected skin, and he thought it was his Grammie. I'm sure Grammie LOVES that! =)

*Beau gave him his allegra tonight, and he said, "My orapred." That's his steroid that he's been taking since his reaction the other day. He's done taking it, but he doesn't realize it. How funny is that?! A two year old asking for his "orapred".

Sigh...

2009-02-23T14:01:00.004-06:00

I am taking a much needed break - because I feel like it is NECESSARY! =) Although all is not quite right in the world yet, because Ainsley is not quite asleep...but she will be soon. Then I can really relax! I've been working my tushy off today so far - which was also BEYOND necessary! After a very full second half of the week, we crashed yesterday and didn't do ANYTHING - and it showed today! Actually it's been "showing" for a few days now! So I folded and put away a MOUNTAIN of laundry. Whew! I sorted through the new hand-me-downs for Asher from the Powells. The way God has provided for us in the area of clothes (and more) for our kids has been AMAZING!!! We've hardly had to buy anything - you know besides diapers and stuff like that! =) So many people have been amazing, but we've gotten a HUGE bulk of our clothes from the Powells, Kavaliches, and Mannings! Thank you ALL!!! (By the way, Ainsley is alseep now - Asher already was.) I've put up toys (of course!), started more laundry, and I even cooked a big breakfast this morning. I'm TRYING to get it together! I'll be working really hard the next few weeks to declutter, because my in-laws are probably coming at spring break. Thanks for the motivation Mark and Barbara! =) I'm sure things won't be perfect, but perhaps they'll be better. Hopefully a LOT better! =) God has really been encouraging me lately to actively live out the things He's put in my heart. I've grown stagnant and overwhelmed in so many ways since having kids, and I'm trying to rise above that. I really want my home to be a peaceful haven for my family and anyone else who comes here. I want us all to experience the beauty and peace of God when we're here - not the utter chaos and MESS that it's been! =) Here's to hoping and praying! =)

Well, here's a new dose of Asher sayings:
*"Whatcha makin'?" (to me when I was making dinner or something) - and Beau was humored because I was ACTUALLY making something! =)

*"I'm so proud of her!" (about Ainsley) - so sweet!

*"I love you boys!" (as he reaches out his arms to touch Beau and me)

*"Hi boys!" (to Beau, Ainsley, and me)

*"I went to the basketball game YESTERDAY with Mommy, Ainsley, me, and Daddy." (He's never said "yesterday" before - and it really WAS the day before he said that! Smart kid! =))

*"I ride on an ambulance. It take me to the the hopisal (hospital)." By the way, when he talks about it, he says that the ambulance was fun (even though he didn't think so at the time), which I am thankful for. However, the other day after he said the line from above, he said, "Mommy go bye-bye. And Daddy go bye-bye. And I stay at King's Kids." And Beau asked him if he was sad that we went bye-bye, and he said yes. It BROKE my heart. I cried. (He didn't see me cry.) We're going to try the "get back on the horse if it bucks you off" thing this week, but if he's too sad we'll re-evaluate. I, of course, want to be there for him if he genuinely NEEDS me! So we'll see how it goes! His teacher, Mrs. Tricia, called yesterday to check on him, and he talked to her on the phone, so hopefully that helped a little.

*"I love you much!" (stretching out his arms as wide as he could, talking to me) I loved it!!!

*"Beautiful sumic (music)!" I think maybe he got that from "Little Einsteins" (or "Little Eimsteims" as he calls them). And I LOVE that he calls "music" "sumic". He mixes up the letters. How interesting. It's so cute.

He's just the cutest little thing!

And Ainsley's pretty darn cute herself! She's started this high-pitched squealing thing the last three days that is hilarious! It's her "new" voice! She's getting closer and closer to being able to sit up by herself. She's arching her back a lot but hasn't rolled over again. She will...one day. =)

Have a wonderful day! Until next time...

Asher Update

2009-02-20T10:22:00.000-06:00

Asher is doing better this morning. His eyes are still puffy, but they have gone down a lot. He's acting a little "sensitive" about things, but he's playing hard and being funny and sweet as usual. So thanks everybody for your prayers!

Asher's Allergies

2009-02-19T15:59:00.001-06:00

First of all, Asher is ok. He went to King's Kids this morning, and we got a call late in the morning that his eyes were swelling and he was getting a rash - but he wasn't having any trouble breathing (and he never did this time - thank God!). While they were on the phone with me, somebody else at the church had already called 911, which I am thankful for, because, as we know, these things can escalate really quickly! The same teacher called me back a couple of minutes later and said that they were taking him to the ER in an ambulance. The fire station is right across the street from the church, so it all happened really fast!

His and another little boy's highchairs were sitting right next to each other at lunch time, and that other little boy put his cup (that matched Asher's exactly) with milk in it on Asher's tray. I think his teachers noticed it pretty quickly and were not sure if he had taken a drink or not but were keeping an eye on him. After lunch, they put the kids down for their naps, and Asher started crying. They went to him and his eyes were starting to swell and he was getting a rash on his face. And this had ALL happened within about a ten minute period. They immediately called 911 and me. And even though they had always been careful with Asher - knowing about his allergies - they will be even MORE careful now. Everyone has been talked to. We're not happy that it happened, but I, of course, have been guilty of letting things slip by me too, so I can't point much of a finger. And we (and they) will make SURE that Asher is NOT able to get to somebody else's milk or anything else dangerous to him in the future!

Anyway, I got to the ER as quickly as I could (and Beau followed as soon as he could), and although Asher was pretty calm by this point, what I saw was heartbreaking!!! His eyes were even MORE swollen than they have ever been. It was horrible! They gave him lots of different medicine - all the usual - antihistamine, steroids, epinephrine...His rash is pretty much gone, and his eyes have started to go down a LITTLE, but it's still VERY SAD to look at him!!! And he is ok. We were able to bring him home around 2:00, I think. He's been sleeping pretty much straight for the last few hours, so we'll see what he's like when he wakes up. He may be "out of it" for a while. I look forward to having our "bouncing baby boy" back! It makes me sad for him to be this way. But it could have been so much worse, and I know that he'll be just fine.

So you can pray for all of that! =) We're praying for Asher to recover quickly and for him to be miraculously healed completely of these allergies. My first instinct today is to never let Asher go to mother's day out or school or anything like that again. But I KNOW that wisdom and being careful are good and necessary, but sheltering him out of fear is not good - even though that's what I feel like doing today. Just wanted to bring everybody up to date on what happened today.