Praying for Cohen's Family! I have been touched by their story and blog! Sending much love and thoughts your way!

Cast on foot + All stars =No summer fun YET!

FINALLY, summer is here! This was like the never ending school year! June 10th was my last day of school. The boys and I had many fun adventures planned. I was so excited for my 1st summer with out college.
Then the phone call came that Chase made All Stars in baseball. He is really excited and happy. He LOVES baseball and would play 24/7 if he could. So I am sucking it up and I am excited for him. Last year we played ball from March until August coming home with a second place trophy in state. So another summer of ball was not what I planned, but plans change!
Even with baseball we could have adventures during the day just not far from home. Then our second unexpected surprise was in store. Sunday night Garett hurt is foot. He never really cried and kept on playing. Daddy was on duty, I was at the hospital with my friend. I knew nothing of a hurt foot. He was playing when I got home. Monday morning rolls around and he woke up crying and his little ankle was swollen. I call Chuck he was in shock and couldn't think of what happened. Finally the pieces are put together that his foot was hit by the bedroom door. Needless to say a call to Dr Porter was in order. She confirmed it was broke and we spent from 1:30 until 5:30 waiting on a cast.
The cast means NO swimming, NO walking a lot, NO summer fun yet for Garbear!
Each of the boys have now broken a bone. Now we wait for the cast to come off and for baseball to end. Then our adventures can start. Until then my adventures will be getting all the clutter out of my house. Its amazing how much junk we have. Its time to purge. Not the adventure I was looking for but for now it will do!
Oh the life of a mother with 3 precious, loving, sweet, and handsome boys is never dull. I would not have it any other way then to be kept on my toes by the men in life!

My Baby is 5!

I can't believe today is here! My sweet Garett is 5 today. I thought today would be really hard but only a little misty eyed as I type this. My baby turned 5 and will be starting kindergarten. Where has the time gone?? He is the sweetest little boy that loves to snuggle with momma. He is now a big boy no longer needing me to do those little things any more. He can brush his own teeth, pick out his own clothes, and dress himself. I have really been struggling with letting him go and letting him try things on his own. Sometimes I want to push him out of the nest and let him fly on his own. Other times my heart strings want to pull him back and hold on for dear life.
I guess that is part of being a mom knowing when to hold on tight and when to set them free to explore on his own but knowing that a safety net is there to catch him if he falls.
Thank you Lord for blessing me with this sweet little boy. My life is so complete with him in it. I loved watching Zachary and Chase help today with Garett's birthday. Lighting candles, pick out presents, and helping set up his new toys. Garett has two wonderful big brothers!! So I made it through another milestone with one of my boys and I survived. Maybe I will make it through the next milestones that come our way.
Until then I will not rush the days away and hold on tight to the moments I have. I know my time with my little birds are coming to an end right before my eyes! Before I know it my 5 year old will be 18 and off to college. Tonight I will hold on a little tighter and prayer for their safe travel over the next several years!

12 Years ago I said, "I Do"! and Now my 4 Year old wants to date!

Today Chuck and I are celebrating 12 years of marriage. It seems like yesterday he was asking me out on a date. I got my friend Dawn to go with us out to eat and he got her approval. I loved cruising around in his jeep with the top down. The single rose he bought me each Friday when he came into town was so sweet. Each Friday it was a different color. I will never forget the night he proposed. He opened my door on the jeep and the song "You light up my live" by Leann Rimes was playing as we gave me a single white rose. We had dinner and came home to a house full of people. My roommate had friends over. That messed his plans up a little but he just took me to the back of the house took at the ring and asked me to marry him. I was in shock, scared, and excited all at the same time. Ahhh the memories. Now 12 years later and 3 sons I can say I am so glad I met him! It is amazing to think of what could have been if I had taken a different path. I know I got the best end of the deal! I look forward to many more years together.
On the note of dating I have a funny story to share about Garett. He never ceases to amaze me with what he comes up with. Friday I picked him up for school and the first thing he said to me when he got in the van was, "Momma when can I take Ella on a date?" What?? A date?? My 4 year old is asking me if he can date?? I laughed and said, "Well Garett I guess when you get bigger." He informed me, "Ella said I have to take her on a date before I can kiss her!" What KISS??? My 4 year old wants to kiss a girl after a date??? Breathe, Breathe!! LOL! I don't even have these conversations with my 9 or 11 year old! He then told me, "Momma Ella is my girlfriend duh!" I knew she was his girlfriend he tells me EVERYDAY that she is his girlfriend and he is her boyfriend. Ella also tells her mother the same thing. He even saves her a spot by him at breakfast and when she gets to school he tells her to come sit by him! Later on that night I had him tell his dad about the date. I asked Garett if he would take me on a date and he informed me that I was to big and he can't drive. Oh and get this he told me, "Mommmmm daddy is your boyfriend duhh! He can take you on a date!" I asked him if he can't drive how will he take Ella on a date and he said on his 4-wheeler! I laughed. You see his 4-Wheeler is one of those battery operated power wheels. I guess since he can't drive that will have to do. I don't think they will make to far. I talked to Ella's mom on the phone and Ella was telling her the same thing. That they need to go on a date so they can kiss. At least she won't kiss him until he takes her on a date!! Oh the life of a 4 year old! Things are so easy and fun! I am dreading the day the real dates start. With a 11 year old I am sure I only have a few more years before the dating starts. Until then I will just keep wishing my boys don't grow up to fast!

Ringing in 2010!

I can't believe another year has gone by! 2009 was a great year for my family. I am excited to see what 2010 has to bring. This year I received my masters. I am so glad to be done and proud to have accomplished a goal I set for my self in high school. There is nothing like looking back and reflecting on your past. The other day I got out my senior book and looked to see what I had wrote. Isn't funny how differently you see your self when you are younger? Some of the things I had hoped for the future came true. I am blessed with a husband and children who love God. I have a good roof over my head. I LOVE my job. I have the best family and friends a girl could ask for. Sometimes I wonder how things could be any better. I remember the times when I thought nothing was going the way it should. Getting married at 19 and a child by 20 was not what I saw for my self in my senior book but its what made me the person I am today. I was blessed to have a supportive husband and family to help us. A personal struggle in my life came after Zachary was born. It caused me to question who I was, where I came from, and how could I have been lied to for so long. At first I was very bitter, mad, and sad but as time went by I realized that it could shape me into someone I did not want to be or make me stronger. I chose to become stronger and forgive the way God forgives me daily. Chucky supported me in finishing college even when baby number 2 came at age 22. He was there in my corner supporting me. A year after Chase was born we hit a rough patch in our marriage. I also hit a rough patch in my health. Both were very scary. The whole time the one thing missing was slapping us both right in the face GOD! After we moved from Horatio we never found a church family and started to let the ways of the world rule our life instead of God's way. After completing college and starting my teaching career, I met a great friend who invited us to church. Chucky got saved and I found my way back home to God. Who had never really left to begin with! As I read my senior book that is one thing I hoped to have a God fearing husband and a family in church. I am glad to say I have both. And we could not ask for a better church family than Spring Lake Baptist. Then baby number 3 came and I was blessed with 3 sons. As I read the page out of my senior book I saw I wanted 3 or 4 kids. I guess I accomplished that one as well. It is nice to look back and reflect on who we were and where we are now. I am glad to see that my life is so much more then I could have ever hoped for.
As I look at the boys playing together on the floor I start to think about the future. I am hoping that 2010 will be a year of new adventure, exciting and fun times with family and friends, and new opportunities in my job. But most importantly I want to live in the moment cherishing my precious sons not wanting the year to go by to fast. Not wanting them to grow up before my eyes. So here is a toast to the past may we remember where we came from and to the future my it be better then we can imagine! I hope 2010 is a GREAT year. God Bless and Happy New Year!

I cherish these times!!

We had a WONDERFUL time in Dallas this weekend. It was once again time for the Smedley Christmas at my Nana and papa's house. The only thing missing was the latest addition to our family Thomas Marc along with his parents my Uncle Mark and Eileen. But little Thomas is only 2 weeks old and not quite ready for a long trip.

We had a really good time visiting with my mom, Nana, papa, sisters, brother-n-laws, aunts, cousins, niece and nephews. The kids played well together minus the occasional little fight. But when you place that many kids together it is going to happen. Or that many sisters! Since there are 4 of us and we are all VERY strong headed. But the love is there no matter what!! That's the best thing about family you forgive move on and love each other no matter what!

This time with family is something I cherish. Seeing my boys with their cousins remind me so much of my cousins Bryan and Tori, my sisters, and myself playing together growing up at our family Christmas. Sharing, using their imagination, making up silly sayings, or telling secrets. Those are the things I love to see while their innocents are still in place, the bonds being formed, and a friendship growing. Its priceless! My brother-n-law Will had two boys when my sister Kasie married him.They have always fit right in like they have always been apart of our family! Austin and Zachary are a few months apart and Jordan and Chase a little over a year apart. They love playing together. Garett is right there in the middle of them all with my niece Adalyn making her self know in the group as well. She is a bossy little thing for only being 2. She is cute and she knows it. Its hard not to laugh at her sassy little self. My cousin Bryan has a daughter Taylor she is 3 months younger then Zachary and holds her own in a group of boys. My nephew Dominic wants to hang with the boys and is quite a character. Its hard to imagine Candi not always having him. I still remember to this day being in the court room when he was adopted. Definitely another blessing to count! Avery (Candi's youngest) was full of laughs. He is such a doll and has been one healthy little boys since the scare he gave us all at birth. Watching them together is the best gift I could get this year.

Chuck, the boys, and myself went down to Dallas Friday morning to help get things ready before everyone came on Saturday. We helped do some cooking and just spend sometime with my Nana and Papa before the mad house started with 20+ coming over. The boys had a great time cooking with Nana while Garett snuggled in papa's lap. I love that my boys have great-grandparents to spend time with. It is really neat. I had the BEST great granny until I was in 8th grade and God called her home!! I have the BEST memories of times with her in DeQueen, AR. I am glad my boys will also have those same kind of memories as well.

It is always hard when the time comes for everyone to go home. You want one more day, a few more hours, another game of cards, another talk, just a little more time before everyone leaves and another family Christmas comes to a end. I cherish the time I have with my extended family. I could not ask for a better family. I love them all!
Until the next Smedley get together I will cherish the memories we made, the fun we had, and most importantly the time we spend together!

My Bilingual Boys Give Away

I love amazon and order books and more from there all the time. Up for grabs in this give away is a $25.00 gift card. Check out her blog at:
http://mybilingualboys.blogspot.com/2009/11/25-amazon-gift-card-giveaway.html?showComment=1259474034402_AIe9_BH7nbTzMxW1mwPcIht13yssJZUYeDBJqvOtagmT1ys0YfpbHTxOfcylBEGtSoJUIr0D7sb1_hWPxRuSy1yBlUWm9Cj9qrBQO_14BKz9bNDJp74q07iyTSY8iXXUN3ylFDpt3EZNgoECwoDn0vSATTkd4srQMiudUpWPcjCbOCRMtBg7rVV7MTCuxIakfrZeYloie67xfGm3tTrCq8CpnRWMdoZJN28S4kIEBorwI4hRa9Z7kS23IhcURryPy4Pyy4P3u65u#c147362339932227391