Growing Up

I did it.  I bought a twin bed for Collin, and I helped Jarrod take down the crib.  I was in GO mode during the whole process, but once the crib was in pieces and leaning up against a wall the water works started.  I just kept thinking about how long that thing has been a part of our lives, and how my boy hasn't ever slept in anything else.

We painted Collin's room last Sunday, so he had to take a nap in our bed that day.  It was a good chance to see how he would do in a "big" bed.  He did great, of course!

He looked like such a big boy, his Daddy snapped this picture!

He loves his bed and he's sleeping really well since we updated his curtains to blackout curtains. Heck, I've been tempted to take a nap in there myself!

Big boy room!
Plans to add more to the walls later :)

I'm just amazed at how much he is growing up.  He says things that knock me back sometimes and remind me he is his own person.  He has long, in-depth conversations where he is so assertive about his position, the only thing you can do is laugh!

And in other news, we decorated for Christmas yesterday.  Jarrod would tell you I have been very vocal with my thoughts regarding all things pre-maturely Christmas this year.  Really, what is going on?  We went out of town the weekend before Veterans Day, and when we returned it was like everyone had chosen to decorate for Christmas.  People!  I. Love. Thanksgiving.  Like, a lot.  From the food, to the parade, to memories of sitting at my Grandma Margaret's house all dressed up for the day, watching the parade and listening to my dad and grandma cooking in the kitchen.  She had this giant, metal mixing bowl.  GIANT.  My dad has it now, and it's used to make the cornbread dressing.  They would let me sit and crumble up biscuits and cornbread for the dressing, and it was my contribution to the meal!

Don't even get me started on pie.  I have been talking with Collin about pie for weeks now.  My dilemma is always whether to start with my mom's chocolate pie or to eat some pumpkin pie before my brother downs it all.

And then we all sit around and watch football games or movies and play card games.  Oh, Thanksgiving!

So it was a tough call for me yesterday but we're spending Thanksgiving in Texas, and I couldn't stand the thought of having to decorate when we return.

Also, another chance for Collin to prove how much he's growing up!  He insisted on helping put the "Kissmas balls" on the tree.  He only broke one, and he felt so bad about it that he cried and instantly outed his self when his Daddy came in the room!

Concentrating...

So proud of his self

He loved all the decorations, but he especially loved re-discovering this Christmas themed Sock Monkey that our sweet friend, Courtney Reeves, gave to Collin three years ago when he was just a few months old. The monkey has been all over our house in the past 24 hours, and he is currently sitting in a dining room chair.  Collin told him this morning, "You stay here 'til I get home from school!"

But I made sure Collin still knows what's what...we watched all of the Thanksgiving episodes of Friends yesterday!  Yep.  And he woke up this morning and ran to find me while asking, "We going to Mimi and PawPaw's today for Fanksgiving?!"


And for your viewing pleasure, we had to take a group photo on Tuesday night of our Community Group.  I realized on the way home, this is one of a kind.  We don't ever take pictures...  So in spite of the fact that we are missing one husband, here we are closer to one another than many of us were comfortable with :)
Love these people!

Turkey Peak

We just got back from another trip to Tejas.  All I could think on the way back to AR was how ridiculous I used to be for complaining about how far away we lived from our family.  When we first got married, we lived in Austin, and it took us about 4 hours to get to our parents.  Then we moved to east Texas, and it took us around 2 hours +/- to get to either of our parents' houses.  I am SO over the 12 hour round trip trek.

Not to mention, we have a toddler in the car with us now.  I don't even know why I pack a bag of things for myself to do in the car.  I never make it to any of them.  I have a pile of magazines that keep coming in the mail and no time to read them.  I had a book on my Kindle I was really looking forward to reading in the car on this last trip, but that didn't happen.

Mostly, I do a lot of gymnastics in the car.  Twisting and turning.  Contorting my body so I can reach whatever it is Collin has thrown from his seat to somewhere on the floor of the car.
What's that?  You need a snack now?  Your fourth one in an hour?  Oh, a different toy/book? What? Landry is looking at you the wrong way?  She ate the goldfish cracker you were teasing her with? Oh, how dare she do that!

Ugh.

Exhausting doesn't even begin to describe these trips!  And we have two left before the end of the year is upon us.  Regardless, we are still so thankful we have such great families to visit.  Thankful to have people who love us and who we actually want to make a 12 hour round trip trek to see!

We were in Early, TX this time around.  Collin saw several deer and played with his great grandpa Hoffman's pup, Marley.  Marwee, he calls her.

Every time we go to Turkey Peak, I find myself remembering what it was like when Jarrod and I were newlyweds.  We would travel 3 hours from our home in Austin to hang out at the farm for a weekend.  He would fish, and I would sit and read all day.  Oh glory, to be able to do those things again!

Instead, this weekend, I was wrangling a 3 year old.  Two days of him running and yelling "boof!" (because he thinks boo has an f on the end) and watching him put his face in Marley's face so she could lick all over him.  Whatever, dude.  As long as he isn't fussing or asking me to get him another snack, I'll take it!

I'll also take this...

A rafter of turkeys outside the window while I'm drinking coffee in the morning.

Sweet Landry Paige running lose

And this.  Beautiful, this.

My heart aches a little just looking at this picture.  The sun on my face and (as Jarrod says) Texas dirt all around me.  10-20 degrees warmer than back at our house in AR.  Stillness.  Those are the things I have to focus on during our 12 hour drive to and from.