Thursday, July 22, 2010

It's Bragging time!

Every wife can brag about there husband every once in a while, right?! I think so! Here I go...Mark has been attending The University of Tennessee (Chatt.) for over two and a half years working on his MBA.  He has drove thousands of miles to obtain this degree and honestly has never complained! From our house in Loudon it is 90 miles to his school (obviously this means 90 miles back home). Some semesters Mark was driving (after a full days work) to school 3 times per week (540miles/week, ah!). He never had any extended breaks while in school, he kept his schedule full from the first day he started! Mark was lucky if he'd make it home before 9:30pm (let me remind you that he starts at 7am each morning, just to wake up and do it all over again!). And if everything else doesn't seem busy, Mark also had the duty of a husband and even more importantly the role of dad. He never failed us once. Every day Mark drives 22 miles round trip to come home and give his little man 'love'n' before he has to go back and finish his day (not to mention financially support our family of 3). How amazing is he (best daddy ever!!)? And to brag even further, he's managed to get all A's and B's and has an outstanding GPA! What a fighter. Mark has 3 trips left! What an achievement! I'm so proud that Bryce has such an amazing role model!

15 months

So tomorrow, July 23rd, this little crazy man turns 15 months! Sweeter and cuter than ever! I haven't taken pictures in a while, but here's one that sums up how Bryce has been this past month...mischievous.
This includes:
Shattering a large light bulb all over the Laundry floor.
Drinking from a spoiled (from the day before) sippy cup of milk. (possibly up to an ounce YUCK!)
Spilling the vegetable oil ALL over the kitchen floor (many uh oh's after this incident).
Throwing daddy's drinking glass in the bath tub and then crying when her heard it shatter.
Geez, makes me feel like I don't supervise the kid ;)
I always say that it's a good thing he's cute, otherwise I would have him hanging upside down by his toe nails somewhere!
At the end of the day, all these incidents make me laugh and bring Joy into my simple life! Bryce Jaxon, you are just too dang cute! xoxo

Doesn't this face say it all?!?

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Well said...

A conversation between friends:


We are sitting at lunch when my friend casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family." "We're taking a survey," she says, half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations...."
But that is not what I meant at all.

I look at my friend, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable. I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a souffle or her best crystal without a moment's hesitation. I feel I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of her discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my friend to know that everyday decisions will no longer be routine . . . that a five-year-old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom. However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive friend, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years - not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs. I want her to know that a caesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.

My friend's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic. I wish my friend could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.
I hope she will understand why I can think rationally about most issues, but become temporarily insane when I discuss the threat of nuclear war to my children's future. I want to describe to my friend the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or a cat for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real, it actually hurts.

My friend's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reach across the table, squeeze my friend's hand and offer a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all of the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings the blessed gift of God and that of being a Mother.


Author Unknown

Friday, July 2, 2010

Gold and Purple


If you know one thing about Bryce's Daddy, it is that he is a true Buffalo Bills, USC and Laker's fan! Well sadly, the Buffalo Bills usually disappoint, USC does well, however recently announced they are out of the bowl games for the next 2 years, but the LAKERS, on the other hand, usually SHINE! This season they sure made "dadda" proud by becoming MBA Champs!!! Daddy celebrated by buying some championship gear, and because Bryce wants to be just-like-daddy, he got into the celebration as well. Go Lakers !!




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