a mouthful of changes

Perhaps I have reasons to be up since 3:30 am... Stress on my mind over this day. My 13 year old gets braces this morning. Not sure if her having braces (and knowing all I went through with them) stresses me, or the money they cost... Then, as if that isn't enough for the day, this evening, my littlest one is having a "frenulumectomy". Yes, sounds horrible doesn't it? As babies, we are born with a thick muscle connecting our lip to our gums, and as we reach around age 3 or 4, the muscle thins out and rises. Joshua's never did. So, though his lip and little gapped teeth are still adorable at 6, at 16 it most likely won't be... Poor baby hasn't a clue either. They will cut it and still not sure if they will have to stitch it. This truly is an appointment I would rather Clay handle. My mothers heart is too weak ;-)

Views from the Trampoline

Love these views -

this little one,

 willow trees,

and this sky.

Snuggling and looking at all there is to be seen.

This 6 year old mouth.

A blanket and reading in the sun.

And even from here, I love the view of my favorite kitchen table spot :)

Looking forward to many evenings like this,

as this semester of Chemistry and Physics is finally coming to a close.

Ones where I stop - and enjoy the view of where I am...

Baby Teeth and 6 Year Old Sweet

When my babies were all "gums", I just loved it...

Though the first little teeth are cute,

there's something about those gummy smiles!

Maybe that's why I am melting over this smile - his first missing tooth.

The night before, I was teasing him, telling him to wiggle that tooth that was hanging there by a thread.  I was beginning to call it "snaggle tooth", it was so loose.

I told him for sure it would fall out the next day - when he was at school.

And it did!



I forgot how much I missed a gap-filled mouth until I saw him smile.

I told Jalyn, "Jalyn, you were the last little missing tooth mouth we had!"

As soon as I saw his mouth, I pictured her smile, when she was 6,

and this one was just born.

Ah, if only they could stay 6...

There is even bedtime sweetness - once he gets over his initial protest.

The silliness never ends for little boys.

Meet "Snowy".

This is how I find him this morning - curled up with all his babies.

Yes, I think 6 is best :)

Oh Autumn is Among Us!

My most favorite block of months has come.

The seasons that I love.

At first, I was so busy I could hardly enjoy them

or acknowledge their presence.

But look, a wonderful change has come...

My windows are open, and a soft cool breeze blows through.

Those first few cool days of the season - I could swear refreshes and renews my very soul.

A bit of fall - to welcome us all...

Mums, just opening - such an image of the season, to me

Trees are most beautiful in yellows and reds and oranges, I believe...

And on this crisp cool Saturday, I took my littlest guy to breathe in the beauty.

He ran to the flags and back, collecting leaves...

Stopping next to his Mama for a few...

Yes, each one a prize...

Twisting stems together to "experiment" - "will they float or sink?" 

The giggles in the watching!

In the midst of many changes - many unknowns

(why is it I always need to know?)

still have much to be grateful for...

562  Warm coffee

563  Soft sweaters

564  Warm socks

565  My kitchen table

566  Autumn leaves - brown and crunchy on the ground,

Orange, yellow and red on the trees

567  Books cleared from around my table

568  The hope God gives

569  Time to think - praying to stop using that time to worry

570  A beautiful day at the park with Joshua - just to play

571  A stranger/lady who gave him bread to feed to fishies

572  The delightful squeal of "I see a fish!"

573  The imagination of a 6 yr old

574  Ladies night for church

575  Sweet welcoming friends

576  Sharing a meal

577  Devotions read to a room full of hungry souls

578  Roasting marshmallows over a backyard firepit -

making yummy, sticky smores

579  Having the time to reach into my quiet time basket

580  A supportive hubby - through all my tears of the past week.

linking up with:

A Perfect Moment in Time

All I have to do is look at this picture and smile. 

Taken at a rental house - after our home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina -
and still one of the sweetest times.

Jalyn - 6 yrs old, missing front tooth.

Jacob, 10 yrs old - ahhh, before the teenage years set in

and Joshua, still a baby - look at those eyes!

I could just squeeze them all - they're so cute...

Wordless Wednesday

And This Makes Five

Our little one turns the big "F-I-V-E"

It seems he has been little sooo long, with his still plump starfish hands,

but he says he is a big boy now.

He even got on the scale to see - thinking he would magically grow overnight!

"Still 14!"  He yells out from the bathoom, in amazement. 

(He meant to say "40"!)

I explain that growing bigger is a slow process - not an overnight one (thankfully...).

I for one, am content with holding plump hands, rubbing still babysoft skin, and looking into those baby blues.  I am treasuring these sweet days with a little one in the house. 

Everyday!

Happy Birthday Joshie!!

The Aquarium of the Americas

June is here (already?), and summer is well underway.  So far, besides sleeping in late and staying cool indoors - we took a trip into New Orleans to visit the Aquarium.  Somehow, we realized, we had not been there since Joshua was born.  Wow!  Anyway - he LOVED it!!

First we got a pizza at Canal Place - next to the Aquarium.  Had a little fun waiting for the pizza to be ready.

Our view from where we sat - the St. Louis Cathedral and Jax Brewelry

Here we are!

Every kid loves that "tunnel" when you first walk in!

He loved the "happy faces" on the sting rays!  (They do have a cute appearance!)

Me and Jalyn

All evening - after we left, Joshua kept saying, "I'm so happy I went to the Aquarium!"

We will have to do it again before another 5 yrs go by!

The First of the Long Hot Days

This morning is the first morning I didn't have to wake up at 5:40 to get kid #1 out of bed, fed and off to school.  (And still - the latest I could sleep was 7 am???  I will have to work on that!)

On Joshie's last day - they had "Water Day".  Though all he wanted to do was play in the sand box - "unburying dinosaur bones" with shovels and paint brushes.  (Hey, it was shaded!)

He finally moved on to painting the sidewalk/patio area - I kept him in the shade here!

There were bubbles and sprinklers and such.  But, sadly for him, I had to pull him away early to attend Jalyn's award ceremony.  It was her last day in her elementary school - before she moves on to Jr. High...

But he did fine - he sat next to me on the bleachers eating a makeshift lunch (it was after noon) -

baby goldfish and a granola bar - with a juice box.

Yes, I need a new camera.  Terribly. 

This is Jalyn going across the stage.  She got awards for 5th grade achievement (for passing), for straight A's in Spelling, and for Chorus.  Her wonderful teacher is in the green shirt. 

Another blur - but she came out okay - as she swiftly walked back to her class - (I so would have practically ran too at her age! - wait, I would now too!)

Jalyn and some friends in her classroom after the awards ceremony.

She was actually sad to be leaving her elementary school.  She is happy about going to Jr. High for a few good reasons though - namely:

You don't have to walk in a straight line anymore when you go down the hall.  You get to walk on any part of the hall - all crazy!!

And you get to sit anywhere you want in the cafeteria!!!

And, you get to talk in the cafeteria without being told to be quiet.

Oh my kiddos are growing up....