Catching up!

So....it's been a very long time since I've posted anything. Remember my first post? Why I didn't want to do this...what I if I started and didn't finish? What if I wasn't any good? Guess what? All fears came true. But here's the really good news.....I'm a big grown up momma and sometimes I even face my fears. Knowing that time was traveling faster than I care to admit and that I would never remember all the funny, cute, sad, awesome times we shared as a family, I decided to get back on the blogging horse. Who cares if I mispunctuated, or spelled things wrong or made up words? What's important? One of these days all these memories will be down for my kids and grandkids to embrace. I read a few of my Face book friends' blogs for inspiration.... my face book friends have AWESOME blogs....it made me more scared to try this crazy thing again, but I'm doing it. At the risk of making this hugely long and overly boring for anyone who wants to read this whole thing, I will hit the major events of the goings on in the last several months since I posted. We have had 3 major events in our lives that, had I been blogging, would have been some serious blogs.

In March of this year we found out that our family would be expanding again! We were very excited. Most people who know Harper thought that, clearly, this must have been an accident (Sorry Harp, but you are a mess - and we love you for it). It was totally planned. We have always said 3 children and after 2 sweet princesses, we knew that 3 was the magic number - Daddy needed a hunting buddy. We were hoping for a boy, but like we all say "as long as it's healthy....." and that we mean :).

Sadly, in May, our family was hard hit by the loss of P-Paw....my father in law. As I write this I still cry thinking about that weekend. Memorial Day Weekend 2010. Aaron and Harper were going to visit his parents while Sydney and I decided to head to Russellville to visit out of state uncles and allow Sydney some play time with her fave cousin, Meghan. Friday morning Sydney graduated pre-school. She wore a cap, sang a solo and received a certificate. It was such a wonderful day. She headed back to Russellville with Gigi and Meghan while I stuck around to finish up last minute items around the house. I headed to Russellville. An hour into my trip my mother in law called to tell me that P-Paw was in organ failure and I had better come quick. The weekend was a blur. I stopped at Russellville, had a talk with Sydney about what was happening and we hopped in the car and headed to Northeast Arkansas. Our beloved P-Paw passed away Sunday night about midnight. It was awful. To feel so helpless next to your strong, amazing husband who is pleading with his dad to just hang on because he's not ready.....I play that day back over and over again...all the while praying for my husband who lost his best friend. Where do we find peace? He's finally, after 5 years of fighting a hard battle with cancer, pain free and with his Lord and Savior. He sees us daily, he watches over our kids. For 3 or 4 weeks after his death Harper would have conversations with him...it was priceless - I wonder what they were talking about, I wonder what he was telling her, he often said that little girl held a very special place in his heart. You are missed dearly, P-Paw.

Our bright spot after the darkness - In June we found out that the new baby would be a boy! We all went to the ultrasound and all found out together that our new bundle arriving around Thanksgiving would, not only have male anatomy, but was very very healthy as well. Here's the comic relief to this story. The ultrasound tech kept referring to him as a "turtle" - try to explain to your 2 year old who has been hearing for weeks we are having a "baby" only to be told that now...it's a turtle - she was stoked! I think she's got it now, though

August of 2010 - I need a whole separate blog to write about this one.... Sydney started kindergarten. What a summer leading up to it. We were all nervous, we talked about it with excitement and anticipation and then.....it was the first day of school. We took 1,000 pictures (at the house, leaving the house, driving to school, in front of the school, in the hallway, in the cafeteria....you get the idea). It was bittersweet. I had a little excitement that I wouldn't be the constant entertainer of this precious 5 year old, who NEEDED constant entertainment, I felt guilt for time wasted, all the times she begged me for just one more game of Hullabaloo that I begged off because the dishwasher HAD to be unloaded. I felt anxiety for this tiny little girl starting school in this massive elementary school - it had to be scary. I was excited for Harper who would finally have some one on one attention. Needless to say, it was a day of mixed emotions. She loves school and is thriving. She is currently working above grade level in all categories. She is smart, works hard in school and aims to please. She is amazing!

As I sit here tonight and write I am excited about the return of my blog, I am seeing my massive to do list out of the corner of my eye for things which need to be done this week and I am currently trying to learn to relax more and take things in stride. Baby Remington will be here in about 6 weeks - we are nowhere near ready for him, but hopefully we'll get there. All he needs is a house full of love anyway, right? And he's definitely coming home from the hospital to that!