Happy Birthday Dad!!

Today is my dad's birthday!! I don't take enough time to reflect on how blessed I am to call him my father. I have an endless amount of memories of him I hold close to my heart. He is truly the kind of dad every child should have the chance to grow up with. He has always been there for me, my sisters and my mom. He is hilarious...really cracks us up! He cracks himself up as well...the Tom Moore knee slap laugh is classic! As I feel blue not being able to deliver his cookie cake in person today (we still made it of course but then we had to eat it...sorry about that dad) I am flooded with so many memories...I don't even know how to put them into words...but I will try...I want to have them in writing for my kids to have forever...

I love that when I was a little girl he invested in a good camera because he wanted pictures of me...the black and white of my mom and I that he took is framed on my bedside table.

I love that he took my sister and I on a canoe trip...and flipped the canoe and proceeded to melt my tennis shoes by the fire and then walked me to the camp store where our only option was adult flip flops!

I love that even though my dad traveled for work all week when I was growing up he still made sure to not miss events. I remember looking up and seeing him in the audience at the 4th grade spelling bee. He had to leave again right after and left a note on the table that we was so proud I got 

T-H-I-R-D place!

I love that he attempted to coach me in basketball...it didn't work out well but he tried ;) I am pretty sure I was impossible to coach ;)

I love that he let me have Ralph...y'all know our infamous dog that lived for 15 years. He and dad were best buddies and arch enemies. "This is Ralph we'll be in the car"

I love that he is always doing a home project and they usually run into a snag....Katie and I love the memory of dad walking through the yard dragging a sink and then shortly after setting of all the smoke alarms with his high pressure heat gun while removing old flooring

 I love that he calls the workers at the Home De-Pot "his people".

 I love that mom and I will never forget walking in the house and the door being open and dad saying "the fire department is on the way"

I love that my dad wrote me a letter on my high school graduation day. I love that he cherished all the craziness of raising daughter. Even on days "when its like living in a womans locker room"

I love that he always called my boyfriends and even some friends by the wrong names. 

I love that he would come to Pittsburg in college and feed whatever hungry friends were hanging around me.

I love that he took me out to lunch before my wedding day and had a daddy daughter talk.

My dad never fails to make me laugh. But he is also so calm and collected in tense situations...whether it be a bad report card, a fender bender, a softball to the face, a trip to the emergency room. He is always calm and collected. It is SO comforting. That really shined brightly as we sat in the ICU day after day last fall. Dad was our rock!

Dad is always our rock. He is also an example of what a family man should be. He loves his wife with all he is and loves his children the same. Our house was always full of love, affection and laughter. Hardly a day would go by that mom and dad weren't hugging in the kitchen! :)

It is such an honor and a blessing to watch my dad be "Papi" to my kids. He is the same grandfather that he was father and I LOVE IT! I love that he calls them "Sugar" and wants to "Hang you by your toes" I love that he takes a nap when he is on babysitting duty and I love that he lets them help with his garden. I love that he ditched mom at the Panera when Bentley was born and snuck off to have the first peek at his new grandson! :) My kids ADORE their Papi and I adore my dad!

So today on your birthday dad, we miss you, we love you, we celebrate you and we can't wait to see you again! Thank you for who you are!! Enjoy the 2 movies below!! :)

Hugs and Kisses!

Sarah

That Mom...

I am totally that mom...the one who counts down the days to summer and cries for a week when school starts. I LOVE having our home filled with the craziness of our babies. I LOVE family time. If you know me, which if you take the time to read my ramblings you probably do....you know how much I adore my family. Which is obvious by all our moves to be with Scott while he is on location with his company. Anyway...when my kids are home the whole world revolves around having fun with them!! The laundry piles up...except for swimsuits and towels of course because we need those daily! Dishes sit in the sink...toys go unpicked up because we always go back to playing with them. Basically my house is in disarray the entire summer....and I LOVE IT!! There were a few times I had to scramble and get things tidied...my n'laws came to town...the AC man came...a play date etc...but for the most part it was lots of popcorn parties...

Art sessions...how amazing is the portrait Mal made of me!? :)

Going for ice cream...wearing anything they want to....

Camps and VBS...and again B wearing anything he wants too ;)

Lots of game time...

Turning closets into "Kids Club"...

And of course countless parties and shows....

And these pics were just from the last few weeks of summer ;) We love to sleep in, make pancakes, wear pajamas until we put on swimsuits, and just laugh ourselves silly over anything and everything. The girls have been particularly enjoying my rendition of "Home on the Range" they don't agree they should greet new friends in this way! ;) bhahahah!!

This week has been tough for me...my babies went back to school. This year was tougher than usual. I mean we are in a foreign country and its not the comfort of the school we love 2 blocks away. I researched and researched and then researched a little more before deciding where to send them to school. I had to fight not homeschooling hard....I wanted to keep them with me so badly. But after much encouragement from those beautiful people that know me the best. I finally sat down and did the most important thing I could do...Pray, Pray and Pray some more. Once I opened my heart and really listened things were made clear. We feel happy about the girls school. And so far so good they are IN LOVE with it!! There are some funny differences from home but the girls have been so good about laughing and adapting...we have been blessed with an AMAZING principal and both the girls have phenomenal teachers that I am very happy with. I know they are where they need to be. My mama heart aching is just part of being a mommy. Being that mommy that loves her kids so much she has to deal with the heartache when letting go a little. But I have Jesus and I know that his plans for me and for our children are good. 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Just look at the happiness on the girls faces...first was Sneak A Peek

And then the first day of school...

They both had the best time!!

It makes my heart so joyful that they are happy... (this blog is made into a book each year so below are letters to all 4 our our babies)

Mallory Suzanne,

I am so proud of the 8 year old you are and the darling young lady you are becoming. You have so much compassion for other people. You are sensitive and caring. Your love of reading just puts a smile on my face. Your dream of being a teacher makes me sing inside! You look so much like your daddy but we always say you are just like me! I just beamed with joy when we were organizing and labeling all your school supplies together and you said "MOM I just can't take it!! I love school so much and the smell of these new supplies just makes me more excited!!" Oh be still my heart...the new school supplies get me every year! I always stock up our cabinet ;) Like mother like daughter. You came home very concerned that your teachers classroom library wasn't organized enough and wasn't equipped with enough chapter books. I asked you what we could do to help the situation and you replied. "Well I would like for you to discuss it with her but first I will write about it in my journal. If she knows how much I love reading and what my favorite series have been maybe she can help me come up with a solution." Oh Mal! I just love you so much! You are your own little person and I amazed by you every day. Stay true to who you are and never stop laughing and having fun! You are so silly and I love all of the fun we have together! Have a great year in 3rd grade!! And don't worry about singing "Oh Canada" every morning you will have the words down in no time! ;)

I love you to the moon my sunshine!

xoxox

Mommy

My Whitney Grace,

First grade!? It can't be!! How can my darling little sidekick already be in first grade? You looked at me Tuesday morning and said "Are you going to cry today mom?" when I said "What do you think Whitty?" You replied, "Of course, you will cry all day because you miss me so much!!" I am so glad you know how loved you are my darling. This all day at school thing is tough on both of us but you are doing GREAT!!! You have always been a mama's girl and the last 2 years you would say..."I don't want to go to school today I already missed you yesterday!" I hear you baby...I miss you!!! But you are so full of life, and you make friends so easily! When I picked you up the first day you said "Today was great I have made 7 friends so far!!" You love your teacher and all your favorites about school are social...you are so smart and kind and funny. You never cease to make me laugh out loud. You miss Ghoulia while you are gone but she rides to and from school with us. You loved it when you came home from your first day and she was sitting on your dresser with a note to you!! You laughed and laughed and said "Momma you are SO crazy!! I know you wrote this silly note!!" :) I love how silly we are together! I am so proud of the 6 year old you are my sweet girl! You are going to have a wonderful year in first grade and I am so excited to see you grow!!

I love you to the moon!

Hugs and Kisses,

Mommy

My little buddy Bentley Scott,

I love you so much little guy! You are so silly and keep me on my toes ALL DAY LONG! We have so much fun playing outside, going on walks, finding play grounds and doing projects! You are the best helper! You talk SO Much....which isn't a surprise...reminds me of 2 other little girls in our family...and maybe a little bit of me ;) hahah! You are awesome! Your hugs are the BEST! And your "hold me mama! Me love you mama!" are the best sounds during the day! I can't believe you are already turning 3! You are a precious gift from God and I am so proud of you and the little boy you are!! 

I love you to the moon!

xoxoxo

Mommy

(B after is haircut the other day...he was loving his blue spikes ;))

Brody Michael,

Daddy and I along with your big brother and big sisters can not wait to meet you! We all are in love with you already! Today big brother Bentley and I got to see you on sonogram! I had so much fun watching you move! It was pretty amazing seeing your foot kick on the picture and watching/feeling the kick on my stomach. They said you are growing great and are already over 4 pounds your length measurements are in the 97%!! I guess you want to make sure to be as big as your siblings ;) We can't wait to see your precious face and hold you in our arms!! You are a gift from God!!! 

I love you 

hugs and kisses,

Mommy

And in other news...

B and I have been keeping ourselves busy trying to dig out from all the summer fun (aka project clean/organized house) we even made our own detergent yesterday!! I am pretty excited to see if all the rage of 29.00 for a years worth of detergent is true!!! :)

If not at least we had fun making it....and it looks pretty in my glass jar ;)

I also did my first furniture "upcycle" in Canada... seriously one of my favorite craft projects...not only do I get to be crafty and use a palm sander but it adds organization and storage....you can't go wrong with that!!!

Here is the dresser before...

Here is the empty space that collected games and toys constantly...(I pushed them to the side to take this pic! ha!)

and here is the finished product!!

and to close...to make it through the tears this week I have been doing this...

Boom Pumpkin Spice....and of course lots of prayer time! Without Jesus I would have nothing...he is where I begin and where I end. My solid rock. 

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2

Love y'all!!!!