Capturing the day to day...

The day to day moments with Jayden are priceless.  I am learning to enjoy these moments and to thank God for each one.  He is one fun boy and I love being his mama!  The last couple of weeks have been a JOY but also difficult as I prepare to go back to work.  How exactly do you prepare for that???  I'll tell you how - I am focusing on...

1. what works for our family at this time and refusing to compare to others and what works for them
2. the fact that it is only 3 DAYS a week and I will be with him the other 4 DAYS (majority woohoo)
3. Mama Long will be keeping him those 3 DAYS a week and she promises to smooch his little face off (and I have no doubt she will). 
4. the blessing that my job is extremely flexible in working with me and they haven't booted me yet
5. the fact that Jayden will be loved on and taken care of (it's me that is the concern anyway).

Am I prepared?  NOPE!   Now you know how to pray if you are reading this friends!

So here it goes picture lovers (or maybe that is just me) and praise the Lord for iPhones by the way because every single picture was taken on it:

Remember - I love laying on my changing pad!

the many fun faces of Jayden :)

Our selfies are on Sundays so we can send to
Grandma while we are at church!

Jayden's first XC practice :)

LOVES his daddy

love Walmart's funny onesies

and another one...

Oh just a date night with this cutie!

This is a signature morning pose - stretching it out

Bumbo seat time!

Grocery shopping!

watching mommy make poppyseed chicken

his faces make me happy!

Sunday afternoon nap - wore out!

visiting baby Liam :)

Jayden & Liam

trying to figure this sitting up thing out!

GRINNING BIG

Jayden is a big fan of his play mat

why does he look 6 months old in this picture???

love our time together daily

kicking the mess out of that piano

oh just rolling over



his sleeping arrangements

 

Rance & Colin
Barn work on ETM's property

TEAMWORK



Colin supervising

Ben has worked so hard on this project!



A day of fly fishin' for Boo before he went back to school!

I think I'll keep him :)

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 2014

School started Monday, August 25th for students.  Of course I got Rance's picture before he headed out to drive his bus AND in honor of that, Jayden wore his school bus onesie for the first day of school!

 

Here's to the 2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR!  

*GEORGIA BOUND*

On Sunday, Rance, Jayden and I headed to Blairsville, Georgia to hang out with our sister, brother-in-law and sweet niece Kenleigh!  It was SO super relaxing to hang out with them, enjoy some of Marla's good cooking, watch Sharkweek episodes, string some beans from the garden, sip on coffee, play with Kenleigh, and just be with family! 

MILK DRUNK before we left church which
means he slept the entire way to Georgia!

Kenleigh is HILARIOUS by the way!  She LOVES to be outside and she is at that age where she has no idea what gentle means so to watch her with Dozer (the dog) and her kittens brought a lot of laughs.  She also thought Jayden was just a baby doll she could punch and poke at and beat his head.  She was just trying to love on him though :)

 

Please look at that face!!!

LOVE how she holds them kittens on her side!

Brother/Sister

 

HAPPY and headed home!

XC Team Bonding 2014

It's hard to believe it is that time of year again - CROSS COUNTRY SEASON!  Practice began on August 11th at 7am and continued at that time until school started!  It's fun how the Lord leads Rance to approach things differently each year and how to invest in their lives spiritually. 

Last Friday, to promote team bonding, have some fun, and enjoy one last HOO-RAH before school started - Rance decided to take the teams WHITE-WATER RAFTING!  Shout out to Billy Knight, Ben Thacker, Hamilton Boxberger, and Frank Cline for being guides down the river! 

From my perspective, things are definitely different having a baby now and determining what is best for me to attend and what is not very wise.  Of course, I could not go rafting down the river with Jayden BUT we did go participate in the fun of watching them and snapping pictures of their craziness as they rafted down the river!  Jess & Wyatt ventured along with us and boy I am so thankful for that.  It's so much more fun to share this crazy mom experience with someone else.  It provides SO many laughs even when the craziness means you lose your iPhone and Costa sunglasses while running with a stroller trying NOT to miss the group as they raft down THE FALLS on the river (that's the last BIG rapid to go down).  I mean what is more important - missing the BIG SHOTS on camera or your iPhone/sunglasses?!?!  HA, obviously I chose the BIG SHOTS in the moment and maybe I later regretted that decision?!?! 

Just a few pictures to share (duh~!):

RAFT 1 - Yes, Rance went down the river on the front just like that!

RAFT 2 - Hamilton actually works on the river so he's a professional!

 

RAFT 3 - POOR BEN with a bunch of girls!  JK!  Jess & Ben actually lead a bible study with 4 of these 5 gals!



 

RAFT 4 - Lil Frank taking ownership of this one!

These next few pictures were taking with me literally running with a baby stroller trying to snap shots!  And I wonder how I lost my cell phone and sunglasses!?!?!

GROUP SHOT!  They all made it out alive and wet!

My partner in crime plus Jayden &Wyatt!

BEST OF FRIENDS!  Ben & BOO Bear!

Cannot believe this guy is a SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL???
No, I'm not tearing up!

He trips me out...

...and so does she!!!

The day ended with PIZZA by the River! :)

On a fun note - I got a call from the river on MONDAY (minutes before leaving and going to purchase a new phone) and they had found my cell phone!!! PRAISE THE LORD FROM HIS GRACE!!!  On a different note - I'm hoping my sunglasses BLESSED THE MESS out of someone!

That's all for now!