Lets think...we were made to do THAT, too!

When I heard about this film, I just about stood and applauded. Which would have been silly as I was folding laundry on the couch, alone. But the point is, I think it is a great thing and cannot wait to see it!
Now, hear me out: I believe that God created us. His perfect design has purpose and it works. Now, of course there are times that things go wrong and I am so thankful that God has placed my life in an era when medical help is everywhere. But, I believe that pregnancy and birth were part of his plan for us as women. A normal, healthy pregnancy is not a "condition" or a "disease" to be treated. It is a beautiful, natural process that we go through.
I think we have all heard the idea of a 'second opinion' when it comes to almost any health issue. But, if you have ever had a baby, you might find that there are very few varying opinions out there. It is our job to educate ourselves on any health issue we face. So I encourage anyone out there who is having a child or considering it to check this out. I sure wish I had done a little more educating before my experience.

www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com

If you want even more info check out this book: The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer

My new sink!

Out with the old....

...and IN with the NEW!
I tell you what, nothing gets this girl excited like updated kitchen fixtures! Our old sink started to leak last week, and as you can imagine by looking at the first picture, I was all too eager to tell it "bye-bye"! ( No one should have to live with a 6 inch sink anyway!) We bought the sink and fauctet at Home Depot and actuall installed it ourselves! Which was so gratifying and really not that difficult. BUT, when you put in a deeper sink, you have to account for that with the plumbing below....hmmm....problem. Rudy has been busy with the opening of the new deli and working more hours than I want to talk about. SO, we have a new handyman. His name is Brian and he is awesome. I would be happy to refer any of my TN friends to him any time. Brian saved the day and now my new sink not only looks great, it WORKS great, too!

Girl-time....well, almost!

Casey, Aron and I

Aron being coy with Steph

Decisions, decisions!

At the end of our Texas tour, Aron and I spent the weekend with Casey in Houston. We hadn't seen Casey in over a year and it was wonderful to spend time with her! My friend Stephanie joined us for lots of hanging out, girl-talk and shopping. Aron fit right in!

He was able to do all kinds of little boy things like try on shoes, eat at La Madeline, help mommy find a dress. He shopped for jewelry and purses with Stephanie while I tried dresses on.

Too bad we didn't have time for make-overs and pedicures!

Oh, Boy X3

Now that my sister (and soon my mother, as well) is in East Texas, visiting both sides of the family will be a breeze! Rudy's family lives just an hour away in Bryan!

Here is Aron with his cousin Sammy (center) and second cousin Fidel (left). Their birthdays are (left to right) 11/15, 12/28, and 11/17. 2004 was the year of the boy for Rudy's side of the family!

A little Christmas in Texas!

We flew home to Texas on Christmas Eve and drove to my sister's. She and her husband live "out in the country". Seriously. The closest Wal-mart is 30 minutes away! I am not sure how they survive, but apparently they do, and they enjoy it, too! We really had a fantastic time riding horses and exploring their acreage. Everybody should have a Christmas like this!

TJ lets Aron "help" lead Rooster

Uncle TJ helps Aron up onto Rooster

Happy in the saddle

Yes, even I rode! Roscoe was the sweetest horse...maybe sometime I'll tell you about how I fell off. Maybe not.

A little Christmas in Tennessee

Opening gifts at home

Santa brought a bike!

Oh, happy day!

That Santa is so accomodating! Did you know he will come early to work around your travel plans? He was able to fit us in during Aron's nap on the 23rd! Thanks, big guy!

He's SO three!

I should stop blogging and write a book just about the things Aron says. Of course, I think I'd only have to make about 10 copies: 5 for me, 3 for my family and maybe 2 more for me. But that is not the point. He is just saying the funniest stuff right now! Case in point:

I took him to his 3-yr check up with his pediatrician, Dr. White the other day. He was an absolute angel while the doctor was in the room. He answered her questions, was articulate and sweet and flirty, to boot. (big sigh of relief from me) He leaned his head to the side while she checked his ears, let her look in his mouth and see his teeth. I was floored. And proud. And floored! Normally, he is exerting his newfound stubbornness and pushing every button I was made with.

He even took his flu mist like a champ and didn't let so much as a tear drop when they pricked his finger for an iron test!

She praised him and was so sweet to him and told him she'd see him next year when he was four.

Dr. White left the room and I got down on the floor with him to help him with his shoes. I told him, "You did such a great job, bud." He smiled and looked off into space. Then he said, "Mommy, I'm so three."

Yes he is.

Christmas Cards

My friend Rachael posted a picture of how she displays her cards and asked others to share how they do it, too. She's so much fun, that Rachael! So, here's mine. It's not so original, but I love how I can see them as I pass from one room to the other and I must go in and out of the kitchen about 999 times each day! If you haven't mailed me a Christmas card yet, get to it! I have plenty of room for more!

Also, let me close by quoting my funny friend Rachael: "And if you don't have a blog, then join the cool kids and get one!"

Mammaw. Better than Santa!

Here's Aron* and Mammaw. (my mother)

Mammaw brings presents! (like a v-smile pocket gaming system)

We go fun places when Mammaw is here...like Opryland!

And Aron likes to show off for Mammaw. (*like refsuing to look at Daddy when he is trying to take our picture, causing Mommy to have to tickle him to even get a smile)

Mom was here for a week, which meant lots of laughs, treats and special things. It all added up to a great visit full of new memories!

Red-handed...or Green finger'd!

Look at him go!

See the fingers in his mouth?

Is there a hot-line for addictions like this? You can litterally see the tracks in the incing bowl where he has scooped it out over and over!

Ah, the Sugar Buzz!

I honestly lost count of how many times we told Aron to stop eating the icing with his fingers! Our buddies Morgan and Keegen were over last week and we baked dozens of sugar and gingerbread cut-outs. Aron was not as into icing the cookies as he was his tongue! Rudy had to take him off his stool in the kitchen and into the other room to talk to him about the tummy ache he was headed for, but it was a futile fight. He climbed back up and started over again. The icing seemed to control him! So we all sighed, slapped icing on the rest of the cookies and hurried to the car to go and look at Christmas lights to keep Aron from becoming a diabetic in one sitting! SHEESH!

A little something silly!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1140223155

...with all my cars!

Aron thinks it is great fun to tell "seekwets" in your ear. He used to tell me things about Thomas the train or that he had washed his hands. It was less about the content of the secret and more about the whispering in the ear. So imagine how my heart melted last night when Aron came over and said, "Mommy, I'm gonna tell you a seekwet.", then climbed up and whispered in my ear, "I wuv you!". I whispered in his ear, " I love you, too." He whispered back, "I wuv you, too." I decided to one-up him with, "I love you with all my heart." He smiled at me and put his little hand to his mouth, lifted his head to my ear and said, "I love you, too, with all my cars!" My sweet, sweet boy!

Deck the halls!

Front of the house

Our tree!

No fireplace here, so the banister will have to do for our stockings...

Our last Christmas was overshadowed by our big move from Nevada to Tennessee. So, this year, we are pulling out all the stops. Or at least all the boxes from the attic!

Rudy hung the lights for us on Friday morning and I just love the way it looks. With daylight savings making it dark at 4:30 pm, we need a little sparkle to look forward to!

Now that we have a house with a porch to decorate, I am looking forward to hitting the post-holiday sales and building the armory of lights and garland in the years to come!

Hope this puts you in the mood to do the same! And to those nay-sayers out there who think it is too early to put up lights I have one message: The Grinch called, and he wants his job back! Ha-ha!

So Thankful

Hmm...Thanksgiving HAM?

Strike two.

This isn't bad, but we're one short of a family picture...

Rudy played flag football out in the cold! Brrrrrrrr!

Me n my turkey. Apparently I bring out the silly in him!

I hope that all of my family and friends have enjoyed plenty of food, football and shopping. I also hope that we have all taken pause to consider all of our blessings. As Rudy and I approach the one year anniversary of our move to Tennessee, we are overwhelmed with gratitude to our Lord for all he has given us. We are so excited to be entering into the holiday season and celebrating our first holidays in our new home.

We shared a wonderful meal with some lovely friends we met at our church and some of their family and neighbors. It was a great mix of people. I love mixes of people!

We also invaded their home for a second day to watch the TX-ATM game together. The Browns are both Aggie alumn and, well, you know where I went to school.... so the Leal's dressed in orange and headed on over. I wish I could report that we won, but no such luck. We were really just happy to be sharing our TX college football passion with some fellow Texans, Aggies or not!

Hope you enjoy these photos of our Thanksgiving. We attempted to use the timer on my camera and take a family photo. You can see the results for yourself.

Please fill me in on how you spent your holiday!

My boys.

Aren't they handsome? And oh, so sweet. They make my day. Everyday!

I am so, so blessed.

Party time!

What a day we had! Turning 3 has never been so much fun! We celebrated the blessing of Aron's life with good food, good friends and good times! Hope your day was as full of joy as ours was, Los Leals

Three years ago today....

I woke up at 4a.m. I showered at 5am. I did not eat breakfast.
I was out of the house by 6:15 that morning. My appointment was not until the 22nd, but I had to move it up a few days! By 11:26am I had a baby boy!
I cannot believe that he is 3. Time flies by so fast.
Today I slept until 6...ok 6:12 a.m. Rudy had already bought me a latte. (a little we-have-a-lot to-do-today-treat) I have been making chili and cutting up velveta for queso. Things are moved around to make room for the festivities. Streamers and giant Cars are my new kitchen decor. Rudy is outside raking leaves. He started yesterday, but it got dark and he had to leave them in big piles in our yard.
Aron is still asleep. I can't wait to sing "Happy Birthday" and "Las Mananitas" to him. He chose cinnamon rolls for his birthday breakfast, so we will bake those together soon. Then there will be balloons and friends and presents and games and a pinata and food and cake and pictures.
Happy Birthday, Aron! You are the biggest blessing of our lives and we thank God for you

I've Been Tagged

Ok, my friend Rachael "blog-tagged"me, so I am going to play along. Hope I don't bore/offend/or just plain confuse anyone with this. But, who am I to spoil the fun?
Although a lot of people say they check my blog, I only know two other people (personally) who blog and one of them tagged me. Cousin G, guess you are my tag-ee...I have got to get some more hip friends, I guess. Just kidding!

I have been tagged. Here are the rules:
A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player lists 6 facts or habits about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people, posting their names, and leaves a comment on their blog, letting them know they have been tagged and to check the tagger's blog for instructions


Here are my 6:

1. I love being a mom. Some people complain about their kids and seem to really resent the time it takes to be a mother. Um....hello? It makes me sad to hear other parents talk about children as an inconvenience or a burden. They didn't show up without an invitation!
2. I want a big family. When I first married Rudy he said he wanted 4 children. I thought he was crazy and said, "two". As time went on I thought, "3 is a good compromise". Now, after meeting Aron and struggling with infertility, I think Rudy might have had it right with 4. They may not all come from my womb, but 4 sounds good these days.
3. I love to stay up late, hate to get up early. I WISH I was a morning person. I try so hard to be one, but fail miserably. Oh, I get up when I have to, but it is so hard. Don't ask me questions before I have taken the first sip of my SECOND cup of coffee, please.
4. I want to play a musical instrument again. I played the saxophone from the 6th grade through my freshman year in college. I loved music and being in the band really made High School fun for me. (shout out to all my fellow band-nerds!) I left the sax behind, but the music stuck with me. I am seriously thinking about getting a guitar and learning to play. Guess being this close to Nashville is starting to affect me.
5. I love being tall, but having big feet stinks! Trying to make a size 10 anything look cute is difficult!
6. I have been married twice. Both times to Rudy. Best decisions I have ever made, no matter how crazy some people thought I was at the time. Love you, baby!

OK, Georgia. I have to tag you. You are the only person I know who blogs. Feel free to pass, though. I am sure the world will still turn.

Autumn Adorable

Aron and Tom

Aron dives in!

diggin' in for more

Aron and our friend Tom had a great time in the leaves today. Our yard is full of them, so we might as well make the most of it! I raked them into a nice big pile and gave them the ol' "ready, set, go". What a great way to spend a perfect fall afternoon with your buddy! And, yes, even I got down in it with them. Wouldn't you?

Meeting Celebrities!

Does it get any more cool than this? Aron met Spiderman, R2D2 and a storm trooper at the Pumpkin Fest in Franklin last weekend! What an exciting day!

Incredibly cute....

...if I do say so, myself!

Is he not the most adorable Mr. Incredible you have ever seen? Yep, I am proud! Aron is really starting to grasp the fun of the holidays and I am having a blast watching him enjoy the fun. We are still working out a few kinks, though. The other day, while shopping, he asked for a toy. I told him we had better wait, since he has an upcoming birthday and then Christmas not long after. He got very excited and asked, " Mommy, is Santa Clause coming for my birthday?"

Little Photographer

Ok, so it is not the highest quality portrait, but this is what you get when an almost 3 year-old is behind the camera with his finger over the flash. It is centered nicely, though! And I did not crop it. He took several others...one of Rudy's shoe, a few of the corner of the table...another of Rudy, and he very cleanly cut off his head. But, I thought I'd share his best work!

Sweet Motherhood

I am so grateful to be a mother and do not wish for one second
to have any other job in the world. That being said, there are
days, as we wave good-bye to the terrific two's and head into
the tremendous three's, when my patience is tested and I am forced to take a deep breath and remember that Aron learns from EVERYTHING I do. His new favorite game is to disagree just for the sake of the arguement. If I say, "Oh, it is windy today." He will almost surely say, "No it's not." Or even when I announce that Daddy's home, he'll say, "No he isn't." Yes, lots of deep breathing, folks. But, if I am patient enough and remember to look at things from his perspective, we get through these head-buttings and then my sweet boy is giving me the best of all blessings...his love.
Parenting is the most beautiful and challenging experience of my life, and I pray that it continues to be! I prayed for Aron and God answered that prayer and I want so much to do the best I can with the gift I have been given!

With my prima

Visiting Daddy's side of the family in Bryan, TX is always a blast because Aron has lots of cousins who just think the world of him and they all play together so well. Here he is with cousin Anneliese, "Leesy". She is a lot of fun to play with...especially in Wela's lift chair. Who needs a carousel? Aron was so happy after this visit and talked about his cousins with a big smile on his face for days.

Just Like Old Times!

These two go way back... as in, mom's met in birthing class! That's about as far back as you can go when you have yet to celebrate your third birthday. Zaiden and Aron picked up right where they left off when we went to Austin last week. It was a great time watching them play and imagine. It was a blessing to sit with my friend Kalena and just take them in. We reminisced about days when these two still breathed through their umbilical cords, when they were barely crawling, when walking seemed like the biggest thing they would ever do.... So much life has happened in less than three years, and every day of it is precious.

Choo-Choo!

Aron on the rails

One of the Steamers

Laura, Tom and Sammy

This past Friday we had a great outing in nearby Columbia, TN. The MidSouth Live Steamers is a club whose members build and run these miniature trains and take them to meets all around the country! What a neat hobby! Part of their meets here in Tennessee involve opening up some of the trains for free public rides! We took advantage and the boys had a blast....as did the moms!