is watching my little boy idolize his daddy, and try to be just like him. 
Thank goodness Tim is so patient, and doesn't seem to notice the obnoxious "talking drill" Jacker is using.
Now, hopefully "they" can figure out what's wrong with my poor dryer, and get it working SOON!...for constantly putting together transformers.
...for wiping noses and bottoms.
...for scaring the monsters away.
...for tucking sweet little ones into bed.
...for your patience, when mine is gone.
...for your love that shines through.
...for the special relationship you have with each one of our babies.
...for getting up early every Saturday and Sunday so I can sleep in.
...for financial and emotional stability.
...for roughhousing, even though it makes me nervous.
...for your gentle nature.
...for being such a role model.
...for being the best father any mother dreams of!!!
...Being a working mother is HARD.
Being a stay at home mom is equally as HARD.
Both are very fulfilling, albeit in very different ways.
I am very grateful that I get to experience both of these worlds.
If I had to choose, I'm not sure which I'd pick!...
so, I'm guessing I'll probably just stick with teaching school so I don't have to pick.
That every minute of every day for the past 18 years I've had this on my lips? Yep, carmex. Love it. It is like a security blanket for me. I have a tube of it stashed EVERYWHERE. For my 30th birthday, Pettigrew bought me 40 tubes of this stuff and gave one to each of the kids to give to me. It was supposed to be kinda like a gag gift, but I seriously was super duper thankful. It is one of the best presents I've ever gotten. Anyway, just wanted to give you a little glimpse into the seriousness of this addiction. These are just the few tubes I found lying around...there is no telling how many are actually stuck here and there. All this to say....
I quit! I have been carmex free for almost 3 days now!! Why, you might ask? Well, I get really bad cold sores, which I had this past weekend (and still do-ugh!). Anyway, I would put carmex on, rub my lips together, and they would spread around. Yuck. Then I met this lovely little earthy shop owner in Eureka springs, who convinced me that the carmex was attributing to the length and severity of the cold sores. So, I gave it up. It's been really hard, and I want to scream! But, I hope it will be worth it in the long run.
The kiddos did the honors of squeezing out the tubes into the trash before they threw them away. So fun....for them anyway! Although this whole post seems trivial to most, it is a huge moment in my life. I'll keep everyone posted as to how this whole thing plays out!
he's dead. This is what Caroline looked like when she discovered her pet rollie died...
One last picture with rollie before he is gone forever.
Digging a final resting spot.
Just a little deeper....
Just perfect...now may he rest in peace.
The perfect flower to adorn the grave of dear rollie.
Oh, and can you tell I got a new camera and am loving taking some new pictures?!...even if it is of bugs!!!
When Tim and I began dating I was 19 yrs. old and still living at home. One day my dad walked in the room to see me trying to program a phone number in the cordless phone. We had just started dating, and my dad made an ugly comment something to the effect of he didn't understand why I was programming his number in the phone, he's only temporary. This infuriated me, and to just irritate me more, my dad and brothers began to call him "temporary Tim".....
.....Well Dad, if you're reading this, we've made it 10 years (12 yrs. since that incident)--so, I'm thinking you were wrong with the whole temporary thing! Ten years! I can't believe it.
When I was a little girl, I used to dream about getting married and having a family of my own. I'm living that dream (only sometimes it's a little LESS dream like than I had envisioned :)...and I can't imagine sharing my life with anyone else!!! I feel like we have kinda "grown up" together. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. You are the most patient, loving, and kind husband and father a girl could ask for. Thank you. I'm looking forward to spending the next 10 50 years together. Now we're off on a little getaway to take a break from the kiddos and enjoy some alone time together. Thanks mom and grammie for watching the kids!!!!!!
Oh, and mom, I'm expecting a picture of Tim and I in the Sunday paper. ha ha! (I always said that I was gonna put our picture in the paper if we made it 10 years)
