Learning To Say, "See Ya Later"

If there's one thing I learned in my military experience it was to never say "goodbye"...it's just too hard to say, cause it seems so final, so instead, I learned to say "see ya later", that was easier for me to swallow , easier for me to accept. In all our moves from Fayetteville, to Georgia, to Little Rock to Birmingham and back again to Little Rock again, I have used this phrase a bunch!

Well, just yesterday I had to pull it out again unfortunately. Some dear friends of ours, the Koss', who have been anticipating this move for quite some time, are actually packing up the last of their things today and setting off on a new adventure in Tennessee. God has most assuredly orchestrated their steps, and gone before them in this new season, but it is still hard to see them go. So yesterday us girls (and most of the 20 kids that the six of us couples have) got together for one last playdate before they officially make the move.


The weather didn't completely cooperate at the park so we did seek shelter from the rain and ended up having our picnic lunch in the pool house pavilion.


Adam and I have LOVED being apart of this group, together we all have grown deeper in our walks with the Lord as well as in our friendships with one another. We are so grateful for these men and women, to say we've been "iron sharpening iron" would state it perfectly. We have thoroughly enjoyed the fact that we can let down and completely be honest and open with these people. God has blessed us with kindred spirits and we are so very thankful!


As I was thinking back on our friendship with the Koss' I realized our history goes back more then a decade, I am just amazed as I think about all the "major" life events we've walked through together from high school dances and graduation, to college life and getting married one month apart. We enjoyed a newly married community group with them and watched as we each went our own separate military route after finishing college, them into the Navy and us into the Army. Our lives just kind of mirrored one another's. Adam spent a year in Iraq while Matt spent a year in Afghanistan. Coincidentally they got out of the Navy the same year we got out of the Army and we've had kids who are real close in age. We enjoyed being back in a community group together upon our move to Arkansas in 2008 and were thrilled to join the group again when we moved back from Birmingham almost a year ago!

Lindsey and Matt, Adam and I are thrilled for this opportunity y'all have been given and can't wait to see what God is going to do in this next chapter. Know that we are praying for you as often as you come to mind, which has been a LOT lately. We are praying that God would help you settle in quickly and for an immediate group of friends to begin doing life with...that makes me tear up just typing it cause I've been there and I know how important that is, and we are keeping our fingers crossed that you get to come back this way at some point in the future!! We will certainly miss our playdates, CG dinners and discussions, it will not be the same without you two! Lindsey, you are a dear friend and I'm thankful to have had all the years to deepen our friendship. (By the way, I'm gonna go ahead put this out there, I completely concur with the suggestion that you should start a blog, I'd love to be able to see your sweet face and your precious kids, throughout the weeks and months in between your visits!) You are loved dear friend, so until next time, I'll just say, "see ya later!"

Weekend In Review: Summer's Upon Us!

I'm completely stunned at how fast summer has arrived! My oh my, it seems we were just having cool weather and now, we're into summer full swing. I had to look back at last years post from this weekend and can't believe how much everyone has changed!

On Friday night we had some neighbors over for pizza so I needed to get some more cushions for all the benches on our deck, this is what we looked like in Garden Ridge. This is how you roll with 3 kids and 5 large cushions.


And here's Emerson (who didn't want to look at the camera) and Ava Jane is in the back trying to nap with a blanket over her seat...poor 4th child!


We were quite the sight I'm certain! I always get the inevitable, "you look like you've got your hands full" and that day I actually had a man say "you just need one more, haha"...to which I added, "I've already got one more, he's in Kindergarten!" Then the man replied, "so how old are all your kids?" I said, "6,4,2, and 8 months"...and he responded, "and aren't they all just little blessings?" Thankfully that particular day I could honestly say, "Yes, yes, they truly are little blessings" (without the sarcastic influx in my voice.) Not every day can I answer like that, but thankfully, this particular one, I could!

This Memorial Day weekend we got to enjoy time with family, it was nice to be low key and relaxed! Saturday we jumped right into summer by heading down to Lake Ouachita for a fun day in the sun! Rob, Whitney and the girls (Psalm and Pascha), Ms. Amy, Matt, Meredith, Brandy, Candy and Allison along with Mom and Dad and our whole crew were there...it was cozy between the ski boat and "party boat" as Lawson likes to call it, but it was really nice to be out on the water! It happened to be Ava Jane's first lake trip where we could actually get in, she was quite the trooper all day long and the boys had a BLAST!




Pascha sitting so pretty!


"Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters..." (We love White Christmas!)


The three P's loved the tube...


It was a gorgeous day on the lake...


Truly, its such a peaceful place to be...


This morning, Adam, the big boys, and Poppy went fishing, while me and the littles held down the fort. Since I had some focused time with Emerson we decided to pull out the big boy underwear. He did ok, he tee-teed on the potty once and he stayed dry most of the morning but by 11:45, in a matter of about 10 minutes he had gone through two pairs of underwear. I decided that he'd had enough (and so had I), so we diapered up for lunch and naps! Please notice that he has his crocs on with his undies...this boy has quite the shoe fetish, he can't be awake without some on his feet!


We headed to the pool for some more water fun. Here's Gigi and her boys!






He's gonna get you!!





Bombs away!


Me and my love! We had a fun evening relaxing at the pool.


Though we had fun and many memories were made, hot dogs were grilled and watermelons sliced, I'd be remiss to forget what this weekend is really all about. As I saw all these flags flying I got a lump in my throat thinking of friends of ours (from our Ft. Benning days) whose husbands are just weeks away from coming home from another year long deployment. It's days like today that I remember the people who have served and whose families have sacrificed time with that service member all so that I can have freedom. I don't take it lightly, nor will I ever forget what a year deployment feels like. I'm so thankful for our time in the military and look back on it with fond memories but I also am well aware of the great sacrifices and hardships that military families face. So today, this Memorial Day 2013, I'm yet again filled with American pride and a real sense of gratefulness, on what others have provided for me to ensure my freedoms! I have to say a big thank you to the men I know personally who sacrificed for me: my precious husband Adam, our friends Paul, Mike (who takes care of all the Wounded Warriors), Jeremy (who's coming home), JJ, Steve, Matt, Adam's grandfather who fought so long ago and the countless others who have all been so selfless, I can't thank you enough. I am humbled, I am grateful! Hope you all had a blessed holiday...happy summer time!

A Concert and Field Day

The last two days have been really fun, I've gotten to spend lots of time with Peyton at his school, which I don't often get to do.

Yesterday, Brian and Terry Kinder, of Kindermusik, came and did a Kindergarten concert, it was a blast for the kids. They have such great songs that really keep the kids engaged. They were entertaining and fun to watch.



Adam was able to come too...


Everybody was having a good time singing and dancing...catching the BIG teddy bear, large gecko and the gynormouse boucy world. The songs were educational and catchy, so the kids were able to sing along even if they didn't previously know the tunes.



After the concert each class had an awards ceremony, everyone received one, everything from "most camo wearer" to "most colorful clothing"...here's the award Peyton received. We are so proud of how he has broken out of his shell and done so well this year in Kindergarten. We love you buddy!




Then today, I got to enjoy participating in Field Day. Anytime water is involved, kids always love it, and that was true for today as well! They got to do everything from water relays to tug a war, bubbles to face paintings...the kids really enjoyed not doing "school work"! I'm just constantly impressed at how great Roberts Elementary is, the parental involvement is amazing, the teachers are wonderful and the environment is really just so fun to be apart of! We're grateful to be in this school zone.



The wetter the better!





The boys got whooped at Tug of War...though they were quite out numbered by the girls...poor guys just couldn't stay standing, the grass was so wet and soggy they were all slip sliding around which made for a "bad" game of Tug of War, but a fun game of getting super dirty!




I sure do love this boy!


They were enamored by the bubbles!


And since we no longer have "Rush" (the hermit crab), Peyton decided to get a crab painted on his face.


I can hardly believe this Kindergarten year is almost over! Whew, its flown by so fast!

Just Keepin' It Real!

Here on Head Happenings I try real hard to be honest and open about my life and our goings on, so today I thought I'd just keep it really real! Yesterday was one of those days where I needed to "reclaim" our house. You know what its like, the pink scum was rearing its ugly head in all four of our toilets, several rooms had carpet stains that needed some attention, there were sticky cheerios and dried macaroni stuck to the floor under our kitchen table; basically, my house was just showing the neglect of three weeks without being cleaned. And truly its amazing how quickly the laundry piles up, especially with three little boys who enjoy getting dirty so much, and being out at the ball park at least twice a week guarantees that there were will be lots of dirty, dusty clothes!!


And here's my pile of laundry that needed to be folded.


Then there was the ever so needed, but oh so hated task of switching out all four of the kids closets. Trying to do the big switcharoo from winter to summer is quite the task especially with all my little "helpers" wanting to try on their "new" clothes and shoes. The one positive is that it is really nice that I have lots of tote boxes filled with clothes that can be passed down to both Lawson and Emerson that were first Peyton's. Peyton did notice how many pairs of shoes that Lawson has in his shoe basket and asked if he could get some more shoes too! I will definitely have to add to his wardrobe, he's quickly out growing things, but it's nice that I can pretty much just buy stuff for Peyton and Ava Jane that coordinates since I have things for Lawson and Emerson that were matching from when Peyton and Lawson first wore them. I love having the kids matching or at least coordinating colors whenever possible. More then just being cute, its also really practical for when we're out and about, all I have to do is look for three of the same outfit, it makes it super easy to spot my kids on the playground, which is great when you have kids like mine that like to dart in and out of places!



Oh how great the house feels when its clean though! And to look into each of the kids organized closets, makes me feel quite accomplished! So for today, this was part of the "ugly" in the phrase, "the good, the bad and the ugly!" And while I was hard at work, Lawson enjoyed taking his own pictures! He absolutely LOVES to take pictures with my phone, its one of his most favorite things to do!