Soaking up soccer...

Our last regularly scheduled soccer game of the season was on Saturday and the weather was forecast to be perfect... the actual weather was not. And that in a nutshell, is Texas. :)

But that didn't stop us from having a great morning cheering on our favorite soccer stars. Emmy even got a quick warm-up in.

I really wanted one cute picture of the three of them before the season was over. Let's dissect my kids' personalities once again by birth order...

Radley, the eldest: Doing exactly what he is told in an effort to please in every picture

Emmy, the middle child: Doing her own thing and trying to boss the baby (and wears a crown because she is a pin-cess. Clearly).

Landry, the baby: Not impressed, running away, and smiling when she wants...because she can.

Coach lead the team in a great pre-game warm up. 

And gave a "go get 'em speech"... 

and it must have worked because every single player SCORED!!!

Radley opened it up with a great example of ball control and accuracy...

then Jaden dazzled in his fancy footwork...

and Cameron charged down field for one more...

then Avery snuck in a corner kick...

and sweet Sage couldn't stop smiling after she scored!

It was a great day to celebrate a fun fall season and our fans even withstood the rain!

Mainly because snacks were involved.

And they love this kid a lot.

And while I was so happy to see our Shark Fish play so well, this sweet girl was my favorite part of the game. She was cold. And tired. And really wanted to play with this pink coat in.

And I don't blame her. It is fabulous!

See you next spring!

Giving grace...

This was the moment. The exact moment that my life changed for the better. Forever. This 6lb 12oz tiny human was given to me and something clicked. I would never be the same and I didn't want to be. 

I wanted to be better. And kinder. And smarter. And more loving. And more godly. And full of patience. All for him. 

And one glance at this picture brings me right back to that moment. The moment I finally understood how much MY own Momma loved me. The moment when I knew that miracles do exist. That God is more powerful than I can try to comprehend.

And the moment that I knew I would die trying to make his life as wonderful as he deserved. 

And for the past five (and a half!) years - I have tried. I have sometimes failed and when that happens he (Radley) has given me grace. 

The thing about a first-born is that we are learning how to be parents as they are learning how to be humans. All my moments of ugly - you know the overreactions, the yelling, the crazy momisms, and even my own adult tantrums... Radley has chosen to just love me through them. 

Isn't that amazing?

I wonder how much harder it would be to be a parent if he put the same amount of expectations on me as I on him? Instead he gives freely of his tenderness, his hugs and kisses, and his loyal love. Instead he looks at me when I am "ugly" and sees beauty. 

I talk to him about grace a lot and how freely Ryan and I offer that to him and his sisters - but really... it is them who offer it us. Such grace and patience as we navigate this job for which there is no description, no training. Some days I feel like I am drowning and that is when his grace shows the most. 

That tiny bundle has turned into an amazing. smart, loving, caring, tender, patient, giving little boy. A little boy that graduated PreK tonight. (which served as the trigger for this sappy post). As the pictures beamed across the screen on the slide show - I not only watched as his chubby little face turned into that of a growing boy, I reflected on where we were as a family in those moments, too. 

I have watched him create a passion for learning, a desire to succeed, and a will to give his heart to others. I am so proud of who he is right in this moment and I am excited to see who will continue to become. 

But mostly, I am thankful that I was chosen to be his mom. And I am grateful for all the grace he has given me as I am learning right along side him. 

We heart bluebonnets...

It's springtime in Texas... 

the days are longer, the air is warmer and the highways are painted by nature. 

Which means it is time for annual bluebonnet pics!!

I feel that you need the back story to really appreciate these pictures. Stay with me.

We left Waco around 4:30 after an early morning, egg hunts, races, food, movies, dirt digging, swinging, and no naps. We gave the kids a bath and threw them in clothes for the car. We actually forgot something at Gigi and Pops' so we had to turn around and then head back out (which meant the kids were in the car for a full 10 minutes longer than planned). Emmy and Landry were asleep within the first 3.5 minutes of the {second} drive. 

I had mentioned to Ryan that we hadn't taken our annual bluebonnet pics and I wanted to try to stop if we found a "patch" worthy of stopping. Roughly 45 minutes into the drive we found THE patch. If you remember 2011 and 2012 we found sad little patches of blue. So as you can imagine, I slammed on the brakes safely guided the car to a stop in pursuit of these pictures. 

Landry and Emmy were sound asleep. 

Now, Landry is the world's easiest baby - Emmy notsomuch. She's not really a morning person, and doesn't like any changes or transitions to "her" plans. 

She was less than enthused to take pictures. 

We were also not in "picture clothes" meaning that the kids didn't match.  ::dramatic gasp::

I know.

And here are the results... 

(As you will see the pictures reflect their personalities much like their sleeping habits do.)

Radley - the oldest. Determined to please which means he is going to smile ... even if it looks painful, he is doing what he is asked. 

Emmy  - the middle child. She is going to do what she wants when she wants. She is less than impressed with me telling her to smile. With Landry's loving glance saying "see sister, it's easy" or even with Ryan's "pep talk"

Y'all. These faces.

I can't even take it.

She looks miserable. She was literally saying "cheeeese" in every single pic.

Clearly.

The key to getting her to smile?

Bubble gum

Also known as the only gift she will ever receive from me again.

Landry - the baby. Happy to be where ever we put her, lost in the discovery of her surroundings. Just plain adorable. 

As we were driving away, Ryan told the kids that they should thank me... "Why, Daddy?"  to which he replied - "because one day you will understand all your Mommy does to make your life important."

In that one moment I have never loved him more. 

But the truth is - it is THEM that make my life important. It is them that brings me meaning. And it doesn't matter if their hair is fixed or if they have on matching outfits (or even if Radley's shirt is turned backward so pics didn't include a sarcastic slogan from Nike)... what matters that the reason all of this happened... the crazy hair, the grumpy sleepy kids, the unmatching clothes... is because we were coming home from an unforgettable weekend filled with messes, love, and more chocolate than I want to know they consumed. 

What matters is that this is life. Real life. Unstaged - unscripted, imperfect life. 

Here is to capturing the tradition of that more often!

Sleep...

Every night after the kids have been asleep I walk back into their rooms for one more peek. I give them each a kiss and tell them my dreams for them and say a prayer for their health and happiness. 

And every night I laugh at how DIFFERENT they each are and how much the way in which they sleep mimics their sweet personalities.

Radley:

ALWAYS covered up. 

Wrapped in his blankets and loveys - He offers the most hugs and kisses out of the 3 so it's fitting to me that he hugs and holds on to everything in his bed. 

Asleep on the very edge - just like everything he does. Pushing the boundaries to explore an discover more. Always learning always asking questions, always ready to "fall out of bed" and get started. 

He wakes up asking questions. 

Emersyn:

No blankets. I try to cover her up and she immediately kicks them off. 

Spread eagle in bed - making her tiny body take up as much space as possible. Just like when she is awake - her tiny presence consumes everyone around her. She is a mess. She sleeps hard. Content in exactly what she is doing at the moment and okay to sit and do the same thing for hours. She wants everything HER way so I never find her in the same position twice. 

Landry:

The baby. 

Literally hiding from the chaotic world around her. 

:)

May their dreams be forever sweet and may I never forget to kiss them to sleep.