December already?

Wow. So, I've been avoiding my blog lately, simply because I am SO FAR BEHIND! Goodness! There have been a multitude of things that have happened in our lives since October, but how will I ever find the time to describe all of them to you? Well, I don't know. But I hope I haven't lost all of my readers. If so, come back! It's time for us to re-connect. Grab a cup of coffee (wish I had one right now!), sit back, and enjoy the List. A list of events is all I can do for now. But soon to follow will be pictures and adventures galore! Well... at least a few pictures, and maybe a few stories. We'll see how it all turns out.
October
1. Ryan survives his ear surgery - everything went smoothly!
2. OSU Homecoming - Graham's first trip to Stillwater!
3. Celebrated 4 fabulous years of marriage to my amazing husband!
4. Halloween Front Yard Cookout - Graham was a green dragon- ADORABLE.
November
5. Fishing trip with Friends!
6. Coldplay concert - Chris Martin rocked my face off.
7. Healthy results from numerous doctor appointments - praise the Lord.
8. Jami & Justin got married - Graham screamed as he walked down the aisle in a tux!! And yes, I wore the black dress posted on my blog, and found some fabulous shoes to go with it. :)
9. Thanksgiving - so many things to be grateful for this year.
December
10. Mammy (my dad's mom) came for a visit from Austin. So good to see her and let Graham see her.
11. G's first limo ride - looked at Christmas lights for Christa's b-day, with the fam!
12. Family, friends, celebrations, and CHRISTMAS shopping in the days ahead!!!

What a wonderful fall it has been. My heart is full of thanksgiving and joy as we enter this next season. Graham is almost 18 months old now. He is hilarious. His personality seriously amazes me. We smile and laugh everyday... and we keep meeting people every where we go. What an amazing gift he is to Ryan and me. I look forward to posting some recent pictures. Now go, enjoy what this day has to offer you.

TODAY

Today I've had lots of thoughts. I'm sitting in Starbucks right now, with lap top and coffee in hand. Actually, today I opted for the chai latte. Why? Because it's cold and rainy, and the chai latte has a way of reminding me of the warmth of the holidays. It's actually a miracle that I have 2 hours to do whatever I want. I came here needing to get some work done, but I find myself wanting to blog instead. It's been a crazy week. Ryan had surgery on Monday. And although the surgery went really well, I still find it emotionally draining for both of us. It's true you get sympathy pains for the ones you love. On Monday during his 2-hour procedure, I felt a little "sick" and distracted from everything else.  Then, when I sat by his side as he was all doped up, I got emotional. I think it's normal to feel emotional when your spouse is in a state of being completely unaware of things that are happening... when what seems 'normal' is no longer there. I hated that he had to have surgery, but I thank the Lord for allowing it to happen. He's had severe pain in his ears for a while now. The worst thing about it... I couldn't do anything to take that pain away. I love my husband, and all the things that make him who he is. And I hate seeing him hurt. God knew that he needed this surgery on Monday. The cyst that was found in his left ear had significantly grown, and it grew very quickly. But now it's gone. Praise the Lord it's gone. Sometimes the recovery process is harder than the procedure. That's where we are now. He's recovering. And I have full faith that the Lord will use this surgery to heal his ears... and that he will hear better than he did before. I've been stretched over the last few days... stretched in a new way. My patience has been challenged. I've had to learn how to take care of a recovering patient and a very active baby boy at the same time. And I've been reminded that I can't do it all in my own strength.  So that's why I'm here right now. I'm getting re-charged, if you will. Both the boys went down for a nap, so I jumped on the opportunity to take a break. 

I was reminded about humility this morning in Luke 14... that part of the definition of humility is being willing and ready to serve, not for personal gain, but simply just to serve. So that's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to love and serve my husband and son well. And in the midst of it, I feel the Lord humbling my heart through it all. God is good. I love how He uses every experience in our lives (big or small) to teach us something about ourselves. I think that's one of the ways He shows us grace. So I'm depending on Him to love well... to love Graham well, even when he's throwing a tantrum while I'm trying to change his diaper and get dinner ready, etc. Ha! I know this is just life. But life is funny and challenging sometimes, so it helps me to process on paper...or on the blog. 

So anyway, that's where I am now. About time for me to head back home and love on those boys of mine! I have hopes that Ryan will feel more like himself in a day or two. Thanks to all of you who lifted up a prayer or two for his sake. I know God heard you.

Hmmm... maybe I should get a drink to go, too... 

My Boy

My baby seems to be quickly turning into a little boy... full of life, joy and energy. We played outside a lot today. He loves the outdoors. He is getting closer and closer to walking. On Sunday, he took his first step. I just can't believe how fast he's growing. Ryan and I are absolutely crazy about him. And I just melt every time he says, "Mamma." I know we have a lot of adventures ahead of us... and I look forward to all of them. 

Little Black Dress Attack

OK, friends (preferably FEMALE friends), I need help. So, my sister-in-law is getting married in November, which we are SO pumped about! She's going to be a beautiful bride. I feel so honored, because she has asked me to be one of her attendants. She is trying to keep things simple, so as attendants, she wants us to wear black dresses of our choice. Easy, right? WRONG! SO WRONG! Do you know how many "little black dresses" there are out there?? Millions! All shapes and sizes. We did like a 6 hour shopping marathon, and I don't know how many dresses I tried on, but I was having the absolute hardest time making a decision. Several things came into play during this difficult decision-making process: 1. I'm an indecisive person anyway. 2. Once I became a mom, I realized that I find it much easier to buy clothes for other people than for myself. 3. I feel so 'out of style'. I mean, really, what is fashionable nowadays anyway??!!

Well, after short, long, strapless, halter and everything in-between, I finally, just bit the bullet and brought one home. I got the family's approval, but I need you guys to instill more confidence in me. Do you like this dress? I wanted something that was unique but that I would still be able to wear to other events, parties, etc. So what do you think?? Did I make a good choice? Is it flattering? Is it in-style? Do you have a better idea for me? :)  Please try to look past the awkward pictures that I was trying to take of myself in the mirror... and try to just see the beauty of the dress. :) It's called a razor-cut dress (I think), it has spaghetti straps and it came with a mesh shawl. What do you think? Is it timeless? Or should I continue the search?

Next on the list: SHOES.

Hat Days

So, Graham's uncle Zach and aunt Christa gave him two new adorable hats for fall and winter. They're from a company in Canada. (Christa is always finding very cool, unique gifts for all of us). The only problem is, Graham is not so much in the "loving hats stage" right now. But I love the hats on my son! Anyway, the other day we were on one of our morning walks, and I managed to distract him long enough to keep one of the hats on him for a few snap shots. These have become some of our favorite pics, so I wanted to share them with you! Hopefully we'll have more Happy Hat days in the future.

Picture Perfect

If ever there was a picture perfect day it is TODAY. Seriously, it couldn't be more beautiful outside. It's 65 degrees and sunny. I feel like I'm on vacation. After going on a nice morning walk with a friend, I came home and put Graham down for a nap... which he was fighting for a little bit. Then, I  brewed myself some coffee, grabbed my Bible and sat out on my front porch and read through some words from Luke. So relaxing... and refreshing - two words I often like to use, but more importantly, like to find myself engulfed in.  Gripping my coffee cup, I couldn't help but  notice the bold orange logo on it that reads, "Mauna Kea Beach Hotel." Ahhhh yes, it took me back to our time in Hawaii a couple of years ago. My favorite thing on that trip was to get up early in the morning, go down for the enormously fresh breakfast buffet, and find a chair outside that overlooked the ocean. And of course, it wasn't quite complete until they came and poured me a cup of that fresh Hawaiian coffee. So, this morning I wasn't quite overlooking the ocean, but rather a nice, quiet neighborhood street - one that I love so much... with a mug of freshly brewed Starbucks coffee, straight from the Smith's kitchen. It's not Hawaii, but I would be perfectly satisfied to have a morning like this every day. 

Rainy Days, Sleepy Eyes and Stray Cats

So it's been raining for about 48 hours now...I think. I'm loving it. There is something about rainy weather that inspires me. Honestly, I think it's easier for me to write when it's raining outside. Don't get me wrong, I love hot weather and being out in the sunshine. However, when you haven't seen rain in a while, it's so nice when it finally begins to fall. We have a huge window in our living room that faces our street. I LOVE that window on rainy days. So does Graham. Seeing him stare out the window is like watching a kid peering into a snow globe. It's a whole new world for him. 
Just yesterday, a strange smokey-colored kitten wondered onto our front porch. I think the poor thing is homeless. Unfortunately, I am not what you call a lover of cats, by any means. But I have to admit, it's pretty darn cute seeing Graham play with this cat through the window. He loves it! So needless to say, it has become his biggest means of entertainment. Today I discovered that the little kitten is living in one of our shrubs. But he doesn't stay in there for long. If he hears or sees us, he jumps up on our window seal as if he's putting on a show. Cheap entertainment at the Smith home!
Along with the rain comes sleepy eyes, and boy has Graham had them the last couple of days. Last night he slept from 7:45 PM to 8:45 AM, and he still had two naps today. I think the rain helps everyone sleep better. I love going to sleep hearing the rain drops pounding the window. It's sweet music.
Well, now I'm praying that the rain can inspire me to cook. Hmmm...what will it be tonight? Chicken? I'm ready for my "creativity" to infiltrate the space between my oven and stove. :) I'm sure Ryan is too. Hope you can enjoy the rainy weather wherever you are tonight.

Photoshoot with Mom

Graham is now 1 year and 1 month old. Amazing! He is becoming more and more active by the minute. He's not walking yet, but I have a feeling it may not be too far off. He loves to pull up to the coffee table and make his way all around it, while throwing everything in sight onto the floor. Lovely. It makes keeping the living room clean just a little more challenging! I figured it was time for another round of good photos. Check out my blue-eyed baby boy!

Recent Random Happenings #1

So, I thought I'd share a few random things that have recently occurred in my daily happenings...

1. Ice-Cream Man at Night? Ryan and I were in the house playing on the computers the other night, when suddenly we heard the sweet sounds of the ice cream truck coming down our street. Now, on a typical day that would seem quite normal. But, we glanced at the clock and saw that it was 9 PM!! How creepy is that?? I mean seriously, aren't all the kids in bed by then, and if they're not, I'm sure their parents really don't want them having sweets right before bedtime, let alone going out to meet the ice cream man when it's dark outside. I just think it's creepy. The ice cream man himself, is scary enough to me.

2. I actually paid $4.01/gallon for gasoline yesterday.  Did I fill up my tank? No. Absolutely not.

3. The other day I was at the grocery store and couldn't help but notice that a certain brand of Buttermilk was going for $5.09. I mean, are you serious? What is the world coming to?

4. Yesterday, Graham and I were on our morning walk and we saw a one legged bird hopping through a puddle. One leg, and yet he was still enjoying the simple pleasures in life. Just beautiful.

5. Man, have you guys ever had a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino from Starbucks? Delicious! If you're needing a cool, afternoon treat, I highly recommend it.

Ok, that's enough randomness for now. Have you guys experience any random happenings lately that you'd like to share?

Figure Five: A Pocket Full of Colors

When I think back on my childhood, some of my fondest memories are found running through fields, fishing in ponds, playing in creeks, shooting off fireworks, relaxing with family and eating great food on my grandmother's farm. Nine years ago this month, the world lost a beautiful woman who lived fully and who loved well...really, really well. I miss her. I miss her face. I miss her hugs. I miss the candy jar she kept, with the tasty orange slices in it. I was reminded of her and the strength of her love just recently, when we decided to take a little road trip over to Figure Five. Not far from the town of Van Buren, AR lies a beautiful farmhouse on 200+ acres. But its more than the scenery that tugs on my heart when I see the farm...it's the stories, the memories, the family... that draws me in and reminds me of the important things in life. Every family has a history - some more colorful than others. And we don't always get to choose what those colors will be. But what I learned as we reminisced over the events that took place on and off the farm, is that it's those "colors" that make us a family. The "colors," no matter how crazy, bland, beautiful or dramatic, tie us together. And I think my grandmother knew that long before any of us did. She loved through all of the colors. And because of that love, even though she's not with us now, I still feel her holding us all together.

We got to see the farm, the ponds, the creek, the place where I learned to shoot a gun, the front yard where we had soft-ball games and Roman Candle fights, the hay bails and the grassy fields. It's funny how one place can contain so many emotions and so many memories. It was good to be back, with old family and new. The farm is no longer 'technically' in our family, but the thought of it always will be.

A Whirlwind of Celebrations!

This month has been filled with joyful celebrations galore! The end of May, we celebrated Ryan's mom and sister's birthdays. Then, my mom's birthday was June 10th, my birthday was the 13th, Graham's 1st birthday was on June 18th, and we celebrated all the dad's on Father's Day, while also having an "Island" swim party for Graham. I feel like we've been going 100 miles per hour! But it's all been good stuff. And we have yet to celebrate my dad's birthday on the 25th. Needless to say, our pockets are a little lighter after the past few weeks. :)
On the 17th, I had a few moments to pray and reflect on the fact that I'm actually the mother of a 1 year old boy. It still seems shocking and surreal...just like a year ago, when I was holding my newborn baby in my arms. I can not believe how fast the days have flown. I'm overwhelmed with thankfulness for our son! He has already brought so much joy to us and to so many others. I feel so blessed to be Graham's mother. On his actual birthday (which was yesterday), my mom and I took him to the zoo, along with his buddy Ben and his mom. We had a great time. Graham loves the animals, especially the bears, birds and gorillas. But more than that, he just loves watching all the people at the zoo. He smiles and waves at all the other kids! I think Graham enjoyed his first birthday celebrations, but he is a little wiped out! Here are a few highlights...








Happy Birthday, Graham! We love you!

When Can We Go Back?

We went to California for our family vacation this year - just the 3 of us! It was perfect. We had 6 days in sunny California, and I discovered how much I love that place. We started in San Diego and we drove all the way up the coast to San Francisco. I know we'll go back, and hopefully it will be in the near future. Graham was an incredible traveler. And as always, he made friends EVERYWHERE we went!
I love quality-time vacations. They are so needed. Really, they are. If you haven't gone on one yet this year, I challenge you to do it, before we hit 2009. You won't regret it. You get to rest, relax, re-connect with yourself and with your family, get refreshed and have fun. I wish we could be in "vacation mode" every day, even at home, when we're back in reality doing our jobs and what not. I'm sure it's just a perspective change. But it's so much easier to be in that mode when you're in a beautiful, new place with so many things to explore. Guess I'll just look forward to the next little family get-a-way, whenever it might occur.

The Day I ALMOST Got Ripped Off

So, I need to share my latest story with you, my readers. Yes, I'm calling those of you that take a few seconds out of your busy days to check my blog, my "readers." But even if you don't read this particular post, I really just have to vent and get it off my chest any way, because I can't believe this happened. Now some of you may read this and think, well, that's really not that big of a deal. But in my eyes, it was a big deal.
Sometimes I am completely amazed at certain people out there that call themselves professionals, who hold real, grown-up jobs, and who spend most of their day handling other people's money. I would say the majority of people who serve us on a day-to-day basis, do so with hard work and integrity. But every once in a while, I will have a "business" interaction with someone who really just doesn't have a clue. Like our McDonald's Drive Thru experience Ryan and I had one day. If you ever want to hear that story, I'd be happy to share. It all goes back to the principle. Take this latest story for instance...

The other day, I was at Target. I love Target. It continues to be one of my favorite places to shop. So I was there buying a few necessary items, such as milk, vegetables and baby food. I don't always buy Graham's baby food there, but I was happy to see that they started carrying the brand I like - Earth's Best. I was excited, because it was cheaper than it is at Homeland. So, I took my time picking out what G likes to eat. I got several Earth's Best options and several Gerber Organic options. After my cart was full of those tiny little jars, I headed to the check out counter. It was a nice person that began scanning my purchases. Through the small talk, I realized that she was saving the baby food for last. Then I noticed, she wasn't scanning the baby food. She was counting it. After counting, she typed in 40 @ $.84/each. I gently spoke up and said, "Do you know that I got different types of baby food?" She quickly responded, "Yes, but all the baby food is the same price." I quietly said, "Oh, ok." Then she proceeded to tell me a story of how this one lady bought tons of baby food, and she scanned every item, and it was all the same price. Well, something in me did not feel right. She gave me the total and I swept my credit card. But I was churning inside. I could have sworn the baby food labels said Earth's Best $.64 and Gerber Organic $.84. But this lady was so confident when she told me they were all the same price... Or was she?? I had not hit "confirm" yet on the credit card machine. So I politely brought it up again, "I'm not trying to be difficult, but I think those baby foods were priced differently. I got two different brands, and I thought one was $.64." She looked at me like, you're really not going to make me take all of these jars out of the bag and re-scan them are you??? So, I asked her if she could just check the price for me. I mean, I had to ask her to check the price - and I had to ask her twice! She wasn't going to check; she just wanted to keep the line moving. I could tell she was a bit annoyed. But, I cancelled the credit card so she could check the price. She scanned the Earth's Best, and sure enough, it was $.64. But here's the kicker.... So she looks at me and says, "Yeah, it's $.64......so, um, did you want me to re-scan all of this? Or..." Or, what?? Or just have me walk out of here paying money that I didn't owe you???? That's how she was looking at me!! I'm not kidding. She wanted me to leave, paying $.84 for baby food that was $.64. NO WAY! Of course you have to re-scan the items and give me the correct price!! So, the poor girl had to re-do her job.... She took out all the baby food, but again, instead of scanning all of the items, she just counted them. She counted the Earth's Best: 20 jars. She counted Gerber Organic: 20 jars. So she typed in 20 jars at $.84 and 20 jars at $.64. Inside I was standing there thinking, I can not believe this just happened. I can not believe that there was a question about whether or not I wanted her to correct her mistake. I mean, seriously. So, the difference was only a matter of $4.50. But I don't care. It's the PRINCIPLE of it. There was no apology. No admitting that she had made a mistake. No remorse, no sympathy, nothing. Actually, there were no words at all. It was almost like it was my fault for slowing down her checkout lane.

Let me be clear here. I'm not saying that people in the work force can't make mistakes. I make mistakes all the time. But please, people, let's take credit for our mistakes and apologize for them. This would have been a totally different interaction had this woman, either, 1. Scanned every item in the first place to get the correct prices on there, or, 2. Apologized and said I am so sorry that I did that. I really thought those items were the same price. But please let me fix this for you..., or SOMETHING like that. But there was NOTHING. Absolutely nothing. So instead, I leave target, with not a satisfied feeling, but rather a feeling of distrust, wondering if everything else on my receipt was wrong. Are you guys getting the full picture here?? When we go into a store, we expect to pay the listed price for the items we buy. And we have confidence that the people at the register will do everything they can to help us have a pleasant experience and do their job with integrity. If a mistake is made, it's not up to the customer if that mistake is fixed. It MUST be fixed, and it must be fixed by the employee, no doubt about it, or the transaction should not happen. Do you not agree? I've also learned in my years of being in business that when professionalism and customer service are at fault, it's not always the employee's fault. Most of the time it goes back to the training. But I think taking credit for our mistakes should be common sense and common courtesy.

So, I didn't get ripped off at Target the other day, but I almost did. I'm glad that I spoke up when I needed to. It makes me wonder how many other times that has happened to me and I didn't know it. I'm not mad at that woman who made a mistake. I just got frustrated at the situation. I got frustrated that a person would consider letting me walk out of their store, overpaying for 20 items, when they knew it wasn't right. Would that bother anybody else? Please share your thoughts with me.

Graham's New Chair

For those of you that know me, you know that I love to find bargains - especially when it's something we really need. Well, Graham has pretty much outgrown his Bumbo seat, which is where I fed him most of his meals. So, Ryan and I decided we wanted to get him a wooden high chair. The bad thing about that is, the wooden high chairs are so expensive. All this baby stuff can really begin to add up! However, once again, God provided for us. We went to Babies 'R Us and found this Eddie Bauer one that we really liked. Normal price: $120. But, it just so "happened" that this was the last one they had, and it was the floor display. So, we got this great high chair for $80!!! So great. And Graham LOVES his new chair! It makes mealtime so much more enjoyable for him. Did I mention that this kid loves to eat?!?! :)

Truth.

You are my Constant.
Like a steadfast tree, deeply rooted in rich soil.
Never changing. Never moving.
Not tossed back and forth. Never shaking. Never quaking.
Not even when the harshest of winds blow or the loudest thunder rumbles in the darkness.
You are my Constant.
When all the uncertainties of life swarm...
Like bees around sweet honeysuckle, trying to suck the peace out of my mind.
You remain. Unchanged.
Steadfast.
With your roots digging deeper into my heart.
Connecting me with your heart. Connecting my soul with yours.
I'm glad you're here. I'm glad you're the same as you were yesterday.
Forever enduring. Forever faithful.
Your covenant with me won't be broken.
You are my Constant.

10 Months

Gosh, the time sure does fly. I'm sitting here in our new and improved home office, which has now become my favorite room in the house, and I'm just amazed to think that I actually have a ten-month old son. 10 Months Old! He's actually less than 2 months away from turning 1. I really can't believe it. And that means that I'm less than 2 months away from turning 29. I can't believe that either. When I was a kid, a year used to seem like an eternity.......I had to wait so long to celebrate my next birthday and summer vacations always seemed so far off. But somewhere along the journey of life, that all changed. At some point, my concept of time became more real... or... maybe I simply adjusted to living in a "fast-food" world that is always rushed and always in a hurry. This has been the fastest year of my life. Sometimes I wish that a year still seemed like an eternity... simply because I don't want to miss anything. I don't want to miss a single moment of this life God has given me. I don't want to miss a moment with my amazing husband. I don't want to miss a moment of my son's life.... family... friends... beautiful days... I don't want to miss any of it! So I'm trying to be STILL more. To breath deeply and take everything in. Like right now, just soaking in the fact that I'm a mom of a 10-month old boy. I love it. So I will cherish today... right now... and I will look forward to the future, knowing that there will be so many more incredible moments and so many more ways to grow and to experience life.

Away from the Ordinary

Have you ever found a place where you just love to run to because you know you'll be able to relax? A place where you don't feel the pressures from every day life? A place where you can feel peace and get refreshed? Some kids grow up in families going to the lake every weekend, water skiing, going to the mountains, snow skiing, etc. But not our family. The place we go to get away from 'ordinary' life is the Stream. We're a fly fishing family. So our son is going to grow up, remembering our annual trips to the cabin in the woods, standing in the stream and catching trout! Here's a few pics from our last visit to Broken Bow. We had a blast. But as usual, the trip was way too short.