It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Thanksgiving

This evening after school, we loaded into the car and headed to Home Depot to get our Christmas tree. We decided to get two trees this year. One for the living room and a smaller one for the den. We came home and ate leftover chili (better-the-second-day chili) and then we worked on getting the trees inside. Benjamin played with Elzie while Tim and I manuevered the furniture a bit. I could hear the sounds of the kids playing - mixed with Christmas music - as we worked out how to fit the tree into the corner. Elzie took a few steps much to Benjamin's delight. Later Benjamin set up our Christmas village and some of his old trains and tracks under the big tree while I put lights on the small tree in the den. Elzie was pleased with the results. Tim worked on our little outside tree. Afterwards, Benjamin insisted on the hot chocolate he'd been promised and Tim gave Elzie a bath. Today has been a good day - a nice way to end November, the month of Thanksgiving. I am feeling so grateful for the many blessings of a normal day.

Thanksgiving Family Photo

Posted with Blogsy

Seven

Today we celebrated seven years of Benjamin Felix.
It was an excellent day.
What a blessing it is to be his mom. He continues to keep Tim and me amazed just by being himself - a smart, silly, sweet kid. I hope I always remember these precious days of being a mom to a little boy. Benjamin loves to tell us stories and keep us posted on the information he finds most interesting and important. He still thinks we're funny and he loves snuggling with us. He's totally cool with just hanging out with Mom, Dad, and Elzie.
But I know that our little boy days are numbered. I see Benjamin striking out on his own more and more. He's so kind-hearted that he tries to help me along. (I'm thinking of when he decided he'd rather go to the gym with his friends than to the library with me in the mornings before school. He let me down gently because I momentarily forgot to be the parent. I actually said, "You're hurting my feelings.") I keep wondering how much longer he'll hold my hand when we walk together in public. Maybe it's best not to think too much about that because I just know there are really great things around the corner. For Benjamin and for our family. We will learn and grow together.
He'll zip through these phases of childhood. We'll follow right behind him - sometimes smiling, sometimes gritting our teeth, sometimes crying - but always better for having taken this journey together.
Happy birthday, Banjo boy. And thank you for being you. We sure do love you.

That Time Again

Today, May 10, 2015, is Mother's Day. It's also been 7 months since Elzie June Pattillo joined our family. I started this blog on Mother's Day 2009 - my first Mother's Day as a mom. Since then, I've done fairly well at updating it every month or so. That is until Elzie was born! How is it that seven months have passed since her birth? I guess we have been busy being a family of four. Things have been great and exhausting and miraculous and difficult and wonderful. One thing is certain - we original three Pattillos are absolutely wild about our newest family member. As promised, she has shaken things up in all the best ways.

Today is a great day to remember just how lucky we are to be a family and just how blessed I am to be a mother to these two children. Being a mom is perfectly natural and a bit unreal all at the same time. If I had read the job description, I'm not certain I would have applied - not because I didn't want the job, but because the description would be so intimidating. Luckily, that's not how motherhood works. Like most things in life, I just take one step at a time. And now, I'm the lucky person who gets to help raise two beautiful little people.

Benjamin Felix and Elzie June are two of my greatest blessings. And I am so grateful.

 

Posted with Blogsy

September Dreamin'

September has been quite a month. At once settling into the school year and preparing for a new family member. Feeling absolutely stressed at times and very peaceful at other times. Resting and celebrating. Fearing and hoping. Napping and nesting.

We've spent lots of time getting things ready for baby girl. And lately, it's been so much fun.

 

Benjamin has proven to be the perfect nursery organizer and designer - his words. And with each step in our preparation, baby girl's arrival seems a bit more real. Now we are within 10 days. Soon we'll get to lay eyes on the little sister we've been dreaming of.

We just can't wait to welcome her.

 

Posted with Blogsy

All Good Things

Wow! What a great summer this has been so far! Although it is very quickly - way too quickly - coming to an end, we do still have a few weeks before it's back to school time. We must enjoy it while we can!
My summer break started off on such a good note as I was able to take a girls' trip to Florida with my college roommates. We had such a fun time relaxing on the beach, eating great food, and of course acting ridiculous. I am so fortunate to have such a close relationship with these wonderful friends I lived with way back in 1992. When I am with them, it's like I'm existing in some in between space between who I was way back then and who I am now. It's a perfect place to celebrate the milestone of turning 40. I was also very grateful that Tim encouraged me to take this trip. I was apprehensive about being gone for four nights - a first - but he and Benjamin did great without me.

Just a few days after returning from Florida, it was time to leave again for the Wootan family vacation in the hill country. We were all really excited to spend a week at the lake relaxing. Benjamin was especially excited to spend time with his cousins and celebrate his sixth birthday! This year he requested a Hawaiian themed party. I think he started making plans for his party in January or February. I even found an entry in his school journal from April in which he describes what his birthday party at the lake will be like. Hopefully, the real deal lived up to his expectations. Nana made him a pineapple upside down cake and he received presents galore. "This is too much," he said at one point during gift giving. So sweet. Mostly, he just had lots of fun playing with his cousins. I, on the other hand, was feeling weepy about my little guy turning 6...

After another successful lake vacation, it was time to head home for a few weeks. We spent the first few weeks of July in Dallas. Benjamin really worked on his swimming skills taking two sessions of lessons at the YMCA and Tim taking him to the pool as often as possible. We enjoyed the 4th of July with friends for the annual parade and the fireworks as well. Those few weeks were nice to relax and hang out with our friends. But soon it was time to hit the road again.

For our next trip, we headed to Georgia and then on to Alabama to visit the Pattillos. We started off spending a couple of days in Tucker with our friend Dave. Tim loves to make the rounds and reminisce in his old hometown. We also got to help Dave celebrate his birthday and my good friend Amy was able to stop by for a visit as well. Our next stop was Dahlonega where we got to spend a little time relaxing in the mountains of north Georgia. We rented a little cabin in the middle of nowhere and then did some driving around to see some things in the area. It was absolutely beautiful there. I am so glad that we got to take this quick side trip.

Our final stop was Gulf Shores to visit the Pattillo family. Our visit was so relaxing - lots of swimming, visiting, eating, and playing with cousins. Tim did his best to catch some fish, but he didn't have much luck. Although Benjamin really missed spending time with whole Pattillo crew, he was very happy to play with cousins we did see! Visiting Grandma and Pop-pop each summer at the beach is so much fun, and we are so grateful for this time.

Along with all our experiences this summer, we have also had our minds on the not so distant future arrival of another member of our family. We've had lots of talk about names, nursery decor, and "just wait till next summer." Each week I'm growing a little rounder and we are all growing more excited to welcome baby girl.

Posted with Blogsy