today

i saw my people. and as usual, my heart is now full.

riley and i loaded up (again) and this time headed to lagrange, ga. i feel like i live in my car these days and i thought car and i needed a pic together. nice.

we went to celebrate the sweet life of audie nixon muse, kel's great-grandmother. better known as bigmama. this gracious southern charm lived to the age of 102...an age that graced her life with not only great grandchildren, but three great-great grandchildren. not many people can have that honor.

i honestly wish everyone could experience the muse/spinks/woodward family. it is overflowing with love. they invite you in and make you feel like one of them. they stuff your belly full and send you off with a goodie bag. they have smiles that are contagious. they have hugs that are endless. and it all started with the tender spirit of bigmama. she taught them all how to love. and she taught them well.

today, us girls came together to support our kel. that is what you do when you have people. you hold each other up at times like this. but i am not gonna tell a lie...it so nice to just see my girls.

quickly after exchanging hugs with kel, shan, haley and i bombarded the nursery to see her babes. it was so sweet to see nat-nat and meet handsome john.

kel's fam was sweet enough to invite us to eat with them. it is almost impossible to say no to mrs. gail. and well there was cake. you can't say no to cake. while eating we got to just watch nat is action. she loves cake, too. and cookies. and chocolate. she is her mommy's daughter, alright. i like to think dave was telling nat "don't you even think about taking a bite until you eat your lunch." and then, well, so much for lunch.

the little guys got to meet each other, too. john is the sweetest, most smile-ly little guy...and riley, well, he is a very serious man. with very serious things to think about. or cry about. what can i say, he is his mommy's son :).

aunt sha-sha got some good bonding time in with the boys. riley was having a blast.

and we arrive at the parting photo (dave didn't tell me i appear to be shielding my sons pee-wee from an atomic bomb). but here we are - another year older. another year sillier. another year just thinking we are still 20 years old.

kel, we love you so much. thank you, thank you for letting us into your world. into your family. we are each better for knowing you, your family and bigmama. xoxoxo

lunching...

...is good in theory.

we mommies have baby brain. and baby brain causes you to make completely insane decisions. like "hey, let's go eat at cracker barrel with 6 kids in tow." yes, good in theory. in reality...well, fun chaos. i don't know what was more fun...seeing addison throw back a biscuit and cornbread the minute she sat down, keeping elly from swiping the forks, brookes little squeals and grins, or trying to have a conversation with every other sentence being "sit down. eat your lunch. i will knock you into next week if you don't obey." or maybe it was the marching and singing around and around the table.

regardless of the chaos, it was just nice to see these girls. it is hard to believe i have been in birmingham for 8 years now. wow. 8 years. when you get older friendships develop differently than when you are in college. but they still happen. and i am so glad they happened with these two women.

even if they are auburn peeps.

small talk

quite a memorable conversation with little miss on day three...

addison, how was school today?

good.

who did you play with?

max. max HARPER.

oh, ok.

we tried to get married.

but you didn't?

no, we di'nt...

why not?

he ran away.

smart man max harper. smart man.

two hours

day two. and two hours.

two hours of a napping sister and brother - at the same time. two hours of a quiet moniter with no buster crying. two hours to meal plan, make a grocery list and gather my coupons. two hours allowed me to save $41 at publix tonight. two hours of non-cartoon tv...a little dancing with ellen might have taken place. two whole hours. to myself.

two hours. one little, priceless miracle.

day one...of 365

my neighbor told me about this blog where the woman (i assume) is posting a picture of her day, everyday. for 365 days. cara said it sounded like something i would do...and the minute she told me i wanted to do it. so here goes. i am 18 days late in getting started but oh well. punctuality has never been my strong suite.

yes, this is quite a big task i am going to tackle but the little buster is almost 4 months old and i already feel like time is running away from me. so....

day one.

hanging and making some tees. ha. i am afraid this might be the scene of many days this year. and i am sure i will look back at this picture one day, when riley is running circles around me, and think "how nice was it to just sit in peace, and work, with my cooing babe beside me." but for today i was productive and the buster was sweet. and addison was at school. if she were at home i am sure she would have made me some tea while i worked. she is kind like that.

sleeping babes

there is a simple memory that needs no iphone note. no baby book. no photo. it is so deep that it burns. it is this...my babes, breathing in and out, smelling of sweetness, sleeping so softly on my chest.

i can still feel the weight of addison on me. her quiet sighs, her little nudges. her brace on her hips allowing her to lay there so close to me.

and now my boy. my baby. my last. as i sit here, typing with one hand, enveloped by the sound of music and the glow of the tree, i am once again living a memory that will need no documentation. his hums. his sleepy smiles. his peacefulness. they are branded into my heart.

and my heart is full.

she laid on my chest & her breathing filled me almost to beyond what i could hold.

{story people}

little memories

there are things that happen every moment of every day with my little people. and after every happening i say "i will never forget this"...and yet, every time, i forget. it has gotten so bad that i have started using the 'notes' app on the trusty iphone. here are some little memories written in my notes over the past few days...

• tonight riley is sleeping in his room for the first time. such a big boy. and mommy is crying like the baby.
• addison loves having best friends. today she told me 'mom, you are my best family.' way better than being a best friend in my opinion.
• riley has old man farts. seriously. noise and smell. like an old man downing a plate of refried beans.
• chilly (our elf) did not move to a new location last night. i think it broke addison's heart. mental note: don't be a slacker ever again. i have a very precocious 3 year old who will nail me.
• cuddly babes in pj's, fire on, yummy glass of wine, polar express...my heart is full.
• addison has a new bedtime tradition...i read a book then she re-reads said book - inflections and all. sweet and tender.
• i read riley his first bedtime book tonight. he fell asleep. then farted. old man style.
• pretty sure addison drank 9 cups of milk and 17 cups of water today. consequently, we are out of toilet paper.

simple, silly and sweet little memories.

sitting there in your pajamas & all the time in the world & if I could keep any moment it would be this: watching you & holding my breath with the wonder of it all. {story people}