Turning a Corner

I feel like we have really turned a corner over the past month. What corner am I talking about? Well, if you've been reading my blog for a while or know me at all, you realize that Mr. Seth hasn't always been the easiest child. He has always been a happy, cuddly child, but easy...well, I wouldn't use that word. :)

Some of the areas where I've noticed a HUGE improvement:

- of course, having him potty trained a couple months ago was, well, AMAZING!

- he has really learned how to play with his friends as well as his brother and sister

(if you've read any of my post from 6 months or a year ago, you realize what a big...HUGE deal this is!)

- he uses his words much more than his actions when he's frustrated

- he LOVES to be helpful in any way possible

He is a much more fun, happy and enjoyable kid to be around...man I love that little guy! Many prayers have been said, my patience has been tested beyond what I thought possible and now we are at a new stage and I'm LOVING it!

Jim the horse

This dear horse is loved. His name is Jim. Seth fell in love with him when he was less than 2 years old. Every time we went to Grandpa Holder's he had to visit Jim...not any of the other horses, or the dogs...just Jim. Last summer grandpa sold Jim because they were/are planning to move soon and let's be honest, horses are a lot of time and money. Anyway, a certain 2 year old (at the time) was pretty sad. We thought he would forget about him though. Ummm...more than 6 months later, that hasn't happened yet. Anytime we talk about Grandpa Holder, he asks about his horses and about Jim. After a weekend at Grandpa's house (I'm sure repeatedly asking about Jim) he was sent this picture and it is now printed and hung on our fridge. This morning he went over to it and told me, "Jim really misses me" -- "yes, I'm sure he does buddy" -- with tears in his eyes, he looked up at me and said, "I miss him too."

Jim...the horse.

Marriage

Good friends of ours got married March 12th. It was great celebrating with them (minus the bum snow storm that decided to come that weekend)! We were priveleged to be able to lead them through pre-marital counseling and then Dan 'officiated' the ceremony. I realize many of you know that Dan is a principal, so I will explain that this is an official wedding, no Dan is NOT a pastor, but through our church he was able to officiate the wedding and it IS legit. :) Anyway, the ceremony was wonderful, the bride was stunning and God was glorified.

The bride and groom along with my hubby (yes, his microphone may remind you a bit of a Garth Brooks concert, but I assure you he did NOT bust out in "I Got Friends In Low Places" or anything crazy like that)

The 3 of us meet and hold each other accountible...our first pic together. :)

We needed a pic together because after having kids we realize how few pics we have of the 2 of us together.

Gray

So, a week or so ago I was getting ready for the day and what I saw in the mirror was shocking. GRAY HAIR! I saw 3 gray hairs, not in the back or hidden underneath, but right smack in the the front where I can look at it everyday when I get ready! After I got over my shock I decided I'd read and remember:

Proverbs 16:31 Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.

I may or may not decide to cover up these random BEACONS of gray on my head, but for now they shine like the stars right in front! Does that officially mean I'm getting old?? Nope, it just means I'm gaining a crown. :)

Girl Time

Once in a while it's fun to get away and not hear the word "MOM" every other minute of the day. Don't miss the fact that I said..."once in a while"...!! This year we decided to THOROUGHLY surprise a dear friend, Angie, who was turning 30. Robyn and I took her out for lunch, I gave her a birthday card at the end of our meal (while unbeknownst to Angie, Siobhan was on speaker phone so she could hear the reaction)...she opened it...read the card...and in it was a certificate for a Girls Weekend Away -- to Breezy Point -- leaving -- NOW!!!

Her reaction was priceless. She had a bad week and so after reading what we were doing she couldn't stop crying. She couldn't believe it was happening and was thrilled...although she couldn't stop crying so it was a little hard to believe. :) We went to my house, loaded up my stuff and away we went on a fun-filled girls weekend away!!

Here are some fun shots from the relaxing weekend...

Thanks ladies for another fun weekend!

Are you getting married?

Last night Dan and I were dancing in the kitchen and Seth said, "are you getting married?" He has a friend who's mom is getting married soon and so 'weddings' are common talk amongst 3 year olds right now. :) Anyway, we were talking about our wedding with all 3 kids last night and then decided to get out the old-school home video and watch it. Seth was bored after a bit, but the older 2 enjoyed watching it and it was fun for Dan and I to see and hear our vows to each other. I loved Dan then, but nearly 10 years and 3 kids later, I realize how much our love for each other has grown...I can't even imagine year 20....50....70+??

It Clicked!

I'm not sure how it happened, but over the past few weeks I've watched the accidents get less and less every week until I realized over a week had gone by with ZERO accidents. Yes, it's official (isn't everything official once it's put on Facebook or Blog land??)

SETH IS POTTY TRAINED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll be honest, I'm still a little nervous to declare it, (especially in capital letters with exclamation points,) but I'm so proud and relieved that I can't-not post it. Yes, some of you mommy's will do the math and realize that Seth is just over 3 years old and just finally potty trained, but it wasn't for lack of trying...he just didn't get it until now. But now that he does, I feel like I can FINALLY breath a sign of relief. For all you mommy's still in the thick of potty training...hang it there...you're time will come soon as well. TRY, TRY, TRY not to be discouraged by all the seeminly 6 month olds that are potty trained (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating and they are 1.5-2.5, but it FEELS like they are infants). Will he have accidents....yes...can I handle that....I hope so....am I AMAZINGLY proud of him regardless....you better believe it!! Mr. Setharoo may give me gray hairs before I want them, and know how to humble me in no time flat, but I love him 'to the moon and back' regardless....so proud of you little man.