Retirement!!!!

It's been way too long since I've posted on our blog and I can only say it's because we've been more than busy.  I have just come up for air!  We've been so busy that I actually opted out of a vacation.  Crazy, I know!  But truthfully, the last 3 weeks have been filled with emotional highs and lows that I couldn't fathom packing a suit case and heading anywhere....even if that anywhere happen to be Key West.  South Florida will be there when we're more rested and ready for a road trip. :)  And to be honest, our "staycation" has been nothing short of pretty awesome!  I think my two sidekicks would agree if they weren't outside having a blast in this summer's heat.   

This post is solely in honor of my kindhearted, generous, over-achieving husband and those that love him.  He just retired from the Marine Corps on June 19th after just shy of 16 years, and he was so honored by all of our family and friends that made the ceremony and reception.   We've been so blessed to always be surrounded by loving people (both family and friends).  Everywhere we've moved, we've carried our old friends' love and encouragement and added new ones to the mix.  What is so wonderful is that this amazing group seems to blend so well.  Our old friends have now gotten to know our new friends and it makes the best extended family we could ever be blessed with.  So I guess really this post is about Fletcher and the people that love him (me included).

Funny enough, everyone that sees Fletcher and hears that he's now retired can't believe he's old enough and/or could have enough years in to possibly make that claim.  Fletcher looks so young....God love him....he has youthful looks.  Not fair, I know!  Trust me, I know!  I'm married to the youngest looking guy on the planet and I'm adding wrinkles and gray hairs by the day.  On a side note, I can explain why my grays are multiplying considering we just found my boys swimming in reclaimed water and had to disinfect them entirely....that was right after we found our youngest on top of our storage shelves in the garage with a bungee cord trying to make his own zip line.  Smart kids with no common sense!  The joys and hazards of being a boymom.  Also, Fletcher took the early retirement which was offered due to the downsizing of the military.  Don't get me started on my opinion as a taxpayer of downsizing our military, but I can tell you as a mom and a spouse, it's a big WIN for my family.  A big lose for America, but that's a whole different post. :) 

A photographer was present at the ceremony and took some really sweet pictures that I wanted to share.  I'm so grateful she was there and did such a great job documenting this day because I was all over the place trying to make sure flowers and cake and all that stuff that doesn't really matter was in place.

To say thank you to those of you that have prayed for my family over the years doesn't seem nearly enough, but I am so thankful.  It's been those prayers that have given me comfort and strength during the times when Fletcher was away and I really just wanted to pack up and go home to Texas.  When I was worried or scared or just plain overwhelmed, it was those prayers that kept me taking one more step.  Our family walks by faith, but we couldn't do it without those prayers.  This is the longest, round-about way of saying thank you to our prayer warriors.

What's next?  We're thrilled to get to stay in Pensacola.  I'm raising beach boys and it suits them well.  The boys love their school and are learning so much about academics and more importantly about God's purpose for their lives.  Right now, they both think it's baseball, but we're hoping that will evolve. Fletcher starts his new job on Monday with a wonderful company called Johnson Controls.  He's excited about the opportunity to learn and serve in a new capacity.  The future is bright!

Beads & Beignets!

Beads & Beignets and there are more "B's" to go along with those when I think about New Orleans, but I'm going to leave it with the beads and beignets. :)  We snuck away this past weekend to the Big Easy to meet Fletcher for a couple of nights.  He had a cross country with a few students and it was the perfect timing before baseball season starts in full force.  The boys and I drove over on Friday afternoon and checked into the hotel just before Fletcher arrived.  Beau was ready to "suck the heads off some crawfish" which I'm guessing meant he was hungry.  I never say that, so I'm going to have to give credit to his dad for that constant reminder of what he'd wanted to eat the whole weekend.  We hopped the train and headed to the French Market which is where I realized I need to return with girls.  The little shops looked fun, but only from the street did I get to admire.  Boys hate to shop!  I'm good with that because I've come to realize I hate to shop with boys. :P  We made it to Jackson Park where Beau got to see the statue of one of his all-time faves....good ol' Andrew.  We swung past Café Du monde and headed back to our hotel for dinner.  Yummmmm!!!!  Another observation, there is no healthy eating in New Orleans and I'm totally fine with that!  Every calorie we took in was completely worth it!  Saturday morning we started with breakfast at Mother's (http://www.mothersrestaurant.net/) and it was beyond fantastic (which is why we made ourselves run the stairs at the WWII museum shortly thereafter).  They claim to be the home of World's Best Baked Ham and it's fair to say my boys agreed!  Ham, biscuits, grits, OH MY! 

We spent the next 4 hours (yes, I said 4) at the WWII Museum and we were completely blown away!  If I'm being honest, I was good after the 3rd hour, but I keep the company of war historians, so at that point I was along for the ride.  It's a must-see if you have the chance and I now have WWII aficionados in my home.  I may have to reiterate how important it is to be the "good" side considering I overheard Bennett and Beau trying to teach neighbor how to march like the Germany Army.  I had to shout from the garage, "march like the Americans!!!!".....hopefully we don't offend too many people, but truth be known I've let go of that hope years ago.

After the museum, we snacked on hot beignets down at Café Beignet (http://www.cafebeignet.com/) and again, worth every calorie!  That carried us through our afternoon of walking around Jackson Park again, the St. Louis Cathedral, and then onto Bourbon Street for what I like to call life lessons in the Big Easy.  Bourbon Street is where the boys learned how important good hygiene really is (ie. brushing your teeth, using soap and water), how important staying in school will be (kindly passed along from a highly intoxicated man on the street corner...I'm not judging, just reporting), and lastly, how important it is to watch where you step (no need to elaborate if you've ever walked there).  Never a dull moment in New Orleans. 

We had an early dinner at Deanies (http://www.deanies.com/), so we'd be done in time to catch the parade.  Little did we know the boys would be front and center for the bead throwing.  They got so much loot before the parade, it was like Christmas morning!  The parade was a little more than we bargained for, so in an effort to avoid questions I'm not ready to answer, we headed back to our hotel. The boys were beyond thrilled covered in beads, glowing bracelets, and handfuls of mini-king cakes and I was so glad I hadn't wasted $20 on those souvenir dog tags they had begged for earlier.  Bourbon Street = free souvenirs!  

Sunday morning we headed home in time to unpack, disinfect whatever might have come back with us, and get settled in to watch the Super Bowl.....not that I was that excited about it.  In case you don't read my facebook, I didn't have a dog in the fight.....and I might even be a little bitter about how my dog got eliminated from that fight, but who's holding a grudge?  BTW, Dez caught it!:)   

He's a Rockin' 8 Year Old!

He's 8!  He's really 8!  My firstborn turned 8 today.  This precious boy made me a mom!  We so love this kid.  Bennett is our sensitive boy with a kindness beyond his years.  His heart aches for those in need.  He's the child that rolls down his window without hesitation and gives whatever he has on-hand to the less fortunate.....including a few school books that we actually still needed.  He just wants to help however he can and I'm so relieved he is sensitive to the needs of others.  I think it's so easy to become cold when you see homeless on every other corner.

 

Bennett is our perfectionist.  We giggle at how tightly he seems to be wound when it comes to some things.  I would like to pawn that quality off on Fletcher, but it's like looking in the mirror at some of his antics.  He likes to make his bed as orderly as he can and just sleep on top of the covers to save time in the morning.  I totally did that!  Combing his hair takes FOREVER!  No hair can be standing up which throws him every morning because he has Fletcher's hair.  Have you seen Fletcher's hair?  It all stands up!  Completely stresses this kid out trying to get all those hairs to lie down. :)  Stresses me too when we're running late getting out the door.

 

Bennett is our overachiever.  I'm not talking necessarily about his ability in sports although he is a great little athlete.  I'm talking more about his commitment.  He can't just play something.....he wants to be the best!  Fortunately, he's willing to put in the hardwork, but sometimes it might be nice to just play or attend.....says the type A mom.  We don't always have to be the all-star.  But then again, it seems we do.  I vividly remember my mom saying to me as a child, "you can just take gymnastics....you don't have to be the best."  Funny enough, my response was, "I think I need to be the best."  Makes for an ultra-competitive child.  I see that in Bennett.  He does find joy in competition and my prayer is that the joy continues to drive him and not the praise of me or others.  I'll do my best to reign it in.:)

Bennett is a leader.  This is a work in progress, but it's my goal each and every day.  If what I see on the TV and the news is mainstream, then Bennett and Beau have to be different.  To be different, they have to be leaders.  Bennett is a great leader in his classroom at school and in his outside activities.  I'm so thankful he has that quality. 

And lastly, Bennett is our little old man in an 8 year old's body.  He dresses like he's 70.  It's pretty common for him to wear a sweater vest to school when his classmates are in t-shirts or sports clothes.  He's funny like that, but it he seems unphased by it.  He wore ties to school until a teacher told him he looked like the president.  He thought the teacher meant our President Obama.  He told the teacher he's not a fan of Obama and has since chosen other less-Obama-ish outfits.....back to the sweater vests.

Today we celebrate this quirky, little boy.   I'm so blessed to get to be his mom.  This brown-eyed snuggler brightens each day with his million-dollar smile and his infectious laugh.  Our prayer for Bennett is that he continue to grow stronger in his faith, always seeking God's purpose for his life, and that he blesses others with his gifts.

Happy Birthday, precious Bennett!

Wait! What? SIX!!!

My reaction to my baby boy turning six is...What???  Wait!!!!  How????  How in the world, in the blink of an eye, can this precious boy be 6 years old?!  I've been asking myself this all week long and I've got no answer except the old saying, "the days are long, but the years are short."  That they are, my friend. 

This child brings laughter and joy to our house, in so many ways I can't begin to list.  I could actually, but I've got dinner going and would hate to burn the boy's birthday dinner.  First of all, let me introduce you to the boy we call Beau-handsome.  It's obvious why we call him that....can you say BIG, BROWN EYES...., but I have to give credit where credit is due.  My dear friend, Britt, gave our Beau that name when he was just a chubby (and already handsome) baby.  He wears it well.  He looks like my daddy in so many ways and he acts like him too. :)  I love that I see Vandygriff in him.  And taking after his Papa, Beau loves music.  He really loves it.  It's in his little bones.  He sings all the time and strums his guitar to the beat.  He feels it even when sometimes his audience of one (his big brother) does not.  In the car to school, from school, to the grocery store, anywhere and everywhere we get serenaded.

 

Beau is like a little old man.  He'd take Bonanza, the boxset of Gunsmoke, and Walker, Texas Ranger over anything Disney.  He wants Buddy Holly and Johnny Cash instead of the radio.  We may not know a foreign language, but we know all the words to Buddy Holly's Greatest Hits in order.  That counts for something, I would think.  My goodness, we love this kid!  We giggle daily at his little observations, and we're humbled by his honesty.....sometimes in public.  He's as tough as nails and always ready to come to his big brother's defense whether he needs it or not.

Our Beau is as smart as a whip.  He told me last week as we walked through the mall passing the Santa set-up, "That guy isn't the real Santa.....he's just a mall worker.....just works for this old mall.  Santa is way too busy to be doing this stuff!"  When his older cousin passed gas this weekend, I heard Beau tell him it was "impressive."  I can't take responsibility for anything that comes out of his mouth, good or bad.  BUT I can laugh!  Beau is my constant reminder that laughter is the best medicine and I'm so thankful he is a momma's boy.  

    

Happiest of birthdays to our precious 6 year old!  My prayer for our Beau is the same today as it was yesterday.  I pray that he know God's purpose for his life.  I pray that he grow up loving the Lord and always seeking His Will and His favor, not the favor of his peers.  I pray the he be a leader and stand for what is right even if he has to stand alone.  I pray for protection over him and I pray that he always know how much he is loved and pray over.  Biggest hugs to our Beau-handsome!!! 

  

He's a "Spirited" Kid!

    Gosh, where is this summer going?  I looked at my calendar and we're already halfway through July.  Oh the days of summer, please slow the heck down.  We spent much of our month of June at the ballfield.  Bennett loved every second of playing on the all-star team and Fletcher and I loved almost every second of coaching/team mom.  The latter part may not be entirely true as I've come to realize that I'm completely content having my path not cross that of certain characters that often frequent the baseball field.  Not to name names, but we had our dose of a crazy ball mom if you get my drift.  For every loon, there are 3x that in wonderful friends and families we've grown to know and love.  We ended the all-star season at the Wahoos game where the boys got to run out on the field with the professional players.  Pretty awesome experience for our boys and a great way to finish out the season.  Bennett has since gone from baseball to baking.  He's my little helper in the kitchen!

 

 

    Turning the page on baseball lead us right into the 4th of July!  We have the best of friends that we try and get together with whenever possible and it turns out the 4th of July was when it was possible.  Amen to that!  We loaded up the kids and headed for Lake Tuscaloosa.  The Blairs, The Rosses, and The Tidwells know how to have fun and the kids seem to have inherited that as well!  The kids go until the can't go anymore.  They tube, they ski, the swim, play baseball, dodgeball, paddle boat, and then they do it all over again.  The adults laugh, and eat, listen to great music, and laugh some more.  It's pretty wonderful to have people in your life that love and support you and you can return the favor!  We always leave our weekends with these special friends grateful for the time, but eager to see each other again sooner than later.

     One thing that seems to be a constant everywhere we go is our Beau.  It's pretty standard that he makes an entrance and an exit always.  We've come to define him as a "spirited" kid!  I find I spend a lot of my time trying to navigate the waters of Beau which is comedic, fulfilling, and challenging all in the same breath.  This week Beau has had an infection in his ear that came from first having swimmer's ear.  The doctor said that due to his high threshold for pain, when most kids would have stopped swimming because of severe pain, he continued on causing more infection.  She recommended 7 days of antibiotics and no swimming for a week.  We made it 5 days of antibiotics and 1.5 days out of water.  Great parenting, I know!  He's since recovered. :)  On day 2 of no swimming we made it out to Pensacola Beach to watch the Blue Angels dress rehearsal.  It was amazing to see and following doctor's orders (or not), we watched it from the beach/water. :/  For the record, I tried to keep him in the sand.....unsuccessfully.

 

     Beau also has his own fashion sense and it's very loud.  He loves  his giant flat-billed hat and his colored skinny jeans and alternates between the red and grey.  Trust me, I'm looking for additional colors to help with our options.  Monday I noticed specs of red material as I walked through the house.  When I got to the playroom, there was Beau with my kitchen sheers cutting holes in the knees of his favorite jeans.  He wanted them to "wook" better.  God bless this kid and our clothes budget!  Nevermind that it's 90+ plus outside and he's in holey jeans, a mock-turtleneck, and a gun-holster. 

   I've learned so much from my "spirited" child.  I've learned (and continue to learn) to appreciate how God made him.  I love that he really doesn't care if it's odd to wear a bandana around his neck and mouth into Target or whether people might think it's strange that he wants me to buy him a duster to wear to church.  He knows who he is and is completely fine watching old John Wayne movies while the other kids his age watch Disney Junior.  Sometimes I wish I were as comfortable with myself as my 5 year old is with himself.

We've Jumped Right In!

We limped across the finish line of K4 and 1st grade, but we've jumped right into summer.  I'm exaggerating a bit when I say "limp" considering I think both boys finished strong in their studies.  Where we lacked motivation was in keeping our early to bed/early to rise routines.  We were all yearning for mornings with no alarm and we've embraced it for sure.  As of today, we've been out of school a full week and the boys have the tan lines to prove it. 

Memorial Day is the real summer kick-off for us, but the actual day is always such a heavy one.  It truly is a day that we remember fallen friends.  Fletcher's list is much longer than mine and I can always see it on his face.  For me, it's the day I think those wives I know raising little ones alone.  There's one in particular for which my heart always hurts.  I follow her on Facebook and keep tabs on how her kids are growing.  Truthfully, this wife has handled her reality with more grace than I can even imagine.  She lost her husband when she had an 18 month old and was only weeks away from having their second child.  I'm always so impressed with her commitment to pressing on and her determination to choose joy.  Such an inspiring story, but there's sadness and loss there too. 

Our Memorial Day weekend was spent on the go.  Fletcher is always on the go, so it's only fitting that so are we. :)  Bennett made the all-stars team which was a huge feat for that little one.  The team had yet to find a volunteer wanting to coach the 7U team.....that is until they called my sweet husband.... the one witness to all the hard work his kid had put in this season in an effort to make the team.  He couldn't let the kids not get to play because they lacked a coach.  SO there you have it!  He's coaching the team along with two of our favorite people.  I'm not sure how many games these kids will win, but they'll definitely have to best coaches.  That scramble started our weekend off to a scurry....rosters, coaches, uniforms, schedules, GEEZ!  We did squeeze in some boat time which makes everything right in the world.

Monday, Fletcher took the boys to the local Memorial Day service.  It's so important that we pass along the true meaning of this special day.  We were blessed with gorgeous weather all weekend, so being inside would have been a crime.  We had dinner at our sweet neighbor's where in true fashion Beau knocked out Bennett's tooth.  It was a baby tooth, but why not get it knocked out at a dinner party?  Our neighbors have an 18 month old, so the sheer shock on their faces may have sealed the deal that baby Lincoln could be the last child they birth.  Yes, there's danger in producing more than one. :)  But you know it's been a successful weekend when everyone high fives and goes to their own beds out of pure exhaustion.  

Easter Treasure Hunt

CeCe & Pops came for a visit this weekend.  Between school and baseball, we had high hopes of getting in some time on the beach.  The weather forecast had something else in mind because it rained and rained and rained some more.  In spite of the rain, CeCe managed to plan a treasure hunt for the boys complete with scripture-filled clues leading them to treats along the way.  The final clue took them to a treasure chest filled with goodies.  They loved running from one spot to the next to find the clue and surprise.  I know coordinating the clues with a scripture and lesson was a time-consuming task, so we are super grateful for CeCe's work in pulling it all together.  As you can see, it was a hit!  The mid-hunt cupcake break helped to refuel. :)