COWS!!

My boys dressed up as cows for a costumed birthday party this past Saturday. This was the result:

Happiness in spots

Can a baby get any cuter?

Noah the cow

It was a fun party and Noah loved being in costume. This Halloween will be the first in which Stephan and I will actually take the kids trick or treating. I am definitely excited about that. More picture to come of that for sure!
  Be blessed today, readers!

Fall!

Thank You, Lord! I really appreciate this weather.

You know what I do not appreciate? When you leave a rather pressing and urgent message at your pediatrician's office in regards to your baby's health and then call them again several hours later because nobody ever called you back, only to have them say, "let me verify and call you right back", only to have them not call you again.

You know what I do appreciate? Friends like Kevin Skinner, Rachel Thomas, and Emily Evan, who patiently answer my early morning calls in regards to the same health issue and care enough about me and my baby to listen and offer helpful answers and advice. Thank you, friends, you are blessings in a mother's life and I hope you know it.

I do not type this to bash the medical system or my pediatrician, because I really do love my kids' doctor and trust and appreciate his opinion. I just wish there was a touch bit more communication there. I mean seriously, what mother wouldn't want immediate and accurate medical attention for a sweet, sad little face like this:

this morning

This evening

 These pictures don't do this rash justice. It's bad and it's everywhere. My poor, precious baby.

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord lift His countenance upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and give you peace.

Fall?

Where are you, fall? It's late October and I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I was expecting a little bit more from you, fall. Yes, I realize you have a special excuse for your lack of true autumn chill, being that this is Texas and all, but seriously, shape up! I want sweaters and boots! I want fires and apple cider! I want to be able to sleep in my footie pj's and not sweat like a sinner in church.

best Christmas present last year

 But, as always, I have no true reason to whine and grumble. This weather is still lovely and God has allowed me to live in it. And better yet, He loves me! I'll never understand why, but the God of the universe loves a speck like me! If that doesn't cause one to burst forth in joyous praise, I don't know what will.

 ^"and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light." Colossians 1:12

The Rose parade

As a lifelong Tylerite, I have seen many a Rose festival take place. I've been to the queen's tea, I've been to the coronation ceremonies, and as a child, I was even able to go "back stage" to see the beautiful gowns and props and costumes since my mother has done hair for many a participant of this whole, shiny, super expensive, elegant shebang. (She has done the hair of at least three rose queens. Yeah. Impressive.) But I have never been to see the rose parade. This year, I decided to change all that. Since Stephan would be working, I figured there was no better time than now to shake up my Saturday routine with something that might make a two-year-old's day.
  Friends, it was fun. It was a little long for my and my toddler's tastes, and the weather warmed up quite a bit while we were there, making our adorable cold weather outfits unnecessary and uncomfortable, but Noah was enthralled the whole way through. Here are a few pictures I took:

This was our set up. It was pretty nice and a great viewing spot.

I saw these crazy cats there. They were kind and loving and loaned a forgetful mom their blanket so that we weren't sitting on the cold, hard concrete the whole time. I love family.

In my opinion, this was the only band/dance team combo that was any good. All the others were middle schools.

Delegate from our sister city in Japan. Neat!

This was Noah and Wyatt's position for the grand majority of the parade. Enthralled!

These clowns got waaaaay to close for my comfort.

I LOVE THE GOWNS! WHY NOT MEEE???

Witten was fought over by adoring cousins the whole time. He didn't mind one bit.

I used to dream of wearing one of those get-ups and being a part of the rose festival. *sigh*

It's a fuzzy picture, but the two in the front are actual twins that they cleverly dressed as Siamese cats. My mom and sister did their hair.

The girl in the gold in the middle's costume was super cool. She had, like, twelve "arms" that fanned out from her back when she raised her arms.

Some more beautiful costumery

   I didn't get a picture of this year's queen because I was packing up to go as she floated by and I didn't care to dig my camera back out. Per usual, it was a stunning gown with a fantastic train that was about 15 feet long.  Just to give you an idea of how the queen's dress looked, here's a picture of a previous queen's gown:

(P.S., I advise all who are interested in the Rose Festival to check out their museum. It's stocked with a plethora of these stunning gowns and has the history of this event on display. I wanna go back!)

All in all, it was a good morning. Thank you, God, for good mornings.

time for a change

Sometimes, a woman just needs a little something to spice up her life. Maybe that's why women like to go shopping. Every once in a while, I feel a real need to make a change in some way. That is why God gave me a hairstylist mom.
          Witness, if you will, the change:

I do enjoy long hair, but I was tired of it

This ought to keep me entertained for a while

 

my name's Colette, and I approve this message

Hey folks,
Tired of those last five pounds you just can't seem to lose? I was. I was at my wit's end trying to lose that stubborn weight until I discovered Disease.
  Disease is an all nature way to lose weight fast. Disease will dramatically reduce your appetite, thereby decreasing your caloric intake. At the same time, Disease is hard at work causing you to purge your body of all calories already digested. You wont have to move an inch to lose a lot! And the best part is, Disease is easy to spread, meaning your entire household will soon be pounds lighter! Don't delay! High five, hug, or share drinks with the nearest Diseased person to you and lose weight now!

(Side affects include, but are not limited to, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, chills, mild hallucinations, loss of sleep, loss of the will to live, temporary loss of control of bodily functions, weakness, weariness, sweating, swearing, restlessness, dizziness, and mad dashes to the nearest toilet. Do not contract Disease is you are pregnant, nursing, married, a parent, alive, or have an aversion to regurgitating your food.)

I'm glad I got Disease, because I know that it's behind me and I'll never have to deal with is again.    

Way too fast

Witten had a rough night last night. He coughed so hard for so long that he made himself throw up. He continued to throw up three or four more times before his poor body allowed him some peace at 1:00 a.m., at which point he passed out cold on my chest. It was a scary experience for me and Stephan. We had never experienced vomiting like that before. Noah has tossed cookies twice in his life thus far, and those two incidents were spread very far apart. But the good news is that God carried us through, Witten is doing fine, and I am exhausted. Well, that last one is less good news and more hard truth.
   Regardless of  how the night went last night, when I finally heaved myself out of my warm, soft, sweet bed and prayed for God's grace as I prepared to face the day, I went into Witten's room to wake him up only to find him standing in his crib. He was waiting for me with a big smile and a cool new trick. I have watched Witten pull himself up on other objects maybe twice before, but this was the first case if him pulling himself to his feet in his crib. I was proud a punch.
   I do believe Witten is all better, if not a little hoarse from his rough night last night. Big brother Noah is digging to China in the sandbox as I type. Mommy's cleaning the house today, but finding it hard to summon the energy to do a thorough, hard-core cleaning job. (The lazy side of me that is too tired to try is attempting to convince my responsible side that deep-cleaning can wait. We're about to witness the closing arguments and then the jury may be out for a while on this one.)
   Friends, however your day started this morning, take the time to look around you and realize how blessed you are. Drown out that evil little voice inside that urges you to focus on the things that you don't have, or could have more of, or the things that could be better with praise to a God who gave you a new day to live.


Philippians 4:11-12
"Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need"

 
 Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Two big reasons why I praise God

CAmera phones

I recently figured out how to successfully move the pictures on my phone to my computer without having to text them one at a time to someone with a smart phone and then having them email the picture back to me. I found the tiny memory card in my phone and the little adapter card in my purse and, after a few tries, got them lined up right and transferred a slew of pictures from phone to computer. (I'm not gonna lie, for a second I felt pretty smart IT-wise and pondered what other technological issues I could figure out. The answer: not many at all.)
  That being done, I looked through my new pictures on my computer and realized that I had a lot more pictures on my phone than I thought and so now I have a lot more pictures to go through and organize on my computer. There are some precious ones from my phone that I am so relieved made it to my computer, 'cause I was afraid I would never be able to print them up and have them framed, and I would forever have to brows through my phone to view them and even then I'd only seem them from a tiny screen.
   I wish I could show you all of my precious memories, dear readers, but instead, I'll just give you a small snippit of my picture treasures.

Fat, rolly feet

Fist bump, tap!!

Uncle Werner's sweet

wearing Christmas hats

tight spaces on long walks

How to scare your hubby

morning father/son talks

Newborn babies are so lovey!

I said it before, readers, and now I'll say it all again;
'til I'm ready for my next kid, I'll live vicariously through my friends











There are a lot more pictures where that came from, but I don't want to overwhelm all you readers with my mad rhyming skills. Witten wants lunch, so I've got to boot-scoot. Be blessed, dear readers!

Even so, it is well with my soul

    My dear, deceased Grandpa Peter was the father of my mother and her two older brothers. My beloved Papa is the father of my younger uncle and two aunts and step-father of my mother and her two older brothers. My precious Grandma was the mother to us all.
     That is why, I do believe, my grandmother's passing is going to be such a cataclysmic event. Her death will be the loss of a mother to six, the loss of a mother-in-law to another six, and the loss of a grandmother to nineteen grandchildren and grandchildren-in-law, and the loss of a great grandmother for my own two sons. In a quiet, unobtrusive way, Grandma Maureen was the person that united a very large family.

  
  I'm not going to deify her or place her on an undeserved pedestal in this, my memorial to her life; because I know that, this side of glory, nobody if perfect. But I do want to honor her by dwelling on the happy memories I have of her and remembering her good character qualities.
   Grandma was good to her family. She was always there for her children and grandchildren. She was a remarkable seamstress. She made many of my mother's picture day outfits and formal gowns for school dances as she was growing up. She was always eager to be involved in caring for anyone in her family that needed help, be it babysitting, incredibly tough back rubs, or sound advice from her years of experience. I'm sure my mother and her siblings saw the tough love side of Grandma that all mothers have, but I can't recall a single memory of her getting angry or raising her voice at anyone.
   But what impressed me most about my grandma, especially here in her last months, weeks, and days on earth, was her faith. As I've stated before, Grandma Maureen has battled cancer since 2007 and had been given several estimated times of departure for her soul from this world to the next. As she approached each one, she did so with peace and a sense of readiness for the inevitable that I envy greatly. When all those previous expiration dates passed and she was still alive and kickin', she praised God for his kindness and mercy for allowing her to see events that all mothers and grandmothers want so badly to see before they die. Flying in the face of all her doctors' predictions, my grandma attended my wedding, saw eight of her grandchildren graduate high school, welcomed both of her great grandsons into the world with kisses, and danced at my cousin Kayla's wedding. She celebrated seven more birthdays than we thought she would. 

       Now, her time truly has come. As I type, she is nearing her end very quickly. They told us it should be within hours. It is crazy how quickly it happened. How suddenly she stopped being so alive. How very close she is and I am and we all are to her departure. I'm afraid I come across as uncaring during all of this since I have no idea what to do or say. I am amazed by how may people knew and cared for my grandma, as she and her bedside visitors have not gone a day without copious amounts of food, snacks, desserts, and drinks being provided by her friends. I am comforted and blessed by the ridiculously awesome family you can see in the above picture as we have traveled this journey together. But most note worthy of all, I am blessed to witness the crazy, irrational, impossible yet very real peace that surpasses human understanding that my grandma has had to carry her through this whole, long, painful ordeal. She is going to see her Savior and she knows it. I never once saw her cry. I saw several other people cry. I've cried myself. She did everything in her power to cheer us up.
       Lord in heaven, I want that much faith very badly. I'd like to meet my death the same way she met hers: ready and willing. She knows it is not death to die for those who have trusted in Jesus. I know I will see her again, and that when we are reunited, this time apart will seem like the blink of an eye. Knowing this, I do feel peace. And that's why, when I told her goodbye, I said "I'll see you again soon." to which she replied, "Not too soon." 
    
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

For the fridge

I have always disliked grocery shopping. I didn't like it because I was disorganized, unprepared, and usually hungry when I went, which always resulted in a overflowing shopping cart full of random impulse buys that would ring up to a doozy of a shopping bill but, strangely, hardly any real meals for dinner.
   Friends, I thank God above for His Holy Spirit who empowers me to make changes for the better.
My past two shopping trips have been orchestrated around a precise shopping list filled with fresh produce and healthy meals. The totals for these trips are still roughly the same as before hand, but I now come home with a full weeks worth of dinners and snacks and lunches. Where does the work of the Lord come in to play? I eat these healthy, vegeable-laden meals. I don't know how He did it, but the good Lord has matured my taste buds to allow me to eat vegetables that, previous to two weeks ago, would cause me to literally gag.
   Even typing this, I feel kinda silly for praising God for fixing my food preferences. But to anyone who knows me (even more so, who raised me), knows that this is a big deal. (While we're on the subject, sorry about throwing up sweet potatoes on your shoes back in the day, Dad.)
  Now, I shall devote a small space of blog to praise my son.
Noah told me mid-shopping trip that he had to poo-poo in the potty. We scurried through Walmart and dove into the largest available stall, wherein Noah tee-teed on the potty like a big boy! HOLY MOLY!!  That was a glorious first that I have been anticipating for months. I'm not going to say "I think he's finally gotten it", because every time I say that, Noah takes a step or two backwards and I end up eating my words. I was so excited about Noah's achievement, I told the first cashier I passed on the way out of the bathroom about what happened. She didn't seemed as impressed with Noah's accomplishment as I was. Oh well. Good job, Noah!
  Be blessed today, readers! And go eat a delicious hot do or sausage at The Stand. It's prefect hot dog weather.