What's Up Wednesday: June Edition

I took a two month hiatus, but I'm back this month a little What's Up Wednesday action. I'm technically a week early because the linkup is supposed to go up on the last Wednesday of the month ... but we have BUSY weekend, and busy week with the soon to be three year old and the Fourth of July (shewweeee) so I thought I'd stop on over today and post a bit early. As a reminder, I (try) check-in at the end of every month and let you know what's happening around this place. So here's What's Up Wednesday: June Edition where I cover these topics.

What I'm reminiscing about ... Hate to start out somber ... but I'm reminiscing A LOT about my grandmother. We received some unfortunate news about her health this week and it has me walking down memory lane on an hourly basis. If you recall, our sweet little Lainey is named after my grandmother, Elaine. They got to meet this year and it was the happiest of times. I've told you before, but I could get lost in my "I love my grandma tangents" for a long time. But for now I'm reminiscing about watching 'Lady and The Tramp' on her living room floor with a perfectly arranged picnic she made just for me. Or baking with her in my parent's kitchen when she would come to stay with us while my parents went out of town. And thinking of how she kept loom rings tied together hanging from her rear view mirror for nearly 20 years because it was a gift I made her in the second grade. She is a special lady and I love her with my whole heart.

What I'm loving ... life. Regular ole' grocery shopping, calling the dentist for an appoinment, changing diapers, swim lessons, eating too much food with friends, waking up early to feed the littles ... life. I had to take a brief two month hiatus a bit from that too and boy does it feel good to be back!

What we've been up to ... Life! Ha. Ironic I know. But the moment we were able to jump back in, boy did we ever. From weddings, to gals nights, the family nights, zoo visits with friends, dressing like your best friend (ahem Shane and Kevin), laughing with our friends, letting Bennett have the candy because it's summer, laughing with our kids. We're making it happen and trying our dangdest to make the most of summer. And this week we've been planning a little man's third birthday (I swear only yesterday we were celebrating his first birthday)!

What I'm dreading ... the heat. It is SO HOT in Nashville ya'll. I realize it's way hotter on the west coast, but man you walk outside and practically melt! I could use a little cool down for a few days.

What I'm working on ... Baptism + Birthday. The two B's for the weekend! Party planning mode in full effect begins tomorrow. Watch out people, I'm a lady on a mission.

What I'm excited about ... The party of course! We've had a lot of knocks lately and I'm excited to have people come to our house for something to celebrate! Plus Bennett is so excited and keeps talking about "his birfday party when he is free (three)" and I can't wait to see him when everything is all set up. And some birthday presents have already started arriving in the mail and if it's any indication of how he will react to his present's I'm excited. Plus little Lainey in her baptismal gown, eeeks! All the cuteness.

What I'm watching/reading ... My bible study group starts up tomorrow night and we are reading Love Does this month. I also had two new daily devotional books shipped my way, and I still haven't made my way all the way through The Nest yet. So much reading, so little time :)

What I'm listening to ... The Three Little Pigs (insert chuckle and eye roll). Bennett has halfway moved on from his love for Humpty Dumpty and is settling into a nice Three Little Pigs obsession. His GoGo (my mom) sent him an early birthday gift with a plush set of the three little pigs, the big bad wolf, and all of their houses ... complete with picture storybook and CD-Rom (that sounds so 90's) of the book on tape. The other day I was bribing him to do something and promised to take the CD with us to swim lessons and he could listen to it the whole way there. Big mistake. Huge. It is now on repeat SO often in the car I might actually cry if I have to hear the little pigs again. But on the flipside is equally adorable and it could be terrible rap music that I'll probably have to suffer through in 10 years ... so I'm going to let this one be. For a little bit anyway.

What I'm wearing ... Yoga pants and maxi skirts. I'm still covering up my leg for the most part and am rocking a compression sock ... so the length keeps things under wraps (literally) ha!

What I'm doing this weekend ... We've got Bennett's buddies birthday party Friday. Saturday we're doing some more party prep of our own. Saturday night a lot of our guests will be arriving into town. And Sunday we wake up bright and early for the baptism and come home to celebrate the little man!

What I'm looking forward to next month ... Nothing, and I love it! We've had A LOT going on ya'll. And really we need to settle a little bit. We need to focus back into our little nucleus and get back on track. Life is moving at a fast pace and we need to embrace it and just let things be for a little. It's time to play. Time to enjoy summer. Time to enjoy our kids and this season of life.

What else is new ... we celebrated an abbreviated Father's Day this weekend, and the kids gifted Shane with a new tent, sleeping bags and lantern. They mentioned something about daddy taking them camping in the back yard?! I can't wait to see how this one plays out next month. I promise to share extra coverage on that story. Wink wink!

Dad

Dad. Three little letters that mean so much. Three letters that are the essence of the most amazing men in my life. 

First, there is my own father. I once called him daddy, and when I'm feeling nostalgic I still do on occasion. But for many years, he's just been dad. A name that he has more than earned and means so much. He's a heck of a guy y'all. 

A man that believed in me. A man that taught me the importance of self reliance, the value in remaining true to your own character, the fun in being able to not take life so seriously, and living proof that hard work pays off. He's also the man that lives and breathes we should help others when we are able. And the man that always knew how to make me feel special, and showed me that just because everyone holds hands this way doesn't mean we have to. So we made sure to make our own hand holding way, that only we knew about. Little things like that are his jam. Making ordinary life not ordinary at all. But extra special all its own.

He was and still is the foundation that I stand upon today. He did not live my life for me nor did he tell me how to live (although I think he wished he could have) but rather he has lived his life and let me watch him do it. He's offered to bring me alongside and learn from his mistakes, being completely transparent in every one. He's shown me his successes and wanted me there to celebrate them with him. He's allowed me to attend functions that likely should have been "parents only" because he wanted me to see it with my own eyes. He's enabled me to take chances, even if they were wrong, in effort to be able to discuss them with him later. He's done it on his own and has allowed me to bear witness to his story. It wasn't until I became a parent that I realized how much I valued this "type" of parenting. 

In today's society there is so much to get hung up on. So many comparisons and methods, tons of do this and don't do that. But he stayed true to his roots, dug his feet firmly in the ground, persevered, and offered his family a first class seat every step of the way. He's done a hell of a job and I'm proud to call him my dad. 

I couldn't be more thankful my children have been blessed with time to get to know him and learn from him as well. They're relationship blossoms everyday with their PaPaw. He is patient and kind with them. He takes the time to teach them how and show them why. And once again, he includes them in his life and strives to make memories that will last a lifetime. Truthfully, he's the best. He's my dad. And I'm a lucky gal. 

Years after I promised my dad I would never grow up and he would always be my boyfriend, I met my forever boyfriend. And my dad agreed he was a good choice :)

Several years after he became my boyfriend, we entered into this thing we call parenthood together and I watched him become a dad. It made me fall in love with him even more. 

He loves these kids y'all. He is devoted to family and puts them at the forefront of everything he does. He puts things aside he would sometimes rather do to have an extra dance party with Bennett or to sing a song to Lainey Lou. 

He's the best bath giver in all the world, and nighttime is his jam. He reads to Bennett every night and their imaginations and laughter run wild. He takes the time to help Bennett understand and has patience beyond my wildest dreams. He is smitten over his baby girl and their bond is so special. 

Somehow everyday he makes me fall in love with him even more just by being their daddy. And I tell him all the time we totally got the husband/daddy jackpot combo. We love you Shane. You are the glue to our craft project, the music to our dance parties, the apple juice in our sippy cup, the bandaids to our boo boos, and the good mornings and good nights to everyday. We're so lucky to have you!

And my Heavenly Father. The man that gave the ultimate sacrifice, his own son, for all of us. The one that has walked the roads before me to let me know he is there and I am not alone. The man that told me to have faith while we walked the scariest road over the last few months and proved he was right alongside. The reason I have two amazing dads to say so much about today. He gave each of them to me to show me he loves me. And today, I want to remind him I love him right back! Forever and always. 

Happy Father's Day! 

School's Out For Summa

That's a wrap folks! School is officially out of the summer! I woke up yesterday and cried I was sending him to his first day of school, and woke up today and it's over. There were alot of days in between said "yesterday" and "today" but that's neither here nor there.

Here was the little mister on his first day.

And here he is at the end of the year, on his last day!

His hair is a little longer, his face is a little more mature, he is certainly taller, and his love for nursery rhymes has grown exponentially. Bennett had a great year!

And here are a few scenes from the end of the year family picnic. Obviously I'm a little behind on this recap (the date on his sign is a major #busted moment)!

 Three little dads, all in a row.

 The best of buds. Left to right, Brooks, Bennett and Jack.

 Snow cone time!

 Mrs. Tracy and the boys!

 Suns out, guns out.

 And that's a wrap! See you next year!

Remember to Keep it Fresh

I mentioned last week that hubs and I spent some time away and it was a good reminder to stay fresh. And staying fresh is refreshing ya'll. It's easy to get wrapped up in the motherhood thing. Easy to wear the same outfit 54 days in a row and not think a thing about it because it's practical and it makes sense. And don't get me wrong, I love it. I'm proud of it. And more than anything I'm genuinely happy and feel beyond lucky to do it. But danngggg does it also feel good to get dressed up, walk out of the house without a bag the size of Texas complete with sippy cups and diapers and simply head off with your hubs and talk about things other than Blaze and The Monster Machines or The Three Little Pigs sometimes. And we've had back to back weekends of adult time and it's been a great breath of fresh air.

Memorial Day weekend was a whirlwind with 101 things happening nonstop. Starting with item numero uno to keep it fresh. A newwwww carrrrr (say it like the Price's Right guy ... it's a lot cooler). Haha but really, post surgery I wasn't able to climb up in my SUV and easily swing Lainey's carseat in and out like I used to be able to. So, we traded in little miss Lucy and went for a more middle sized SUV that is lower to the ground and has easier access to the kiddos thanks to captain's chairs. Out with the old and in with the new!

After we changed out all of our goodies from one car to the next and said a proper farewell to the car that safely brought home both of our babies from the hospital (why am I such a sap and think about things like this? Am I alone in that weirdness?) we headed for a quick wardrobe change to see our
sweet niece, Tatum, graduate from high school! It seems like just yesterday she was standing next to me as a junior bridesmaid and now she's all grown up (that's her in the white)!

We went to dinner with the family while my girlfriends kept the kiddos (shout out to Wads and Jess for coming through in a pinch!) and celebrated Tatum. This girl ya'll has impressed me so much.

These littles celebrated her all day at her party and are the cutest cousins around! The day after her graduation party she packed up her things and boarded a plane to head to Ghana, Africa and work on a mission trip to spread the word of Jesus to people in the villages. And when she gets home she's heading to my alma mater, The University of Kentucky, and headed to fall recruitment. So proud of her!

After graduation fun, it was time to celebrate one of my college roomies at #OneKulWedding :) and watch her be the prettiest bride of all in Bardstown, KY. Luckily for us Shane's Dad, Grandpa, and his girlfriend, Susan, live in Bardstown so we doubled the wedding with a grandparent visit and had built in babysitters, WAHOO!

After we got all dolled up, and took a picture with the littles to prove it. We headed out to meet the gals. Ya'll I've said it before and I'll say it again ... these girls. They get me. Real, good Friends are hard to find and I am so lucky to have found so many in my journey. They each mean so very much to me and I'm so fortunate to have them. And my hubs too :)

 There's a few of us missing. But that's a solid crew right there.

 Ekkk! And there she is!

And then after we danced our hearts out all night long, I had a happy heart for both myself and this pretty bride. Outdoor weddings have my heart, so to me there is nothing that could have been better. It was perfect Sara and so were you!

After our whirlwind weekend we had quick stop to the James Brown Cancer Center in Louisville for a second opinion about this health nonsense and then dropped off the kiddos and headed back down south. We had a quick day in Nashville and then hit the road for Hilton Head Island for #KustesIslandIDo and a short beach trip with Shane's buddies and a lot of our college pals. Shane just couldn't believe it!

 For the record, I am HORRIBLE at road tripping. And add a bum leg that has to be elevated and having to stop more than we normally would and we were nervous about the travel. BUT, I think I did pretty good and if I dare say Shane may agree? My snapchat story was pretty comical...or to me at least :)

 My handsome groomsman at the beach wedding.

And here's my wedding date, Kelly, since our hubbies were at the beach altar.

 Back to my real wedding date.

 And these guys.

 And the most perfect roomies for the entire weekend. Regardless of how bum mine and Buddy's legs were. We rock compression socks :).

It was awesome to see everyone again, and to say we had fun was an understatement. But once we got home and our littles were asleep in the car on the ride home, I was so thankful for the time away ... but loved having my babies back with me. 

The kiddos keep me fresh too :)