A "brief tail"

We are in the midst of potty training Bo again . . . don't judge . . . he has had some physical issues that made it very hard to train him and now that we are getting better control of those things, we have raised our expectations for him. He is still so very uninterested, dare I say, annoyed by all things toilet. Needless to say, we have gone through numerous pairs of underwear . . . in fact, today we ran out. So I borrowed some of Tru's. And while Josh, Caroline, Tru and I were playing a game of Sorry, Bo ran by in the loaner pair. Tru paused from his turn, looked at us and said in all seriousness, "I really hope Bo doesn't pee in my briefs!"

It took us a minute to recover. I love the unintended funnies that come out of their mouths!

Recap and Blues

I am such a big event person . . . I LOVE the preparations, the decorations, the songs, the food, the smells and the feeling of Christmas!! Consequently, however, I am SOOOOO sad to go to bed Christmas night and December 26th is one of my least favorite days. Today, Caroline and I went to Target and it was such a let down . . . no hustle and bustle; it was pretty empty and everything Christmas was on major markdown. <SIGH>

On a positive note, we had a WONDERFUL Christmas! Our kids are at magical ages and it makes Christmas so fun. This was a very different Christmas for our family, though. Last year, Caroline said that she really wanted to wake up in her own bed on Christmas. Up until our wedding, my parents and I went to my Granny and Pop's house for Christmas and after Josh and I got married, we alternated between Granny's and his family in Georgia. I had never been at my house on Christmas morning. Josh and I never minded the travel, but agreed that as soon as one of our kids expressed a desire to stay home, we would start some new traditions.  As special and fun as it was to make new memories, it was also very bittersweet. Our first Christmas without Granny was very sad at times, but Granny would have been so ticked if we had let that feeling dominate the occasion, so in her honor, we partied!

We started Christmas eve with donuts and then my mom, my Aunt Cindy, Caroline, and I went to get pedicures. That is a new tradition I think we should keep ;).  In between the donuts and pedicure, I decided to attempt some Georgia Christmas dishes to add to our feast. I wanted Josh to feel as if it was truly a merging of traditions. Somehow we got it all done in time to go to the 4:30 Christmas Eve service at church and then went to my parents house to eat with them and my aunt and uncle and cousin who came from Texas. We stuffed ourselves full of yummy goodness (I even managed to pull off the Bass dressing, dirty rice, and banana pudding!) and rolled ourselves into the living room to open presents. . . Do you think our kids were excited?!

Our kids were blessed with many wonderful presents and managed to seem truly grateful! Each year, my mom gets the kids a set of matching pajamas. After all the other presents were opened, they donned their pj's and we headed home to open our little family's gifts and get ready for Santa! (Well, technically, we reopened them since Bo had opened them all while Josh was in the shower and we were getting our toenails all gussied up!)

 It was a very Kindle Christmas around here . . . Josh, my dad, my Uncle Terry, and cousin Rory all got one!

We believe that Santa needs a little caffeine along the way . . . maybe it's because half of us are lactose intolerant, but Diet Coke seems like a better gift for the big guy than ANOTHER glass of milk!

 Christmas morning was spectacular . . . the kids managed to wait until 7:30 to get up....we had a gate at the bottom of the stairs and blankets covering the rails so they couldn't peek. It was great fun to watch them revel in their gifts and express true joy and glee!! We played with the new toys for a while and around 10:30 my parents and aunt, uncle, and cousin came over for brunch and stockings. I loved hosting the morning . . . it was great to let the kids play and enjoy their gifts with no rush to be anywhere. I incorporated another of Josh's Christmas memories into the morning and we had breakfast casserole, Monkey bread, grits, and lots of laughs.

 Looks like Santa enjoyed the diet coke ;)

Anxiously waiting at the bottom of the stairs

.... and they're off!

 Sascha's indoor slide

 Bo's Buzz Lightyear Spaceship

 Caroline's Ipod Touch

 Tru's Indiana Jones Legos

 Wings with a ball gun

 Tru found Tate's GINORMOUS bone

 she loved sliding

 my cousin Rory with the kids (he was so sweet with them!)

 you spell their names T-R-O-U-B-L-E

 Sascha's favorite stocking stuffer was the whoopie cushion . . . she thinks it is hilarious!

 Caroline, Cindy, Terry, and Rory

I must admit that change and I are usually not friends . . . I loooove tradition. But this year required new traditions be started. It was not as hard as I expected, but I missed the smell of Granny's house and the familiar routine from 33 years of Christmas done the same way. It made it easier to dive into this new normal because there were 4 sweet kids to focus on. I also knew the best way to honor Granny was to enjoy the holiday that she always worked so hard to make special. She was there in spirit, but even more cool than that . . . she was actually celebrating the birth of Jesus with Jesus. My grandfather died my senior year of high school and for the last 15 years, I have left a Christmas card for him at his grave. Granny kept them all and, in a Providential decision, gave them to me last Christmas. This year, I was at a loss. I wouldn't be going to Pop's grave this year. And Granny couldn't collect his card. It was one of the more emotional realizations of the season for me. Then I had this idea and decided to send Pop and Granny a card together . . . 

There were definitely moments of sadness this season, but there were so many more joyful ones. And God has been so good to overwhelm me with hope recently . . . just like the angel told Mary, "Nothing is impossible with God!"

I hope that your Christmas was as warm and wonderful as ours!

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas from the Bass Family

We hope the holiday season finds you well! I know I skimped on the Christmas letter last year . . . sorry! There has been much to reflect on this year and so I am glad to sit down and try to recapture it. First of all, I have to say the theme of this year would have to be God’s grace. We have seen FIRSTHAND that it is sufficient each day, each hour, and even each minute. 2010 has been difficult but God was still good in spite of the hard times. And there were definitely some wonderful times as well. 

Very early in the year, we found out that my dad had prostate cancer. And while we all knew that it was one of the better cancers to have, that didn’t really take away from the stress and sadness and fear that we experienced. (FYI, the kids were just told that Papa was sick, not that he had cancer because that is an even scarier word for little people.) The Lord was so good to my dad and our family.  Based on the initial tests, it looked small and contained and not as aggressive as it could have been. Through much prayer and much research, my dad decided to go ahead and have a prostatectomy in March. This allowed more treatment options to be available for him in the future if needed. God’s hand was obviously in that decision because once the prostate was removed they found not only was it more aggressive than originally believed, it was also in all four quadrants and outside of the prostate. He recovered well from surgery and has had an amazing attitude throughout the entire process. He kept saying he just didn’t want to miss God and what He had for him during this experience. We were all touched by the way people reached out to us and by God’s grace throughout the time. His most recent lab’s indicate that he is cancer free!

No sooner had we all began breathing regularly again from that, my Granny died. Granny was an amazing grandmother, but she was an even more amazing friend and woman. My kids adored her and she them.  I miss her daily and feel at times I am still reeling from the sudden loss. She was the most independent woman I have ever known and the Lord was kind to her and allowed her to go fast. She had a massive heart attack on May 2nd (poor Josh’s birthday)and never recovered. Mom and Dad and I were able to be with her as she passed and it is a memory I will cherish forever. To be able to hold her hand and thank her for her life and love as she entered the presence of Jesus was precious. So much of who I am is because of her. I cannot wait to see her in heaven. How blessed we are to have hope that there is more than just this life. It has been hard and painfully wonderful to see my mom handle her death and her estate with grace and tears and honor. We have been able to share some sweet times laughing and crying together.

That week could also be called one of the least favorite weeks of Josh’s life. He and Granny had a special bond and to lose her was very hard for him, too. He came back from the funeral and within 2 days found out that he no longer had a job. Pharmaceuticals is a great job, but there is NO loyalty. I won’t pretend that it was easy. I was (probably safe to say we were) almost afraid to ask what else could happen. Granny and Josh’s job in one week so soon after Dad’s cancer sounded like too much, but again, God’s grace was all over us and we were able to tearfully, prayerfully, and tentatively put one foot in front of the other. We saw how He had already provided for us and chose to believe He would keep His word of not giving us more than we could handle and never leaving or forsaking us. Earlier this year, Josh and a friend, Marty, had decided to start a side business selling ice houses (similar to the ones we own in Pine Bluff). Because of that decision and Josh’s faithfulness towards saving, we were able to have income while he looked for steady work. It was our manna, and the unusual ice house sales rush ended about the same time Josh began working as a physician recruiter for UAMS. 

There are blessings to being unemployed/self-employed . . . we were able to travel over the summer without worrying about vacation days! We went to Disney World with my parents and had a blast. The kids were AMAZING and we were able to have a time of laughter after a very tearful season. We got to spend a week at the beach with Josh’s family and made a lot of memories playing games and laughing. We took a little road trip to Kansas City to see the Clarks and loved every minute with them.

I don’t recount these experiences for you all so you can feel sorry for us or to complain. Rather, I do it because God has been so good to us in a year that felt so awful. 2010 was a year where we had to cling to Him for daily sustenance. Those kinds of years, while not fun, are always precious. 

Here are some quick individual updates . . . 

Caroline is 8 and still a sweet, sweet girl. She is in 3rd grade and loves her class! Caroline is dancing with a Musical Theatre Dance Team and starts competitions in January. She loves it and seems to be somewhat of a natural at performing! When she isn’t dancing, she is reading! (I LOVE that!)

Tru is 6 and in 1st grade. Tru also loves to read . . . he has been particularly interested in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and the Captain Underpants series. He has a great belly laugh and those books really crack him up. Tru played football again this year. I am fairly certain he will not be in the NFL, but he had a great time pretending to be a bobble head on the field and eating snacks after the games!

Bo is 4. Bo is fun and sweet, but he can be hard. He is 100% committed to whatever he is doing . . . if it is cuddling, no one can cuddle better . . . if it is throwing a fit, no one can do that better either! Bo had several months of speech therapy due to a physical issue in his palate. He loved it and tested out 6 months earlier than expected! Bo really loved having something that was just his and did not like anyone but me going in to therapy or talking to his Miss Yauren (Lauren). She, of course, adored him, too!

Sascha Jane. Oh my. She is 2 and BOY IS SHE 2! And fun. And sweet. And the current focus of most everyone’s attention! Sascha has a great sense of humor and great comic timing. She loves to talk and color on ANYTHING (including the walls and herself). We all adore her and are enjoying watching her become her own little person!! (Oh, and I LOVE that she is still a mommy’s girl!)

Josh is doing a great job as a physician recruiter. He is selling ice houses with Marty. He is teaching some 3rd grade boys Sunday School and was Tru’s football coach this year. He still loves to run.

I am teaching some 3rd grade girls Sunday School and trying to be involved in the kids’ school. I am involved in the most amazing, life changing Bible Study I have ever done and am eternally grateful to our babysitter, Abby, for my weekly “Rachel-time”! If there is time after all of that, I still like to run too!

We truly do wish you a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank you for being in our lives!

I am a BIG, FAT CHICKEN!!

It's true. The title is not just a ploy to draw in my readers. I am a big, fat chicken. And my big, fat chickenness is on display because I am an even bigger, fatter, idiot. A couple of months ago I decided to go for a run . . . while pushing the stroller . . . and wearing my Sketcher Shape-Ups . . . in our hilly neighborhood. Well, my hip has never been the same and after an x-ray and painful exam, my doctor ordered an MRI to see if I tore anything.

Fact: I am EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY CLAUSTROPHOBIC.

Fact: An MRI of the hip requires a FULL BODY MRI for 45 MINUTES!

Fact: I am already sweating.

There is an open MRI clinic close by and they may be comparable price wise. Apparently we have pretty lousy insurance that doesn't pay as much as it should. And get this . . .  Josh works for A HOSPITAL . . . a hospital that is sending me to another hospital to have this done. Does that seem weird to anyone else? 

Anyway . . . your prayers for the people who have to deal with me next week will be much appreciated. I am sure I will scar them and annoy them. (Just ask my dentist . . . I don't handle people leaning over me and messing around with my mouth well either.)

In my defense, I have birthed 4 children with much bravado. And I had a colonoscopy without ANY sedation or medication. I know every twist and turn of my intestines. So I am not a total wuss. My pride just thought you should know that.

Happy Birthday, Granny

Today is my Granny's birthday . . . it is the first one she is celebrating in heaven and the first one we are experiencing without her. In light of the recent Thanksgiving holiday and how much I am missing her, I thought I would dedicate this post to her. I am so thankful for the 33 1/2 years I got to spend with her, though I would have relished 33 more.  She taught me so much and loved me even more. Granny was someone who got it . . . she knew that real wealth was found when you invest in people. And she gave away herself and her money and her time and her love. I am a richer person for it. Granny was fun, too. She loved a good joke and a good laugh. I am so thankful that she had a relationship with Caroline, Tru, Bo, and Sascha. They all adored her and she showered them with love and affection. They brought each other a lot of joy and the four of them cracked her up. There have been countless times since her death in May that I have wanted to call her to tell a story on one of them. There is a longing for eternity in all of us and I am so thankful that this life is not all there is. I cannot wait to see her again and hug her neck in a place where we will never again have to say goodbye. Happy Birthday, Granny. We miss you so much. Thanks for your love and legacy. We are better for having had you in our lives. I love you.

I've heard it said 

That people come into our lives for a reason

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow 

If we let them

And we help them in return

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you:

It well may be

That we will never meet again

In this lifetime

So let me say before we part

So much of me

Is made of what I learned from you

You'll be with me

Like a handprint on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have re-written mine

By being my friend:

Like a ship blown from its mooring

By a wind off the sea

Like a seed dropped by a skybird

In a distant wood

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

But because I knew you:

I have been changed for good

(From Wicked)

He said, she said

Bo and Sascha are both at great ages where they say things that are almost right and way to cute to correct! Here are a few of my favorites (and their translations) . . .

Bo:
"Will you buckle me off?" (Will you unbuckle my carseat?)
"Can I to have a purple towel?" (I need a paper towel.)
"Can I to hold you?" (Will you hold me?)
"Yook, Caroyline, that you school bus!" (For EVERY bus we see!)
"Hi, Mommy! I had a good nap!" (This is what he says when he wakes up....even in the morning.)

Sascha:
"That you rink?" (Is that your drink?)
"Dat our Tardet! YAY! Our Tardet!" (Is that our Target? YAY! Our Target!)
"Pubup" (Pull up)
"Oh, my piddy!" (Oh, a hair bow, known as a pretty around our house.)
"Fire ***k" (Fire truck . . . yes, we now call them fire engines and so sorry for those in Chik-Fil-A who were unable to translate . . . the little boys name is Tucker, despite what it sounded like she called him!)

They are not easy kids by ANY stretch of the imagination . . . 

but they are easy to love and so dadgum cute and cuddly! 

I couldn't have put it better

This morning Tru had what is known around our house as a "Truism". His sweet little face tilted sideways and he said in an angelic voice, "Mommy?" (Yes, baby?) "Mommy, you are the nose of our family and we are the boogers that came out of you." Then he died laughing and ran off.

Yes. They are all little boogers. But they are my boogers and I love them dearly and I wouldn't have picked any other ones. (I couldn't resist.)

Wicked Awesome

This is Caroline with the Wizard . . . you know, the wonderful one . . . behind the curtain . . . in the Emerald City.

Last night, Josh and I got to take Caroline to see Wicked. Wow. It was AMAZING!! From the moment the curtain went up until it went down, we were all captivated.

Caroline is on a musical theatre dance team and often lives her life as if it is a musical, singing her answers and dancing around our house. So last year when we were offered the chance to go to a brunch promoting Wicked's run in Little Rock, I did not think twice about checking that girl out of school and enjoying some muffins and songs. She was hooked and spent the next several months asking when tickets went on sale.

There are times in life when the actual event does not meet your expectations and anticipation, but this was not one of them. It is an amazing story with a beautiful and important message coupled with songs you wish you had a Broadway voice to sing, lots of humor, and clever details. When we got out to the car, Josh was marking his play bill up with all of the songs he wanted to download . . . I think I will just buy the soundtrack because I am not fancy and technological. Plus, the Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast) has Kristen Chenoweth on it and I ADORE her!!

Have you ever been somewhere like that and been equally annoyed and charmed by someone sitting in front of you? There was a couple in front of us who were probably in their 50's. He was SO TALL (annoyance #1, although I know he couldn't help it) and she was so small. When he looked straight ahead, I could see just fine. But when he turned his head sideways, the angle didn't work for me. After intermission, he could not quit staring at his date (I have no idea if they were married or not). He would stare and stare at her watching the musical (annoyance #2, but also SO sweet). One of the last songs is called "For Good" where Elphaba (aka, Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda sing a sweet tribute to their unexpected friendship and how they have been changed for good by each other. I was distracted, however, by this couple in front of me who stared into each other's eyes throughout the entire song and then, dramatically toward the end put their heads together. It was sweet, a little private, and a little annoying because I couldn't see Elphaba and Glinda singing to each other. But what a great thing to be distracted by because they seemed to have such a sweet, tender adoration for each other.

And, as if Caroline needed more sass, she picked up a new move, which I have to say, she is quite good at. I present to you . . . the hair flip . . .

To infinity and beyond!

Sascha and Bo felt that one viewing of Toy Story 3 just wasn't enough, so I declared Tuesday night to be "Toy Story" night . . . we ate Woody's Cowboy Chili (ok, it was just chili, but I had to theme it), Toy Story Mac-n-Cheese, and ate cookies shaped like Buzz, Lotso, and Woody's boot. The kids spread a blanket out on the family room floor and we turned off all the lights and watched the movie while we ate. I cried like a big baby at the end of it and honestly found myself wondering if Bonnie would keep the gang together as long as Andy had and hoped he had made her promise (off "camera") that she would never split them up. Really?!

It was a great night . . . one of those I dreamed of having with my little family when I was pregnant with Caroline and one I know I will remember for a long time.

Here is a picture of my pitiful, but homemade, cookies and our themed mac-n-cheese.

I love it when a plan comes together

Today is Tuesday and I normally have a sitter (a WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD WHO I WOULD PAY TWICE WHAT I PAY HER FOR WHAT SHE HAS DONE FOR MY SANITY) but we switched to Thursday this week. Sadly, despite my best Maytag Repairman by Internet efforts, I was unable to revive our cheap washing machine. I learned many things yesterday.....(1) always, always, always have a bowl (or something) under the drain when you remove it from the back of the washing machine or you will be running around like a crazy person trying to catch the water before it runs back into the garage (2) always unplug the machine before working on it (water+electricity=DANGER) . . . thankfully I learned that by reading, not experiencing and (3) the only thing worse than manually draining the washing machine cup by cup, bucket by bucket is doing it a second time because you thought you had fixed it and were wrong and had to use up what few towels and sheets you had left to clean up the water after you forgot you had started the machine you thought you fixed back up. SIGH.

Anyway, that was Monday and I was telling you about today. Today, I needed to buy a new washing machine and visit the laundromat so I didn't wear my new machine out by doing 52 loads on the first day. Bo and Sascha and I started our errands at Target to purchase, among many things, TOY STORY 3, because we are big fans of Buzz, Woody, and "Zessie". By the end of our short time in Target, I was considering taking up all manner of vices to cope with our 30 minute shopping extravaganza and I know that almost everyone in the store was glad to see us go. And though most of what I purchased could have waited until Thursday, there was a method to my madness. I needed to work on my Bible Study and entertain 2 young, active, precious goblins while the laundromat worked its super extra large magic on my laundry. Praise the Lord the giant wash (and I mean GIANT) and 2 huge dryers took exactly the same amount of time that it took Buzz and Woody and the gang to go from Andy's room to the daycare to the incinerator back to Andy's room and then to the sweet little girl's house. And who knew, but  today ALL the dryers were free and automatically ran for 35 minutes. Yesterday, I spent a small fortune in change and found myself running back and forth from my car to the dryers as I incrementally increased the drying time in 7 minute segments. Yay for small favors because, much to my dismay, NONE of the washing machines were free at Sears.

Now it is time to make chili and celebrate the first truly cold day of the season. And probably time to let the kids in before they freeze.

New Math

Here is a word problem I got to solve today . . .
Q: There are 15 cups in one bucket and 8 buckets in one what?
A: One really stupid washing machine.

Last year our washing machine broke and we went to Home Depot to buy a new one. We sort of agreed on one (I wanted nicer, Josh wanted cheaper). Reluctantly, we ordered it and waited amongst piles of dirty laundry for the new machine to arrive. We waited and we waited and when Josh called to see where they were, OOPS, they forgot to order it and it would be at least another week.

Here is some more math for you, how many loads of laundry do 6 people go through in a week? Too much to wait for a machine I wasn't excited about anyway. So we told them to forget it and we would go somewhere else. Miraculously, when it looked like they had lost our business, there were a few machines in stock at the very store we were in--not our exact washer, though, a slightly more expensive one! Desperate to start washing clothes again (now there's a phrase I never thought I would type), I agreed to the one they had even though it wasn't a brand I liked. They could get it to us soon. They were sooo sorry. I am a sucker.

They brought us our new and improved machine and then had to load it back on to the truck because it was damaged. They went back to the store and got another new and improved machine (why did I ignore all the omens?!). Now here we are, 13 months later, 1 month past our warranty, solving math problems in the laundry room while wearing rain boots and sopping up water that somehow made it all the way to the garage.

Here is my next math problem . . . how too work a new washing machine into our budget the month before Christmas!

Because you can't make this up . . .

Today, Tru received the Character Kids Award. Every month, there is a character trait that the school emphasizes and then at the end of the month, 2 kids are chosen from each class who best exemplify the trait. This month, Ms. Cunningham chose Tru as the class ambassador of . . . (dramatic pause) . . . RESPONSIBILITY. (If you know Tru well, please feel free to stop reading, laugh as hard and as long as you need to, and then return to the blog. We did.) This morning as I drove Mr. Responsibility to school, he had a hysterical meltdown as we pulled into the parking lot because he did not have his backpack. This oversight occurred because he was running late this morning and had to put on his socks and shoes in the car. He was running late this morning because he forgot to do some of his homework and was quickly trying to finish as he ate his breakfast. Can I just say that if he is one of the two most responsible students in his 1st grade class, I do not spend enough time praying for dear, sweet Ms. Cunningham.

Introducing the Bass family . . .

I love taking pictures and I love writing . . . somehow these two passions have never combined into blogging or scrapbooking. Today, however, I have "wasted" most of the day determined to create a cute blog so our friends and family can keep up with us and so that there is some record of my kids' lives. Because I am tired of feeling like a neglectful mother (and really more because I need to go get ready for a little GNO), I will only take a few more minutes on this machine to introduce you to the Bass family.

This is Caroline. She is 8 1/2 going on 16. Usually she is the ideal child . . . sweet, responsible, helpful, caring towards her siblings, but oh my, sometimes I FEAR her teen years because the girl can give some sass. Caroline is in 3rd grade and loooooooooooves to read. She just started The Babysitters Club which makes my heart so happy because I read them way back in the day and I cannot wait to dish with her over Claudia and Stacy and Kristy and Mary Ann and Dawn and Mary Ann's boyfriend Logan and whether or not she would want 8 kids like the Pike family (am I still typing about the BSC?!). Love her. She is a precious, tenderhearted daughter.

This is Tru (on the right, that's Uncle Ben eating the ice cream on the left). Tru is 6 1/2 and is so sweet and sensitive and smart. Really he is. He is also forgetful and can tune out everyone when he wants too! He loves to read, too, and will belly laugh out loud while he is reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Tru is in 1st grade and is such a little lover. He loves to snuggle and cuddle.

This is Bo . . . the 4 year old who loves motion and may be physically incapable of looking at the camera while smiling. This is him saying "samile" (smile). Bozer Dozer is very sweet and very determined to do whatever Bo is determined to do. (I wish I could say I could always steer that in a direction of my choosing). He is a BIG fan of Buzz Lightyear (see above photo). Bo keeps our parenting fresh. Caroline and Tru required a completely different style of child rearing (like almost none at all), Bo and Sascha . . . well, they require a more hands on style. He is absolutely edible, though. God knows to make those more challenging kids cute and kissable so we get distracted, right?

And this is Sascha. The 2 year old princess. Many people have said, "Oh I bet as #4 she just blends right in . . . " HA! Sascha wants to make sure we don't forget she is here! In fact, if ever she is not demanding your attention or help and it is quiet, be VERY AFRAID. That's how your entire house becomes a canvas for her art. That's when she locks all the keys in the car. Those are the times she sneaks out to the backyard and sends everyone into a full blown panic looking for her. Oh, but don't you worry, because she is a mama's girl and there is little in the world I love more than nibbling on those sweet cheeks and cherishing this last baby/toddler.

This is Tate, our puggle. I could show you his absolutely adorable, guilt inducing face, but this a much more accurate representation of him. Motion. Jumping. Crazy. We love him.

And this is Josh and I. 10 years into marriage and we haven't killed each other yet! We reached a milestone this year . . . for the first time in our married life, we've gone over 2 years without being pregnant. That may explain the chronic exhaustion we live in. I stay home; he works as a physician recruiter. We both love football and experience a real withdrawl and mild depression on Saturdays from February-August. We have to limit the tv shows we watch because we can become somewhat obsessed with the characters and the stories. We love our kids; we love each other; we are trying to soak in this chaotic and exhausting time of life.

Well, there are the boring, bare essentials of us.