Listening

He was cooking up some delicious Stone Soup and apparently all of that cooking can make a 5-year old boy tired.

Oh my sweet Ryder...how I do love you. I pray you see how proud we are of you.  I know how hard you try to please all of us...you are a lot like me.  You can think of all the crazy things to do that I used to do...and you'd think I'd be the most patient with you because of that... yet I always fall short.   No matter all of the sprite spills in the car, or dumping sprinkles all over the kitchen, or touching the buttons on the printer until it finally just quits, or jamming up the sunroof on the car...I love you more than your brother loves candy...and that is a lot of loving.

We left for soccer practice shortly after he finished making stone soup.  While riding in the car, he told me that Jesus is going to have his last Supper on Thursday.  I agreed and then he went on to explain that on Friday Jesus will die on the Cross and come back to life on Sunday.  He told me that Jesus walked through the town and everyone shouted Hosanna...then the bad guys put him on the Cross...but Jesus forgave them.  Just when I think he isn't listening...he is... and I feel so incredibly blessed. 

 I've been asking Matt these questions a lot lately:  "How do we make sure our boys make good choices?  How do we make sure they always know God?   How do we make sure they never go off and forget what is important?".    I opened up the devotional I read on my phone every morning and these words were in front of my face:

"Train children in the way they should go; when they grow old, they won’t depart from it."  - Proverbs 22:6 (CEB)

Not only is Ryder listening, God is listening too.  Just when I begin to wonder if He hears all the prayers I pray, He gives me proof. 

This is Holy week...a week of preparation and a time to rejoice in the renewal of our faith...faith in all things visible and invisible...faith in those around us...faith that we are being heard...faith that good always comes from bad...faith that there is eternal life, eternal love and eternal happiness if we open our hearts and accept it.

Sneaking

 

I asked him what he was doing...he said he was sneaking on me.  Rustin Walker...I have no words.  You are always honest.   You flash a shy smile and look up through those big brown eyes when you get caught in the act...I can't be mad.  I love you to the moon and back.

Disney Dream

Wow.  Life has a way of marching forward. February was a crazy month filled with ups and downs.  I kind of took a few steps back and did not document much about our day to day...now I'm realizing its not February...its mid-March.  Time to catch up.

In February we lost our sweet dog, I ran a marathon and the highlight of our month was a Disney Cruise.  It was nothing short of amazing.  I took lots of pictures...with my phone.  I can't believe I didn't take my camera for this big trip, but I didn't....so we'll have to bare with my grainy I-phone pictures as documentation of our super, fun time.

So here are the details.  We sailed on the Disney Dream out of Port Canaveral, Florida.  It was overcast when we got on the boat, but the sun was shining the next morning.  This picture was taken from our Balcony and that is another cruise line across the bay that was heading out as well.

Our sail was 4 days and made two stops.  From the second we embarked the ship Disney did not disappoint.  It was beautiful.  It was clean.  It was orderly and never felt over-crowded.  Since we flew to Florida, we did not have our bags with us.  This is a neat feature Disney has, whether you are traveling to the Park or going on a Disney Cruise, you can choose Disney' Magical Express for your transfer.  With this service, they take your bags from the plane an deliver them to your room and you never have to make a stop at baggage claim.    However, this can take a few hours.  Our bags didn't arrive at our room until 5 PM.  Soooo...if you're kids are busting at the seams to go swimming the minute they see a pool...pack your swimsuits in your carry-on.

We had lunch, familiarized ourselves with the boat, attended our safety meeting and toured the Oceaneer's Lab.  This is the Kid's Club that the boys virtually lived in our entire cruise.  The staff is amazing and Ryder still talks about how much he misses them! 

We found our room and were very satisfied with the size of the room! We had cruised with a different cruise line a few years back and our room wasn't nearly as large.  There was a Queen size bed and a sitting area.  The couch in the sitting area folds out into a full size bed and bunk bed folds down from above. Another neat feature is that the shower is separate from the toilet.  Doesn't sound like a lot, but when you're the only girl in the family and you have two boys ages 5 and 3...it's nice.  The boys loved the balcony and I loved it too.  It was enclosed so that I didn't worry about them falling from the balcony.  I did not bring a hairdryer and this is something I would bring when we go again.  There is a hairdryer in the room, but it is not very powerful.  All of the shampoo, conditioner and shower gels were of high quality.  I brought my own toiletries, but in hindsight I did not need to. 

We dined the first night at the Royal Palace.  When we arrived at our table the boys had plastic cups, with lids and their names written on the lid.  There are colors and coloring pages spaced out along the entire table.  The waiters are dressed like a Prince.  The menu was good for adults and kids.  Its a little loud inside the restaurant which is good...it masked any meltdowns my children had from starting our travels in Dallas at 4:30 a.m.  The other dining rooms on the boat included:  Preludes, Enchanted Garden and the Animator's Palate.  We only experienced the Enchanted Garden outside of the Royal Palace.  Our other two nights we dined at the Adult only restaurants: Remy and Palo. Both are delicious. 

Every evening there is Theatrical show.  By far my favorite was the Golden Mickey's. The Golden Mickeys is an awards show in which Disney movie Characters are nominated in several categories, including heroism and romance.   It was put on the first night of the cruise. Amazing.  Matt and I felt like we were on a date, because the boys insisted on staying at the Oceaneer's Lab instead of attending the show.

Our first port was in Nassau, Bahamas.  We debarked the boat and took a catamaran ride to Blue Lagoon Island. 

This was the view from the back of the boat.  It is about a 20 minute ride and once there you can do a Dolphin encounter, a Dolphin swim or just spend the day at the Beach.  We decided to do the Dolphin encounter.  It was definitely worth it.  The water was cold (the last week in February) and the boys didn't like water splashed in their face (by the dolphin), but everything else about the encounter was so much fun!  The dolphin, Andy, performed tons of tricks.  He splashed, he gave kisses, he let us feed him and pet his belly.  We felt his teeth and saw just how fast dolphins can swim. 

Afterwards, we let the boys play on the white sand beaches.  It was Rustin's first time to a beach and he LOVED it.

 

We got back to the boat in time to spend some time at the Mickey Pool and Handy Helper slide before dinner.  The boys went down the slide again and again and never grew tired.  Its moderate in height but the kids didn't come down real fast. There was also a splash pad for toddlers and a large slide for older kids called the Aqua-duck. 

The next morning we made our second stop at Disney's Castaway Cay Beach.  As we disembarked the boat, characters lined the boardwalk to the beach.  Have your autograph books ready!

The beach is perfect.  We didn't bring any beach toys, but there is a shop at the entrance to the Beach that had buckets, shovels, sunscreen, sunglasses, beach towels...basically everything you need for the beach.  The kids club disembarks the boat too.  They open up a secure area on the island, called Scuttles Cove, where the kids can stay if they don't want to play on the beach.  They even feed the kids lunch.  I didn't think we'd take advantage of the Scuttles Cove feature because I assumed the boys would be having too much fun on the beach.  However, they both decided to go spend an hour or so there and we were able to take a nap in a hammock.   We ended the night watching a firework show from the top deck of the boat...alone again.  The boys decided to attend Pluto's Pajama party while we watched the fireworks.  They now have Pluto Pillow cases that they sleep on every night.

The boys became very, very comfortable with the girls in the Oceaneer's Lab...the girls even made the boys honorary counselor's for the week.  Ryder was so proud of his name badge and wore it around the entire ship.  The last night of our trip, I found the Magical Moments certificate hanging from our door.  It brought tears to my eyes to realize what a magical time these boys were having on such a short trip!

Our last day was spent at Sea and there was plenty to do for the day.  Catch a Disney movie in the Buena Vista Theater, Dance with Pluto, see the Princesses, Swim, Eat...the options are endless.  The characters are out all day on the boat...Captain Mickey was a huge hit with this boy!

And after four days of non-stop fun....

...you sleep the entire flight home.  Thank you so much Disney Dream for giving my kids an amazing trip and some unforgettable memories.  We will definitely be back!

26.2- My first Marathon Story

I ran 26 miles on Sunday.  I keep repeating that to myself in my head and I can hardly believe it.  It feels like it was a dream...an out of body experience...except that my legs are a constant reminder that it really did happen. 

I ran in one of our nation's greatest cities...Austin, Texas.  The Austin Marathon did an amazing job organizing the race.  This event supports the LiveStrong organization.  LiveStrong raises funds to find means of improving the quality of life for those affected by cancer and increasing cancer survivorship.  I could not imagine a better cause to run for, and Sunday I reminded myself this every time my legs begged me to stop.

My average pace was a 9:14 minute mile and I completed the race in 4 hours, 1 minute and 49 seconds.  My training pace averaged an 8:40 minute mile, but did not account for the Austin hills. My fueling strategy was Gu Energy gels at miles 6, 10, 14, 18 and 22.  I carried water and refilled my bottle at miles 12 and 20.    My diet the day before a long run or race consists of drinking 90-100 oz. of water followed by G2 formula Gatorade.  I eat foods high in carbohydrates the entire day and flood my body with protein rich Greek yogurt.  This plan works for me, but one thing I've learned is that this process is trial and error.  Find what works for you and stick with it...consistency is key.

I ran by myself, but my husband and his best friend followed me around the course.  They met me at miles 4, 10, 16, 21 and 26.2.  They took my shed jacket, gloves and head wrap at mile 4.  Matt ran with me at mile 10.  They watched me dance at mile 16.  They watched me cry at mile 21...and gave me the words to get me through the last 5 miles.  They watched me cross the finish at mile 26.2. 

Today, I am proof, that you can do anything you set your mind to do.  It is not "If", it is "When".  Live "Strong" and live each day to its fullest...never knowing if it could be the last.  Challenge yourself to do something you never imagined possible and don't quit.  The reward is AMAZING!

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Autumn

My eyes are burning and cloudy.  Crying lots of tears will make that happen every time.  I made one of the hardest drives of my life today.  Our old girl rode next to me in the passenger seat and I fed her Barbecued Lay's the entire way.  It made us both feel better.  She didn't care that she was in the car, she wasn't licking the windows or panting with anxiety about an unexpected trip.  It was the end of the road and we both knew it.  Her huge paw stretched across the console and came to a rest in my lap...her simple way of comforting me as I wiped tears from my face.

Our story started almost 13 years ago.  Matt and I were newly married.  We were young, fresh out of college, and both working.  Bursting with energy, we wanted something to nurture but knew we weren't ready for kids at 22 and 23.  We decided on a dog.  We drove to Matt's parents house and grabbed their newspaper.  We searched, but couldn't find a dog for "us".

A few weeks passed and Matt said...I found our dog.  We had decided on a weimeraner.  The breeder lived  in Lufkin, Texas, but was coming to DFW.  He explained we could meet him in the town of Crandall on a Friday night in August.  There's an old Cotton Gin in Crandall that was turned into a restaurant and that was where we first saw our pup.  We wanted a blue female and he told us he only had one of them...which he would save for us.  My little sister rode with me.  Matt met us there after work.  We found our girl and she was perfect.   As I was holding her I noticed another tiny puppy crouched in the corner of the van.  She was all by herself and away from the other dogs.  I was immediately drawn to her.  He told me she was the runt of the litter.  I held her and instantly loved her.  We put her back...I had asked him to save another puppy and I felt obligated to take that one.

I left with our new dog...the dog we had reserved, but a little sad that I had put the itty-bitty runt back in the van.   Matt  stayed behind and paid the breeder.  On the drive home, we passed each other on the highway and Matt held up another puppy.  He bought my runt.  In that moment we had two dogs...they were Autumn and Blue.  Autumn was the runt (and lighter in color) and Blue was our big girl.

Those two go together like peanut butter and jelly.  They're Ole' Dan and Little Anne.  They've never spent a night away from each other in the last 12 and a half years, until tonight.   They were partners in crime and Autumn was the ring-leader.  She chewed siding off of the house, could eat a windowsill like it was a rawhide, sprayed doggie poo all over the walls of our kitchen, figured out how to eat a collar off of her sister's neck, pulled the neighbor's dog through the fence, killed cats, birds and even a skunk.  She would submerge her head into a water bowl and blow bubbles, she loved to eat and she loved to lay in the sun....most importantly, she loved us...unconditionally.

She was always there.  She was there when we learned our grandparents had passed away.  She was waiting for us when we brought the boys home from the hospital.  She was there when we were sick, healthy, happy, sad.  She was there every single day.

 She adjusted to a toddler who poked her in the eyes...

....and rode her like a horse.

 She accepted Rustin once he came along and never even yelped through all of his ear tugging.

She's been fighting cancer for a little over a year now.  Today she looked at me and I knew she was ready.  The boys were at school and Matt was at work.  I laid down on the ground beside her and all of the sudden I was sobbing.  Uncontrollably sobbing.  I buried my head in her neck.  She always made me feel better and she didn't let me down today.  She nuzzled in closer.  It took every ounce of strength in her body...but she lifted her head up and licked me square on the nose...then dropped back to the ground.  Her eyes were fixed on mine and full of hurt.  I had given her every pill we had trying to pull her out of pain without doing the inevitable, but suddenly I knew it was the end.  I gently lifted her into my car and closed the door.  I opened a bag of Barbecue Lays potato chips and her ears twitched up.  No matter how bad she felt, she couldn't turn them down.  I fed her chips, cried, and we drove.

Matt met me at the door of our Veterinarian's office and he carried her inside.  She couldn't walk.  The four of us (Matt, myself, our beloved Veterinarian and his assistant) sat on the floor around her and she simply fell asleep as everyone gently stroked her face, leg and back.  I've never seen her more peaceful.    Its been a few hours, but I can still see traces of her fur on my shirt and catch a whiff of her scent.  We feel empty without you "guirrel", but are so thankful that you don't hurt anymore.

You will always be our baby...our little spunky, feisty, alpha, "no other dog is gonna mess with me"... Autumn Leaves.  All of us loved you more than you'll ever know...I pray that you felt that love from the first day we had you until your very last breath.  Hugs and kisses baby girl!

Sharing

 I may or may not be guilty of bribing my children.  It is really simple...they sleep and in return I give them candy.  This boy just woke up from a 3-hour nap.

 He thought really hard about sharing with his older brother.

 I'm pretty sure Rustin decided sharing is over-rated...especially when it comes to Sweet-Tart  (Ryder-ism:  Sweet-Tooth) Valentine Candy.

It reminds me of that episode of "Olivia" (a show about a young pig and her two brothers that airs on Nick Jr.)...when Olivia is sent to her room for not sharing, she daydreams of telling her Mom she'll have to share her car with the Teacher....or share her house with another family. A really good reminder of how differently things can seem from the eyes of a child!