This smile is for something important...

This smile is for something very important. Something his brother is slightly obsessed with...

...the phone. 

So Long Goodnight Trail

Gosh Y'all...I'm sad. This is the last post I'll make from this house. The house I have called home for the last six years. Seriously. I have tears in my eyes as I type these words.

This is the house that I bravely decided to start my own business from.

This is the house where our obnoxious (but what would we do without) weimie fell ill and we thought we would surely lose her. She was resilient and decided to stay with us and give our back yard some havoc.

This is the house we put a pool in and spent countless Saturdays before kids listening to Margarita-ville and floating in the sun.

This is the house that I made some of the best friends of my life in.  Even though I know I will still see them all, its hard to know that they are not just down the street anymore.

This is the house where we wept when Matt lost his Grandpa Smith and I lost my Grandmother.

This is the house we brought Ryder home from the hospital to. This is the house Ryder learned to crawl, walk and talk in.

This is the house we grew stronger in when we thought something was very wrong with Rustin, while I was pregnant with him. This is the house we brought our perfectly o.k. Rustin home from the hospital to.

Its hard to explain, but this house has been my safe haven.  I feel relieved when I walk through that garage door.  I'm home and anything bad that was going on outside of these walls goes away.

This is the house that protected us as we became the family of four we are today.

We love this house. To Ryder, it will always be Mommy's house. Rustin will never know the love this house brought us.

Here is to our Goodnight Trail house, all of our sweet neighbors, and all of its memories....and to all of the beautiful memories surely to come at our new "to us" Midlothian house.  I'll update on everything else after the move.

A Post from Ryder

Happy Birthday, Bryce! I couldn't ask for a better little buddy than you. Thanks for inviting me out to Chuck E. Cheese for your big day!

I was in awe. 

It was my first time to experience unlimited gaming, a singing mouse and tons of pizza.

I had a blast and who cares that we ran out of tokens...we could still push all of the buttons...

...walk up the skee ball ramp...  

...and hop on the carousel, even if there isn't an open horse, you can just stand next to one.

You made my day. From your BFF...Ryder.

 PS... Thank you, Rustin for patiently sitting in your stroller while Mom chased me around this amazing place. We got to stay for 2 whole hours because you are such a good little brother! ♥ Ryder

A Fish for a Hamster

We've decided that we need to get Ryder a special housewarming gift since we will pretty much be throwing his life into utter chaos over the next month. In his class at Preschool they have a pet hamster. To say that he loves the hamster, Belle,  is an understatement. He absolutely adores her. Matt suggested that we buy him his own hamster as a little present once we get him to the new house. (He doesn't want to go to the new house...he wants to stay at "Mommy's" house.) Problem is this: I DON'T DO RODENTS. And yes...a hamster is a rodent. Could you imagine if that little critter got out? I actually mentioned this to his teacher yesterday and she told me that little Belle had gotten out of her cage several times at their house and it sometimes takes 4 to 5 days to find her. Ewwwwwwwwwwww!!!!

We compromised and decided on a Fish! I saw this super cute idea for a fishbowl over at Thrifty Decor Chic.  It's a gumball machine turned fishbowl.  Now I just need to find a gumball machine...keep your eyes peeled for me!  I saw one at Target, but it was a little on the pricey side if my memory serves me correctly.  Anyway...Happy Friday to you!!! 

Officially Overwhelmed

Up until now I have been laid back and played things pretty cool. Then today slapped me in the face. We went to the house we are buying this morning so it could be measured for carpet and I officially became overwhelmed.

It was pretty gross when we looked at it the first time, but it was filled with furniture and other stuff that sort of covered some of the grodiness (pretty sure that isn't a word, but deal with me) up. Today, most of their stuff was gone, still a lot of trash but no furniture or things like that. Y'all. It. Is. Gross.

I should probably mention that I am OCD when it comes to cleanliness. I don't walk around hotels barefoot. I am really nervous about hotel towels/linens. I have severe issues. I know. That's why our first house and this house were built. I didn't want other peoples yuck lingering in my house. Please give me some pre-existing home advice. Can you get them 100% clean to your satisfaction? Janelle??? I know you and I are on the same page...we lived together!

That being said, this house has so, so much potential which is why we are buying it....but it is going to take a LOT of time and love. Please say a prayer that I remain sane through this process and that all my boys still love me when we are finished. Especially Matt. He is working so hard to get things lined up and fixed around that place. I am so appreciative even though I think sometimes he doesn't think I am. I'll take my camera next time so you can see some before and after shots. We close a week from this Friday on both houses. Then we have through Sunday to be out of this house all together. Lord help us!

No Words...Just More Pictures

Did You Know???

Did You Know that Rustin is officially 8 Months old? I absolutely can't believe it!

For virtual baby book purposes, here is what Mr. Rustin is up to these days: He is sitting up on his own now and LOVES food! Still no teeth, but he seems to manage fine without. He went to the Doctor yesterday for an ear check and weighed 16.9 lbs! (1 ear was still infected so now we are on Antibiotic #3..rrr...) He also saw the eye doctor this month for a blocked tear duct. We found out that the tear duct is actually in really good shape, but that he is nearsighted. According to the Eye Doc he'll most likely be in glasses before Kindergarten. Poor thing! He is still not crawling, but he is trying really hard.

He loves to swing

He loves to swing. He always has. Shirt or no Shirt. Wet or Dry. The higher the better. Thank goodness for this really big tree and a Daddy who will spend lots of his time pushing him way up high.

Spring 2010

Spring 2009

Spring 2008

Goodwill Grub

I have been blog-surfing lately for ideas for the new house. I found this cute idea for a DIY Cloche at Thrifty Decor Chic.  Love her!  I've been packing and ridding our house of clutter as I go. I made a clutter drop-off at Goodwill this afternoon and decided to run inside to see if there was anything I could use to copycat this little idea. I was super excited to find the Cheese Dome and a Candlestick! 

Here is what I found at my local Goodwill.  I spent $3 on the Cheese Dome and $1.50 on the Candlestick.

The boys and I ran to Lowe's and picked up some spray paint (I used a high gloss but satin would work fine, too!), a sanding block and some super glue gel.  I spent $10.00 on these products, but most people probably have these things in their garage.  Our garage is just in utter chaos right now with the move.

I lightly sanded everything and then gave it a generous spray with the paint.  After it dried I used the sanding block lightly around the edges to give it a distressed look.

This was the final product! 

Two Cute Ideas

Here are two super cute easy ideas that Ryder brought home from Preschool this week!

The first is a birdseed feeder.  It consisted of a bagel, glue (I think..), birdseed and yarn.  I am always looking for little projects to keep him busy on days we can't go outside and thought this was a great idea to pass along!

The second was my Mother's Day present!  He was so excited.  He ran to give it to me when I picked him up yesterday and then promptly told me "Thank you!" as I took it from him.  We are still working on differentiating between "Thank you" and "You're welcome".  I thought this would be a neat idea to do for Grandmas on Mother's Day, too!  You can buy these little tiles at Lowe's or Home Depot.  Attach cork board (found at Michael's or any Craft Store) to the back with glue.  After you get the hand-print on and the paint is dry, you can apply a topcoat (like Modge Podge) and you have a coaster!

Because and Thank You

Because it was such a hit last summer, we welcomed our first 90 degree day with an encore performance.

Oh little tikes ball..You didn't disappoint!

This little 2-year old remembered you well and knew just how to hook the water up.  Our little Plus One wasn't so sure.  He didn't get to experience your joy first hand last summer.

No worries.  Ryder spent plenty of time reassuring him of your awesome powers.

He also spent plenty of time splashing around you.

You made his day little tikes ball and you were the first thing he asked for this morning.

And before we knew it...this one was overcome by your spraying joy, too!

Thank you for a good 2-hours of babysitting!

Wordless Wednesday

♥♥♥♥♥♥

The Sunshine Award

Have any of you heard of the Sunshine Award? It was a first for me, but it is really neat! Who doesn't love a pat on the back and some recognition every now and again?  One of our oldest friends, Angie , has recently entered the blogging world and I first saw the Sunshine Award on her blog. The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogging world.

Of course, awards come with rules…

1. Put the logo on your blog and/or within your post.
2. Pass the award on to twelve bloggers.
3. Link to the nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and the link to the person from whom you received this award

And the Winners Are:

The Connors Family  This Blog is primarily about R and R's best little cousin from Indiana.  Actually, R and R have never even met Evan.  Matt and I haven't met Evan, but I feel like I know him from Amber's Blog.  Matt and Amber are first cousins and her Blog has been a blessing because I absolutely feel like I know her family even though we have only met a handful of times.  We love y'all!


Dynamite and Tatertot  This Blog gives me strength.  My friend, Heather, is the author.  She started the blog for the same reasons I started mine...to document our kiddo's lives.  Our blogs serve as our virtual baby books.  It is so much easier to run to the computer and type in the milestones as they happen then to physically scrapbook them.  I am totally speaking for myself here...Heather, may be a scrapbook queen for all I know.  She designs her own blog backgrounds.  They are gorgeous..it is a sin to envy things...but I envy her layouts.  You will too!  Anyway, her Blog has turned into much more than her children's baby book.  She is so creative, smart, patient, funny.  Sometimes it seems like we are living parallel lives raising our two kids.   I actually feel like we are better friends now, through our blogs, than we were in high school.  You must check out her Blog!


Grasshopper Momma  Y'all want a good laugh?  Check out Miss Mary over at Grasshopper Momma.  She literally has me falling out of my chair laughing on most days.  She is so good about posting...usually every day.  Some days they are just pictures, but even her pictures are funny.  Mary is the sweetest girl who is totally honest about the joyous and not so joyous times of raising 3 kids who are 3 and under!  I love Mary and I love her Blog!!

The Cluff's  This blog is private, so you won't get to indulge unless you  know Janelle.  I love her.  We met our freshman year at A & M and I have some of my best memories in life from that year.  Especially from our first Architecture class...John Christiansen was our first college instructor.  I think he was a Grad student, not a real professor.  He wasn't a fan of my work.  Ha!  In fact, he convinced me switch over to the Construction side of the school...which was a blessing.  That's how I met Matt!  Anyway...we had a blast and met some really fun people.  Hey Janelle...remember Kyle?  Did I ever tell you that I saw him on an episode of MTV's Made?  He was the stylist on the episode...I think we always knew that...didn't we?

The Sabin's   This superwoman is another one of my college roommates.  She is superwoman.  She works full time, raises two children, is a wonderful wife and runs every triathlon in the state.  O.K...I may be exaggerating on the last one, but not by much.  If you want to know about DFW races, Jenn has the answer.  She is an awesome athlete and I could only dream of being as fit as her!

The Mac's   A lot of you probably follow this blog.  I started reading their story when Cora got sick over a year ago.  I sat at my computer with tears streaming down my face as I read their story.  Matt follows the Mac's now, too.  They are so strong.  I can't imagine a more amazing family than this.  I love Jess's honesty.  They were blessed with a new baby boy, Levi, this winter and he is as beautiful as his sister.  Jess has an etsy shop with lots of super cute little girl items for those of you with girls!  Check out her Blog for more details. 

Wind Beneath My Wings Misty and I go back all the way to Elementary School.  She is an absolutely beautiful girl who does beautiful things for those around her.  She lives in South Florida and blogs about her life and Christian walk.  She is a wonderful photographer and you can see some of her work and participate in fun give-a-ways over at Wind Beneath My Wings.


The Banks Family  The Banks family is the image of faith, strength and love.  This family has been through it all.  I am in awe of Lisa at times because through everything they have endured, she has stayed faithful and never once questioned God or his plans for them.  She is a very special girl.

My Life in a Boy's World  Who doesn't love another blog about raising two boys very close in age?  Meet Julie!  Julie and I were childhood friends and I love being able to watch her two little one's grow!

Thrifty Decor Chick  So we are buying a new house and I was perusing a bunch of DIY

The Idea Room  I am not sure how I ever found this blog, but it is absolutely one of my staple reads.  Amy has the BEST ideas!  If you haven't already, you must add her to your reading list!

I Heart Faces Another staple read.  A great way to find other blogs, awesome photographers and lots of tips!!

On another note... we're a weekend closer to moving...May 28 is our official closing date.  Ryder is going to miss our backyard...so is his Mommy.  I realized last night how much I am going to miss all of my neighbors, too.  We had a Farewell street party for my sweet friend Brooke and her family who are moving to Melissa.  I love her and will miss her dearly!  You guys better remember that THE SMITH'S ARE ONLY MOVING 20 MINUTES down the highway and we fully expect to still be included in all neighborhood parties!  Kidding, not really.  I love you guys!