Stronger

Mentally exhausted.  That's the best way to describe myself as of late.  So much going on in my life that by the time I finally crawl in bed I can't hold my eyes open long enough to say goodnight to my sweet babies.  I am hoping the craziness will subside in a few weeks or at the very least, the ridiculousness at work will let up.  I think the rest will be a piece of cake if I can just figure out how to get organized again and take things one day at a time.  I do so good for so long and then bam, I screw it all up and I'm back to struggling.  You would think that I have learned my lesson by now but no, Missy likes to makes things difficult for herself.  (Smile)

On a good note...

A super duper cool front blew in yesterday.  This weekend temps will be in the low 40s, high 60s.  SO DANG EXCITED!  Starting to really feel like fall weather.  Might break out my boots and scarves this weekend.  Giggle, giggle.

This post will be short and sweet, just like me ;). 

Y'all have a great weekend.  Leaving you with this...

  

22 Days

Until I land in New Orleans!!!!!!!!! 

Momma is getting more and more excited every stinkin' day!!!

Berger's Bums 2012

And here we are in all our glory...

Not only did we place 3rd and 10th in chicken....but we placed 7th and 24th overall.  That's out of 142 teams people.  Damn good dontcha think?  Needless to say, we were a little stoked about this win.  Getting better all the time. ;)

Here are some more pics from this weekend...

My handsome brothers...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday afternoon, I took Bella over to do the Chicken Scramble.  That girl had more fun!  She was so excited.  She was leary about petting the chicken after she caught it but she did.  I soooo wanted her to hold it, but she wouldn't.  Maybe next year.  :)

 

Getting ready to run...

 

Her first catch...

 

 

And her second catch!

 

It was a good run this year...in all categories but I am glad its over.  Always excited for this week to arrive and equally excited to see it go.  Ya'll have a good one!

Fair Time

Sometimes unexpected snapshots turn out to be some of the best pictures.  Ms. Marilyn took this one of Bella and I yesterday when I picked my girl up from daycare.  One of her teachers got her the hat from the fair, she was so proud and excited to have it. 
I love this pic...

 

Saturday my sis, brother-in-law and I took the kids to the parade.  I think this was one of the best parades we've had in a long time.  Starting to get big again and I love that for our little town and our county. 

 

Waiting for the parade to start...

Makenna and Bella

 

Float for Greenhouse Learning Center, aka Bella's daycare.

They won 1st Place Kids Float

 

 

After the parade, we went home to relax for a while before heading out to the fair.  While Chris and his cousins hit the bigger rides, Miss Bella and I went to ride ponies, check out the Petting Zoo and then a few rides. This child is not afraid of any animal.  She loves them all. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a few rides and something to eat, we went out to the rodeo to watch my nephew Brady get it at Mutton Bustin'.  He only got it for 2 seconds. Poor kid.  He's decided he doesn't want to do that again.  Bella, on the otherhand says she's ready to ride that sheep!  Next year baby, next year. 

 

Stephanie and Bella heading out to the fair...

 

 

Stephanie and Makenna at the rodeo waiting for Mutton Bustin'....

 

Stephanie and I decided we would take before and after pictures that night, we are two nuts!  Have tons of fun together and laugh a lot.  Love this girl more than my luggage!

BEFORE

 

AFTER

 

 

And here I am with the kids that were still left at the end of the night....

 

More to come, the week is just getting started and we still have cook-off this weekend.  The pit is loaded and ready to roll! 

 

Y'all have a good one!

 

 

Dear Jace...

Happy Birthday son!  I can't believe you are 10 years old today, double digits my love.  Time has gone by so fast.  Seems like yesterday my sweet autumn baby was just arriving.  I remember the day so well.  You had a different cry from your brother, more of a whimpering, but when they brought you to me and I spoke to you, you quit.  You already knew your momma's voice and it calmed you.  As soon as they took you back to check you out, you started again.  I smiled...and cried.  I was so happy you were here, so happy to have a house full of boys.   

I know it seems repetitive to say I miss you every single day, but I do.  You are on my mind all the time son.  You never leave me.  When I look at your cousins Makenna and Brandon I see you through them...I would imagine the 3 of you as the Three Muskateers. The three of you were all born within months of each other.  You and Makenna had the pleasure of meeting and playing together.  I wish I had more pictures of the two of you together.  I can remember feeding you both while sitting in my lap in the rocking chair.  Its one of my favorite memories.  Brandon came in July...just a short 5 months after you left us.  I wish the two of you had met.  I think you would have been inseperable and probably up to no good! 

We had a little party for you yesterday.  Something your mommy has always wanted to do.  Your brother decided that if you were here your favorite meal would be your Uncle Tony's Our Favorite Steak so that's what we had.  We followed that up with cake and ice cream. I set up a table with pictures of you (wish I still had more). 

 

Mommy bought the mum because the day your were born, Marilee brought in the most beautiful autumn colored mum.  They always remind me of you.  Jana brought me the yellow flowers (she knows my love of flowers & sunflowers) and balloon, something cheerful.  Your sweet cousin Makenna gave me the bright flowers to the right (she too knows my love of flowers & burnt orange-it  was the closest she could get to it, ha!).  The Hilliers joined us as well and brought in the hugs! I loved having everyone there celebrating your special day.  I held it together the whole day, only crying once but your Aunt Jana and Aunt Deanna were right there to comfort me and hold me, just like they were the day you arrived. 

 

Your brother keeps this picture on his dresser of the two of you.  I borrowed it for the party yesterday.  He made me promise to give it back to him. Oh the love that kid has for you, sometimes I think its greater than mommy's love.  :)

 

 

Jace, I hope you know how much I miss you and how much I wish you were here. I try to understand God's plan but some days I just can't. Some days it just hurts too much. I know you are in a much better place and you are celebrating it up big time in Heaven today (and every day).

 

You are always in my heart, always on my mind and I will forever love you son.  

 

Love & Hugs sweet boy,

Mommy 

 

Confession

I love our county fair. There I said it. Acknowledgement is the first step.

Maybe its because I grew up with the fair in my backyard, I don't know.  What I do know is that I love everything about it starting with the parade on Saturday.  The food, the exhibits, the animals, the carnival, the cook-off, seeing friends I haven't seen in a long time...all of it!  I drive by the fairgrounds daily now so I get to it coming together the weeks prior. I totally get excited. I feel like a kid again. I know, I know...I'm a little nuts but there is something about it that makes me happy, giddy almost. I think maybe my favorite thing about it is....funnel cakes! They are a must every year. My mom also loved the funnel cakes. We got Christopher hooked on them as well, so every year we set out to get a funnel cake for Grammy. Totally working to get Isabella hooked too. Evil smile. It's the little things folks. If you've been reading for a while, you should know this about me by now. :))

This concludes today's episode of Confessions.  Thanks for tuning in!!

Y'all have a beautiful day!

Sayings

Wanted to document some the things my 3 year old has been saying and how she pronounces different things. 

Toy Tory - Toy Story
Tart Tart - Pop Tart (although she said it the right way the other morning-kinda broke my heart)
Dopper Pepper - Dr. Pepper
D'Pickle Me - Despicable Me
Goldpish - Goldfish
Bunnies - Yogurt
TB - TV
Smarkles - Sparkles
Pat Pat - Backpack
Pone - Phone
Pink Lips - Lip Gloss/Lipstick
Purple Eyes - Mascara (Its the color of my mascara tube)
Ingers  - Fingers (it almost sounds like another letter in front of the 'i" but heck if I can tell you what it is) 
Unky - Uncle (although she's getting better)
Chocwhat - Chocolate (you know how kids say chocolate...never had to attempt to spell it! Lol)

I want to lay on your tummy...when she doesn't really lay on my tummy, she lays her head on my shoulder to snuggle.

If she wants something...its "please mommy, can i have...."

If she wants to go up the stairs or be lifted up high she says, "i wanna go uppa the stairs" or "lift me uppa the sky."

Everything is 5...5 minutes to watch this, 5 pieces of that, 5 clips in her hair, she wants 5 puppies, horses and chickens.

When she wants you to read to her she'll ask you to "talk about it". 

She LOVES for me to "pet" her....which translates to me patting her back, running my hands/fingers through her hair, patting her butt, etc.

Every single day she asks me in the morning "where are going when you pick me up at daycare?" or she will ask who is picking her up.  When I do pick her up she will ask again "where are going"

Wal-Mart, Kroger, the Mall...generally everywhere is "the grocery store".

This sweet girl of mine cracks me up daily.  She can be so funny and loving, but equally bossy and demanding.  She adores her brother and loves to be in the middle of whatever he's doing, especially when he has friends over.  Thankfully, his friends are very good to her.  My patience may be tested often by my daughter but I wouldn't change anything.  She has brought so much joy and laughter to our lives...she is our Miss Bella Toot Marie Prissy Britches!! 

I'll leave you with some recent pictures of my little princess...

 Hitching a ride on Uncle Tony's shoulders....

Cheering her heart out at the football game!  GO WILDCATS!!!!

Me and my sweet girl...

50 Things You May or May Not Know About Me...

I'm taking a cue from fellow blogger Laura over at Cowboy Boots & Baby Booties and posting "50 Things You May or May Not Know About Me".  I thought it could be fun and interesting to see how long it takes me to come up with 50 interesting things....about me.  Just so you know...it took me a while!

I'm pulling some of these items from a note I did on FB a few years ago, updating it and adding to it.  Reading how my life was so MUCH different then was kinda weird but I can say without a doubt, I'm in a much better place now. 

1.  I'm a worrier.  I worry and stress over everything...enough that my family should never have to because I do enough for all of us.

 

2.  I love cold rainy days in home in my pj's watching tv and just chilling out.

 

3. I love all the Rocky movies....and know Rocky IV by heart.

 

4.  My sister and I recite lines from movies we love and ask the other to name that movie.

 

5.  Every year my family takes a summer vacation together.  The past few years we've stayed at a beach house.  I look forward to it every year.

 

6.  I love going to NASCAR races.  Sadly I have not been in years.

 

7.  I'm a fire bug.  I love to sit by a fire inside or outside.  There's something very calming about it.

 

8.  I dislike negative people. Arrogance is so unattractive to me. 

 

9.  My kids are the best part of me.

 

10.  I love being a Mom but I get overwhelmed easily.

 

11.  Most people don't know that Missy is a nickname.  Michaela Anne is my name and is always mispronounced.

 

12.  I've lived in Angleton all but the first 4 weeks of my life.

 

13.  I would love to spend just one Christmas in the snow with my kids at a ski resort.

 

14.  I am my worst critic!

 

15.  I am scared of escalators but will get on them--I hold my breath and pray the entire time.

 

16.  I prefer to eat cake without icing.

 

17.  I'm not a morning person at all...and usually hit the snooze button at least 3-4 times before finally getting up.

 

18.  I have a thing for scarves but only when its cold.

 

19.  When I get really tickled about something and can't catch my breath...I snort.

 

20.  Red is my favorite color.

 

21.  After having two boys I was oh so nervous about having a girl.

 

22.  I love to shop and look forward to my annual trip to Canton every year!

 

23.  September through April is my favorite time of year.  Summer sucks!  Heat and I do not get along very well.  That could change if the Pool Gods hook me up!

 

24.  I'm a sucker for all the Christmas movies when they are on tv. I will sit and watch them every year.  Love it!

 

25.  I got braces midway through my junior year in high school. I was not happy.  I got them off my freshman year in college, a year sooner than expected.  I was a good girl. 

26.  I was in a pageant for Miss Brazoria County while in college.  I didn't place but was asked to participate in the Miss Petite Texas pageant after that.  I declined.  Pageants were not my thing.

 

27.  I don't like rollercoasters.  They scare me something awful.

 

28.  I do not like pineapple anything. 

 

29.  I LOVE football!  I scream at the TV when I watch it and love going to our hometown games.

30.  I have a thing for barns.  Love them!  Would love to build a house like a barn one day in a wide open space with nothing but country around me. Ok...maybe some cornfields. :)

31.  I have a potty mouth...especially when I am highly pissed off. 

32.  I can also be quite the smart ass.

33.  I can 2-step with the best of 'em.  Learned from the best...my brother!

34.  I have always wanted to learn sign language.

35.  I can be oh so stubborn and hard-headed!  And I wonder where my kids get it from? 

36.  I LOVE driving trucks.  Had one for a brief period of time and absolutely loved it. 

37.  I prefer an ice cold beer over a glass of wine or mixed drink. 

38.  I have a collection of koozies and thimbles.  Random I know.

39.   Semi-scared of heights.  My legs go to jello but I still find myself looking down.  Ok, I'm scared of heights!

40.  Flying scares me.

41.  Secretly wish I could play the guitar like nobody's business.

42.  My gut feelings have NEVER steered me wrong, yet there are times I still question what I'm feeling.  Gut is always right.

43.   I'm a sucker for kitchen gadgets, mixing bowls and kitchen towels.

44.  I love to cook and bake. 

45.   I get excited about the littlest things.

46.  I love to have my feet massaged but I won't touch anyone else's feet.

47.  Sitting on the porch or patio in the evening time relaxing with my kids or family is a sweet pleasure and a blessing. 

48.  I've learned the hard way you should never settle...on anything!

49.  I believe you are never too old to have fun, be silly and live life to the fullest, sometimes you just need to be reminded.

 

50.  Some days I miss my Mom and my son so much I can't breathe...

Its October!

Happy Happy October 1st!!

I wanted to share with you one of my most favorite pictures.  I have always loved this...just want to step right inside it! 

 

Y'all have a great October!