Christmas 2017

Mom, how many days til Santa comes?

Well, ...

I proceeded to tell Cam all of the plans that had to transpire before the visit from Ole St. Nick & he stopped in disgust...

Mom! All that??? That’s going to take forever!”

And now here we are, a mere day away from 2018. A brand new year.

I too, find myself counting down my precious days of life all for a fleeting moment in time. You’d think we’d learn after childhood that’s just not the best way to do life & then before we can blink, we find ourselves looking back & wishing for the time passed to come back again!

I know this Christmas will be one that I look back on, just as I do a few special ones in my own childhood, that I will remember forever.  The holiday season is magic & though we always seem to be running around like crazy trying to cram all that magic into the few days of freedom we have between work, responsibilities, & other such expectations - that's not what I will remember about it.

I will always remember how we jumped in our car for the past two years & cruised Knoxville to look at all the Christmas lights & all the Santa stories we told along the way.  My favorite was by Daddy in which a pack of wolf rats replaced Rudolph & crew to lead the sleigh.🤪

I will never forget elf hunting & exploring downtown together & the excitement they had when they found an elf or even a peppermint in front of a store:) 

I will remember Conley saying "I'won go see my elf! and Cam going to sleep super early just so "Spider" would be sure to come back from the North Pole a little earlier with something fun up his sleeve for the next morning. 

I will never forget Cam's excitement coming home from school on December 12th to hand me a special work of art he gifted for our anniversary.

I will never forget the night my mom & I took them to ride the Polar Express & how Conley was so sleepy he was climbing the windows trying to stay awake & how I couldn't get them to be still for a picture perfect moment.  #boys

Con: "I want presents & a toy."

I will never forget my mad dash 3 hour babysitting span of time to get all my Mrs. Claus shopping done!  And the boys first babysitter outside of family:)  And I totally ran into that pole taking this picture...🙈😂🤳🏼

 I will remember how Cam loved seeing Santa and sitting in his lap & how Con would wave & oooo + ahhhhh over the big guy in red, that is until he was needed to sit in his lap & tell him what he'd like for Christmas.

I will never forget the many hours I spent putting together NASA worthy lego projects for Cam this post week of Christmas.👩🏻‍🔬

  I will always remember how Conley recited "Ve End" (the end) for his only line in the Christmas play 20 times a day, but refused to do so in the play or at practice.  I will remember how Shepherd Cam was so "star struck" at the manger scene that he forgot to knell at baby Jesus manger, & instead stood grinning at the crowd. 😁

I will never forget the day my husband called & shared he had purchased 7 vests from Sams & he would wear one each day for the rest of his life.  He isn't kidding.  But, that's why I love him-never a boring moment.😂

I will never forget trying to take their picture & their cheese faces

 (particularly how Conley yells CHEEEEEEEESSSSEE anytime he spots a camera.)

I will remember how Cam made a monster gingerbread man for Santa & how they both matched in their football jerseys for Christmas Day.

I will never forget Christmas Eve Eve, when we made a desperate last attempt to finish our to do list before heading to NC to start the festivities.  Every. person. in. the. mall. stopped & mentioned the pjs.  We are going to a Christmas breakfast this evening, people!  Is that too difficult to understand!?Cade just told them we gave up.

I do give up.🤦🏻‍♀️

I won't forget how long Cam sat in front of the Santa sleigh satellite.

Precious.  I want to bawl my eyes out.  Tooooooo precious.🤭😍

And this little stinker is, too...when he's sick or sleeping.😉

I will never forget how ill Santa was putting together this train table. 

I love pushing his limits.🤶🏼

  I will remember how Cam continuously repeated, "I can't BELIEVE we were on the G O O D list, Mom!"  😳 annnddd how Conley woke up on Christmas morning SO hateful. 
 Did Hoho come, Con?  "No!  No he didn't!  No he's not!  Santa's a poopyhead." 🤨

And the rush to enjoy the magical morning before throwing everybody back  in the car for a 2 hour drive over the mountain again.

  And, I will even always remember how Conley threw up all over my shirt on Christmas night & Cam soon to follow! How Cade was up vacuuming & washing every stitch of clothing+sheets in our house and how I had to change shirts 10 times because Con refused to throw up in his trashcan.🤢

And you know what?  Not only do I never want to forget these things,
I pray they never forget them. 

I'm not gonna lie to you...

This mama is ending December & entering the new year t i r e d.


<<Yea, YOU see that blur flying by me up there.  That's mine to keep alive everyday!>>😂👆🏼

But you know what?  All those sleepless nights of preparation, planning, & chasing my tail were worth it. 

Worth every second. 

I can sleep when I'm dead.

XOXO

Cass

Mama Said They'd Be Days Like This...

I have a confession to make.

Somedays I wake up wondering: "
what happened to the two angel baby boy's that I brought home from the hospital???"

Those sweet faces I share on Facebook or post on instagram.  Friends, sometimes I feel like such a failure in life or the worst parent in the world after I spend a day at home with them or take them out somewhere.

WHO ARE YOU TWO??

They used to give me the biggest gummy grin just by giving them a high pitched, "hey, baby!"  They would cry just to be close to me, sit and snuggle, or just stare and smile at me. They didn't have to be entertained 24/7 & all they wanted was to be held or loved on.

Now, it's what can you buy me?  What can you do for me?  Take me here, give me that, go away now.

And they're not even close to being teenagers!  They are 2 and 4!

Their number one hobby is to fight...  Punching.  Pinching.  Scratching.  
And stealing each other toys.  Throwing nail polish in my face (see below).

If I say "don't do that please," they cut their eyes, the evil grinch grin grows on their face, and they will do it or die just to see my reaction and what I will do.

Favorite words Mama tells them NOT to say:  Poopy head.  I hate you.  It's dead.  OR Oh my God. Whatever they can find that will hurt my feelings, upset me, or that will put them in the position of punishing them-they are all over it.

I let them do or have one thing, they forget it the next minute when they see something else they want to do and when I say no...  all they remember is that I said "No."

And I've assisted in making them that way.  And if there is anything in this world that will make you feel like less of a person, it's to see your children act in such a way.  All those days of "well, I will make my kids do this...or my kids will do that..."  The days when you envision your kids always listening, behaving perfectly, & doing as you say...Those days laugh in your face.  (Or mine anyway!)

This reminded me of something.

A long long time ago, God created two of the most perfect things he'd ever created.  And, by considering what he did for all of us by allowing his son to die on the cross for our sins, I'd say he loved them more than he had ever loved anything else in the world but more.  A love we can only come close to experiencing through our own children.  But the minute they took that apple, God's heart was hurt.  His children had chosen sin, over choosing to do what was right.  Before choosing the path he knew was best for them.

You know what?  I mirror my kids behavior every single stinkin day...I do these things E V E R Y D A Y to my Heavenly Father.  I hurt him by not making to time read my Bible, or by turning on a tv show or logging on to my computer instead of talking to him.  I pray about something, desiring to lay it down at his feet, but pick it up again & try to "fix it" myself.  He blesses me with one thing or answers a prayer, & I go along asking for the next thing before a thank you hits my lips.  

And at some point, you know he's like, "Cassidy!  Just let me take it from here!  Just listen to me!  Why can't you just listen & know that I know what's best?!"  It would be nice for you to just be content at some point in your life.  It would be nice for a thank you.  Those spills & accidents pictured above are exactly what I create so many times in my life when I try to carry my own burdens and load or when I think I know whats best or what prayer He needs to answer.  

I'm one of those people that think God has a sense of humor.

Wait, I know he does by the two funny little humans that he blessed me to raise.  

I just pray that when he speaks to me through little seasons of life such as this, I listen!  And I hope I'm more sensitive to the fact that, in those moments that I feel unloved, taken advantage of, or like a broken record nobody listens to...I will be sure to check up & make sure that I've not made my Heavenly Father feel that same way!   And even in the times that I break His heart, He finds a way to forgive me & provides a fresh new start...

What an example to a mommy in the trenches of motherhood!💞
Happy Monday, sweet friends.

Thanksgiving 2017 Photo Dump

Our first Thanksgiving as the host family is in the books!  We survived & made many new memories along the way.  I made my first pumpkin pie, the boys found the Peanuts float in the Macy's parade, Cade googled how to carve the turkey, & we played the most hilarious game of “Heads Up” the night before everyone went home.  Oh, & this will, with no question, always be remembered as the “Thanksgiving of the Poopyheads,” because...that’s all our 2 year old will say now.  That and “I hate <insert everything here>” (thanks Little “Drummy” Boy), and it’s dead or stupid.  

But in all seriousness, how good God is to allow us to all see another Thanksgiving together?

 

the sleeping man couch

Cade & I had the fun of taking this little fireball to a few stops on Black Friday.  

Surprisingly, I think he just loved having his daddy & mommy to himself for a change...

he didn't even mind the shopping-he was so sweet💙  OR say poppyhead every breath!

The quiet days after...

AND we can breathe!  The house was a wreck but everything fell together & we aren't on the air mattress anymore😁

I hope you & your family all had a wonderful Thanksgiving❤️

And, I'm a little late posting...but we are on day three of our 5th annual Christmas Photo Challenge.  I love to see how everyone interprets the word of the day...so fun!  I think it (bear with me-I'm corny) spreads such cheer to see everyone enjoying the sweet days of December together!  I love it.

@cassidyadams

XO