Fish, Firetrucks & turning 31

I turned 31 just 11 days ago but am in a bit of a hurry to finish this post since some sweet little girl turns THREE tomorrow! I dislike blogging out of order so my birthday first....then hers.  For my special day,all I requested was to have my picture taken with each member of the Fab Four individually. Rob figured that sounded like a pretty good, not to mention cheap deal & was happy to play photographer : )

Saturday held lots of fun but the celebration really began on Friday night. Bob & Jeannine took care of the kiddos while Robby & I met Andrew & Renata for dinner at an old favorite Greek restaurant, Ziziki's. Andrew & I share the same birthday so it is always fun to celebrate together. This year was no exception & the four of us enjoyed a few hours of catching up outside in the cool breeze with delicious food, drinks & lots of laughter. I must admit I laughed the hardest when Andrew said "I'm just happy to not be watching Frozen tonight!" We so knew exactly what he was talking about haha! It was a great night but still may not have been as fun as the year we got Andrew a pinata & we let Bennett jump for it until we laughed so hard our sides hurt. Good times. 

Back to Saturday, the 17th. Just prior to our exodus from Florida the entire Loftin clan, ie my mom's side of the family, planned a Fish Fry for that day.  We were SO excited to say "Yes! We can make it!" after missing out on so many family gatherings while we were away.  We headed out to my Aunt Sandy & Uncle Darrell's in Forney that morning & stayed until the sun was setting.  It was a relaxing & fun filled day. Here it is mostly in pictures with less words than usual....that's for you Big Bob, you always say that I'm so wordy you can't make it through a post in one sitting ; ) 

First of all, here is our fun photo plan. Rob will pose like this with O&A each year until he can no longer hold them in this fashion. If there were sound effects you would hear Anson squealing with excitement (on the left) & poor Owen squealing with terror (on the right). 

The girls could not have been happier going to a home with a huge yard & four dogs. Here is Lolo with Dakota, the smallest of the crew.  Dakota does not like to be held but Eloise could not help herself.  Since we have been gone, my two girl cousins closest in age have had some pretty precious babies. Luke enjoyed some time in a few laps along with the baby pool. He will be turning one in July & I could just eat him up!

I stopped by GGran's house a few days prior to the fish fry & she was cookin' up some potion for magic bubbles.....boy were they magical! They really were the biggest bubbles I had ever seen which was fun until a small child would blow one right next to you...soaking you with bubble solution upon popping ; ) GGran loved showing the girls how to make them.

We had just seen my parents a week & a half before but one lovely thing about living in Dallas is that Houston is not a far drive! Kyle joined my mom & dad for a one day trip just for the Fish Fry! It was actually my parent's 34th wedding anniversary that day too....so much to celebrate! Eloise was excited to have her best friend Gaga there. 

Uncle Darrell is a firefighter in Forney & somehow a fire truck ended up in front of the house...and it wasn't because the Fish Fry got outta hand ; ) Charlotte had a terrified look on her face & said "Why are they here? Is something on fire?" Haha! After a couple minutes of explaining that those firefighters were Uncle Darrell's friends, Charlotte, Eloise & Aubrey were all about it! My cousin Kelly hopped right up inside so Aubrey would feel safe enough to take a look.

Our favorite part was when Eloise was "driving" like she was doing donuts in a parking lot & happened to set off the loudest of sirens.  It sure got the firefighters attention. Luckily he was standing right next to Eloise & was able to turn it off quickly! Her eyes were pretty wide though!  Ever since her time in the truck that day she has not stopped talking about how she wants to be a "fidafida" when she grows up. 

and just for old times sake, here is a picture of me with my cousins Allison & Amy in the mid 80s visiting Uncle Darrell at the Fire Station....

Allison is mama to Landry & Amy is mama to Aubrey & Luke. How fun to have our kids enjoying such a special visit with real firefighters & a big red truck just like we did when we were youngins!

After some tasty fish, some of the guys & Lauren, the other birthday girl headed out to the range to shoot skeet while the rest of us were on baby duty & when I say baby duty, I mean it! We had six kiddos under three that wanted to play, eat & take naps. They had a blast together! 

Oh my, little Landry is so darling! She is only two months older than Owen & Anson but seems so big with her walking around & saying words! We are looking forward to spending more time with all these sweet cousins.

The rest of us left behind relaxed outside, attempted to play Bananagrams but soon discovered it was too difficult with children (like Owen) who kept getting ahold of pieces & hiding them in his mouth. There was lots of chit chat & laughter, as expected with this group.

Aunt Sharon, Allison & Me

Amy Beth & her dad, Uncle Ron

While we played, they did too....just a different kind of game ; )

Jonathan taught Char how to use the remote control to throw the clay pigeons. She thought she was pretty important...and she was! I'm guessing it is not quite as fun if there is nothing to shoot at ; ) Apparently she was quite the comedian too with her most popular comment being "You missed again Dad" as she sat quietly on the bench & watched. Ha! She also spent lots of time drawing in the sand. I think she had a great time with the big people. 

Back on the range, once O&A were up from their nap they enjoyed watching the doggies through the fence. The chocolate lab is named Moose & is just about the cutest dog you have ever seen! I'm pretty sure that Anson thought I was imitating a cow when I would say "Moooose, Moooosie!" so he started doing his cow sounds too. Hilarious.

While we are on the subject of dogs I must share an Eloise story.  My cousin Allison brought over her shih  tzu named Coco & Elo was excited to have another four legged pal around. When we got home that night she was snuggled up in Grammy's lap telling her about the day. I overheard her tell Grammy that their were four dogs named Moose, Dakota, Jake & Ryder & one "yittle kitty" named Coco. Oh my goodness that made me laugh! She really thought Coco was a cat!!!

Anyway, back to babies...both boys practiced their standing skills which they have quickly perfected...

Our family minus Uncle Scott who was celebrating being a week past graduating with his MBA. We missed him & can't wait for his next visit to see us!

Me & the other birthday Lauren : ) 

Anson was happy to do some catching up with Uncle Kyle!

and all the lovely Loftin ladies....love how much they love each other!

So as the sun set, we loaded up our crew with the mounds of bags, pack n plays, high chairs, box fans & moseyed on home.  We were exhausted & all slept well that night to finish off a great birthday the best way I know how! My sleep was even better than usual as I rested comfortably on my new Tempur pedic pillow my mom & dad got me....oh my, loving that thing!

Sunday consisted of worship again at Stonegate followed by lunch, naps & then a special visit from Aunt Debbie & Uncle Joe. Rob cooked us up some delicious burgers & we finished off the meal with tasty cupcakes from Auntie Deb's kitchen. Uncle Joe did plenty of pushing the swing while Aunt Deb got comfortable in the sandbox.

One last picture, a gift in itself....

I love celebrating birthday after birthday with this man in my life. He has made me feel special in different ways every year & knows that it is truly a gift for him to pause & smile for the camera with me.

Mother's Day ~ leaning into something lasting

We sure love the time of year for planting! Again, it coincided with Mother's Day weekend and all were excited to participate. Well maybe not Bella...

Bella is living out the best part of her life in a backyard with lots of sunshine & shade, kids to chase around, squirrels to watch & plenty of things to sniff. We call her Bella-goat most often since she can be found nibbling on anything & everything that seems not edible.  Bella & Bennett got to live part of their puppy days (or months) in this very backyard. I wonder if she remembers it.  While on the subject of Bella, I must mention how it was strange to return to Texas with only one of the two dogs we left with six years ago. I know a dog is just a dog but man oh man, I miss Benners & I'm not the only one! The girls mention him at least once a day still, nearly 18 months later & if you ask Charlotte what she misses about Florida, one frequent answer is "Bennett." What a growing process for all of us but all that to say, I think Bella is quite content being an "only-dog" & enjoying life in Texas. 

Back to the planting & the planters....

Bob, the busy retired man we are thoroughly enjoying our time with these days had three framed out areas to plant in when we arrived. He & Robby took the girls up to Home Depot that Saturday morning & he let Char & Elo pick out what they wanted to plant in each garden plus plenty of beautiful flowers to brighten up the backyard.  They bought so much stuff that I had to drive the big red truck over to meet them since they were in the vehicle decked out with a million car seats! Once we arrived home, the girls we chomping at the bit to get started so we headed outside for a day full of sunshine.  Those are my favorite days.

They raked all the soil around which was a little dangerous when you know who (child #2) was in charge of the rake ; ) Charlotte & Eloise were so serious about their tasks though & stayed busy helping their Grandpa get everything planted! The list included but it not limited to tomatoes, corn, green beans, peas...I really can't remember what else.

Here is girlie pie #2 with the rake....sharp pointy part facing up....

The buckaroos took a good long nap & awoke ready to wrangle the duck in the backyard & take him for a ride! It made us laugh for quite sometime!

It is a rare occasion when I can get these two young ladies to smile together without making silly faces. Almost five & almost three? Wowsers! They really have a sweet relationship, love being together & are always so kind & loving with one another ; ) Aren't all relationships a work in progress? What a gift though to help these two love each other well & look forward to seeing them be not only sisters but close friends. Eloise loves the pink shirt she is wearing & insists that I snap the top snap....stylish!

At some point that afternoon I turned around from getting a baby in or out of the sandbox & almost fell over Charlotte who was beaming ear to ear. She said "Mommy, look what we planted for you! Happy Mother's Day!" & handed me the prettiest gray pot with a lovely pattern on it & purple flowers pouring over the top. It was beautiful but not even close to as beautiful as the sweet hearts behind that gift.  Eloise was acting like a puppy dog which is why she has a stick in her mouth ha! Too bad I am covering up that pretty little pot but at least the purple flowers can be seen.

That afternoon we had the pleasure of hosting our long time friends from our first few years living in Dallas. Andrew & Renata were in a couple small groups with us when we were all newly married. We spent many a night at our house or theirs' relaxing, sharing meals & great conversation.  They even drove with us when we moved to Orlando....quite a kind thing to do! While we were away they added Owen who is now four & Khloe who is two to their family & we could hardly wait to get together! Owen was in Brazil with Renata's mom so we missed out on the fun of a four year old boy BUT absolutely loved catching up with these three.

Papa fired up the pit so we could make some S'mores....YUMMY! The girls had never had them before & they loved them despite being super sticky. It made me want to get a camping trip on the calendar & then I remembered that the boys are still not walking & might be not very fun ; )

On Mother's Day morning, Robby let me sleep in till 8:15 which may not sound like sleeping in but I assure you, it was! He & the kiddos woke me up with some precious hand made cards with lots of scribbles & hearts. We went to worship at Stonegate Church which was not far from the Valentine's. It was odd to be the new people & was such a reminder of how important it is to be friendly & helpful when you don't recognize someone! Great service though followed by a quick run in for some Schlotzsky's sandwiches, a favorite of mine & lunch at home. We got some naps in before spending more time outdoors.

We celebrated with this amazing mother & grandmother who I stare at her holding Anson & feel like I have been transported to the early 1980's watching her with baby Robby! Jeannine has more energy than I do & has blown us away with her willingness to engage with our children.  It is a little peek into what she was like with two young boys.....no wonder they turned out so well : )

Owen & Grandpa were making silly faces at each other while Anson got some sugars from his Daddy.

Mother's Day this year, I was feeling pretty good compared to how I felt last year with two tiny babies, a one year old & a three year old. We looked back at that post & laughed remembering how exhausted we were! We are still pretty tired but are thinking it is more in relation to the transition we are experiencing right now since we actually get to sleep at night.  

I am so thankful for the opportunity to mother these four & in the day in & day out mundane tasks, God helps me to take a step back & remember the value of pouring my life out for another.  He reminds me that helping them know & understand the love He has for them is of utmost importance.  He reminds me that I can ask him for wisdom & see him provide. He reminds me that I am much like those little children who can't seem to hold it together through any given day. He reminds me that we are ALL in need of a savior. He reminds me that even though the days seem long, they are fleeting. 

As two little ladies water their little garden & marvel at the growth in just two weeks time, He reminds me that He is the one to make things grow. We  pray that in time we too will see the growth in four little hearts that are learning to trust Jesus more than anything else.  All this planting & growing talk reminds me of a song that gets stuck in my head often....seriously, my mind is like a Pandora station with much less continuity between tunes. The song I am thinking of is called "Planting Trees" by Andrew Peterson.  Robby originally found it & made me listen to it. I love the words....

We chose the spot, we dug the hole
We laid the maples in the ground to have and hold
As Autumn falls to Winters sleep
We pray that somehow in the Spring
The roots grow deep

And many years from now
Long after we are gone
These trees will spread their branches out
And bless the dawn

He took a plane to Africa
He gathered up into his arms
An orphan son

So many years from now
Long after we are gone
This tree will spread its branches out
And bless the dawn

So sit down and write that letter
Sign up and join the fight
Sink in to all that matters
Step out into the light
Let go of all that's passing
Lift up the least of these
Lean into something lasting
Planting trees

She rises up as morning breaks
She moves among these rooms alone
Before we wake
And her heart is so full; it overflows
She waters us with love and the children grow

So many years from now
Long after we are gone
These trees will spread their branches out
And bless the dawn
These trees will spread their branches out
And bless someone

This song is on a playlist that plays often during the day while the kids & I are just doing what we do every day.  When we were getting the house cleaned up to list before moving I had the girls busy with rags & windex against the massive sliding glass doors that were always ridden with precious handprints, snot & who knows what else. The boys were crawling around, pausing to watch their helpful sisters & then undoing the job that had already been done while I cleaned up the kitchen. That song came on & I stopped, looked around at Charlotte, Eloise, Owen & Anson & thought through the words.  My heart was full in that moment & in many moments. While we are "leaning into something lasting" we pray that  "many years from now, long after we are gone, these trees will spread their branches out & bless someone." 

Me & the four who made me mama...

God is continually working in our hearts whether we are mothers or hope to be, or suffer in the aftermath of a broken relationship between mother & child. I think often of the many mamas I have helped through labor & delivery only to wrap up their precious baby who has already died or will die in their mother's arms.  My heart aches for those longing to have a screaming baby in their home. I remember the sweetness of that sound after asking the Lord to provide for so long.

The latest family I am thinking of & praying for often is the Dennis family.  Robby & I share a couple mutual friends with this couple but do not actually know them. Their story is one of heartache & hope as they chose to carry their daughter Sophia to term knowing that she would not live for very long outside the womb due to a condition called anencephaly. She was born last September & spent ten hours being celebrated by her family & friends before she died.  Their suffering was great & shared very honestly through the blog Lindsey kept.  I was so excited to read the first snippet of a post less than a week after Mother's Day announcing they were expecting another baby but my eyes filled with tears as I continued to read.  Again, they received the news that their second child also had a condition that was not compatible with life outside the womb. Again, this couple has chosen to honor the value of human life and carry as long as the Lord sees fit.  Her last post is titled It.is.so.unfair. & will move you to tears along with help you understand the beautiful truth of the Gospel in suffering. Lindsey is one incredible mama to her precious babies & after hearing their story I hope that you too will join in prayer for them as they walk through another challenging pregnancy.