Bittersweet Visit

We got word last weekend that Cory's great aunt passed away.  Cory, Landry, and I had just visited her at Christmas and she was the sweetest lady you'll ever meet.  We made the decision, on short order, to head to Natchitoches to attend the funeral.  Now deaths can be very bittersweet.  We are, of course, sad that the person will no long be with us, and that we will not get to enjoy time together any longer.  But, if the person knows Christ, we rejoice that they will meet our Savior!  It's also bittersweet because funerals tend to be small family reunions.  If you haven't seen a family member in 10 years, the next time you will probably see them is at a funeral.  

For us, the visit was bittersweet because we believe Aunt Irene did know Christ, and we were able to take the opportunity to visit Cory's family for a few days.  We all had a great time hanging out with Nana, Poppy, Aunt Charlotte, and Aunt "Z".  And we even managed to get a picture of Nana and Poppy with the  "babygrands," as Nana calls them.

Aunt Irene, you were a beautiful, sweet spirit!  You will be deeply missed!

Has It Really Been That Long?

Yup!  Ten years ago I graduated high school, and this past weekend we had a reunion.  Now, when it comes to high school reunions, there are usually a few different camps of people.  Some people HATED high school and never want to have anything to do with it again.  They would not even think to step foot into their reunion.  Some people could take it or leave it.  They've made new friends and reuniting with old ones is not on the top of their agendas.  And some people are already thinking about the 10 year reunion the day they graduate high school.  They would not miss it in a million years.
  
I would definitely say I'm a part of that last camp.  However, when Cory was not going to be able to come with me because of work, I got a little nervous and thought about skipping.  I mean, how lame am I to show up to my reunion alone.  After all, high school reunions are to introduce your husband and show off your children, right?

Well, I had a couple of friends really encourage me to go, and I'm so glad I did.  The kids and I started out the day going to a birthday party for a friend's little boy.  Although Landry was in a very crabby mood, It was great to see some of my friends and their cutie-pie kids.  Later that day, we went to another friends house with even more people and their kids.  Seems like we've all been pretty busy since high school making little families.  That night was the BIG affair.  The DJ played music from our high school days.  It made us feel like we were at one of our dances.  The venue was decorated with memorabilia from our days at Barbe.  We all talked and laughed and had a great time catching up.  It was really a great night.  

Here are a few pictures.  These were taken by a friend's mom who was there.  I totally planned on taking tons of my own pictures, but got to talking so much I didn't take a single one. 

Deidra and Me

Tubby is not so Tubby any more.  Melissa looked beautiful!

I wonder what I was thinking in this picture?  Gotta love Candids. LOL

Sitting Tall

For the last week or so, Eli has been straining to sit up when we lay him down.  I always think it hurts him to sit up because he has such a plump little belly, but that is what he wants to do.  So today I decided to sit him up and let go, to see what would happen.  I'd say he did pretty well.  What do you think?

The Men in My Life

Today, I want to say Happy Father's Day to the Wonderful men in my life!
First, my husband:  You are a phenomenal Daddy!  The love you have for our children is so abundant, it could overflow onto 1000 more children and they'd still have plenty of love.  I absolutely love watching you and our precious kids interact and spend time together!  And I know our children will know they are loved by their heavenly Father because you have helped them to understand what a father really is.  I love you beyond belief, and I am proud that you are the father of my children!

Dad: You have been such an amazing Dad and PawPaw!  You were the spiritual leader of our family growing up, which has helped shape who I am today.  You have been a protector and provider, even when times were tough.  You were always more hardheaded than me, even if I didn't like it at the time.  You have encouraged me and pushed me to be my best.  And finally, I have never doubted how much you love me.  Thanks Dad for being you!  I love you!

Mr. Johnny:  Thank you for being a father to my husband and for teaching him how to be a great daddy. I know that Cory has always been able to go to you for anything, and that is so important to him and me.  You are also wonderful with our kids and we all love you deeply!

Saddle Up Your Horses

It's VBS this week at church!  Fun! Fun! Fun!  I am really enjoying my job as the photographer/videographer.  Cory has the daunting task of teaching 6th grade.....you know that really akward age where they are too cool for all that kiddie stuff, but just not quite old enough to do all the teenager stuff.  Our theme is Saddleridge Ranch, hence the title of my blog, so today I dressed the kiddos up to go along with it.  

The bad news is that I didn't get a good pic of Eli in his attire.  We attempted to, but the lighting was really bad and the pics just didn't come out.  However, we did a picture of Eli with his classmates

Aren't they cute.  I'm excited that both Landry and Eli are getting to be in "classes" this week, because it will really help them adjust to the nursery at church.  Eli hasn't had any problems, but Landry has struggled a little.  I'm proud to say, she did excellent today and she's excited about going back tomorrow.  

Sminning

Cory was off today, so we got to take the kids "sminning".  That is Landry's word for swimming.  I had actually taken them yesterday, by myself.  But i didn't get to take any pictures because I figured it was more important to stay close to the kids, and I didn't want to risk dropping my camera in the pool.  Eli LOVED the water.  He just laid back in his floatie and kicked his feet.  We all had a blast!

Instinct

It has always been amazing to me to observe the true maternal instincts that exist in women.  God intricately designed each of us to be able to care, love, and meet the needs of our children.  What's even more amazing is to watch this maternal instinct begin to form in the youngest of little girls.  I posted a blog and video a year ago, here, showing Landry's first signs of maternal instinct, and since her little brother has been born, the instinct has intensified.  A few days ago, I left Eli in Landry's room while I ran downstairs to take care of something.  Eli started to cry, and as I headed upstairs I saw Landry fly from her room to ours.  She quickly reached in Eli's bed and grabbed his monkey blankie and ran back to her room.  She then layed the blankie on him, ever so gently, and began to say, "What's wrong Eli.  It's ok."  My heart was definitely melting.  


Here she is feeding Eli.  When she is feeding him, she wants NO help.  Don't even think about touching the bottle. 

She's going to make an excellent mommy one day!