Eight Years.

Eight years ago today Buck and I were married.  EIGHT YEARS!!!  I know to my "more senior" readers out there (i.e., family members) eight years of marriage doesn't seem like that long.  But, to this thirty-year old, eight years seems like a long time.  Where did those years go?  They literally flew by.  I wish I could bottle up the time and hang onto it, but life just doesn't work that way.  Instead, we get to make wonderful memories and laugh about the funny times.  In our case, we often laugh about just how young we were when we got married.  We were twenty-one when we got engaged and twenty-two when we wed.  What were we thinking?  We didn't know much about life, and certainly didn't know what it truly meant to be married.  But, as the saying goes, when you know, you know.  And we knew.  While we had a lot of growing up to do on this side of the altar, we got to do it together, as a team.  And that's what's made the past eight years and all the growing up so joyful.  I know we've still got growing up to do and life lessons to learn, but there's no one I'd rather have along for the ride.

While the Cat's Away.

The mice (mouse in our case) will be tended to by his grandparents.  While Fawn was undoubtedly spoiled and showered with love at home in Birmingham, Buck and I enjoyed this view from our Sandestin balcony:

We were lucky enough to combine a little work (continuing legal education -- definitely as exciting as it sounds) with some R&R.  It was long overdue, and we enjoyed every moment.

The always slighlty akward self photo.

Summer's Here.

I know not officially, but it's 90 degrees outside and school is out.  In my book, that means summer has arrived.  How to pass the hot days and keep a two-year old thoroughly entertained?  Funny you should ask -- my aspirational "to-do" list follows (I figured if I posted it on my blog, I would feel more compelled to follow through and take pictures documenting our fun).

1. Lake Martin
2. Gulf of Mexico
3. Gardendale Splash Pad
4. Pepper Place Saturday Market
5. Swimming at my grandparents' house
6. Catching Lightening Bugs
7. Ice Cream Man
8. Baseball Game
9. Sprinkler in the Yard
10. Blueberry Picking
11. Fountains at Zoo
12. Sculpture/Fountain at Botanical Gardens
13. Imagination Lab at McWane
14. Watching Fireworks
15. Fishing
16. Summer Reading Program at Library
17. Doodles Italian Ice
18. Veterans' Park in Spain Park
19. Hiking Trail in The Preserve
20. Trussville Park
21. Veterans' Park in Leeds
22. Turkey Creek Preserve
23. Backyard Garden

Basically, let's see if we can have as much fun as last summer (a few of my favorite memories below):

Just Can't Get Enough.

Have I mentioned before that Fawn is obsessed with tractors?  Of course I have -- aside from mommy, daddy and the dogs, I would put tractors right up there with the loves of Fawn's life.

One of our friends has this awesome excavator in her sandbox.  Fawn's only played with it once, but he was hooked.  If we ever got one for our house, I'm not sure we'd have enough M&M's to lure him inside at the end of each day.  (In our house, if all else fails, bribery by M&M's is always an option -- and generally successful, though Fawn has started negotiating the number and colors of M&M's he receives.)

And then there's the old tractor in the Children's Zoo at the Birmingham Zoo.  No matter what, we always make a stop at the tractor when we visit the zoo.  Fawn is convinced that if he keeps "working on it" he's going to get it fixed.  So we keep trying.  Because a boy's got to dream.

Obsessed with Pajamas.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure that out by looking at the pictures on this blog.  Fawn would wear pajamas 24/7 if Buck and I would allow it.  He loves them -- "they awe so soft" he says to us.  He even mixes and matches so he can wear part of two sets at the same time.  Funny kid.  We always let him play in his pajamas until we leave the house in the morning (or go outside to play), and he absolutely will not nap without changing into his pajamas first.

He has been known to....

mow the grass in pajama bottoms

chainsaw our stairs in pajamas

literally live in pajamas when we were without power for three days (here he is watching cartoons on his "little movie", in the dark, while trying to get over an ear infection -- poor buddy!).

Homemade Popsicles.

Fawn loves popsicles -- one of our favorite ways to pass the time between Fawn's dinner time and Buck's arrival at home is to sit on the front porch and eat a popsicle (while counting cars, looking for birds and squirrels, and anticipating the arrival of Fawn's hero, of course).  And, Fawn loves to cook -- especially if it involves a loud appliance (my stand mixer, food processor, and blender are all sufficiently noisy to excite him).  Enter, the homemade popsicle.

1 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla -- if you use plain you will likely need to add some confectioner's/powdered sugar to the end product to sweeten)
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup frozen berries

Combine in blender and blend.  Makes 4 popsicles.  Super-easy, super-fun activity, and pretty healthy snack.  It was a huge hit in our house.

Messy face, happy boy.

(Almost) Lost in Translation.

Fawn is quite the talker.  His vocabulary is impressive for a toddler, and he generally uses the correct words for items.  But he's still managed to give a few items his own "name".

wheel drive = steering wheel
weed weeder = weed eater
mow grass = lawnmower
little movie = portable DVD player
home books = books that do not come from the library/books that he owns
new books = library books 
(He specifies whether he wants to read home books or new books when we read.)
farmers market cheese = any block of cheese (as opposed to sliced cheese or cheese sticks)

I'm sure there are more where these came from.  It's funny how little minds work -- happy translating!

Trails of Africa.

We love the Birmingham Zoo!  Fawn loves it, and mommy loves it too.  It is about ten minutes from our house, and let me tell you, we get every penny out of the family membership we purchase each year.  I try to schedule in one zoo outing a week.  That may seem crazy or like overkill, but we have such a fabulous zoo that it's never a boring outing.

If you live in Birmingham, you'd have to be living under a rock to not know that the zoo's newest exhibit (Trails of Africa) opened Easter weekend.  If you haven't been, take the kiddos asap.  It really is fabulous.  Fawn not only loves all of the animals included in the exhibit, but also the play area (for us, the zoo isn't just about the animals, Fawn considers it a super-cool playground).  The highlight though is, of course, the elephants:

The Daddy Prayer.

Sweet Fawn now requests what he calls "the daddy prayer" (in his words "da daddy pwaw") before going to bed at night.  He's requesting the Lord's Prayer, but in his head I guess because the prayer starts with the words "Our Father", Fawn has decided to title it "the daddy prayer."  Sweet thing.

I've been saying the Lord's Prayer (along with a couple other prayers) to Fawn each night as I put him to sleep since he was an infant.  But, I guess I never stopped to explain that it was called the Lord's Prayer.  And, I'm not sure trying to explain now would make much sense to a two-year old.  So, for now, we'll stick with "the daddy prayer."

Gone Fishin.

My brother and sister-in-law gave Fawn a fishing pole for Christmas.  He loves it and thinks it is without a doubt the most awesome toy he owns.  He loves to fish, and has also started using the fishing pole as a sort of general use "weapon" -- pointing it at things as if to shoot, swinging as a sword.  Lovely, I know.  But, it keeps him entertained . . . that is until the fishing line gets tangled and leads to a near meltdown.  For this reason, Buck has vowed that when the gift givers have children themselves, this toy will be passed down to them -- so they can enjoy not only the smiles and joy but also the frantic untangling.  For now, though, Fawn's very happy the fishing pole is his.

Blurry, I know -- but hope you can sense the excitement.

Fishing off the back of Buck's pick up truck.

Got it!

Happy Mother's Day!

To my precious son who let's me have the best job in the world -- being his mommy -- thank you so much for all of the love and joy you bring to my life!

And to the wonderful daddy and husband who is absolutely amazing in both roles, thank you for everything you do for our family!  We appreciate you and love you.

Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day with family!  I am so blessed by all of the mothers in my life -- most importantly my mom, mother-in-law, and grandmothers.  Thank you for loving me and for teaching me how to be a mom.

The Big Compromise.

Being from the south and having strong collegiate sports alliances, determining in advance of Fawn's birth his alliances was a serious compromise in our house.  Perhaps because we are both lawyers, we take the art of negotiation fairly seriously.  Somewhat ridiculous, I have to admit, but definitely better than arguing!

Buck grew up a huge Alabama fan and went to college and law school at Alabama.  So there is no doubt who he pulls for, always.  I was raised a huge Auburn fan but went to college at the University of North Carolina and law school at Alabama.  I liken myself first to be a UNC fan, and second to be an Auburn fan.  And, after having spent three of the best years of my life in Tuscaloosa, I genuinely want Alabama to win when not playing my first or second teams.  Basically, I'm a college football fan.  And since I can't frequent UNC games, and Buck won't set foot in Auburn, I'd rather be in the Alabama stands cheering with Buck than missing out on college football altogether. 

Really there was no doubt in my mind that we would raise Fawn to be an Alabama football fan.  I want him to have the same wonderful family, fall weekend experiences that I had as a child.  I really am ambivalent about the colors on the jerseys.  But, I wanted Buck to have some alliance to UNC -- so whether he likes it or not, he is officially being raised as an Alabama football fan and a UNC basketball fan. And he's got the gear to prove it:

One Week.

It's only been one week since the devastating tornadoes ripped through the south, destroying countless lives, homes, and towns in their wake.  It seems like a life time ago in many ways.  I wanted to share the message of the devotion I did last Tuesday night -- the night before the landscape of Alabama changed.  It was such a perfect message to receive on the eve of terrible destruction.  And, so ironic to receive this message and this time.  I'm working my way through a devotion book I've had for years, but until January hadn't picked up.  It's called "Our Daily Bread", and I remember purchasing it when I was in college (years ago!).  Last Tuesday's devotion focused on Job 42 and discussed disappointment with God, or rather why we should never be disappointed with God.  It said in part:

God's existence, even His love for me, does not depend on my good [circumstances]. . . . He is bigger than life in His power, wisdom, and goodness (Job 42:1-6).  Troubling circumstances are no reason to become troubled about the character of God.

I have read the prayer included in the devotion many times in the last week:

Lord, I am often surprised and sometimes confused by the twists and turns my life takes.  As a result, I am never quite sure what You are trying to accomplish.  So all I know to ask is this: May I always cooperate with You by responding to my circumstances with the attitude and behavior that gives You the most room to work.

So Proud.

Like many of you, I've been glued to the television and newspaper coverage of the devastation in our state.  And, I couldn't be more proud of Alabama and Alabamians.  I know that Alabama often finds itself as the punchline of national jokes.  And, I also know that we have much in our history that is shameful.  But, this week the world is seeing a different side of our state -- a side that all of us who live here and love it know. 

The God-fearing, God-loving, God-trusting side.  The "love thy neighbor as thyself" and "do unto others" side.  The confident, courageous, determined side. 

We've been through the wringer in the last few years -- Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Katrina, the BP Oil Spill, and now this.  And, we keep bouncing back and moving forward by the grace of God and with total faith in God.

And while the pain and trauma of this last week is still raw and overpowering, we are sending a message to the country and the world even in our fear and grief.  That God is in control.  That He brings the storms and He calms them.  That we trust Him.  This message of trust and hope in God rings clear in every interview of an Alabamian I have seen on the national news.  What a moment of witness!