The rewards of motherhood

So I thought I would tell you about our dinner time banter tonight.

To give you some background story- I was trying to get dinner ready in the midst of a very dirty house (weekends lend themselves to that) while trying to get the boys to clean up their mess.  All the sudden I hear a crash and the lamp falls crashing on the floor and pieces of glass fly everywhere.  

So far this is but a typical evening.

Lets fast forward to dinner time.

We are all sitting around the table now. I made beans and rice and cornbread.

Charlie- "honey...this looks a little different than last time you made it." 

Annabella- "Yeah...It looks like POOP!"

Ezekiel and Malachi- "Yeah mom...yuckkk!!"

Me- **sigh**

Charlie- "guys don't talk like that...be polite..."

Malachi- "mom, next time you make this can you make it taste.......good?"

Annabella- *silently spitting out her food on the table*

And this is when Charlie and I just bust into laughter.  I mean, what else are ya gonna do?! 

The next hour is spent with me cleaning up our messy kitchen but my eyes are drawn to my charming husband and three little munchkins all on top of him laughing.  

Yes, if I am willing to see beyond the mess...beyond the chaos...beyond the noise... I find joy.  :)

"Dont feed the bear" :)

I get huge with all my pregnancies. I'm not sure why..okay maybe I have a slight idea why.. :) but in my defense it's like when my body starts creating a little life all of the rest of me just shuts down including my once very fast metabolism. at least that's what I tell myself. :) but then again it's mainly my belly that gets huge... It's like my baby's come out as small people rather than infants. Maybe you think I'm over reacting... Let me give four scenarios that have happened on the last 2 weeks

1. We were at chick fil a and the sweet little Chick-fil A worker asked me when I was due... actually I think her exact question was, "You must be due any day??!!" I smiled and said I still had 3 and a half more months.  She looked mortified but I reassured her that she really isn't hallucinating..I just get huge.  And no, she doesn't have to be worried about having babies someday cause I'm sure she would be in the majority of cute pregnant people that don't like 9 months pregnant at 18 weeks.  haha  :)

2. We were at the park and a mom of twins and I started chatting it up.  We started discussing children, potty training and your typical "mom park talk"...but it just had to be addressed...like a giant white elephant in the room (no pun intended...hehe)..she then said, "You must just be sooo ready to pop that baby out already?!"  I laughed and told her what I tell everybody... she then looked stunned.  She clearly could not hide her astonishment and blurted out, "and you're SURE you're not having twins??!!!"   Pretty sure lady!!  :)

3. And this last one is just a reaction from most people in the grocery store, Library, and everywhere else I go.  "Oh when are you gonna have that baby?" Then I respond.  "Oh you poor thing!!!"

4. I went in for my doctors appointment and first thing they make you do is weigh yourself.  Of course I practically get half naked in order to shed off as many ounces as possible. :)  I was pretty discouraged by the number but forgot what I was last time so thought I was maybe doing okay. But when I walked into that doctors office, his expression said it all. "Hmm..surely this is wrong." hahaha  never something you want to hear.  "It said you have gained __ pds (hey a girls gotta be discreet hehe) in 3 weeks...yes, we need to weigh you again..that just can't be right."  Of course...it was right. :)

So now that I am finally getting farther along I feel like a little more justified in my hugeness...that or I just have come accustomed to it.  It definitely helps now that little bit is moving all the time and the joy of knowing she's inside me absolutely out ways everything else!!!  Really though, it just makes me laugh.  Mommy-hood is such a precious, crazy, exhausting, and rewarding gift and I feel blessed (even in my hugeness) that I get to be apart of it!

This picture was taken around 20 weeks.  I tried to get my "good side". haha  

Annual Family Beach Trip

 This post is a little over due..(the next several will probably be).  We've just been busy and now that summer is in full swing I can barely find time to juggle laundry and dirty floors let alone being on the computer.  *sigh* Well, before the craziness of summer time we went on our annual family beach vacation with Charlie's family. This was our second year to Rosemary Beach in Florida and it was beautiful, of course! And as always be prepared for lots of pictures! :)

 This was one of our first nights.  We all went down to get pizza for mothers day and let the kids run around outside.  Silly pictures were the product :)

 I heart them.

 We went to get ice cream and somehow all of the other kids managed to keep clean but Ezekiel.  Oh Ezekiel. It's like he doesn't even feel it on his face.

 I guess we hadn't been to the pool in awhile (the mountains of North Carolina don't really lend themselves to year around pool weather) so Ezekiel was petrified to get near the water at first.  He would just sit on the stairs and watch; but when Charlie would try to carry him in, even with floats, he would begin to have a panic attack.  Poor kid.  I am very happy to say that from then until now he is WAYY better and actually loves the water!

 Malachi and Annabella were a different story.  They loved the pool from the second they got in and wanted to learn to swim right away.  Annabella was still a little un-sure of doing it all by herself but by the end of the week Malachi went from totally having to using his floats to pretty much swimming by himself!

 The boys insisted that Charlie teach them Trivial Pursuit.  What can I say?  Geniuses.  :)

 Annabella and her cousin Latham showing each other the latest cool apps. #TheNewGeneration

 Grandpa is always being attacked by all the kids..usually at once. :) 

 Ricki, Jaime and I.  My little belly is just starting to poke out! 

 Okay, so doesn't this kids look JUST like Ezekiel from the back!?!  It was so crazy!  I kept thinking it was him 

 The cousins collaborating to make a sand castle

 Now Uncle Nick and Grandpa join in :)

 My mom's good friend also has a house in Rosemary Beach so my family was there a couple of days while we were there as well.  We got to see my sister and meet her fun boyfriend Josiah.  The kids loved him right away cause he knew how to throw them across the pool...I guess that's a kid's love language.  :)

 Resting time  :)

 The boys chasing the waves

 Annabella very content enjoying a little quiet

 Charlie teaching the boys a little frisbee

 The two oldest cousins

 

 The daddies and grandpa took the kiddos in the water so us mamas could relax on the sand

 Lookin good as always :)

 One of the many attempts as a cousin picture..

 and then there's Ezekiel...

 :)

 he just can't ever be like everyone else...always has to stand out.  I love him.  

 We were out getting some ice cream and next thing I know Annabella has made her way to a table with a mom and her two daughters and was just chatting away!  I'm pretty sure she would have gone home with them. ;)

 My precious Malachi looking out to see if he can catch a glimpse of a shark.  On one of our last days we went to Gulf Marine Park- a fun place with dolphin shows and other fun things

 Ezekiel wanting to jump in but being held back against his will

 he will settle for a touch..  :)

 Malachi was having a hard time reaching one but with Charlie's help he finally could reach far enough

 the dolphin show

Another attempt at a cousin picture..it just doesn't seem to be in the cards this trip :)

As always it was so fun being able to hang out with Charlie's family at the beach!!!