Moments that melt my heart!

I don't want you confused by the title of this post. I do not want to paint some picturesque idea of life with three children and all that comes with that. Like the complaints of what I fixed for supper, or that I packed the wrong things for lunch, or maybe that I didn't get the laundry done fast enough. Because that is all well & true, and said around this home front. Those, I would like to go on the record, are NOT things that melt my heart. ;) But oh, in the moments when the very sweetest things are said and shared......I melt. Those heart melting things might include but are not limited to:

• "Mama, this is the BEST meal EVER!!!! Make this every night!" (For full effect, please hear that in the most demonstrative, Abshire-esque tone, at the supper table. 
• "I missed you so much while I was at school." 
• "I am sorry I was unkind and disrespectful. Please forgive me." 
• "Next year I start school, Mama. I am gonna miss you and you are gonna miss me. You're gonna cry. I'm gonna cry and we will be okay." Wow, that one made me cry. :') 
• As I tuck my almost teenager in, burrito style, my neck is grabbed and "I love you SSOOOOOO much Mama" is whispered so tenderly in my ear, I just want to hold on to that moment as long as I can. 
• Today, as a sleepy son rises from his nap, he crawls into my lap, "I just want to hug you, Mama, and never let go" I'm game!!!! :)
• Tonight, as I tuck them in bed, "I love you to the moon and back..." & huge hugs from my almost teenager, like she hasn't seen me in days, after a long day at school.

So I will take the melt your heart moments when they come. I now get it when I am complaining to a grandparent that they just smile and say, "I don't remember any of that. I just remember the good stuff." I love this "good stuff"!

Our Techno Boy!

Luke is growing up in an age of ever advancing technology.  He has only known that you can text, email,  or Skype people.  I know, if I had an iphone it would be Face Time, but that isn't the case.....yet.  He loves his games on Abbey or I's Kindle Fires & plays on any ipod or smart phone that people are silly enough to let him play on.  Boys are definitely different then girls....but is another post.
So, yesterday morning he was so excited to sing his Bible study song to me that he pulls his boom box from his room and brings upstairs so I can listen to him.  I am trying to dry my hair and get ready while he is doing all this.  I see his frustration starting to build while he is trying to start is good old fashion boom box with no success.  Finally he asked me, "Is there no wifi here Mama?"  I can't even correct his poor grammar at this time, I am laughing so hard.  My 5 year old boy thinks his boom box has a wifi problem when it is simply a power problem.  I turn the power button on for him & he proceeds to march around singing the walls of Jericho, Veggie Tale style!

Handsome!

As I was getting Luke ready for Bible study today, I told Luke we had to do his hair.  He had slept well on his hair! ;)   Upon his disapproval of me doing his hair, I showed him in the mirror how crazy it was!  He conceded to me fixing that crazy hair!  I showed him the finished product to which he replied, "Someone gonna say I am handsome!"  Insert one cute grin & you got warm fuzzies that melt my stinkin' heart!

Luke Builds A Bear

Luke was quite helpful this week with the purchase of a couple presents for friends. This Mama that rarely gets to the mall has been there three times this week!! I am done....insert towel throwing in here!!! :) Luke has been a trooper with all these trips. Upon our second trip into Build-A-Bear, in a week, he realized that he didn't have a bear. He stated this fact & his desire to both his Papa & Mama. He said he would love it, sleep with it, and it would go everywhere with us. Both our girls have a couple of animals from this great store. We were delighted when he showed interest in getting his first stuffed animal from us. I love this stuffed animal stage. Why can't we stay here?!?! So off to Build-A-Bear, during Christmas week, for Luke's bear. I am sure this is all part of his spoiled, golden boy, "Luke-gets-everything-he-wants" complex that his sisters complain of. Oh well, let's give them something to talk about....(I started singing that song in my head)....I am back! Here are some pics from Luke's own adventure in getting his very own bear!
Luke picked a camouflage bear. How "boy" is that? I love it!

After a few trips he was well acquainted with the procedure - filling the bear, picking a heart, doing a silly heart dance before inserting the heart, and sewing bear up.  Luke was very clear that he was not going to do a silly heart dance. I clued the bear maker in, who stilled tried to make him do the silly dance. I let the bear maker come to his own conclusions after several non-responsive requests. Upon receiving his heart being sewn up, Bear needs a bath to get the fuzzes off him!

I love this stuff. Third child, umpteenth bear, and it still gets me. I love stuffed animals. Hey, I don't have a Build-A-Bear!! I would choose a monkey, with sound & all! Missy Monkey needs to retire. She has lived a full & exciting life. Okay, back to Luke first bear.  Super clean Bear ready to roll!!!!
One cute boy with his very cute bear!

I look forward to many memories with our new little critter!
Fun times!

Little Handy Man

Luke is very creative in his time home with Mama, while the girls are at school.  This week, while I was wrapping presents and folding laundry, Luke comes in the laundry room and asks for a screw driver.  This in and of  itself is not unusual.  He likes to "fix" things around the house, "Like Papa!"  What was unusual was his third request for batteries.  Yikes!!!  All the "broken" toys that Luke had now work!  The sham is up....Luke has figured out what "broken" means - it needs batteries!!  Snap, it has become very noisy in that little boy's room!
Counting the moments until those toys "break" again.
I am sensing a shortage of batteries coming soon at the Abshire home front.

Simple Things

In this season where I feel the UPS man is almost my best friend & my neighbors watch the endless "smiling" boxes (aka Amazon) coming to my door, it brings me much joy to see the simple things that bring my little man happiness. He makes music with the bubble wrap that comes in those "smiling" boxes.

I love it! He reminds me to look for joy in the simple things.

"If you can find joy in the simple things,

you will really enjoy the extravagant,

but never need it! ~ Eric Simpson

Home Sweet Home

Luke says some pretty funny stuff, but one thing we don't want to forget is the saying he says as we pull into our driveway:
"Sweet home, sweet home!"
It is a sweet home!  :)

For the Love of Reading

This is the sight I walked into tonight, as I went to tuck girls in bed.  As one who LOVES to read and wanting so badly to impart the same love in my children, I about cried right there in their stinkin' doorway!  I got a grip on my swelling heart & just smiled at both of my babies reading away.  

Heck, I even gave them 20 extra minutes to read.

Love it!

Work Ethic & Funny Conversations

Chores, they are a given around this Abshire home. This not a new concept. The girls have been putting their dishes away since they were little. Cleaning up dog poop…..who wanted the dogs?! Ya’ll agreed to the terms in – article 2B of the “Contractual Agreement of Children Caring for Live Animals”, prior to Mama agreeing to have animals!! I try not to remind them that in Mama’s perfect world they would be on a ranch with a TON of chores; so really, don’t complain. Well, we are doing chores yesterday and Hopie wasn’t happy about things. Here is a peek at life around here:
• Mama: Hope, this is the third time I have had to ask you to clean up the poop.
• Hope: I did.
• Mama: Really Hope? Then why can I count three piles from where I am standing?
Note: We have three dogs now, but we won’t go there!!!
• Hope: SIGH
• Mama: Hope, when you have a job to do, you need to do it all the way & well. This is about work ethic, honey. Your boss isn’t gonna tell you three times. He’ll just fire you.
Note: I bite my tongue that I wouldn’t mind being fired some days!
• Hope: Well, I am not getting a job.
• Mama: Hope, how do you plan to pay for your home some day?
• Hope: I am gonna live here forever!!!
Hoping my face doesn’t look as torqued as it feels!!! Yikes! As for now, we will be working on work ethic in a BIG way!!!!!

Forgotten Love!

As I perused my blog today, at all the things that get recorded here, I smiled, laughed out loud, shook my head, & even got teary-eyed at some of the adventures that go on around this crazy Abshire home of ours. I realized how much I have missed blogging this stories, conversations, memories, and antics. It is a sort of therapy for this Mama! Not to mention our family loves to stay caught up on the chaos they get to miss! ;-) Blogging slowed down for me last year after we returned from our trip to Ohio. The daunting task of blogging the Ohio trip stopped me in my blogging tracks. But a year later, I am feeling a renewed vigor to catch this blog up! A friend once told me that if he didn’t get it blogged within 48 hours he wouldn’t blog it. Well I am feeling up to the challenge of bringing this blog up to date. Okay, we will not mention the type A personality that battles within me that likes things nice & organized……without holes! :) So hold on to your boot straps and get ready for a wild ride of past year of the Adventures in AbshireLand!

S'more Lovin'

There are things that are so simple, yet touch a heart so deeply.  Tonight was one of those simple things that warmed my heart so deeply.  My man surprised us with a cookout in the backyard.  The children had been asking to cook hotdogs & s'mores over a fire.  So Papa borrowed a fire pit from the Cobbs & set to work on making a fire.  I tell you, that man can make a fire better & faster then any man I know.  I love watchin’ him!  Smoke, sparks, fire……now we’re cookin’!  The children had a blast cooking hotdogs over the fire.  Mama loved the smell!  On to dessert, s’mores is one of our favorites.  Of course we have to burn some of the marshmallows.  What child doesn’t enjoy the taste of a charred marshmallow?  Plus it is so fun to watch it burn, then try to blow it out!  What fun!  The reason it touched my heart was the thoughtfulness put into the adventure, by my man.  He had had a long day yet wanted to do this simple act for his family.  He knew the children would love to cook out & knew his woman loves the smell of a fire.  It was a sweet time for all of us!

Look at that fire....woo dawg!



Good times!

My man made me the perfect s'more!

Simply sweet!

Play Time



Luke rounding up his animals



Never a dull moment

I Stink!

We love the library!  These two books have been staples in our book checkouts!  I STINK, is a great book that teaches the alphabet.  I have read it to all of the children's classes when they were in first grade.  I will probably read it to Luke's too.  Everyone giggles when we come to "P" for "puppy poo"! 

Why does potty talk always crack us up?

Hillbilly Grotto

I suggest you put this idea in your boredom busters bottles!  The children were looking for ways to stay cool & wet.  They failed to mention that they were feeling like they wanted spa treatments!  People pay big bucks for this sort of thing!  Hey, I say just add water & watch what happens! :)

Buddies

Luke & Nathan

These two boys have a blast together. This morning they ran around the stables together checking out the horses, riding on tractors (for pretend), & playing in the dirt. They were too cute.

The Price of Happiness

Yes the title of this post & even the picture is a little misleading. If you are sitting back, wagging your finger, and clucking your tongue at me right now, well, just keep it up. There is ample material in this family for you to sit back and shack your head at; trust me on this one, I live here! Luke was having a fussy morning and his communication with me can get him very frustrated. I think he has been talking to his Papa too much about me, but we won’t go there. Anyway, back at the ranch, Luke wants ALL the suckers. I, trying to be a “good” mama won’t let him have all of the suckers. That would make him sick! Turns out, he just wanted to “hold” them. That is just what he did. He ate one, but just had to hold all the others. Gee, I have no idea where he would get this controlling nature from!!!! Let me think…….. :-P

Pioneer Woman Wanna Be

I am totally addicted to the Pioneer Woman's website. It could be that she is livin' a life I would LOVE to live, or maybe it is the kitchen she has to create killer recipes, or maybe it is because she gets to live in wide open spaces with country & cattle surrounding her, or maybe seeing her whole family horse back together working cattle, or that her man gets to work in wranglers everyday! Heck, just pick a reason, it doesn't matter. She is the reason I have to repent of coveting on a regular basis! Anytime I need to cook something now, I consult Pioneer Woman to see if she has done it, before I look anywhere else. I consult her first because, I know she has tried & perfected what she puts on her website. Secondly, she makes it "idiot-proof" with pictures. There is nothin' like someone holdin' your hand through a new recipe. Her photos offer a sense of security through uncharted recipes! Which brings me to the most fabulous cinnamon rolls ever.....according to me. My girlfriend needed cinnamon rolls for the teachers & parents for the first day of school. I knew exactly what to do, Pioneer Woman here I come. As I cooked I got so engrossed in my imitation of her that I even had to take pictures (on my point & shoot camera). She would've been proud! They say imitation is a form of flattery, so there you have it!

I am a Pioneer Woman Wanna Be!

I wonder if they have a support group for this addiction!

Dot Dot

I love to laugh at myself. I am glad I do,

because I give myself plenty of opportunities for such laughter!

Today's outburst of laughter was contributed to my

"dot dot" moment.

I was trying to type something up with my girlfriend/better part of my brain, when I suggested we put a "dot dot" there. My sweet & gracious girlfriend never missed a beat, we kept right on working. Then my "dot dot" comment caught up with my brain. There is a lag time, that I wish wasn't present, but work with whatcha got! So the laughter starts....dot dot.....that would be a colon! Oh my!

:

The colon (:) is a punctuation mark consisting of

two equally sized dots (dot dot)

centered on the same vertical line.

I've always thought that a big laugh is a really loud noise

from the soul saying, "Ain't that the truth." ~Quincy Jones

Go have a "dot dot" moment for yourself!

Cut, Color, & Fun

I love getting my hair cut & bleached for so many reasons. I get my full vision back, due to the fact it had been impaired by the bangs I let get too long. I get texture back by bleaching it, not to mention my man loves me blonde ~ yes, he would love me as a brunette, but heck, blondes have more fun (so they say)! Also, when we get together my girls are thrilled because that means the get to see their very good friends. Ok, so returned vision, texture/blonde, buddy time, and last but my absolute favorite reason I love to get cut & colored is time with Debbie. Debbie was a hairdresser for over 30 years and finally stopped doing hair. She has continued to do mine for the sheer fact that I am a “pity” case! She feels sorry for me & can’t stand to look at me with a bad cut. I have NO problem being her “pity” case. We have the sweetest time when we get together. We share coffee, stories, struggles, Jesus, and laughter every time we get together. It is a cherished & precious time for both of us. Not to mention a source of pride for Debbie as she steps back & looks at the masterpiece she pulls off with this hair of mine! I am so thankful she took pity on me.
The girls getting to play with their buddies!

Love these girls.

Luke taking P-Nut for a spin! Yikes~He is so handsome!

Luke takin' Mama for a spin! Yee-haw! Sit down, hold on, & shut up!

I love this time!

Dodger Town & Wild Rides

My man loves the game of baseball. He isn’t just a nonchalant spectator but a serious lover of the game! He will go at any given opportunity. Well tonight was one of those opportunities. He had four tickets in some awesome seats for a Dodger game. We called up our buddies the Cobbs and made a date. Grandma Kay was available to babysit the grandchildren & off we went.
There is just something about being at a ballgame. The crowd, the energy, the Dodger dogs……. We had a blast. The game was excellent and had you on your feet several times. I love games like that! Stand up sit down fight, fight, fight……oops, wrong sport! Take me out to the ball game……that is more like it! :D
So as we head home from LA, I have learned to just hold on, sit back & SHUT UP when my man is driving! He knows what he is doing, so let him drive woman! I just pray I am living right and we get home safe! ;-P
Well, Aaron's driving was not the only exciting part of our trip home. We call to check on the children and find out about another wild ride that happened. Can you guess……….
Yep, Hope! Somehow she managed to run over herself in the golf chart at Mom’s. We will save the “fabulous” (there is that word again) details for another post ~ see Adventures of Indestructible Hope!!! We will tease you with a picture of the shirt she was wearing when the ride took place!

WOW, is all I can say!