yep...he's just 10 now

and just like that i have a 10 year old.
i give myself one day of reflection.
of depression.
of disbelief that i have a 10 year old.
then that's it.
someone asks how old my kids are, it's 10, 7 and 3.
and gosh...i can't even begin to describe how much i love this kid.
seriously....look at the picture.
don't you just want to squeeze him?!?
ok...maybe it's just me.
:)

on having small children...

i love being a mom. LOVE it. i love the chaos and seeing life through the eyes of a child.
BUT...i also love being a wife and a friend and a daughter and a sister and on and on.
sometimes when you have small children, those other things seem to get pushed to the back burner.
as my children are getting older, it is much easier to wear those other hats. but there have been several years in my recent past where i felt like i was just MOM.

as i think about having 3 young kids, i think the hardest part is that you don't want to burden anyone by asking them to take care of them. and you can't really afford a sitter for a weekend so you can have some time with your husband, or your friends or whatever.

all my siblings and paul's siblings are in this same stage of life right now. so i decided this summer i wanted to give them the opportunity to GO do something without the responsibility of kids for 48 hours. i didn't want them to have to ask anyone to watch their kids. i didn't want them to feel any guilt. just a relaxing 48 hours.

so i came up with a plan. and i call it CAMP CASSIE. and it starts today. :)
i have planned a full schedule of events for all my iowa nieces and nephews. (so sad bode and boone can't be here!) they start arriving this afternoon. macy, hadley and drew are coming with my recruited camp "counselor", donna (paul's mom)! and sean is bringing tate. i have the schedule up on the chalkboard and i'm heading out for groceries right now. jennie is going to kansas city and lisa, tony, erin and luke are going to okoboji.

and WE will be here swimming, hiking, playing and eating. (and after the kids are in bed at night we will also be drinking wine.! ha!)
i'm SO excited. i can't wait to have this time with all the kids, but i'm also just really excited that my siblings get a weekend. it's like when you know you got the perfect gift for someone for their birthday. you just can't wait for them to open it! that's how i feel today. excited!!

so you probably won't hear much from me this weekend. and if you see a caravan of cars heading to wild cat den, that would be us. say a prayer for us! :)
happy weekend!

lots-o-tomatoes

Better start studying up on canning!

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brigg...10...st. louis...bad blogger

ok.
i'm turning into a bad blogger.
it's summer.
i'm starting to panic.
it kind of feels like NESTING.
i know full-time work days are coming SOON and i want to be prepared.
i want my house to be in order.
like the cleanest and most organized it's ever been.
ya know...start off on a good foot.
i want to soak up every single second with the kids because these moments will be fewer come august.
so blogging has taken a back burner.
but i also know that i love to go back and look at posts and read stories that i had forgotten.
i LOVE the blog.
my kids will love the blog one day, too.

so one major thing i neglected to blog about much is brigg's trip to st. louis with my sister and her family.
they made a big deal about his 10th birthday.
they surprised him with a 2 night trip to st. louis.
cardinals tickets.
children's museum.
zoo.
old spaghetti factory.
HUGE surprise.
we didn't tell him until they PICKED HIM UP to leave.
it was so fun.
and they had a blast.
you can read more about it on her blog.
they are awesome.
and my kids are so so lucky to have AMAZING aunts and uncles surrounding them.
everywhere they turn, they are there.
blessed.
blessed.
blessed.

Double Digits

A decade

It’s official.

As of today, Brigg, you have been on this earth for a decade.

That doesn’t seem possible!

(photo taken the day you came home from hospital, 2001)

10 years ago today, you made me a mother and my life has never been the same.

I remember hearing “It’s a BOY!” and the tears started flowing.

One of the best days of my life.

(9 months)

You are a gift. I felt it that day and I feel it even stronger today.

As we age, your dad and I agree that there are fewer and fewer things that we know 100%...without a doubt.

But one of the things that we are certain of is our love for you and your sisters.

It never waivers.

It grows deeper each and every day.

(5 years old)

You have shown us grace as we try and parent you…our first born…our only son.

You have taught us how to forgive and how to love deeply.

You have an excitement for life that we adore and a passion for people that is so unique.

Today our prayer for you is this…

That you grow to be a man of God. That you chase after Him with passion and zeal. We pray that you continue to have that confidence and zest for life but that it is balanced with humility and compassion. That you know we will love you no matter what.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com
(6 years)

(June 2010)

And we also pray that we don’t smother that fire in you.

The one that spurs you to ask a million questions and beg to do crazy things.

That we encourage you to grow in your faith and are examples of the traits we so deeply want to develop in you.

I pray that today, and always, you feel from the depths of your being that as a child of God, a son and a brother…

You.

Are.

Loved.

With all the we are, Buddy, we love you.
Happy happy birthday to you.
(sniff sniff...)