A Fork...

Put one in me...I am done. I give up. I've checked out. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. Not spiritually...thankfully!

This week has been "offensive" as my colleague stated at 7 a.m. this morning.

7 conference calls (with 7 agendas and 7 different sets of notes) with 7 different clients in 7 different states in 5 days. My brain hurts. PS...these conference calls are like 7 different final exams with two CEOs -- the CEO of my company and my client --usually the CEO of his firm. Talk about stress. Pass or Fail baby...and have I mentioned the mile long list of things I get to do after these calls?! And oh, can't forget to mention the large conference we have next week with 40 clients made up of very smart, intelligent people that can't seem to figure out how to book a room before the guaranteed room block (with guaranteed rate) goes off. And then pitching a fit when they can't get a room because the hotel is sold out because they managed to ignore all 15 of the emails we sent reminding them of the approaching deadline. Yep...officially. over. it.

Dude, I'm done.

I have to brag though. My dear sweet husband is amazing. He's picked up my slack for this week. I owe him. Big time. And, he's done it without complaining. It goes back to that thing about knowing each other so well. He knows when to push and when not to push. He didn't push this week. His manly intuition must have kicked in and told him to "Just Do It Without Complaining" vs. "Just Do It and Complain. A Lot." I need to remember this next time he asks me to do something for him!

So!

It's been fun. Really. No. Really. Let's PLEASE do this week again soon. Seriously?!

Peace. I'm Out. Put a fork in me. I'm done.

Chasity

PS...So thankful to have a really great job with a really great company! Not complaining. Really. Just done.

Fall, Autumn, Indian Summer...

It's all the same...beautiful!

Fall and Spring are my two favorite seasons. Don't get me wrong. I love the snow during the Winter and the pools during the Summer, but my favorite times are Fall and Spring.

I truly believe God gave us "Seasons" so we wouldn't get tired of the same thing all the time -- hence the reason I don't live in "South Florida." I mean, I love the Summer, but being hot all the time and having to stay inside or at the pool gets old after a while. I love the winter, the smell of fireplaces going, but I get tired of being trapped inside all the time...hence the reasons we have Fall and Spring -- I can be inside and outside!!!!

I love the crisp air.
I love the change of leaves.
I love the new "scents" that take over outside and inside.
I love the activities -- football in the Fall, baseball in the Spring.
I love changing up the fashion statements.
I love the excitement that gets in the air.
I love the holidays that go along with both.
I love taking walks in the mountains (miss the beaches, but love the fall colors in the mountains).
I love that my birthday/anniversary/Thanksgiving all fall within four days of each other.
I love changing up my house decorations...yep, that's my window for Halloween:

I love that my puppies stay cooler and not as hot.
I love that I can cook in a crockpot.
I love cooking Thanksgiving lunch.
I LOVE the foods that go along with Fall -- apples this, apples that...
I love the colors -- rich, vibrant colors.
I love dressing my children up in "fall" outfits and special outfits for special occassions.
I love pumpkin patches, hayrides and outdoor bonfires.
I love the new TV shows.
I love the "routines" that seem to happen in the Fall.
I love that I get to see my family in the Fall.
I love taking pictures with my family in the Fall.
I love seeing my children get all excited about school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas.
I love the stories of the Fall seasons: Ghost, Pilgrims, Jesus...

It's hard for me to find something I don't love about Fall. I love Fall!!!! It's awesome. It's beautiful. It's one of God's many beautiful thoughts and creations!

Fall is the time of year that makes me even more Thankful. Here's a song we sing at Thanksgiving (to the tune of "Are you Sleeping? Are you Sleeping?...")
We are Thankful,
We are Thankful,
For our Family,
For our Family,
We are thankful for our Friends,
We are thankful for our Friends,
Thank you Jesus.
Thank you Jesus.

TRULY BLESSED to be able to watch God's beauty in action during the Fall season,
Chasity

PS...Looking forward to Sept. 21st...Fall officially arrives:)

A Moment...

If you give a Mom a moment (particularly me), here's some of the things I might do:

Sleep
Sleep
Sleep
Did I mention...Sleep?!

And, I might even:

• Enjoy a moment of silence.
• Just enjoy loving on my family, without thinking about everything I have to do.
• Take the time to think of all the wonderful things my husband does for our family vs. remembering all the not-so-great things.
• Think of all the ways I could be a better Mom and Wife -- I need more than a moment to actually accomplish this.
• Think of all the things I want to do for others, just to be nice -- ditto above.
• Spend time thanking GOD for EVERYTHING, instead of just thanking him for a few things.
• Read a book (without carrying on two conversations while reading the book).
• Read a magazine and do some of the cute "do-it-yourself" things they say I can do.
• Catch up on old DVRd episodes (this includes watching anything BUT Disney Channel).
• Talk on the phone without shouting "hush" a million times.
• Run errands without feeling the urgency to return so quickly.
• Window Shop!
• Keep a clean house.
• NOT do laundry or toilets.
• Get a pedicure/manicure.
• Organize my pictures.
• Download all my digital pictures to discs for safe-keeping.
• Dust all my pictures:)
• Not feel guilty about neglecting something I have neglected.
• Eat dinner...peacefully without saying, "Cheeks on the Seat."

The list could go on and on...

Of course, the mission didn't say: what would Mom's do if they had a ton of money...I'm fairly convinced my list would be even longer if that was the case...

In the meantime, I've got to stop thinking about what I would do if I had a moment, because my moment is up...have to put two children to bed.

I must admit, I wouldn't trade any of the above for the fact that I am a Mom to two beautiful, crazy little boys!!!

TRULY BLESSED to be a Mom!

Chasity

Christmas...in September?!

Scary...I'm already thinking about Christmas! YIKES!

Apparently though, I am not the only person in my household already thinking about Christmas. Peyton already has his Christmas list done. In fact, he had it done in August. And boy, does Christmas keep getting more and more expensive.

In fact, this year, Santa has said..."Only three presents." Of course, I think he says that every year, and then he gets all into the spirit and forgets.

This year...HE MEANS IT. Three presents for each child, so they better make it good!

I, of course, am not thinking about presents (for me anyway...I'm always thinking about what to get others)...no, I am thinking about Christmas cards, wrapping paper, house decorations...all the stuff that I obsess about in making our house "feel" Christmassy. Every year, this becomes more and more of an ordeal. An obsession...

This year is no different. Two years ago, when I worked at Pottery Barn Kids, I obsessed and bought all PBK stuff for our house. Last year, I learned that you really do need a different wrapping paper for the Santa presents b/c kids are smarter than I was at the same age. This year, I'm obsessing over the Christmas cards. Last year, I chose the outfits, then tried to find a card I liked...took FOREVER. This year, I said I would find the card then choose the outfits. Did I do that. No! Did I pick the outfits, do the pictures. Yes...Do I still need to find a card. YES! Am I making this year any easier...of course not.

Well, anyway...Christmas is three months away and I feel it closing in. BUT, I am going to try to enjoy all the wonderful holidays in between now and Christmas...Halloween (and the neighborhood Saturday Social at our house), Disney World, Wedding for Chris and Jody, my dreaded 35th birthday, Thanksgiving (my favorite besides Easter) and our 10 year Wedding anniversary...so much going on that Christmas needs to wait its turn! Seriously!

So, here's a sneak peek at our Christmas cards...just a sneak peak!

(Not the best picture out of the bunch, but I only promised a sneak peek...not the best picture sneak peek!!!)

TRULY BLESSED each and every day, but I think I need to slow down and enjoy the ride a little...

Chasity

PS...Every year I say I am going to have Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving. And every year it doesn't happen!

Scaredy Cat...

Inspired by a blog my friend Kim turned me onto, I am going to take Mama Kat's "Assignment" and write a blog about "Scaredy Cat"...

This particular "Scaredy Cat" is my 4 year old, Palmer Bailey. He loves to swim...with swimmies on. Try to take them off, he panics. Try to move him off the entry stairs of the pool, he panics. Try to get him to jump in or get his head wet, he panics.

UNTIL...last Thursday!

All Summer long, he has not gotten his head wet. We spend A LOT of time at the pool...not one day did he even try to get his head wet. So last Thursday was a HUGE step in little man's life. For whatever reason, he was in the big bathtub (somehow my jacuzzi tub has become the boys bathtub...still trying to figure out how that happened -- sorry, I digressed), when all of a sudden he decided to stick his head under the water. Over and Over and Over again. Of course, you would have thought he scored a perfect SAT score the way we were cheering for him.

So, as we were in the pools in Destin this weekend, little "scaredy cat" disappeared. He was putting his head under the water...even in the beach (which I had to warn him not to open his eyes since Salt Water burns). Then he got braver and went into the Lazy River by himself. Then he got even more brave and went into the hot tub (without swimmies). Then, before we knew it...he was SWIMMING! Yep, head and body under water swimming back and forth between my Mom and I. I KNOW...my little scaredy cat turned in a full-fledged fish!!! How ironic.

(Palmer with his head/body under water)

(On the Lazy River by himself)

Just like learning to walk. Learning to talk. Potty training. Giving up the Night Night (pacifier). It happens. In a blink of an eye, fears go away and they grow up.

TRULY BLESSED to be able to experience all these beautiful, important moments in my children's life. I can't begin to imagine missing any of it...

Chasity

PS... Just like Palmer, I learned to swim in Destin/Ft. Walton Beach when I was four.An oh, today is 9.9.09 -- how cool is that??

Too Old...

(Perfect Picture to describe our beach photo sessions)

I'm too old to pretend I'm young.

I can't do the things I used to do. I can't do the things I used to do, because things are no longer just about me. I have 3 other peeps in my house that require my attention, actions, brain power and more...

Going to Florida and back in 4 days with a family of four is just more than I can handle. From now on, if it's not for a minimum of 5 days, I'm not going! Really. I. Mean. It.

Packing, shopping, preparing, loading, planning all on my own is too much. Leaving at 3 a.m. is too much. Sand in the car is too much. Chasing children around 5 different pools is too much. A missing husband for 24 hours is too much. Ironing for 2 hours and selling my soul to my family to get family pictures on the beach is too much (especially when I was the only one interested in getting them done). Children up at 6:15 a.m. every morning is too much. Packing us all back up is too much. 12 hour road trip that should have been 9 hours is too much. Hearing my husband complain that he was missing the FSU/Miami game put me OVER THE EDGE. No more I say...I do not like Green Eggs and Ham. I do not like 4 day trips Sam I Am!

I love my family. I love my Mom. I love Florida, the beach, pools, palm trees...my heart says go, but from now on, my brain is going to say -- STAY.

I wouldn't trade the past weekend for anything in the world, but man...I'm too old.

TRULY BLESSED to have been able to go home...So thankful the Lord kept me from killing someone,
Chasity

PS...So thankful we made it home safely, especially with all the traffic...ugh! And, FSU lost. Boo! And oh, just ignore me on all of this. Clearly, I am very tired:( Give me another month and I'll be ready to hit the road...

Glimpse...

Yesterday, I had a glimpse of what it would be like to have a girl. I got to briefly imagine what it would be like to have a little girl. Yesterday, I got to experience a child's imagination in full swing. It was adorable and precious!

Children's imaginations are a beautiful, wonderful thing. Thankfully, I have a little 4 year old that reminds me of this on a daily basis.

Yesterday, it was about a puppy. This adorable little stuffed animal puppy disappeared from our lives for about 4 months, but we found him. He's dirty and not the yellow lab he once was, but he's Palmer's "Puppy" nonetheless.

For weeks, Palmer kept him stuffed inside a candle/lantern thing I have on one of our end tables. That's where puppy slept until I suggested to him that maybe puppy would be more comfortable in a shoe box, where he could stretch out...He's been in the shoebox sleeping endlessly for about a month now. BUT, for a month, Palmer has been asking if he can take puppy to the beach with us...well of course he can!

So, yesterday, Palmer named Puppy...Bella. Then he combed Puppy's hair. Then he decided Puppy needed food (and then went through the list of all the things Puppy eats, including bees, houses, grass, trees, shoes, paper, etc...but he ONLY drinks water)! Then I realized something...I don't have a little girl that plays pretend with baby dolls, etc...This is the first time one of the boys has pretended to be taking care of something. So this is what it would be sort-of-like to have a girl!

Palmer took Puppy to school this morning and the entire way to school he proceeded to tell me what him and Puppy were going to do while at the beach. It was cute. Build sandcastles, dig holes, enjoy the sunshine. BUT, Puppy doesn't like the water...THAT MIGHT BE AN ISSUE.

Anyway, it was great for me to get a glimpse of what it would be like. It was great to hear Palmer's imagination running wild. Oh, to be a child...

TRULY BLESSED to have two beautiful little boys that I would not trade for all the adorably, sweet baby girls in the world. My boys are my heart, and I absolutely can't imagine my life without them,
Chasity

PS...We're going to the beach...YAY! I get to see my Mom...Double YAY!