Hello! Where Do I Begin?!

I am just bubbling over with thoughts to share! I've missed my blog the past few days and I'm pretty sure it missed me, too. Funny how I can come over here and type a few paragraphs or post some fun pictures and my day feels more complete. I think I've got me a sort of diary here. Sans the really really juicy stuff that I am sure you would love to read but would be for my eyes and heart only! Still, what is the hangup with bloggers these days and pouring your heart out for others to read? Interesting phenomenon...and I am feeding the need (for myself to pour and for others to read) for this madness! Without further ado:

Maybe an index for this thoughts swirling around in my head? Oh how I love lists...
1 - Family pictures for Joseph first birthday!
2 - Joseph's birthday party!
3 - Baby Connor
4 - Simple Abundance: Rising to the Occasion and Everyday Life is Prayer
5 - Thanksgiving!

Oh man, this may have to break down in to several posts. Ha.

We met with Amy of Amy Karp Photography on Saturday afternoon and took some fun family pictures for Joseph's first birthday. I wanted to use Amy for both maternity shots and newborn shots of Joseph but I never arranged it (stupid, stupid Heather!). Everything was fast and furious around those times and before I knew it...here we are. Amy does such great work and I am really excited to get our proofs. We did the mini session: 30 minutes of shooting and 10-15 proofs, b/c after our wedding proofs (500-someodd photos) I surely didn't need a huge mess of photos to choose from or to have sitting around gathering dust. We want to get a nice family photo on the wall and of course for the rest of the family to have too.

Anyway, we met up at the Arboretum and it was totally overcast and pretty chilly. I was really worried about Joseph's nap time falling during the shoot but it worked out perfectly when he took a late and long morning nap. Amy was so stinkin' sweet and SO good with Joseph. She was so non threatening (unlike those strangers in public who come straight up to him in his personal space, start in cooing at him and scare the child) and she seemed to click with Joseph - and had him smiling right out of the gate. He had a few rough patches but even so she said she blew her proof count out of the water, thank goodness.

Oh and Amy's precious 7 month old Sam was there! He is one of those Gerber babies that could be a little model. So cute. He looked up at me and gave me the sweetest grin before he went strolling off with his grandparents.

Amy put up some sneak peeks on her blog and I love them so far. Check out the one with us walking under the bare trees. I have a really similar one from my bridal portraits, so it's cool to see us with a baby now. *sniff, sniff* lol.










I'm going to have to close for now and check off number one from my list above! I'll get the pictures of Joseph's birthday up soon! Got a ton of cute ones! Such a fun time!

Have a wonderful week. Thank goodness it's a short work week so we get our daddy home with us to play and relax. Gobble gobble!

A Texas Institution

I can't help but give a little football love today. My "little" nephew, a sophomore mind you, plays for the varsity football team. The Argyle Eagles are *flying* (haha, I had to say that!) their way into the next round, class 3A Division 2 state football playoffs. They will play the Kaufman Lions (home to much of Tammy's family) on Friday. The Lions have won 8 games in a row and feature a strong running attack and very stingy defense. Kaufman soundly defeated Dallas Roosevelt 28-0 in their opening round of the playoffs. Sounds like this will be a big game!

David was even interviewed by the Denton Record Chronicle after last week's game. How fun!

This is from the booster club's website: "Last year's defensive MVP David Johnson also turned in one of his most dominating games, just when Argyle needed it most. David recorded 3 sacks in the game, added another 3 tackles for lost yardage, and caused a fumble."

"We got after it on the defense tonight and we all decided there just was no way that Paris was going to beat us to the outside or get any time to throw the ball," said David in his post-game interview.

Alright, Eagles...let's pull it out for a win! I really wish I could go support them, but I took Joseph a few games back and he freaked out everytime the crowd cheered. We ended up sitting on the grass behind the stadium and playing - quietly. So much for that. I'll be there in spirit and certainly will get the play by play after the game. Football in Texas in the fall is so much fun!!

A Little Baby Bottom, Anyone?

These are for my Grandma! Grandma Pankratz always does love a good baby bottom. Don't you, Grandma?! Well, you're not alone.

We love a good baby bottom in this house, too!

I am in need of a little therapeutic blogging. I had a very humbling experience yesterday. I saw a horrible car accident. I went to run a couple of errands and my first stop was to Party City on I-75 to get some things for Joseph's birthday party next weekend. I was finished and had just pulled out of my parking space when I heard the initial crash. I actually thought I had hit something or something fell over in the bed of the truck, but I knew there was nothing in the bed and I definitely didn't feel like I had hit anything. Right then I see the sparks and smoke and all the madness on the service road. It was pretty intense. I threw the truck into park and ran without even shutting it off. The car closest to me was pretty trashed and took out a huge landscaping boulder and small-ish tree. There was a young 20's girl in that car, and I couldn't see her face b/c her side airbags had deployed. She started to crawl to the passenger's side to get out and I yelled to her to ask if she was ok. She "looked" ok, except for that "just seen a ghost" expression on her face - no external injuries. Then I saw the car that had hit her a ways up...upside down. I'll spare you the details because if you are as sensitive as me it will bother you. But it wasn't pretty. I ran over there and there were several other people gathering by that time. A couple of people helping one guy out who I *think* was in the backseat and myself and another guy ran to the passenger side where he was still belted in. The really nice guy who ran over there with me said "hold on buddy" and crawled in on his back (on all the glass and mess, mind you) to make sure he was ok then help unlatch his seat belt. By that time the driver had crawled out too. Then I started to look around and everyone was freaking out at the scene. There was beer everywhere. A 12 pack of Corona and various other beers littered the ground and inside of the car. I can't say if they were drunk for sure, I can only assume. Another man who had pulled up behind the wreck was screaming at the guys about trying to kill everyone. Apparently they had been weaving in and out of traffic on the service road and they had nearly hit his car first, but instead slammed in to the girl who was slowing to turn in to the parking lot where I was.

Can I just go through all the "what if's" first?
What if I had been going home instead of to my next errand? I would have been in the driveway where the accident happened.
What if I had had Joseph with me? Thankfully he was at home with Josh.
What if the lady in front of me at the store had moved a little faster (she was a total pain to the cashier) then I would have missed the scene totally. Hopefully.
What if they hadn't chosen to drink and drive?
What if they had chosen to drive a little slower? Witnesses say they were going anywhere from 70-90mph moments before they hit her.
What if they were in the middle of an emergency and had a really really good reason to be driving so fast?
What if all those nice people hadn't stopped to help?

Now for what I am grateful for...
I am grateful that I wasn't going home because I undoubtedly would have been involved. And it would have been on the drivers side.
I am grateful for the emergency vehicles that arrived in what seemed like only seconds.
I am grateful for their efficiency and stoicism. They came and knew what to do and did it so well. Like a well oiled machine. Josh and I wondered what kind of calls the fire department get the most of. Car wrecks, medical attention, actual fires? They (along with the policemen, and paramedics) are truly heroes.
I am grateful the young girl was ok. I know she is going to feel like she got hit by a train for a couple of days and I pray that she doesn't have any long term neck or back trouble from those horrible people who hit her. She said she just got her car in February. I think probably most of us know how a car accident can turn your world upside down. There will be months of insurance and medical stuff and car hunting, etc in her future.

I stayed with her until I knew she was ok. Her dad got there very quickly and, oh god, what parent wants to drive up on that? I saw in his heart break in his jog over to her when he arrived. I've seen that look once when my mom had to come pick me up after a car wreck once. Heck, I've seen that look more times that I wish I ever had. And felt it on myself a couple of times. Today not excluded. I've been letting myself go over it again and again in my head hoping it will work itself out so I can stop thinking about it soon. And thinking a little blog therapy might help.

I didn't mention yet, that two of the guys ran. That leads me to think there was absolutely something wrong with the situation. Obviously. These idiots (that is putting it nicely, isn't it?) who were not in any shape to be running from the law (again, I won't share the details on their injuries) took off briefly after we helped pull them from their flipped car. One was caught, which I am guessing it wasn't hard to do, just behind the closest store and the other supposedly got into a car that passed by! ??? I don't know if they knew them or what the deal with that was...

Somewhere in there I went back to the truck and turned it off and got a pen and paper for the girl, who asked for it. I gave her my grocery list. I don't think I'll miss it and I wonder if she'll be looking at it thinking of me. I hope I gave her a half an ounce of comfort in the scary aftermath. I don't think anything really could have comforted her but I guess it made me feel better to watch over her for that time. (Half hour? 45 minutes? It seemed so short and so long at the same time.) I felt it was time to leave so I sat in the truck and gathered my wits and called Josh. I made it back home shaking in my boots and feeling nauseated the whole way. Boy were some hugs and kisses in order when I got home. I love my family and I love the guardian angel sitting on my shoulder.

Need I say it? Don't take life for granted. Don't forget that everything can change in an instant. Don't forgot to have compassion and empathy for others. Appreciate those that DO follow the law and respect life everyday. I can't accurately express in words the thoughts in this paragraph...but I love you all....and with that I think I should close.

I couldn't resist a few more from the park...

Best Buds Forever

We met our friends at the park the other day for a little R&R. Relaxation for the moms that is; the babies didn't do too much resting or relaxing! We let McDonalds pack up a picnic for us and spent a WONDERFUL afternoon playing.

Little Ethan was no fear and all smiles! He is our newest friend who moved here from Austin, and thank goodness. I found an awesome new friend in his mommy! He just had his first haircut the other day and was lookin' good! ;)

And our good friend Blakey was there too...of course. We love to see him as often as possible. It's amazing how sweet Blake and Joseph are with each other. Blake just turned one and Joseph thought his birthday party was so cool he wanted one too.

What is this, son? No thumb sucking on the playground! Don't you know the other kids are going to getcha for that?!

Man, these guys loved the slide! Especially climbing up it...

...and the up stairs on the other side, too.

Our sweet babies all have big, beautiful blue eyes.





We were ready to go and it wasn't long before I realized I couldn't find my car keys. Then Casey says..."where's your purse?" I had apparently put my keys in my purse like always then at the last minute I decided to throw my purse in the trunk since I didn't need it at the park. It was one of those BIG ol' dumb ass "oh shit" moments. I had Casey take us home, right around the corner, since it was nap time. We don't have a spare key at the house (I know, I know...) so I arranged for AAA to come help me after Joseph woke up and took off for the park, waited and waited and waited. I waited until about 20 minutes after the estimated time they gave me and called to check on the status. It was rush hour so I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Apparently they had already come, while I was walking back to the car! So, the estimated time: 60 minutes is "between NOW and 60 minutes", not IN 60 minutes. I told the operator they should be more specific with that! She said they would send someone else out--and forever later my tow truck in shining armor arrived...well after dark, in the cold, to a hungry mom and baby. Talk about pissed! The driver was very very nice though and was really quick and we were on our way - three hours later! Thank goodness we were at a (safe) park so Joseph was entertained the whole time. Suffice it to say I learned my lesson, big time. :)

The weather has been so nice lately! I've enjoyed opening up the house and letting the breeze blow through. Joseph found the open window so much fun...

The breeze blew in his face and he just smiled and smiled and banged on the screen. We sat there for awhile and let it blow our hair.

Check out our pretty azaleas out the window. I would highly recommend the Encore brand which bloom three times a year. These blooms have been going for over a month now.

Ahh yes, life is good! A sunny day...beautiful flowers...a nice breeze...and lots of hugs and kisses! If only everyday was as good as this.

I got 'The Mommy Diaries: Finding Yourself in the Daily Adventure' for my birthday, and I've really enjoyed reading it so far. It's a collection of thoughts and short stories/adventures, kind of like 'Chicken Soup for the Soul'. One entry was particularly relevant to me and I wanted to share it.

Backpack? Check. Sleeping bag? Check. Water purifier? Check. Hiking boots? Check. Moleskin? Check.

Just like any hiker setting off for a trip into the back-country, women enter motherhood as prepared as they can be. We devour books on pregnancy, birthing, and parenting. We seek out veterans to get the lowdown on what types of bottle nipples work best, whether to buy the disposable or wool nursing pads, and just how many hooded towels we're going to need. We take prenatal classes on child birthing, breastfeeding, caring for your newborn, and even how to introduce a new baby to the family pet.

And despite all this preparation, when that little child comes into our lives, we inevitably feel ill-equipped, confused, and sometimes downright shell-shocked. Even the seasoned backpacker trusts she's going to run into surprises along the way. No matter how much training she undergoes, lugging that forty-pound pack up a steep incline still knocks the breath out of her. A sudden change in weather can wreak havoc on the best-laid plans. Instead of the training preparing us for the journey, the journey ends up training us.

We can all point to the times in our mothering journeys when we learned some new skill, coping mechanism, or truth. And we're better for it - better moms, better spouses, better friends, better women. Sometimes the lessons come easy, marked by warm memories of connecting with our kids. More often than not they're painful. We uncover our own nasty habits. We make mistakes. We hurt others. But while the learning proves hard, the outcome remains positive. We draw closer to those we love. We make behavior changes for the better. We come one step closer to being the woman God created us to be. Sure, we're in the business of growing successful children. But oftentimes we find we're the ones undergoing the greatest growth of all. What will we learn today?

Instead of the training preparing us for the journey, the journey ends up training us. What will I learn today, indeed. It's been almost one year and everyone is still in one piece. Am I "better" yet? I think I feel myself growing as we speak. Ha.

Somtimes You Feel Like a Nut...

What in the heck is this squirrel doing?! Nothing like a good upside down nut snack, I guess...

We had a nice, laid back weekend. One of the big conquests was to get Joseph's swing up in the back yard. I didn't think the branch out there would work but it ended up being fine. It swings just a little crooked since one side of the chain is longer than the other - due to the angle of the branch...but I think we can rig something up to get it a little smoother. Joseph seems to love it already!

One of my other to-do's was to hit Home Depot for a black out shade for Joseph's room. I've still got two blankets hung up over the window and it's time for a more permanent solution! Ha.

Found this *little* guy (actually he was BIG) on one of my plants on Saturday. Those green grasshoppers are so cute!

And last weekend was a nice laid back weekend also. We had the party for mom's birthday and had a great time! Love hanging out with the fam! Although we are missing little David...we got this shot of the grandparents and grandkids - thought it came out really nice. And shoo-weee, that banana split REALLY hit the spot! It was gooood!

Got Joey down for a nap now and we're going to run some errands later. I want to go to Half Price Books, Garden Ridge and possibly Party City if Garden Ridge doesn't have what I need. Getting ready for the little one's FIRST BRITHDAY! We'll see if we can sqeeze that all in while still in good spirits. I hate to run him ragged. Everything is just so much more pleasent with a happy baby and mommy!

Love to you all! Have a nice week!

Trick or Treat

Josh's office had trick-or-treating for the kids last Friday. We thought it would be fun to take Baby Joe to say hi to all of his co workers. When we started looking for a costume there were three criteria: it had to be cool enough for warm weather because here in Texas it's warm through the middle of October, it had to be reasonably priced since he would be wearing it for two hours and not much more than that, and it had to be super cute!! Of course!

We were really going for a sweet fuzzy puppy but just couldn't find one that did the trick. Then I came across this cute teddy bear romper. It was so softie and made Joseph so cuddly to hold!

He wouldn't touch the hat - which looked like a bear head, so everyone kept asking what he was. But those cute little bear paws filled the void in my heart so it didn't matter! He's our little JoeyBear...

Would You Like a Tall Glass of Virus With That Cookie?

My gal pals came over and we decided to make cookies. They were all delicious! Kelly made a ginger-butterscotch-cinnamon-cookie concoction, Alicia made pumpkin cookies, and Jennifer made snickerdoodles. I actually never got around to making mine. I was going to make snickerdoodles also but after getting everyone settled in and comforting Joseph - since all these people were in "his" house - I never got around to it! That's ok...because Jennifer ended up leaving me and Josh all of hers so I got the sweets without the work! Ha!

But the bad news is...cookies weren't the only little treat that we shared. Everyone ended up getting a nasty stomach virus. All three moms, Jen, the three babies, and two husbands...it wasn't pretty. Luckily Josh and I made it through my 10 year high school reunion and got back home before it got too nasty (last Saturday). But I had to miss out on brunch with my high school BFFs on Sunday and that was a SUPER bummer. I miss those gals.

The reunion was good, but in a same-ol-high-school-peeps kind of way. My theory is that I already stay in touch with the people I want to see. But still it was kinda cool to see how everyone changed. Or didn't change, as the case may be. Joseph stayed with Gigi that night and did awesome! Even for bed time. She said it was so sweet to be able to cuddle him off to sleep and snuggle together. That's the sweetness we get to enjoy every night and I wouldn't change it for the world.


Carmen and Joseph wandered down the hall and found a little fun of their own while we made cookies in the kitchen. What a couple of cheerio nuts!

They were being nice to each other and quiet so we decided to leave them be and let them eat up their little mess. Those guys are funny! So, it was good times and my house only got up to 110 degrees with the oven running for three hours straight. And those cookies were soooo good! Yummo to fall baking! :)

Pumpkins and Mums and Hay...Oh My!

A Few Midday Notes

• I need to call my mom and serenade her with a birthday song!! Don't forget, Heather!
  
• I stopped by Wendy's for lunch and ordered and Number One. She asked if I wanted medium or large and I answered medium. Funny thing, their "medium" is LARGE to me.
  
• Joseph is having his first goldfish right now! I've held off because they are just so delicious that I knew he wouldn't want to eat anything else ever again. He shoved about five into his mouth one after the other without chewing. I was right. Then I started giving him only one or two at a time and that was a little more my pace. He said "What took you so long to give me this wonderful treat, Ma? They are so cheesy and salty and crunchy. And I like to give them fish kisses!" Of course you do little Joe. :)
• How 'bout this weather!? Three cheers for a beautiful day!
  

It's someone's birthday today. And much to my enjoyment, I just happen to have an album of her's at my house since I've been working on my family tree. Does anyone else want to pinch those little cheekies?!

This little blond haired cutie is none other than my mom. I wonder what got into her in this picture, because usually she is beaming. She has a radiant smile. She is the best listener. She only gives advice when you ask for it. She gives great hugs. She is my Souper Salad buddy.

And coincidentally, here is little Mary Ann Pankratz on her 2nd birthday! That was a LOOOOOOOOOOONG time ago. ;)

This is one of those smiles I was talking about! That is one fun homemade seesaw that Papa made up for them. Uncle Earl is pretty cute too. Grandma makes some beautiful babies.

For her birthday this year we are having an ice cream party. Mom has always loved ice cream!
I think it was just her way of saying "I'm not cooking!" Because somehow, even on those treasured days off (like a birthday) she ends up getting finagled into making one of her famous dishes.

Fun Fact: Mom loves peanuts on her ice cream. She loves peanuts period.

Fun fact: Mom and Uncle Earl had a pet deer!

Fun Fact: Mom is a great gardener and has a beautiful backyard full of awesome plants.

Fun fact: Grandma and Papa traveled the panhandle with their combine. How about that?! They were like gypsies, or a circus. Ha, not really! I don't think a combine for hire is much like elephants who do tricks.

Fun Fact: Mom was crowned Miss Hardin High and voted most popular.

Fun fact: Mom has four children and 6 grand children that love her very much.

Happy birthday wishes to you!! We love you soooooo much and can't wait to celebrate next year! Thanks for being born, Mom!