Author: Stephanie

One of those places…

by Stephanie on October 18, 2015 in Foodie, Mommy Nostalgia • 0 Comments

Did you ever have a place that just happened, over time, to become a big part of your life experiences and memories? You know, you go there once and it’s great, so you return, and it’s great again, and then somehow, it becomes this common thread associated with happy times? Yeah, I know…it’s awesome, right?

It’s so funny – today it just dawned on me while Steve, the Littles and I were enjoying a late lunch at Pappasito’s Cantina – our favorite Tex Mex place – that this restaurant has become such a part of our married life – actually even before – that I have to capture some of its history for posterity!

I honestly don’t remember the first time I ate at Pappasito’s. I moved to Houston, Texas shortly after college, on my own, without a pot to piss in, so to speak. But after a cold, icy winter in Ohio, I knew I had to get back South. Houston is a behemoth of a city, and honestly I felt lost, but managed to keep so busy with work I didn’t have much time to think about it. I lived in a one-bedroom apartment with a chain lock on the bedroom door (still wonder about that to this day), and the agents in the leasing office kept trying to set me up with this guy named Steve – but I traveled for work a lot and really was never around so we didn’t have the opportunity to meet.

Fast forward…and I finally met Steve. I was working 2 jobs at the time, and my 2nd job was in a Bath and Body Works in a fru-fru part of Houston. Steve and his friend, John, came in, shopped around, I ended up giving him my award-winning customer service and smile, and he ended up buying a candle. He handed me his credit card, thinking that I would recognize his name (since our leasing agent had been trying to set us up), but in true blonde fashion, it didn’t even register.

According to Steve, he left the store and told his friend John, “I’m going to marry that girl.”

A return visit to BBW later, and he introduced himself and asked me to lunch. Of course, I said yes, and we ended up out to dinner. Our 2nd date was dinner at Pappasito’s – and that was the night we realized we were both from Maine – born 55 miles apart from one another – and meeting in Houston. Amazing. And the rest is history.

Since then, we have enjoyed many, many celebratory occasions at Pappasito’s Cantina! It’s a must-visit place for anyone visiting us from out-of-town, and a favorite of both our families! We have celebrated birthdays, visits from friends and families, and the small stuff, like our recent relocation back to our beloved Texas!

We have laughed there, cried there, overeaten there, been anxious there – you name it, it’s like the restaurant is part of the family – the fabric of our life! You probably saw my recent post about our house-hunting trip – we were seated at Sito’s while waiting to hear if we had gotten the house we wanted, sitting on pins and needles – then ended up celebrating with our realtor and our server, Blake, when we found out we won the bid! It was an epic night!

Today, we shopped a bit, leisurely, with the Littles, discovering our new neighborhood, then decided on a late lunch at – you guessed it – Pappasito’s! As I sat there with my handsome hubby and my precious Littles, my cup runneth over! And serendipitously, we were seated once again in Blake’s section! He remembered us, commented how “stoked” he was that we got the house and were settling in, and that he had no idea we had a little “tribe” we were bringing with us, and the Littles just showered him in hugs!

Here are some photos from our lunch out today. It was much more than a lunch. It was a continuation of a tradition of celebration in this most special place. And we’re looking forward to sharing Pappasito’s with so many others who visit us from afar. Your guest room is ready! Come see us, have some of the best Tex-Mex of your life, and share in our tradition! It’s our happy place! God Bless!

Intentional. Purposeful. Disciplined. Now…

by Stephanie on September 20, 2015 in Mommy Challenges, Travel • 0 Comments

I have just had the most amazing few days. Austin, Texas, for my business’s annual convention. Let me start by saying this post is NOT an advertisement for my business – really. So please don’t stop reading. But I will say that if you like anything you hear, we should have a conversation. My business is something I somewhat accidentally fell into, but that has enhanced my life in so many ways over the past 2 1/2 years.

What I want to talk about today is being intentional and purposeful and disciplined about personal development.

No matter WHO you are or WHAT you do, or WHERE you live or HOW you get through each day, you should make time to intentionally and purposefully allow yourself to grow, learn, develop, stretch, lean in, reach out. Because if you do, it WILL make you a better person and has the potential to dramatically change…your…life.

Believe me – I know it’s not always easy to do. We all get busy, and some of this stuff costs money. So in many cases, that “stuff” gets put on the back burner, and we hope that maybe our current employer, if we have one, will invest in some developmental opportunities for us! If they do, that’s great, but often those programs focus more on how you can work to help the organization than on how you can develop and learn about yourself, your dreams, your strengths – just YOU!

So – a sidebar – as I drove from Fort Worth to Austin, I couldn’t help but notice the vast Texas sky – bluer than blue, with white fluffy clouds coasting lazily by. As I looked up, all I saw was vast opportunity – the world is SO big – the sky is the limit! And the Texas sky illustrates the limitless potential of every little person living under its canopy!

I carefully selected my breakout sessions at Convention – ones I knew could help me in ALL areas of my life – not just with my business. One was called “Live a Life You Love: Be a Healthier, Happier, More Passionate You,” and was presented by a medical Doctor that realized her dream was NOT being a Doctor, but actually a writer and dancer. She literally changed her life following her “compass” of dreams – and now practices as a Physician part time but also writes AND teaches Flamenco dancing! What I took away from this session was that in all areas of life, you must be authentic, and you must find your passion, then incorporate that passion in some way, even if in a small way, into your life. Authenticity. “Real.” ME. Just me – who I truly am.

One of the presenter’s recommendations was to reach back into your memory and childhood, and try to remember what you wanted to “be” when you were about 8 years old. Why? Because by then, you do have a good sense for who you “are,” even if you are not mature enough to turn that into something at that time. In Christian terms, I think that would be called your “bent.” How are you wired? What do you love? What is your passion? And if you can remember that, you should incorporate that in some way into your life.

Some other advice she gave (medically and psychologically)?

Get enough sleep – medically and physiologically, it’s imperative! Your entire personality can change if you are sleep deprived!
Surround yourself with positivity – positive people, authentic people, people who lift you up rather than tear you down. Does that mean a “yes” person? No! It means someone close enough to you that can tell you the truth you need to hear while also building you up. It’s a gift to have those people in your life.
Eat breakfast! A big breakfast! For real! It makes your brain and body work for the day!
Eat protein and green vegetables later in the day – a salad with just greens does not contain enough energy to sustain what your body needs.
….there is more….but I know you will only read so much at one time.

So many of us are pointed in a direction – well meaning, of course – and end up doing things in life we aren’t necessarily passionate about. For the record, that is not me, but I know many people who took that path. And there comes a time they wonder how they got where they are and resent the fact that their “real” self got lost along the way. Her advice? Find yourself again – then start living the life you want and that you will love, instead of tolerating a life you just want to escape.

Easy? No. Simplistic? Yes. Would love to talk with you more if you are in that place. And I can share more of what I learned. One thing I did learn is that my company is much more than the product it provides. It’s a movement…a groundswell…an amazing group of people connected by common passion for family, time and financial freedom, independent spirit, camaraderie, charity, and entrepreneurialism – and one willing to develop ME into my real self – simply and truly inspiring. If you don’t have that in your life, then we should talk.

There’s more to come, because I had more than one breakout session – and I am SO excited to share it with all of you! In the meantime, if you’re missing some of your inspiration or passion for life, look back into YOUR childhood and try to remember what YOU loved! I’d love to hear all about it!

Want to get energized? Change something…or EVERYTHING!

by Stephanie on September 4, 2015 in Mommy Challenges, Mommy Nostalgia • 0 Comments

Started my new position Monday of this week, after a solid week of unpacking boxes filled with everything we own. My body was sore, sleep was elusive, and of course I was a hot mess (literally! It is Texas, after all!) the morning of my first day.

But I managed to pull everything together with the help of my Super Hubby of course, and got out the door on time! Littles off to school and me on my way to a different kind of school! My new company is home grown and has a lot of loyal, long-term employees – and very little organization. But you know what? That’s exactly what I know, and it’s exactly what I love! I liken it to shopping in a “mess” – a lot of work, but when you come up with that amazing deal – the ‘diamond in the ruff’ – it makes it all worthwhile and the sense of accomplishment is incredible!

My “boss,” the CEO, is a bundle of energy and goes a mile a minute – tells me that he is like a fox chasing rabbits into the rabbit holes – hard to keep him focused on one thing at a time. But he is curious, humble, eager for help and improvement, and really wants to know what a solid HR function can do for his business. I can’t even begin to tell you how refreshing that is! Combine that with the confidence that comes with having done this before, and I know we’re going to make a great team!

So the company is a Toyota Material Handling distributor – industrial equipment and such. Guy stuff, but still pretty cool! But on day 2, Steve slide-img-01 called me to say he was perusing our website, and noticed that one of our branches sells golf carts – and he wants one! Like a little kid in a candy store! So I managed to visit that branch just yesterday and enjoyed seeing all the fun options should he really decide he wants one to cruise around our new neighborhood!

I had a wonderful 12 1/2 years at my previous employer, and really learned so much building that department from nothing, so it prepared me well for what I am walking into today. But I was ready for a change. You know that feeling you get when 1428526178176 you feel either bored or complacent going to work (or anywhere)? In many cases that means you’ve done a great job and everything’s just running smoothly – but for someone who likes to innovate, it begins to feel stagnant.

My point in all this? If you’re feeling stagnant, make a change!
Change can be amazingly energizing! I think I am more energized about my career than I have been in 3-4 years! Change a little, change a lot! Just do SOMETHING! Your mind, body and psyche (and maybe even your pocketbook) will thank you for it!

Taylor’s move…

by Stephanie on August 28, 2015 in Mommy Nostalgia, Travel • 1 Comment

Little Taylor…my baby…my biggest baby but my youngest…my loudest baby, my cuddliest baby…this is her move experience.

So when we first announced we were moving to Texas, and Colton and Lauren immediately cried, Taylor was the one literally fist-pumping while shouting, “YES!” I’m not sure what she thought was so cool about it all since she really didn’t know much, but this is my fearless girl – the one who laughs in the face of danger and challenge, and is a little reckless when it comes to attempting new physical feats – YIKES for mommy and daddy!

So she’s been going along, great with everything, her normal silly self…right up until the movers came on that first day to pack our things. Then, I think it got “real” for her. Keep her busy on things during the day, and she’s great – but when nighttime came, the hidden uncertainty and fears presented themselves in the form of dreams, I think. Taylor has always been a great sleeper, snuggled up next to mommy, but suddenly there was this streak of kicking, fussing, crying and waking that seemed to plague our last few nights in our home.

Sometimes there would be middle-of-the-night conversations about her missing her house or her friends, but by morning she’d be her normal silly fun self! As a mommy I was glad for that, but it sure did add to the exhaustion factor! I sort of felt like I had an infant again, waking every 2-3 hours for a feeding!

As the final move drew near, she seemed to worry about her friends, Miss Brooke (our nanny) and Miss Rapsis (her most recent teacher) – bothered that she might never see them again! But we talked through it, and I promised they would all visit someday, and that, plus the distraction of being awake and active seemed to relieve most of that stress.

Once we got on the road, Taylor was an angel…patient and kind…but she did ask, practical as she is, why we weren’t just taking an airplane to Texas! After all, it’s faster! LOL

She is such a smart, beautiful, spunky little DIVA, and I look forward to watching her grow into her new life as a Southern girl!

A little nostalgia along the way…

by Stephanie on August 21, 2015 in Mommy Nostalgia, Travel • 0 Comments

One of the highlights of our trip from NH to TX was a stop in Monroe, Louisiana – my old college town! The home of what used to be Northeast Louisiana University but is now University of Louisiana at Monroe (formerly the Indians, now the Warhawks thanks to the political correctness of our day)!

We realized somewhere along the way that I hadn’t been through Monroe in 19 years, so as you can imagine, a LOT has changed! All of the old dorms that I had lived in have since been demolished, replaced by what appear to be luxury apartments on campus! Jealous! There are also some incredible new buildings, including a beautiful library, and renovations to just about everything – and a Starbucks right on campus!

There are so many memories, I couldn’t begin to share (what happens at college stays at college), but one thing I will share is that when I was accepted to NLU, I was awarded a “work” scholarship, meaning that I would be assigned to someone – a professor, one of the admin offices, somewhere, to work 10 hours per week. And ironic, considering my current career, I was assigned to Mr. Duff, HR Director, in the campus HR office, who admittedly actually had no use for a student for 10 hours.

I spent those 10 hours per week mostly filing and stuffing paychecks (while desperately trying to keep my eyes open) – it was so incredibly boring, except for the payroll lady that was a bit of a nut, so from time to time, her shenanigans would liven things up a bit. But while there, Mr. Duff became a 2nd Dad for me away from home, and he looked out for me, gave me advice, and told me to watch out for all the boys because “they were only after one thing!” He and I have kept in touch over the years, and we were fortunate enough to meet up with him for dinner the night we stayed in Monroe on our trip.

Nineteen years later, we reminisced, laughing about the time I was there, and the HR experiences we’ve both had over the years. I am so lucky to have been assigned to his office and made a lifelong friend and mentor. And I was so proud to introduce him to the Littles, who didn’t hesitate to shower him with their sweet hugs, somehow knowing he is special to me.

The next day, we visited the bookstore and picked up some ULM gear, then trekked across campus so I could show the Littles the natatorium where I spent so many hours swimming with the team as a walk-on. Good times – ones I’ll always cherish. Unfortunately, the “Nat” as we called it was closed – no team anymore. Sad, but maybe someday they’ll get another one going.

We also went by the waterski ramp on the Bayou Desiard, where we used to swim out and sunbathe during off-times – tons of fun! And imagine – this school has a National Championship Waterski Team that actually practices on the bayou!

And another couple of fun memories – Peking Restaurant – which always had the most amazing Chinese food buffet – we would load up after swimming (and when we had money)! Can’t believe it’s still there!

And for those of you who have heard me speak of this and didn’t believe me – yes, it’s true – and here is a real photo – of the drive-thru daquiri place! When I was there, it was called Daquiri’s Unlimited, and now is called The Oasis Daquiris – complete with drive thru window! One of my favorite places when I was a student there! Only in Louisiana! 😉

It was certainly a nice walk down memory lane, even having changed so much! The best part? Taylor exclaimed as we drove away, “Mommy, I’m going to go to college here too!” Who knows? Maybe! Go Indians! Oops…I mean Go Warhawks!

Lauren…our little fearless leader!

by Stephanie on August 20, 2015 in Mommy Challenges, Mommy Nostalgia • 0 Comments

This girl…our Little Lauren…our fearless leader. This girl has got 11811489_10204990723427674_630832289937915816_n to be one of the sweetest little people in the world — and one of the smartest! She really “gets” things, and she rolls with things better than most adults would! And she absolutely LOVES everyone – truly cares and wants everyone to feel it! And she is such a little hugger! If she feels comfortable (and that is a loose qualifier), she will hug! And it always makes anyone we interact with feel so good! There truly needs to be more hugging in the world! People need it!

As far as our move goes, she has probably been the least affected! She has been super helpful, patient, and kind, and is an example for us all. She very much likes to be in charge, and to be helpful, and if I had to identify her love language, it would be “words of affirmation.” She loves to be helpful and be praised for it – that really makes her feel special!

The very last day in our NH home, we all gathered in the kitchen area and said a prayer of gratitude, hope, and safety for our drive, and she just had to run up to her room to look one last time – even though she rarely slept in there – and then literally hugged the cabinets in the kitchen to say goodbye…

She and her Daddy are so close – it’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen….and she talks to him about all the details of what’s happening. This morning, she woke up telling him all about our having to sign 50 papers to buy our new house, and promised to be good because of our “deal.” Our deal was that if they were good, we would go to the mall and visit the Lego Store – and boy, does she get excited about “deals!”

She is simply a delight – and a negotiator, a caregiver, and absolutely a leader. I cannot wait to see her grow into our new life in Texas. I am not worried at all that she will rise to the top! And seriously – just look at that face – love this girl!

Thirty hours, three Littles, fourteen states, and two loaded cars…

by Stephanie on August 19, 2015 in Mommy Nostalgia, Travel • 0 Comments

I’ve you’ve never done it, I highly recommend it! That is, as long as you have movies in the car, iPads and other entertainment items – a HUGE thank you to everyone who gifted us fun car activities! They came in super handy!

First let me say (brag) that our Littles were nothing short of nearly perfect on the ride – the whole way! They were patient, kind, and a lot of fun! Inquisitive, curious, nostalgic for our NH home, but excited about the adventure!

It was a VERY long drive, but hubby Steve did a great job of mapping it all out for us, complete with lunch stops and hotel stays. That gave us a great goal to shoot for each day, and provided enough progress AND the opportunity for the Littles to play in the pool and wear themselves out before bed! Score!

And if you haven’t ever had the opportunity to drive cross-USA – you should plan to – we are all so truly fortunate to live in such a beautiful country – rich with gifts, culture, history and humor – and you’ll appreciate every bit you come across, even if in different ways.

Our first day was a fairly short one from a drive perspective, only from NH to Fishkill, NY – an area we have seen many many times. That morning, we finished up laundry in our house, cleaned, patched holes, and packed the cars, heading out around 1 p.m. The drive to Fishkill was uneventful but for the usual summer New England traffic on the Mass Pike that held us up for a full extra hour…of course!

Day two…on the docket…Fishkill, NY to Knoxville, TN! Our longest planned day – 11 hours! Got up early, hoping the Littles would be sleepy enough to pass out and give us at least a couple hours of quiet progress. It was a spectacular morning, with a beautiful blue sky and not a cloud in sight. The perfect driving day. Not too long into the drive we were gifted with the sight of two hot air balloons drif slide-16 ting not-too-high above the trees – they were just beautiful! When Taylor saw it, she enthusiastically exclaimed, “I want to go hot-air-ballooning!” Of course you do, my little DareDevil! 😉

Not too long after that, we started climbing into the mountains – where we were met with this amazingly beautiful fog draped among the trees – nothing that interfered with driving, but it was just mysterious and made me marvel at the wonders God can create to make a morning even more spectacular.

The Littles, ate, slept, played, observed, sang, danced, and even wondered out loud why we didn’t just take a plane to get to Texas – smart little stinkers! And I’m not sure if they are buying the whole story of needing to get the cars down there…but the complaining was not incredible.

So some observations along the way – and some things that make you go “hmmmm….”

1. For anyone who is God-fearing and worried about this country and where it is headed – feel comforted that there are a great many people and communities that are worshipping in a big way. Starting as soon as Eastern Pennsylvania, there was an obvious presence of Christian movement, evident by the frequency and sheer size of the churches and crosses adorning the sides of the interstate. Add to that the “God” billboards, and y LoveThyNeighborAsThyself-300x176 ou are reminded the entire drive that He is working on people in this great country!

2. There is so much history along the East Coast and down to Dixie! The beautiful Shenandoah Valley is full of Civil War historical stops – and we wished we had time to stop and explore.

3. The 18-wheeler that had this painted on the back of the cab…”Don’t sweat the petty stuff…just pet the sweaty stuff.” Ummmm…ewwww!

4. The increasing frequency of fireworks stores! Most memorable? “Bimbo’s Fireworks!”

5. The dwindling signs for Dunkin’ Donuts off the highway and the increasing signs for Bojangles, Popeye’s Chicken, Waffle House and Cracker Barrel!

6. Sweet tea from Tennessee down – a Southern staple! I’m in! The way it should be!

7. The proud billboard for a liquor store, proclaiming, “We have YER moonshine!”

8. The kudzu, simultaneously beautiful and destructive, blanketing the trees and foliage alongside the highway…creating these mysterious looking mounds that make you wonder what’s underneath…

kudzu-covered-house

It certainly is beautiful, and I couldn’t help but stare at it as we drove by.

9. The speed limit increases the farther you move South…yes, really! By the time we reached I-20, the speed limit reached 75! Woo hoo! That meant that making really great time toward the end of our trip!

10. Clearly Alabama and Louisiana are sorely lacking in the highway funding department! 😉

11. The gentile demeanor of those beneath the Mason-Dixon line – the friendliness, the slow (very slow) hospitality (why the rush?) – it will be an adjustment for us after 13+ years up North, but it will be a welcome change…a reminder to slow down, enjoy people, establish a more gentle pace. It’s absolutely something we look forward to…

12. This store…who wouldn’t want to shop here?

I’m quite sure there are a hundred more things that will come to mind, but I wanted to memorialize this drive while I remembered some of these details…again, I highly recommend a good long road trip with your loved ones…the discoveries, and even the quiet contemplation while driving is worth its weight in gold!

Finally arrived in DFW! Ready to close on our new home and share more with you soon! Godspeed!

The best kind of party…

by Stephanie on August 13, 2015 in Mommy Nostalgia • 6 Comments

Let me say this up front…Steve and I have had a lot of parties. A lot. And some really big ones – those close to us can probably call one or more of them to mind. But I must say, we had one of the best parties ever this past weekend, and it’s not the kind of party you’d think! You know, the usual all-adult party where food and beverages were flowing…well, mostly beverages…and there was all kinds of grown up joking and shenanigans (like throwing lemon slices in jest at a very drunk partygoer as she walked away headed home to her house next door – I know….mature, right)…? 11885400_10206280369681928_9139810515863548668_n

No…not even close. This one was all about the kids! Once we knew we were leaving, we started trading requests for the Littles to have playdates with all their Little friends before we departed…but at some point, I realized, there just simply wasn’t enough time for everyone to get together one by one, so I very hurriedly slapped together a Facebook event entitled the “Grant Family Pre-Move Ultimate Super Duper Play Date” and invited all of the Littles’ friends and their grown ups to join! I said I’d provide the protein, and asked that everyone coming just help out by bringing a little side dish or something…

I rented a Spongebob Squarepants bounce house and a huge (even accommodating adults) inflatable water slide, then just went back to work on the details of moving. The RSVPs kept coming in, but it wasn’t until 3 days before I realized I needed to actually PLAN for how this party would come together. So I decided on crock pot pulled pork, hot dogs and chicken tenders and nuggets, and hoped for the best!

Amazingly, I went to bed the night before without putting the pork in the crock pot, only to wake up at 5 a.m. with a start! So up I go, knowing I had a full 7 hours of wonderful crock pot time to get the pork done by party time! That was divine sleep intervention for sure!

Around party time, the guests and food started pouring in, and I was very soon out of any kind of counter space to accommodate it all! It was nothing short of amazing! We had Texas caviar, fresh guacamole, caprese salad, broccoli salad, tons of desserts, more salads, potato salad…the list goes on and on and on!

Outside, the sun was shining, the kiddos were sliding and bouncing, the grown ups were commiserating, people were smiling, and I was in awe. In awe of the people who came to wish us well, who came to celebrate with us, who shared so many gifts with us…my heart was and is full.

Unfortunately, we had found out that very day that the school many of our Littles connected through last year is closing, so there was a sense of concern and worry about those who had planned to continue there. Nevertheless, everyone ate, drank, and was merry, and had an amazing time! People who hadn’t connected before DID, and there was an amazing sense of camaraderie and support for those needing to find a new school in a short period of time.

Late in the afternoon, it was time to wind down, and the goodbye’s were heartfelt, warm and lasting. We wished everyone a nice quiet afternoon at home with their little ones (who should be worn plum out from the party activities), and reveled in their heartfelt goodbyes and promises to stay in touch.

While we are excited for our new adventure, warm weather and long summers, I have to say the feeling is bittersweet. We have been extraordinarily blessed to have met and connected with such wonderful and warm people here, and will truly miss you all (you know who you are)!

For those who gave up a very precious New England summer day to celebrate with us, please know how blessed we feel and how much we will miss seeing you! We wish you all the best in health, wealth and happiness!

And thank GOD for social media – keeping us all in touch almost like we’re in each others’ backyards!

“Happy trails to you….until we meet again…” You are all welcome at our home in TX any time!

A promise to see them soon…

by Stephanie on August 9, 2015 in Mommy Nostalgia • 0 Comments

Well, yesterday was the super-duper final play date party with all the Littles’ friends and their families (I promise a post to come soon about that day), but today was the farewell lunch with Steve’s family, the Grants. We all met up in Kittery, Maine at Roberts Maine Grill, a fabulously quaint yet progressive eatery with that authentic Maine lighthouse feel and fantastic food, nestled right in the middle of the Kittery Outlet shopping. Check out their website here – it’s a GREAT place to go! Roberts Maine Grill

Steve’s parents were there, of course, along with his brother, Brad, sister-in-law Laurel, and their two “kids” – one headed off to Trinity College this Fall, and the other a Junior in high school. We had a very nice lunch…casual but with great food, and lots of fun conversation about all the changes and milestones being reached in the upcoming year, as well as some reminiscing from Steve and Brad’s childhood – always entertaining!

There were laughs, and there were tears, but easing the pain of our departure (at least we hope) was the presentation of already-booked airfare for Grammy and Grampy to Texas for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday week. And you know with everything going on, that will be here before you know it!

Have I mentioned moving is hard? It’s a big change – affecting not only those moving, but those who surround them…who love them…and will miss them. Our hope is that anyone affected knows that we cherish their presence in our life, and further that our doors and our arms will always be open to welcome them anytime they are in our area!

A fabulous weekend all around! God is good!

My baby Colton…

by Stephanie on August 7, 2015 in Mommy Nostalgia • 0 Comments

Colton…what can I say? He is my first born, the love of my life! He was the sweetest little baby, calm, docile, and so incredibly cute! I spent every waking minute with him that I could, and rocked him to sleep every night. I really struggle to find the words to express what he means to me and how he makes me feel. It’s hard to imagine that this perfect little person came out of me…he is truly a gift every microsecond of every day.

Not to mention, he is just…handsome! I know I am his mommy, but I seriously could just stare at him all day long! He has this perfect, sweet, beautiful face and big, giant blue, sincere eyes that can melt anyone’s heart in half a second!

Since I am chronicling our move to Texas, I want to make sure I spotlight each one of our Littles and their reactions to this first really major change in their little lives.

So once we knew we were moving, we waited a bit to make sure everything was falling into place before telling the Littles. But once everything was all set, we decided to go ahead and sit down with them and let them know we were all headed South.

Colton’s immediate reaction was to start crying…honestly I think he thought we were just leaving – and not taking all of our “stuff” with us – so that meant his precious LEGOs would be left behind! Once we convinced him that everything would be packed up and coming with us, he seemed to be ok.

Since then, he seems to be taking it in stride, but I know my baby boy, and know deep down he is still trying to work it all out. He is his mother’s son – a thinker – emotional. You can tell it all in his eyes in his photos…they are deep and vulnerable.

And I can tell it’s working on him. He has been SUPER snuggly and clingy lately, which, of course, I love, but also means he is looking for that security he is used to. So I keep hugging him close, reassuring him that everything is going to be ok…

He has been stuttering more lately – an issue we had about a year ago but went away – and I’m sure it’s just a stress reaction. He has always been the little one that doesn’t like surprises – likes to know exactly what to expect, how it will look/sound/be, and so I fully expect once we are there, all of this will settle down.

He remains the sweetest, most gentle, caring, loving young soul I’ve ever met, and I am so proud of him and who he is becoming. I look forward to being his stability, his rock, his MOM…forever! I will most certainly update his progress as we get settled in to our new life!

Stay tuned!

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