More prayers were answered...
We listed our house on August 24, and it sold on September 24! 1 month!
That was one item checked off of the "Moving to Columbia list". This is our second house to sell and it was such a stressful time... I had forgotten about all of the little pieces of the "house sold puzzle" that had to be put together before a sigh of relief could be taken. Last week was full of home inspections and we should know the results of those tomorrow. Although we feel great about everything, you never know. We are hopeful that there will be no setbacks. We will continue to trust.
The next check on the list was made last weekend... we traveled, with both boys in tow, over to Columbia. Five hours from Evansville. We left around 5:30 in the evening (with the hopes of them sleeping - Lawson fell asleep around 11 P.M.) and we arrived around midnight, but we survived. Traveling with children can be challenging, but those moments must be easily forgotten because we continue to do it! :) Anyway, the next morning we were to meet with our AWESOME realtor. He is a grandpa and we just love him; he has treated us like we were his own children (his daughters are around our age). We had our house-hunting-list made and we were ready to go. The boys did well and so did we. We left on Saturday afternoon being the owners of a new house!!! We are very excited!
And now the wait is on... It is new with a full unfinished basement. We purchased the home with the completion of the basement. The builder is in the process of doing so right now, and we will not close until November 12. Our current house closes on October 29 so we are going to have about two weeks of limbo-living. They will move us out on October 26th and 27th, and we will come to Martin once our house is empty. We will live with Russ' parents during that two week period. We will return to Columbia on November 11 to prepare for our closure and then they will move us in the 15th of November... can't come soon enough!
I am looking forward to the "calm", but am trying to enjoy this "crazy/busy" time as excitement is certainly within. Things have been out of sorts since Russ began his new job and since I began my stay-home career, which by the way, is going great! I fully expect things to move full-speed ahead until after the first of the year... maybe the calm will arrive with the coming of the new year. We shall see.
So, things are moving... Paul, our awesome realtor, called Russ today. He had been over to check on the construction and wanted to give us an update. Isn't that nice? I am just so thankful for his goodness.
God has guided this process and we trust that He will continue to do so. Russ and I are so thankful for the answered prayers; our cup runneth over.
The Bragg Family Blog
Showing posts with label Indiana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indiana. Show all posts
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
So long, farewell...
A little bit of back-tracking... much to catch up on, but I will start here.
September 3 was my last day in the classroom; indefinitely, at this time.
It was a bitter-sweet day. Teaching school is a pleasure, and it is well within my "being" and my comfort zone. I love the presence of children and the satisfaction in seeing them grow, advance, mature, develop, and ultimately learn, is priceless. With that said, knowing that I was leaving room 302 at Delaware to stay home with my boys, something that I was unsure about, caused a mixture of emotions.
As stated earlier, my class was quite challenging, however they were "my students" and I loved them. I was proud to be their teacher. No one ever told me that teaching school was easy nor did they tell me that every student that was seated in my classroom would be a Little Einstein who fully understood all academic areas, did everything you told them, when you told them, and things worked continuously like clock-work... doesn't work that way. And if so, why would we need teachers? This year's class was far from that description, however they had LOTS of potential.
I was excited about the journey lying ahead. I was excited about the opportunity to be at home, although I wasn't quite sure how well I would do. I was excited about the decrease in stress that goes with teaching school, esp in a turn-around-school. And I was excited about the flexibility of being at home with our children.
However, I was sad that I would not see the potential fulfilled. I was sad that I would not see my weak readers become strong readers, as well as become strong writers. I was sad that I would not see them learn their multiplication tables as they typically have such motivation to do so. I was sad about not seeing them learn to use their new Netbooks to complete classwork. I was sad about not seeing them develop the necessary social skills needed to move forward to 4th grade. I was sad about not seeing my students grow and develop into boys and girls ready for 4th grade. It was truly a bitter-sweet day.
The day was slightly relaxed as I was working on transitioning out, and my friend, Laura, was working on transitioning in. And Laura... :), the great news is that Laura was our Special Ed teacher who taught across the hall. She expressed interest in returning to the classroom and she got to come to take my place, and I was excited about that! It was comforting to know that a good teacher was following... a good teacher who knew my students... and a good teacher whom my students also knew... and a good teacher that already knew Delaware and where we were headed in terms of student/school success. It was a great feeling as I walked out the door. She has since called and texted a couple of times and says things are going great! I knew they would.
Below are a few pictures...
And my kiddos... a few are missing, I do believe.
{This is our funny picture} :)
And a nice picture with Laura... their new teacher!
September 3 was my last day in the classroom; indefinitely, at this time.
It was a bitter-sweet day. Teaching school is a pleasure, and it is well within my "being" and my comfort zone. I love the presence of children and the satisfaction in seeing them grow, advance, mature, develop, and ultimately learn, is priceless. With that said, knowing that I was leaving room 302 at Delaware to stay home with my boys, something that I was unsure about, caused a mixture of emotions.
As stated earlier, my class was quite challenging, however they were "my students" and I loved them. I was proud to be their teacher. No one ever told me that teaching school was easy nor did they tell me that every student that was seated in my classroom would be a Little Einstein who fully understood all academic areas, did everything you told them, when you told them, and things worked continuously like clock-work... doesn't work that way. And if so, why would we need teachers? This year's class was far from that description, however they had LOTS of potential.
I was excited about the journey lying ahead. I was excited about the opportunity to be at home, although I wasn't quite sure how well I would do. I was excited about the decrease in stress that goes with teaching school, esp in a turn-around-school. And I was excited about the flexibility of being at home with our children.
However, I was sad that I would not see the potential fulfilled. I was sad that I would not see my weak readers become strong readers, as well as become strong writers. I was sad that I would not see them learn their multiplication tables as they typically have such motivation to do so. I was sad about not seeing them learn to use their new Netbooks to complete classwork. I was sad about not seeing them develop the necessary social skills needed to move forward to 4th grade. I was sad about not seeing my students grow and develop into boys and girls ready for 4th grade. It was truly a bitter-sweet day.
The day was slightly relaxed as I was working on transitioning out, and my friend, Laura, was working on transitioning in. And Laura... :), the great news is that Laura was our Special Ed teacher who taught across the hall. She expressed interest in returning to the classroom and she got to come to take my place, and I was excited about that! It was comforting to know that a good teacher was following... a good teacher who knew my students... and a good teacher whom my students also knew... and a good teacher that already knew Delaware and where we were headed in terms of student/school success. It was a great feeling as I walked out the door. She has since called and texted a couple of times and says things are going great! I knew they would.
Below are a few pictures...
This is one of my favorites... my buddy, he was in my room last year and oh, how special he was to me... he made me a card and brought it to me. I cried, he tried not to cry as 4th graders don't cry, and all three other teachers in the room cried.
{I am crying right now...}
And Kara... what can I say? She was another 3rd grade teacher whom I L-O-V-E! She is totally awesome and I learned so much from her. She is one-of-a-kind and will forever hold a special place in my heart.
{She will kill me if she ever sees this picture... she was modeling the butterfly clips she was going to be adding to her SOAR store, which is our "positive behavior store"!}
And my kiddos... a few are missing, I do believe.
{This is our nice, serious picture}
{This is our funny picture} :)
And a nice picture with Laura... their new teacher!
Me with two of the missing ones from above...
Me and another student from last year...
Me and another student from last year...
Bitter-sweet it was.
Delaware was good to me and good for me... and there is more good to come for them.
I learned a great deal while there, and am a better teacher because of those that I taught with.
It has been four weeks at home for me. Three with the boys. They went to school for one week while I ran errands, and did a few "me" things.
It's going great and I am loving it. Seriously.
It certainly has it's challenges, but so did my school day.
And the rest of that is for another post.
As I close, it is a "So long, farewell...".
Wishing Delaware the best and thanking God for my great experience.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Best said by Dr. Seuss...
... Oh, the Places You Will Go!
Russ has accepted a new role in his career and we are going to be moving... we're off to a new place!
Back in July, Russ was offered a new position and after much thought, consideration, and prayer, we have decided to move our family to Columbia, Missouri. He will be working for Mosaic in the fertilizer industry.
This was an unexpected opportunity and one that required MUCH thought and discussion. Russ and I have moved quite frequently throughout our seven years of marriage. Although frequent moves, or moving at all for that matter, were not part of our "plan" apparently it was God's and all things considered, we have done well with each move. Each move forced us to grow and learn in various capacities, and I wouldn't change it for the world. We are who we are, and where we are today, because of where we've been. I think that makes sense.
Now... grow and learn in various capacities is going to mean something different this time around, I am almost certain. This is the first move with children. With two children. With a two year old and a four month old. I am slightly overwhelmed to be perfectly honest.
We are excited, but our emotions are quite mixed. Our lifestyle is going to change.
First of all, we will be 5 hours from home vs. 3 hours from home. Our family is happy for us, but not thrilled with the location being farther away. This was one big part of the TOUGH decision on whether to move or not to move.
Secondly, Russ' new position will be one where he works from home. He will have a home office and will travel to various locations to work with clients. Most will be day trips with the exception of one account in Memphis. That trip will be a family trip with a drop-off in Martin. The boys and I will visit with family and he will pick us up on the way back through. Russ worked from home when we lived in North Dakota and really enjoyed it, but it was before children. :)
Lastly, I will be staying at home... IIIHHH!!! That statement makes my anxiety level SOAR!!! Mixed emotions... major mixed emotions. I have never had the desire to stay at home. The summer of 2008, the summer Lawson was born, was the first summer I didn't work. I do not enjoy hanging out at home, and simply said, I love what I do. I deeply love my two little boys, but I believe I am a better wife and mother when I work. Sooooo... I hope we've made the right decision as it will effect all of us. Yes, ALL of us. We will ALL be at home together each day... it is slightly laughable to me at this point. I certainly plan to go back to school next fall, but in the mean time, I certainly plan to make the best of it and am going to do all I can to enjoy each day that I am at home with Lawson and Emmitt. It is the dream of many women, and I realize that. It is also a blessing, and I realize that. I am going to give it my all and take the opportunity to love them up.
With that said, my last day of school was last Friday. It was kind of sad... kind of. I LOVE the girls I taught with, however my class was truly not so lovable. The toughest I believe I've ever had. I believe with ALL of my heart that this was God's plan. He knew what was arriving at my 3rd grade door. I honestly believe I might have quit before the 190 day-extended-school-year was up on June 9. It was hard. And I like hard, but not that kind of hard. So, one week down. One week with my boys. One tough week. :) Lawson is two and is out of routine so it has been tough for us. We have spent the week in Martin because Russ is in Missouri this week and it's been a struggle. We will return to a little normalcy next week as Russ will work from Evansville and the boys will finish their full-time daycare career for now. I plan to enroll Lawson in a Mother's Day Out program or part-time daycare. He NEEDS socialization and I don't want to rob him of that. He loves school and by today, I'm telling you that he NEEDS to go, and I NEED him to go! I have been researching daycare possibilities on-line today.
None of this has really sunk in just yet. The reality that I am not going back to Delaware Elementary to room 302 has not hit me. And that's ok. It might be too much at this point. To fully understand that I am going to be at home full-time with Lawson in the mood he has been in this week just might be too much. I will get there and it will be fine. Just fine.
As to the coming weeks... they are foggy. Very foggy. Russ' schedule differs from week to week, and somewhere in the midst of things we need to go on a house-hunting trip. Our house has been on the market for almost three weeks. We've shown it three times and have an Open House on Sunday. Talk about stressful and exhausting... keeping a house in "show-condition" with two little ones is almost impossible. That is why we are in Martin. We worked our backsides off getting it in pristine, sparkly condition and we left. Out of there! Hopefully, it will pay off. We know it is all in God's time. And finding a house is also stressful, but I trust that God will provide and that the perfect one is out there.
And speaking of "out there", Columbia is right between St. Louis and Kansas City. Smack-dab in the middle. The good news? The Lake of the Ozarks... sounds lovely! And St. Louis... we will be there next summer! We enjoy the Cardinals game, and have heard the zoo is really nice, as well as a few other things. I am excited about that!
We are off to a new place and it's going to be good. More to come as the fog slowly lifts... until then, pray for us and our boys (they probably need it more than we do). :)
Russ has accepted a new role in his career and we are going to be moving... we're off to a new place!
Back in July, Russ was offered a new position and after much thought, consideration, and prayer, we have decided to move our family to Columbia, Missouri. He will be working for Mosaic in the fertilizer industry.
This was an unexpected opportunity and one that required MUCH thought and discussion. Russ and I have moved quite frequently throughout our seven years of marriage. Although frequent moves, or moving at all for that matter, were not part of our "plan" apparently it was God's and all things considered, we have done well with each move. Each move forced us to grow and learn in various capacities, and I wouldn't change it for the world. We are who we are, and where we are today, because of where we've been. I think that makes sense.
Now... grow and learn in various capacities is going to mean something different this time around, I am almost certain. This is the first move with children. With two children. With a two year old and a four month old. I am slightly overwhelmed to be perfectly honest.
We are excited, but our emotions are quite mixed. Our lifestyle is going to change.
First of all, we will be 5 hours from home vs. 3 hours from home. Our family is happy for us, but not thrilled with the location being farther away. This was one big part of the TOUGH decision on whether to move or not to move.
Secondly, Russ' new position will be one where he works from home. He will have a home office and will travel to various locations to work with clients. Most will be day trips with the exception of one account in Memphis. That trip will be a family trip with a drop-off in Martin. The boys and I will visit with family and he will pick us up on the way back through. Russ worked from home when we lived in North Dakota and really enjoyed it, but it was before children. :)
Lastly, I will be staying at home... IIIHHH!!! That statement makes my anxiety level SOAR!!! Mixed emotions... major mixed emotions. I have never had the desire to stay at home. The summer of 2008, the summer Lawson was born, was the first summer I didn't work. I do not enjoy hanging out at home, and simply said, I love what I do. I deeply love my two little boys, but I believe I am a better wife and mother when I work. Sooooo... I hope we've made the right decision as it will effect all of us. Yes, ALL of us. We will ALL be at home together each day... it is slightly laughable to me at this point. I certainly plan to go back to school next fall, but in the mean time, I certainly plan to make the best of it and am going to do all I can to enjoy each day that I am at home with Lawson and Emmitt. It is the dream of many women, and I realize that. It is also a blessing, and I realize that. I am going to give it my all and take the opportunity to love them up.
With that said, my last day of school was last Friday. It was kind of sad... kind of. I LOVE the girls I taught with, however my class was truly not so lovable. The toughest I believe I've ever had. I believe with ALL of my heart that this was God's plan. He knew what was arriving at my 3rd grade door. I honestly believe I might have quit before the 190 day-extended-school-year was up on June 9. It was hard. And I like hard, but not that kind of hard. So, one week down. One week with my boys. One tough week. :) Lawson is two and is out of routine so it has been tough for us. We have spent the week in Martin because Russ is in Missouri this week and it's been a struggle. We will return to a little normalcy next week as Russ will work from Evansville and the boys will finish their full-time daycare career for now. I plan to enroll Lawson in a Mother's Day Out program or part-time daycare. He NEEDS socialization and I don't want to rob him of that. He loves school and by today, I'm telling you that he NEEDS to go, and I NEED him to go! I have been researching daycare possibilities on-line today.
None of this has really sunk in just yet. The reality that I am not going back to Delaware Elementary to room 302 has not hit me. And that's ok. It might be too much at this point. To fully understand that I am going to be at home full-time with Lawson in the mood he has been in this week just might be too much. I will get there and it will be fine. Just fine.
As to the coming weeks... they are foggy. Very foggy. Russ' schedule differs from week to week, and somewhere in the midst of things we need to go on a house-hunting trip. Our house has been on the market for almost three weeks. We've shown it three times and have an Open House on Sunday. Talk about stressful and exhausting... keeping a house in "show-condition" with two little ones is almost impossible. That is why we are in Martin. We worked our backsides off getting it in pristine, sparkly condition and we left. Out of there! Hopefully, it will pay off. We know it is all in God's time. And finding a house is also stressful, but I trust that God will provide and that the perfect one is out there.
And speaking of "out there", Columbia is right between St. Louis and Kansas City. Smack-dab in the middle. The good news? The Lake of the Ozarks... sounds lovely! And St. Louis... we will be there next summer! We enjoy the Cardinals game, and have heard the zoo is really nice, as well as a few other things. I am excited about that!
We are off to a new place and it's going to be good. More to come as the fog slowly lifts... until then, pray for us and our boys (they probably need it more than we do). :)
Monday, July 12, 2010
The 4th...
We had a nice 4th of July weekend. Between the 3-day weekend for Russ and the two gatherings we attended, we had a great time.
Our celebrating began on Saturday night, July 3 at the Lopez's house. They had their annual 4th of July party and as always, it was a very good time. Both the food and fellowship was great... nothing like good ole' Texas style brisket! You're an awesome cook, Jon; it was delicious! :)
There were many friends there including little Miss Sidney. Sidney is 5 months older than Lawson and they had a good time playing together. Of course, he enticed her with his baseball and she was a good sport.
For some reason, having another child to care for really limited the number of pictures taken...
The view of the river and the crowd
A few of the Cargill kids!
Simone, Saveena, V.J., Clayton, Kayce, and Emmitt in the stroller.
Emmitt wasn't the least concerned with the events happening around him!
Lawson and his glow-in-the-dark necklace... fun!
Not only is Lawson into baseball, he is still all about singing and dancing... he can turn most anything into a guitar, including his necklace. And he's also dancing a little jig! I believe Johnny Cash was being played over the speakers at this time.
Lawson and Dad waiting for the firework show
Beautiful Evansville fireworks!
Mom, Lawson, and Emmitt
And that was our fun weekend!
Our celebrating began on Saturday night, July 3 at the Lopez's house. They had their annual 4th of July party and as always, it was a very good time. Both the food and fellowship was great... nothing like good ole' Texas style brisket! You're an awesome cook, Jon; it was delicious! :)
There were many friends there including little Miss Sidney. Sidney is 5 months older than Lawson and they had a good time playing together. Of course, he enticed her with his baseball and she was a good sport.
For some reason, having another child to care for really limited the number of pictures taken...
Sidney and Lawson
The night ended with fireworks, which Lawson was scared of so he and Russ enjoyed the coolness of the indoors as we enjoyed a spectacular firework show... better than any small town display I've ever seen! Thanks Jon and Kim for a fun evening!
On Sunday night, the 4th, we went to Russ' office for the annual July 4th Customer Appreciation Celebration. It was lots of fun, as always! There was approximately 800 in attendance this year and the riverfront was full of fun with friends and family.
On Sunday night, the 4th, we went to Russ' office for the annual July 4th Customer Appreciation Celebration. It was lots of fun, as always! There was approximately 800 in attendance this year and the riverfront was full of fun with friends and family.
Hotdogs, hamburgers, and brauts were served along with chips, beans, the trimmings, and soft drinks and water. One of my favorite parts of the food is the ice cream... for some reason, it always tastes so good at this event... I suppose it is the atmosphere.
Lawson played and played and had a great time. Clowns were present to entertain the children and were enjoyed by many with the exception of Lawson. They were painting faces and twisting balloons into cool creations and he wanted nothing to do with it. He finally accepted a smiley sticker which you can see on his forearm. The Elmo face painting wasn't even enough to convince him! And like the night before, he was afraid of the beautiful fireworks and immediately began asking to go to the truck so off he and Russ went. It will pass with time, I'm sure.
Russ and Lawson
Lawson is enjoying a hotdog and potato chips, along with a few pickles and a slice of cheese.
The view of the river and the crowd
A few of the Cargill kids!
Simone, Saveena, V.J., Clayton, Kayce, and Emmitt in the stroller.
Emmitt wasn't the least concerned with the events happening around him!
Lawson and his glow-in-the-dark necklace... fun!
Not only is Lawson into baseball, he is still all about singing and dancing... he can turn most anything into a guitar, including his necklace. And he's also dancing a little jig! I believe Johnny Cash was being played over the speakers at this time.
More rhythm than Russ or I even begin to think about having!
He is a funny boy!
Lawson and Dad waiting for the firework show
Beautiful Evansville fireworks!
Mom, Lawson, and Emmitt
And that was our fun weekend!
We are so thankful to live in this great nation... may God continue to bless us as Americans and may He also bless the farmers and ranchers with plentiful harvests.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Field trip fun!
Being a teacher, field trips are nothing new to me and to be quite honest, I rarely consider them "fun". However, the field trip I took with Lawson's class to 'Bouncing Off the Walls' was something NEW and was also FUN!
I joined his 2-year old class and the Toddler class at his school for a field trip to the local bounce house. I had no idea what to expect when I signed up, but knew that if Lawson was going then I was going to be there, too... and we had a great time!
Lawson with Ms. Sara (and the BAT, imagine that?!)
Lawson and one of his good friends
Lawson bouncing on a mushroom
Jump, Lawson, jump!
This was a baseball game... and guess who spent a large part of the morning there??? You got it, Mr. Lawson!!
...and then the SLIDE!
And Lawson sliding with Mama
Lawson and his friend climbing the ladder to the top...
Lawson and one of his friends...
Lawson and one of his sweet little friends...
Emmitt joined us for the field trip, however he only bounced in his dreams.
It was a fun morning, resulting in tired little boys and girls, and two skinless elbows for this mama. Yep, trying to stop yourself as you go down the slide results in major sores on the elbows... lesson learned. :)
I joined his 2-year old class and the Toddler class at his school for a field trip to the local bounce house. I had no idea what to expect when I signed up, but knew that if Lawson was going then I was going to be there, too... and we had a great time!
Here is the bouncing crew - the 2-year olds and the toddlers along with their awesome teachers! Lawson is sitting against the palm tree on the left in the red t-shirt, holding a baseball bat and ball...
Lawson with Ms. Sara (and the BAT, imagine that?!)
Lawson and one of his good friends
Lawson bouncing on a mushroom
Jump, Lawson, jump!
This was a baseball game... and guess who spent a large part of the morning there??? You got it, Mr. Lawson!!
...and then the SLIDE!
This was the big hit of the morning!
Here is Lawson sliding with Mrs. Lisa
And Lawson sliding with Mama
Lawson and his friend climbing the ladder to the top...
And down they come!
Lawson and one of his friends...
Lawson and one of his sweet little friends...
Emmitt joined us for the field trip, however he only bounced in his dreams.
It was a fun morning, resulting in tired little boys and girls, and two skinless elbows for this mama. Yep, trying to stop yourself as you go down the slide results in major sores on the elbows... lesson learned. :)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The Evansville Sky
Over the past couple of weeks, the Evansville sky has proven to be beautiful!
And over the past few weeks, Lawson has become very aware of the sky and its appearance. The week of his birthday, we were getting him ready for bed and as I closed his blinds, I commented on the sky. The sun was going down and the clouds and the sun looked almost just like the sky did last year on his birthday... very pretty. Well, my comment caused him to make an association between the sky and birthdays. Every time the sky is beautifully decorated with a mixture of clouds and sun, he points and so excitedly asks, "Happy Birthday?!" And we say no, it isn't a happy birthday, it's just a pretty sky... I am wondering how long it will take for him to understand that the sky has no association with happy birthdays? :)
The following pictures are of the Evansville sky from the past couple of weeks... each time we were outside looking at the sky and I was snapping these shots, he kept jumping up and down pointing to the sky saying, "Happy Birthday!"
And over the past few weeks, Lawson has become very aware of the sky and its appearance. The week of his birthday, we were getting him ready for bed and as I closed his blinds, I commented on the sky. The sun was going down and the clouds and the sun looked almost just like the sky did last year on his birthday... very pretty. Well, my comment caused him to make an association between the sky and birthdays. Every time the sky is beautifully decorated with a mixture of clouds and sun, he points and so excitedly asks, "Happy Birthday?!" And we say no, it isn't a happy birthday, it's just a pretty sky... I am wondering how long it will take for him to understand that the sky has no association with happy birthdays? :)
The following pictures are of the Evansville sky from the past couple of weeks... each time we were outside looking at the sky and I was snapping these shots, he kept jumping up and down pointing to the sky saying, "Happy Birthday!"
Aren't they pretty pictures? These type things excite me for some reason. I remember my senior English teacher, Coach Barber, telling me one day in class that I was such a "gold" person. I was like, "what?" He said, "Yes, Selena. You are a 'gold' person (mind you this was in quite a condescending, but sincere tone)... you are a 'stop-and-smell-the-flowers-kind-of-girl'." He is right... I enjoy the small things and often take time to stop and enjoy them. Life is too short not to do so.
Maybe Lawson will be a 'gold' person?! :)
Lawson's Bedroom
Back in March, Lawson began the journey in his new big boy bedroom. What started as a rough ride has become quite smooth over the past months.
He enjoys his bed and has remained proud of his room as he so excitedly shows guests when they come to visit. It turned out really cute and it fits him so perfectly.
He goes to sleep very easily these days with at most two returns to the living room before giving in to his tiredness and falling asleep. He sleeps all night with occasional cries requiring a pat on the back returning him to his peaceful slumber.
Below are a few pictures of his big boy room... it is compiled of both new and "well-seasoned" furniture which hold memories from Russ' childhood.
I made the "L" above his chest for his nursery and was pleased that it fit in his new big boy bedroom... thanks Amanda for the idea before our babies were born; I still love it! :)
As most children do, he has learned to jump on the bed and it is a lot of fun as the giggles just roll right from his mouth...
An artist, Jenny Bowman, from Dyersburg, Tennessee painted the canvas above his bed. She did a beautiful job and we are extremely pleased with it. She is very reputable and has done work for many in Martin, our hometown, and has also been on HGTV. When I contacted her I had to give her all of the information over the phone, but was able to send pics of bedding, paint colors, etc. through email. I was quite nervous as I wasn't sure what to expect since I had nothing to go by and/or share with her as far as examples are concerned. It was a leap of faith and she "WOW"ed me!
He enjoys his bed and has remained proud of his room as he so excitedly shows guests when they come to visit. It turned out really cute and it fits him so perfectly.
He goes to sleep very easily these days with at most two returns to the living room before giving in to his tiredness and falling asleep. He sleeps all night with occasional cries requiring a pat on the back returning him to his peaceful slumber.
Below are a few pictures of his big boy room... it is compiled of both new and "well-seasoned" furniture which hold memories from Russ' childhood.
I made the "L" above his chest for his nursery and was pleased that it fit in his new big boy bedroom... thanks Amanda for the idea before our babies were born; I still love it! :)
As most children do, he has learned to jump on the bed and it is a lot of fun as the giggles just roll right from his mouth...
An artist, Jenny Bowman, from Dyersburg, Tennessee painted the canvas above his bed. She did a beautiful job and we are extremely pleased with it. She is very reputable and has done work for many in Martin, our hometown, and has also been on HGTV. When I contacted her I had to give her all of the information over the phone, but was able to send pics of bedding, paint colors, etc. through email. I was quite nervous as I wasn't sure what to expect since I had nothing to go by and/or share with her as far as examples are concerned. It was a leap of faith and she "WOW"ed me!
Russ and I are in awe of her work and Lawson is very proud of it, too! It is more durable than I would have ever expected and thank goodness that it is as I have finally given up on trying to keep his hands off of it at bedtime. He enjoys pointing to the animals and making their noises. My only comfort is that he has just gotten out of the bathtub therefore his hands SHOULD be clean. :)
I took a few upclose shots of some of the detail... she was blessed with an amazing talent. I believe you can click on the pics to enlarge them and you should be able to see the detail closer.
I specifically like the barn with his name on it. : )
And that's Lawson's room. Emmitt's room is cute too... I will post it in the very near future.
I specifically like the barn with his name on it. : )
And that's Lawson's room. Emmitt's room is cute too... I will post it in the very near future.
May his room be filled with many great memories in the years to come.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Big Tractor
The National Farm Machinery Show, held in Louisville, Kentucky, was the end of last week through this past Saturday. Cargill has a booth and Russ chose to manage the booth on Saturday so that we could go with him, anticipating Lawson enjoying the show. Enjoying is not even the word... he was in tractor heaven!
We drove to Louisville Friday after school, arriving around 6 pm. We got settled into our hotel and had dinner with Gretta and Joel, who quickly became "Joe" in Lawson's language and were then off to bed for the big show on Saturday morning.
We were to be there at 9:00 and were not scheduled to "tear-down" until 6:00 pm... I was mentally prepared for this big day --- I thought. We got there about 8:45 and it was 20 degrees outside where we had to wait for the doors to open at 9:00... fortunately, they let Russ in with Lawson and the stroller as he had a pass, but wouldn't let the 7 month pregnant wife/mama in, so I waited with Joel outside. We finally saw another entrance and were able to sneak in to the warm building. Once inside, I was in shock at the size of the building and at all of the equipment. It is indescribable. Lawson was wide-eyed and so excited as he was attempting to take it all in. We found Cargill's booth and the day went full-speed ahead from there. Lawson and I took off as Russ got things ready for the day.
Growing up on a farm, I had what I thought to be a pretty good sense about farm machinery... I was wrong. There were pieces of equipment that I had never seen or heard of before and the ones that I was familiar with had so many cool options on them, that they were even new to me. It was fun! I took over 100 pictures in the 9 hours we were there and although I didn't post all of them, the post is long. It occurred to me as I was taking his picture on about tractor #10 that it wasn't necessary to take his picture on EVERY tractor, but it was hard not to.
We saw tractors in every shape, color, and size... literally. And if I only had 10 cents for every time he said "trac-tor", I would be rich! His excitement was heart-warming. He would clap as we went from tractor to tractor and shout "hooray!"... so cute!
By lunch time, I was exhausted and he was not. I was beginning to wonder what the heck I was thinking, but as we ate with Russ it occurred to me that I was right where I needed to be... making great memories with both of my boys. It is rare that Lawson and I get to travel with Russ for work and what fun Lawson was having! His smiles, claps, and hoorays were priceless. I decided to suck it up... his two-hour nap following lunch was truly the life saver for the day.
Below are a "few" (ha!) pics from our trip. They are not organized in any particular order as there were too many to sort through...
This was the first tractor stop for the day... "Hooray!"
His smile is worth more than 1000 words!
This was the end of the day at the mall. Once we left the show, we stopped at the mall as we hadn't walked enough that day and needed a few more steps in... ha! No really, we needed to stop at Pottery Barn and we needed to eat so we stopped and shopped. Lawson is into sitting down and patting the area next to him, inviting you to sit down. As we left the California Pizza Kitchen, there was a little bench that he climbed up on and then patted for us to sit with him. Humoring him, we gladly stopped and sat. He jumped down from there and ran to this teeny-tiny ledge and sat his little buns down, patting for us to sit... it was hilarious! People all around were cracking up as it was so obvious to those who don't know him what he was wanting us to do... I am glad my camera was in my purse because he was so cute!
This was one of the biggest combine headers I have ever seen!! HUGE!
In addition to equipment, there were lots of other neat agriculture vendors there. This is a small sample of a livestock scale that Lawson really enjoyed playing with. I had to get on it, too! :)
Here he is in front of Daddy's booth...
This was by far the most unique tractor we saw. Russ gave me a hard time about putting him on the pink tractor, but it was repainted in memory of a lady who lost her battle to breast cancer. When would we ever see another pink tractor and it was for a good cause... you should have seen the little girls lined up to have their picture taken on the pink tractor!!! And speaking of lines - I was beginning to think we were at Disney World... I couldn't believe people were literally waiting in line to get on tractors. It was crazy! Lawson wanted to get on this John Deere cotton picker so bad because the lights were flashing, etc. but there were 7 people waiting and I thought to myself there is no way I am going to wait with this 21 month old little boy! There was PLENTY more to see than the cotton picker!
"Hooray!"
This was really cute, too. Lawson was playing and talking when a salesman walked over and gave me a hat for him to put on. I had never heard of this type of tractor, but he told me to put the hat on him and then send some pictures into the tractor company via the website. I haven't yet done that, but I might.
We drove to Louisville Friday after school, arriving around 6 pm. We got settled into our hotel and had dinner with Gretta and Joel, who quickly became "Joe" in Lawson's language and were then off to bed for the big show on Saturday morning.
We were to be there at 9:00 and were not scheduled to "tear-down" until 6:00 pm... I was mentally prepared for this big day --- I thought. We got there about 8:45 and it was 20 degrees outside where we had to wait for the doors to open at 9:00... fortunately, they let Russ in with Lawson and the stroller as he had a pass, but wouldn't let the 7 month pregnant wife/mama in, so I waited with Joel outside. We finally saw another entrance and were able to sneak in to the warm building. Once inside, I was in shock at the size of the building and at all of the equipment. It is indescribable. Lawson was wide-eyed and so excited as he was attempting to take it all in. We found Cargill's booth and the day went full-speed ahead from there. Lawson and I took off as Russ got things ready for the day.
Growing up on a farm, I had what I thought to be a pretty good sense about farm machinery... I was wrong. There were pieces of equipment that I had never seen or heard of before and the ones that I was familiar with had so many cool options on them, that they were even new to me. It was fun! I took over 100 pictures in the 9 hours we were there and although I didn't post all of them, the post is long. It occurred to me as I was taking his picture on about tractor #10 that it wasn't necessary to take his picture on EVERY tractor, but it was hard not to.
We saw tractors in every shape, color, and size... literally. And if I only had 10 cents for every time he said "trac-tor", I would be rich! His excitement was heart-warming. He would clap as we went from tractor to tractor and shout "hooray!"... so cute!
By lunch time, I was exhausted and he was not. I was beginning to wonder what the heck I was thinking, but as we ate with Russ it occurred to me that I was right where I needed to be... making great memories with both of my boys. It is rare that Lawson and I get to travel with Russ for work and what fun Lawson was having! His smiles, claps, and hoorays were priceless. I decided to suck it up... his two-hour nap following lunch was truly the life saver for the day.
Below are a "few" (ha!) pics from our trip. They are not organized in any particular order as there were too many to sort through...
This was the first tractor stop for the day... "Hooray!"
His smile is worth more than 1000 words!
This was the end of the day at the mall. Once we left the show, we stopped at the mall as we hadn't walked enough that day and needed a few more steps in... ha! No really, we needed to stop at Pottery Barn and we needed to eat so we stopped and shopped. Lawson is into sitting down and patting the area next to him, inviting you to sit down. As we left the California Pizza Kitchen, there was a little bench that he climbed up on and then patted for us to sit with him. Humoring him, we gladly stopped and sat. He jumped down from there and ran to this teeny-tiny ledge and sat his little buns down, patting for us to sit... it was hilarious! People all around were cracking up as it was so obvious to those who don't know him what he was wanting us to do... I am glad my camera was in my purse because he was so cute!
This was one of the biggest combine headers I have ever seen!! HUGE!
In addition to equipment, there were lots of other neat agriculture vendors there. This is a small sample of a livestock scale that Lawson really enjoyed playing with. I had to get on it, too! :)
Here he is in front of Daddy's booth...
This was by far the most unique tractor we saw. Russ gave me a hard time about putting him on the pink tractor, but it was repainted in memory of a lady who lost her battle to breast cancer. When would we ever see another pink tractor and it was for a good cause... you should have seen the little girls lined up to have their picture taken on the pink tractor!!! And speaking of lines - I was beginning to think we were at Disney World... I couldn't believe people were literally waiting in line to get on tractors. It was crazy! Lawson wanted to get on this John Deere cotton picker so bad because the lights were flashing, etc. but there were 7 people waiting and I thought to myself there is no way I am going to wait with this 21 month old little boy! There was PLENTY more to see than the cotton picker!
Such a natural... shifting those gears!
"Hooray!"
This was really cute, too. Lawson was playing and talking when a salesman walked over and gave me a hat for him to put on. I had never heard of this type of tractor, but he told me to put the hat on him and then send some pictures into the tractor company via the website. I haven't yet done that, but I might.
Now, this is some serious farming right here...
A "blue" tractor - interior and all!
Ok - here are a few of my favorites! As he was sitting on many of the tractors he would say "hooray!" and this one was no different, initially. However, all of the sudden he began to sing and dance. Not long after that, he jumped down and using the gear shift he sang and sang and sang some more! It was adorable! And people around would stop and listen and just smile - he was simply full of happiness and joy while we were there!
More singing...
"Hooray!"
For some reason, I closed the door on one of the tractors... big mistake. From that point on, he thought all of the doors needed to be closed.
Attempting to close the door...
A "blue" tractor - interior and all!
Ok - here are a few of my favorites! As he was sitting on many of the tractors he would say "hooray!" and this one was no different, initially. However, all of the sudden he began to sing and dance. Not long after that, he jumped down and using the gear shift he sang and sang and sang some more! It was adorable! And people around would stop and listen and just smile - he was simply full of happiness and joy while we were there!
More singing...
"Hooray!"
For some reason, I closed the door on one of the tractors... big mistake. From that point on, he thought all of the doors needed to be closed.
Attempting to close the door...
This is some type of wagon - he has my "touch everything" syndrome. Sorry for ALL that I touched Mom.
So this was the biggest mis-hap of the day... this machine, whatever it was, was HUGE! (see next pic) But it was really cool! It had a line of only 3 people so I waited. Getting him up there was no big deal, but getting him down was a night mare. I remember my Daddy teaching me how to come down backwards off of the combines and tractors, meaning I must have been older than 2. Teaching him to do this was not happening - what was I thinking? Anyway, it was time for him to get off and he didn't want to, but by this time there were like five people waiting and it was obvious that I was going to have to go up to get him. So, seven months pregnant, here I go... in my stylish boots - another one of those, "what the heck was I thinking?" moments. So as I get up there, this lady is yelling for me to please stop that I am scaring her! I started to laugh and sweat all at the same time! Ha! What was I going to do? Finally, I just asked this man to please take him from me as I swung him down by one arm and then I would get him at the bottom. As I got down, with embarrassment, the lady who yelled at me said she was about to cry!!! I couldn't stop laughing as I visualized how BAD it must have looked! Oh, well, another tractor memory!
Pretty big, huh? The tires were as tall as me... I am sure you are wondering what I was thinking, too!
This was another big tractor, but Daddy went up with him...
A good ole' John Deere with more tires that were taller than me... thank goodness for Daddy.
I love this set of pictures for some reason...
And finally, a nap!
So this was the biggest mis-hap of the day... this machine, whatever it was, was HUGE! (see next pic) But it was really cool! It had a line of only 3 people so I waited. Getting him up there was no big deal, but getting him down was a night mare. I remember my Daddy teaching me how to come down backwards off of the combines and tractors, meaning I must have been older than 2. Teaching him to do this was not happening - what was I thinking? Anyway, it was time for him to get off and he didn't want to, but by this time there were like five people waiting and it was obvious that I was going to have to go up to get him. So, seven months pregnant, here I go... in my stylish boots - another one of those, "what the heck was I thinking?" moments. So as I get up there, this lady is yelling for me to please stop that I am scaring her! I started to laugh and sweat all at the same time! Ha! What was I going to do? Finally, I just asked this man to please take him from me as I swung him down by one arm and then I would get him at the bottom. As I got down, with embarrassment, the lady who yelled at me said she was about to cry!!! I couldn't stop laughing as I visualized how BAD it must have looked! Oh, well, another tractor memory!
Pretty big, huh? The tires were as tall as me... I am sure you are wondering what I was thinking, too!
This was another big tractor, but Daddy went up with him...
A good ole' John Deere with more tires that were taller than me... thank goodness for Daddy.
I love this set of pictures for some reason...
Isn't he cute in this track-hoe? I think that is how you spell it...
Standing on the edge of the seat...
This was so cute... this dog food display wasn't far from Russ and he was down playing when he saw this dog and gave it a hug!
And at the hotel - he thought this little ride was grand!
Looking forward to more memories at the tractor show... we are certain that two boys will be twice the fun! ; ) Hats off to all of our US farmers and agriculture employees! You are the Best!
And lastly, this morning... we couldn't leave the tractor show without a souvenir, so we got a t-shirt and he wore it to school this morning! Such a cutie-pie!
Looking forward to more memories at the tractor show... we are certain that two boys will be twice the fun! ; ) Hats off to all of our US farmers and agriculture employees! You are the Best!
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