Some "Happys" on this Memorial Day:
Tomorrow Sean gets to ride in the car for the first time in two weeks!!!! Whewie!
Best way to ride your bike - in the rain and in your pjs!
Who needs toys when you have a big brother?
I feel like I can finally lift my head above water now to catch my breath. The past couple of months have been quite the adventure. Sean has been having some serious health issues. This past week he had spine surgery. We’re thankful to be in the next chapter – recovery.
On Tuesday, after I cut the hospital bracelet off of Sean, he jokingly said, ”Don’t throw it away… Keep it for the scrapbook.”
I quickly responded to that – “No way. I don’t want to remember this.”
Now that I have had some time to reflect on everything we are going through and process it all a bit, I have changed my mind. I think I do want to scrapbook this… to some extent.
As my family “historian”, I need to document the real stuff. Now, I am not planning on dwelling all the ugly details of trials.... no photos of patients in pain...I'm still deciding what kind of picture to include...perscriptions lined up, get well cards, or maybe the stacks of dvds friends have loaned us.... just some of the sights around here these days.
I want to make sure we can look back, be reminded of significant times, and also see how we faced them. Most of all, I want to leave record of how good God has been to us through this all… and how He has given us more than enough in each step of this journey.
Hmmm... Let me think... well, I guess blogging is pretty low on my list lately. Here are a few highlights from the past couple of months.
Connor is gone and "Buzz Lightyear" lives here now. After seeing Toy Story for the first time, he has been "Buzz" non-stop for over a month now. Each family member has been affectionately named... and we have been "flying" off the furniture now for weeks. I'm hoping this is just a phase! I love you "To Infinety and Beyond", Connor!
Spring has sprung here! Dad gave me the ultimate birthday gift this year... my own garden!!! Tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers, herbs, and more!!! I am giddy over my new backyard. Thanks so much for this priceless gift, Dad! More pics to come soon!
The "McD 4" had our first Easter together. What a fun weekend.... dying eggs, playing in the yard, spending time with family...celebrating that Jesus is Alive!
I can't stop myself! She is just too cute (I'm such a mom - aren't I?) Grandmother and Mimi found Paige's Easter dress last year- before she was even born! I am having way to much fun being Mama of a little girl.
Last year I began our Easter mini book - leaving pages to add pictures from each year. How will I pick just a couple of pictures?
Working with my hands lately? A little bit here and there. I have finished my Christmas pages and a few more for Paige's baby book. It's hard to find time to sit.. let alone time to actuallly get any scrapbooking done! Someday... right? Mom keeps reminding me that I have the rest of my life to scrapbook! Right now I am busy being Mama to my little baby doll and "Buzz."
This smile is more than enough for me today! I love it every time she flashes that huge grin at me - with those two little teeth staring back at me.
I have heard from lots of folks that have been inspired by my "Word of the Year." Thanks for taking the time to let me know your words too. It has been fun to hear from yall!
Today, I took some time to make my enough sign. I kept it really simple - a real quick project -I used just some things I had in my stash that made me smile.... buttons, ribbon, and a cute little bird dye cut that I just found buried. I used a 4 x 6 inch piece of patterned paper as my template and inserted it into a magnet picture frame. Right now it is on my fridge.. but I may move it to a nice photo frame some day and place it on my desk or on my bedside table... wherever it seems "fresh" and I still am inspired by it. If I leave it in the same spot all year, it will become stale and I will overlook it. You know how that is - right?
Anyone else out there that has a "word of the year" to share?
My first scene of More than Enough:
One 80 degree January morning...Check out those blue skies
One cup of coffee with the last of my pumpkin spice creamer .. in a pink mug that makes me smile
Two spray painted black rocking chairs with a story
Two playing children who bring me more joy than I knew was possible
More than ENOUGH for me today.
This is my third year to choose a "word of the year." 2007 carried the noun joy. In 2008, my word was the verb remember.
This year, 2009 will be the year of the adjective -
ENOUGH
Websters defines is like this:
Enough: adjective: occurring in such quantity, quality, or scope as to fully meet demands, needs, or expectations; sufficient
A new year always helps to get things back into focus... weighing what is really the important stuff in life. Checking my vision... and perspective.... So, with this word in front of me day in and day out, I hope to dwell on the truth that God has given me more than enough - instead of the "what ifs" and "if onlys" leading to discontent... not a fun place to dwell!
2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "My grace is sufficient (enough) for you, for power is perfected in weakness."
What am I going to do with my word? I've started a list of things that I know I have "enough" of. Some are serious and some are silly... But that is what is fun about a "word of the year" - you make it into a year long project that is unique to you.
I plan on making a little sign to hang in a special place for me to see each day. I will probably use the word a lot in my family scrapbooks this year too. Last year's word "remember" is on the front page of our album from 2008. I plan to take pictures of different scenes I see that remind me what He has given me is just enough for today.
My mom and her friend have decided to get together once a month and add a page to a small scrapbook - focused on their words. Cute idea to share this project with a friend or family member! I heard of another friend who challenged all of her family members to pick a word and share it with the fam... Then they can remind each other throughout the year and have fun looking for one another's words in day to day life together.
Mom and I have had fun doing this over the past couple of years. Her word is "today." Good reminder to enjoy life fully each day.
I guess my main hope this year is that I cling to the definition of enough when I start to slide down the slippery slope of discontent. That is easy to do... but maybe - just maybe - I will remember to say
"What He has given me today is more than enough."
Pick a word of the year for yourself. I would love to hear what you chose.
Our New Year has been fun so far.... We've celebrated Paige's first tooth and Sean's birthday too! All in the same week - Now that is exciting - huh??!?!
Aunt Jenny and I decided to try our hands at making homemade baby food for Paige and Jack. After 4 hours in the kitchen, some broken dishes, 3 over heated food processors, and enough green peas to feed the neighborhood, we finished! Don't know if we will have "Baby Food Network 2" - BUT we sure made some memories that we will never forget!
Connor expresses how we all felt after that day of "adventure."
Yesterday we celebrated Sean's birthday. Connor got to pick out anything he wanted to buy for Daddy (at Dollar Tree). He really wanted to get him a bike, but they unfortunately were all out - so instead, he settled for the next best thing...... Cheeto's! (and a football for himself!) What every man wants for his b-day - orange fingers!
I just finished a small album for a customer's college years. It was a fun project for me to complete... Different from the other albums I have done recently - a little more "girly" and fun. She just sent me a few pictures from each of her four years at A&M and I put them in an 8in. x 8 in, album. She was happy with how it turned out... Said it made her happy to relive those memories again. I'm always so glad to hear that people enjoy my work.
"Mommy, let's do a project." I love to hear those words from my little man! And notice that Sister has already shown quite an interest in working with her hands too!
SICK! Hasn't been that much fun around here over the past few days. My babies are pretty sick and I haven't been well either. Just praying that poor Sean doesn't get this sweet "gfit" on his two days off for Christmas!
Despite feeling yucky, I am trying to make the best of it and enjoy the season. My house makes me happy... this year I focused on decorating with the things that make me smile and really make our house cheerful. Today, while the kids napped, I snapped a few pics for me to remember next year how it all came together...
So, here is a little "open house" for you to feel like you were here. I wish you all could have been here to enjoy an afternoon cup of coffee and piece of gingerbread with me! (minus the hum of humidifiers and scent of Vicks vapor rub)
A few of my favorite things:
Matching Christmas Pj's
Paige's Pink Tree with my childhood ornaments
My nativity - a reminder of why we celebrate! As Connor would say, "Happy Birthday Jesus!"
Visits with Santa - past and present
By the way... There was no crying this year! yay!
Two Stockings hung by the chimney with care
The perfect little cup of "Christmas tree"
Our funny leaning Christmas tree.. It doesn't really look that bad in real life!
Our fridge plastered with greetings from near and far! and a few pieces of "art" too!
Thanks to my dad, we have a big pot of chicken and dumplings for dinner tonight.... and then off to some celebrating tomorrow.
Hoping that your Christmas is Merry and Bright this year... Much Love!
What happened to the last two months? It has been toooooo long since I last posted anything. Thanksgiving has come and gone and now Christmas is quickly approaching.
Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday!) was spent in Bryan with the Kriels. We had a wonderful weekend there ending out our stay with the tradition of cutting down our Christmas tree. It was fun to let Connor pick out the perfect tree and help Daddy saw it down - complete with yelling "TIMBER!"
We were welcomed home after Thanksgiving to a partially flooded house due to our water heater bursting. FUN! That put my Christmas decorating plans on a drastic new schedule... But, we have recovered and decorated now! It actually made me focus on some things that I might not have normally spent time on... if I had been decorating instead.
Mom and I treated ourselves to the annual Historic McKinney Home Tour. This was our third year to go together and we really enjoyed spending the whole day together - just the two of us --- oooing and awing over pretty things and laughing together. We even got to have a beautiful sit down lunch together - without the little "escorts" that are usually with us. That day was one of my favorite of the season so far, Mama. Love you.
Paige is 5 months old this week. Such a doll, she is! Loving every moment of her. She is such an easy baby and so full of giggles and smiles. Connor has always been my "serious" child - so it is fun to have a little one who loves to grin.
Last weekend we started out Christmas celebrations with family with our "Kriel Christmas" - we went to Bryan to celebrate wtih my family Connor's favorite part of the weekend was his new guitar from Mimi. He and Cousin Jake entertained us with quite the concert!
ANd today... we move onto another celebration of sorts... Sean and I have been married 9 years today. It is fun to think back to that magical day 9 years ago... the day we became "The McDonnells."
And today we are the "McD 4." God has been so good to us over our journey so far. I feel like He has blessed me with the fairy tale life that I always dreamed of.... 2 beautiful children and the most incredible "prince charming" of a husband.... Someone who loves me more than I could ever imagine.
Here's to 99 more years together, Honey. I love you!
