happy birthday jc.

happy birthday baby Jesus.

this was followed by a bath. the exciting kind. without too much information on this special day, the tub got scrubbed and his toys got bleached. once my maid duties were complete, my sweet boy went back in and finally got clean and ready to play with all his christmas goodies. as i was bleaching away i couldn't help but think man, a nanny would be great at this exact moment. and i better not ruin my new jammies. i suppose the tub needed scrubbed anyway but I wouldn't have done it today. i am not complaining. i am very blessed. christmas is always a surprise...in more ways than one.

merry christmas!!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

faux hawk.

the urban dictionary defines a faux hawk as a full head of hair combed into the middle to fabricate the look of a mohawk. 

now, i love me some baby boy faux hawks.  i always thought that i would be trendy and give james a baby faux hawk.  that is, well...until every little boy had one.  that and the fact that james didn't have very much hair. so as soon as i could, i did the comb over and fell in love. 

it's just so sweet.



but lately after bath, daddy likes to give james a new style.  a new personality.  it makes me laugh.

just chillaxin' with his faux hawk.  blues clues is on tv.  he really likes blue.

pretty cute, huh?

on another note, there is way too much brown in this picture.  i'm going to be sure to include some color in the next photos.  you don't understand - i cannot leave pretty pillows and blankets out.  waylon, my hefty basset hound loves something to snuggle into a night.  he'll get them down when i put them up.  he'll find a way to sleep on them at night.  he knows i cannot protect them during the dark hours and he turns into the pillow bandit.  and i tried to flip the picture to black and white to avoid all the brown-ness but then you could barely see james' rockin' hair.  so, you'll have to live with the brown.  i apologize.  rock on.

christmas throwback.

i noticed yesterday that i didn't blog last december.  shame on me.  so, guess what?  i'm going to do a throwback christmas post circa 2009.  this would have been james' first christmas.  his first white christmas in fact.  it was my first christmas as a wife and mother.  it was a good christmas.  but if you're holidays are anything like mine, it definitely had some surprises.

okay, i'm going to admit this first:  last year i did not intend on putting up a christmas tree.  there i said it. i hate it and i wish i didn't feel that way but that is how i felt.  james was six months old and putting everything in his mouth.  my dogs think presents and paper are toys and i just thought it wasn't worth it.  plus, i knew that we would follow my family tradition and spend christmas eve and christmas morning at my sister's house.  so, we would fall asleep christmas eve and wake up to a tree on christmas morning - which to me is the most important.  so, there is my scrougy little secret. 

there we were, december 24th.  we were bundled up, car pack and ready to head out to meet my family.  mr. h puts the truck in reverse and get don't move.  in fact, we about got stuck leaving our driveway.  this should have been our first clue to raise the white flag and go back inside but we had spent hours getting everything ready for our overnight trip.  the problem was it snowed over 6 inches that day.  these were accompanied by oklahoma winds creating huge snow drifts.  now, let me just state that oklahoma has not had a white christmas in seven years before last year and we (or more specifically the road people who put down sand and salt) are not prepared for such a snow storm.  therefore, the roads were dangerous.  so, we set out.  we thought our neighborhood would be the worst but once we got to main roads we would be fine.  wrong. the main roads weren't any better.  they may have actually been worse due to the abandoned cars and crazy drivers.

so, we're on our way. sweet little six month old baby in tow. i'm terrified.  i am filled with fear and regret.  we quickly decide we need to return home as fast as possible.  well, fast wasn't going to happen so i should say as safe as possible.  ice was freezing on the windshield, street lights were out and roads were not cleared.  this is not how i thought i would be celebrating christmas eve. i cried.  we keep thinking that we'll turn the corner, get on the highway, something, anything and the situation will be better but no.  nothing made it better.  we made a huge loop that would normally take us ten minutes but we're pushing an hour.  my family is calling wondering where we are but i don't think they understood how bad the roads conditions had gotten.  then it happened.  we got stuck.  i instantly started sobbing.  mr. h jumped out to assess the situation.  honestly, i would have jumped out of the car from me too.  by the grace of God, a utility work truck passed as my husband was outside.  their job was to assess the roads and pull out any city vehicles that were stuck in the snow.  they were hesitant about pulling us out but once mr. h told them we had a 6 month old baby and that his wife was crying, they agreed but he had to hook up the chain.  phew!  it worked.  it was the worst five minutes.  then the sweet gentlemen followed us home.  i don't know if they know how much that gesture meant to me.  i am still grateful for their kindness to this day.

so, now we're back home.  an hour and a half later - no tree and all necessities are packed in the truck.  this would not be that way for long.  i snuggle the baby, put him to bed and instantly started to put up our tree.  mr. h got all the decorations down from the attic and unpacked the car.  santa would come to our house afterall this year.  we woke up and had a nice little family celebration.  it was nice.  it would actually have been nice to be snowed in with my boys, minus the car trip disaster. this was our first christmas as a family and nothing would have been better. we were together and we were safe.  and we had power while over 1,200 oklahomans did not.  plus, our doggies were glad to spend christmas eve with us.

christmas eve photoshoot with my little santa baby:

christmas morning.  

my boys.  santa brought james a kelty pack.

santa did not realize that this would be heavy on daddy's back...

 regardless, they had to try it out.

this year there will be a tree and more decorations i've picked up along the way.  this year i hope to follow my family tradition and see my family on christmas eve.  this year i hope to start our own family traditions.  i know people like a white snow on christmas but i think i'd pass this year.

warmest jacket.

baby it's cold outside.  yesterday the high was in the 20s.  good thing i went and got james the last warmest jacket on saturday.  mr. h has been eyeing this jacket online but they have been sold out of james' color & size combination.  so, i had to fight the crowd to make one last attempt to get my baby, both of them, what they need for this winter.  and score!  i got the last 2t jacket on the rack but there were only three of these coats total.  i felt victorious.  i knew mr. h would be so happy.  and well, i might have picked up a few things for myself for all the trouble.  totally worth it, right?

monday morning we suited james up and he looks so cute.  he resembles ralphie in the christmas story but at least he looks warm.  james actually wore his jacket saturday night and he does the whole "i can't walk in this jacket" thing and trips and stumbles and looks so cute.  we were at a christmas party and my girl friend even noticed and commented.  i love it.  i love that she remembered that about him and how you just have to see it to see just how darn cute it is.  it really is so funny.  so, back to monday morning.  mr. h decided to strap him in his carseat with this puffy coat on.  it only works because we've moved up to big boy carseats.  this would have never worked last year with the little baby carrier.  once i talked to mr. h, he said that james was funny on the way to school.  he'd move the hood up and down but finally left it down.  he said he laughed because he looked like kenny (from south park.  remember that cartoon?  we don't watch it but i still remember what he looks like.).

after school yesterday, i went to get james and bundled him up too.  i got to see exactly what mr. h was talking about for my very own eyes.  i agree.  so, you know me, i had to document the moment. 

see.  i told you so.

at least they're warm.  and cute.

shop til you drop.

weekends are just busy this time of year.  the stores are packed, the register lines are outrageous and the traffic is a nightmare.  unfortunately, weekends are the time when you must brave the elements and go shopping.  this morning i set out on my errands and the boys went to theirs.  they went to lowe's.



i got this text message from mr. h:

my helper fell asleep...

ya think?  he said he fell asleep on the way out there and just stayed asleep through the whole store.  he loves lowe's.  james is going to be hacked when he realizes that he didn't get to drive the race car! 

finish line.

the link below is the finish line (and best part of my day) at the white rock marathon.
once you hit play, a short annoying commercial will play and then you’ll see runners cross. if you’ll notice the time clock it is at the 5 hour mark, i did not cross until 5:31 and some change. so, use the scroll at the bottom of the screen and move it approximately ¾ of the way to the right and look at the time clock. once you’ve hit 5:30 you’ll see me coming toward you. i’ll be on the left side of the screen wearing red sleeves, black capri pants and a white hat. if you turn up the sound, you can hear them say my name. unfortunately, i didn’t hear them as i ran across so it was nice to know they said it. i love hearing them say it. enjoy.


http://www.dallasnews.com/video/index.html?bcid=700744767001


on another note, about mile 14 or so (they kind of run together) i saw a mom run into the arms of her little boy.  i cried.  i cried while i was running.  i could tell her son was older than james but still a little boy.  it got me thinking, when can i do that?  and if i cry just seeing her, what will happen when i get my turn?!?  i'm telling you - i felt so good and loved during this run!  i think i'm still on my runner's high. 

when i got home, a dozen red roses were there to greet me.  they were beautiful.  this card was attached:

i told you i have the best husband.

he also posted this on his social network page:

see.  i told you, i'm one lucky lady.  the fact that other people posted kind words means so much to me too.  even people i don't personally know!  supportive people are awesome.  period.

see that blur?  that's me!!!  crossing the finish line to my second marathon in 14 days.  woo hoo!  i don't know if you can tell, but i had the biggest smile on my face.  i think i'm blurry because i was running so fast.  just a thought.

run the rock.

i cannot tell you how good i feel - how different my second marathon was compared to my first.  i think there are several different factors but i don't care what they are, they make me feel so fortunate that i'm lucky enough to have the health and determination to run.  yep, i'm already planning marathon number 3 in february.  i had so much fun this go 'round, i cannot wait to do it again.  sounds crazy, right?

i rode to dallas with my running partner and her husband.  this is where i wrote my last blog and thought i was going to die from a broken heart induced from being away from james.  well, turns out - i survived.  honestly, the first thirty minutes was the worst form of torture i could have endured.  after that, and a burger & fries later, i started to feel excitement for the run.  i still missed my baby, obviously, but i didn't feel like i was the worst mother on earth for leaving this past weekend.  i'm so glad i didn't make them turn the car around and take me home.  praise jesus!  the thought had crossed my mind a time or two.

once in dallas, i met up with my friend for some girl talk and got a chauffeur service and bed and breakfast to boot.  she was awesome. i couldn't have asked for more.  plus, i could never survive that traffic.  they all drive like hooligans!  seriously.  we stayed in friday night because this trip was planned around the run so no fun, late nights were to be planned.  well, of course we stayed up longer than we intended but we were good girls.  i woke up saturday to a rolling tummy.  all these thoughts went through my head as to what could be wrong.  nothing specific came to mind but before i could put too much thought into it, i was sick.  like holding my hair and praying to the porcelain gawd sick.  it was awful.  my stomach hurt and i couldn't keep anything down.  not water, not crackers, not anything.  all i could think about was how i was supposed to be carb loading and staying hydrated.  i was doing to opposite.  i honestly couldn't think too much about it because i felt so terrible.  this lasted all morning, until i could take a long afternoon snooze.  once i awoke, i felt a million times better.  though i don't know if i could have felt any worse.  i immediately ate a banana and started drinking water and gatorade.  we got ready, went to the expo to get my race packet and bib, and went to eat some pasta.  i ate like there were no tomorrow.

saturday night i stayed in a hotel.  by.my.self.  oh goodness.  i did not know how this was going to go.  would i be sad?  would i start to miss my sweet james?  well, we took much longer at dinner so my evening was gone and it left only hours to plan, take a bath and get all ready to go for the early hour ahead.  i finally fell asleep about midnight and woke up to the annoying alarm clock at 5 am.  i, of course, hit snooze once.  then i rolled out of bed, turned on the coffee pot, grabbed a banana and bottle of water, and text tera to make sure she was up.  she came over and we got ready for the race and started to get our game faces on.  it was exciting.  we were being taken to the shuttle for a ride to the start line.  there were so many runners.  it was so different and exciting!  luckily we got to meet up with my sweet friend and her mom before the run.  i was hoping to see them but i thought amongst 20,000 other runners, we may not.  but no worries, we did!  yippee!! 

it was cold.  it started out in the 30s.  that means for hours i was just standing in the cold.  luckily i snagged a free poncho and was wearing sleeves and gloves.  at 8 am the national anthem started to play and a hush rushed over the runners and silence stood with our hands over our hearts.  i wanted to cry.  i knew this would be a much more emotional experience for me.  this marathon felt real. i didn't know the course.  it wasn't something i had run almost everyday.  this was different.  i loved the buzz.  i loved the anticipation waiting for my turn to run.  about 45 minutes after the first gun, it was my turn to start.  we got to hear the gun, see the flames, confetti and run.  i started my music and soulshine by gov't mule lead my way.  i loved it.  it started perfect.

we ran through downtown, uptown, the arts district and around white rock lake.  it was so neat to see the buildings and the people who lined the streets for support.  after the second mile mark, i was warming up and dropped the wonder woman, purple poncho.  i was enjoying to scenery and really loving every minute.  about mile 10 we hit white rock lake.  it was so beautiful.  it was windy but i kept my gloves, just in case.  i overheard people complaining about the wind but compared to the route 66, i thought they were wienies and that this wind was just a nice breeze.  we even managed to have two pit crew stops.  the first was around mile 12 and the second was a little before mile 20.  between those two stops i felt great.  i was loving the run.  i had a made up a game and was thoroughly enjoying playing it.  i would pick someone in front of me and make it a point to pass them.  i was picking people off.  green shirt girl, done.  rainbow bright - see ya later.  i was enjoying the challenge.  online it told me that i passed 199 people in the fourth quarter of the run.  ooh, someone in a route 66 shirt - eat my dust.  then it hit me.  i felt so good and warm inside.  i turned a corner and saw the lake beaming in the sun and was overwhelmed with God's love.  with God's light.  with God's strength.  i said a prayer right then and there.  i thanked him for the beautiful weather. for the courage he gave me to train.  for the people who have helped me along the way.  i prayed that this new found strength and confidence would carry me across the finish line.  i prayed for the other runners and for my health.  i thanked him. i am so grateful.

at this same time, my running partner was not feeling the high.  i could tell in her face.  i wanted to share my goodness.  i wanted to give her some of mine.  we were at mile 20 after 3 hours and 37 minutes.  my goal was in reach.  i would meet it.  i felt great.  i deserved it.  and then, we hit the "dolly parton" hills, which were roughly from mile 20 to 23 were up hill.  i felt great but challenged.  i knew this would not help my sweet partner.  at one point she shouted for me to go on, that she would walk.  absolutely not!  we've trained together.  we've been in this together.  i was there to encourage her.  after all, they don't call it the wall for nothing.  for me to make my goal time and not have her cross near me wouldn't have been as sweet.  it wouldn't have been as satisfying.  i pushed her.  i tried my best.  she did awesome!  we did awesome!!  we improved our time by 17 minutes!  i don't know if that sounds like much to you, but it is.  it's pretty much unheard of since we had just run a previous 26.2 miles 14 days earlier.  we came in under 5 hours.  4:57:27.  i am so proud.  i pushed the last three miles because i was not going to come in over five hours again.  i pushed tera because i knew she wouldn't want that either.  i ran those three miles faster than i had run the three previous miles.  i had great music and cruised on.  the moment i crossed the finish line i got my plastic blanket and turned around to find tera.  there she was.  i gave her my blanket and a big hug.  i cried.  we got our medals and i cried.  i made her cry.  victory is so sweet.  white rock was so much fun!  i can say that running that marathon was fun.  i enjoyed every minute of it.  of course, some were better than others, but it made me look forward to my next run.  my next marathon. 

yep.  i wore it around the house last night.  i hadn't seen it since shortly after the run.  rappers have their bling.  i have mine.  so what.  i let james wear it too.  we like it.

my heart hurts.

i am typing from my iphone. i never do this. i am on my way to dallas. i am approximately twenty minutes from home and i am dying. my heart hurts. i am driving away from james for the very first time. he is almost 17 months old and i have not stayed one night away from my sweet boy. my snuggle muffin. my world. my chest is heavy and i'm fighting back the tears. i'm praying that i will survive this weekend without him. i feel like i'm not whole - like i'm leaving half of me behind. i sincerely i hope this anxiety passes and i can enjoy my weekend. i'm going to see my dear friend and run an exciting run. the biggest run i've run thus far. i need to think positive. mr. h and james will be fine. it's me. i'm the one who isn't going to be okay. i am already looking forward to monday when i can squeeze my baby and smother him in sugars.

dear santa.

this past weekend we took james to meet santa.  i'm hoping he asked for a front loading washer and dryer but we'll see.  i don't think it can fit under the tree so maybe he's being a bit ambitious.  we went to santa's workshop at the local bass pro shop.  this place has this time of year perfected.  first you must got straight to the workshop to get a pass.  we've done this the past two years and have had to wait about 30 minutes each time but i suppose the wait time could vary.  anyway, they tell you when to come back.  conveniently this allows you plenty of time to shop and find things you and your loved ones never knew they wanted.  they also have a craft for children but james still isn't old enough.  we went to look at the fish tanks and waterfall and that did the trick.  james didn't need a craft.  however, i did need a starbucks to keep me going for this bass pro adventure.

once we got back in line, well once they allowed us to get in line, we could see santa and give him our christmas list.

okay, okay.  truth be told - we didn't write a letter to santa this year.  i'm hoping we will in future years though.  james just went up to the mailbox on his own so i had to take a picture.

at this point, james was over the santa line and wanted to run everywhere.  we tried our best just to keep him happy.  santa's workshop was close where we could see it but we couldn't go up and touch anything.  this is not so great for a 16 month old, curious boy.

okay, so last year we saw these reindeer and i had no idea that reindeer were real.  where have i been?  i mean, i knew there were caribou but i didn't know that the caribou was a reindeer.  ohew!  i'm just glad i know before james out smarts me.

then it came. the moment of truth.  time to meet mr. clause.  again.  last year was so fun.  we went and james smiled and everyone in the crowd laughed and clapped.  it was like it was out of a movie.  or they were just terrified that he was going to scream and he did the opposite.  i perfer to go with the first option though.

2009

see!  he loved santa. 

this year i knew it would be different.  james is much more aware of strangers.  and i don't think he encounters any with big, white beards too often.

oh no!  the water works are starting but we were right there to tell him everything was okay.

then santa got the stare down.  do i know you?

no, i don't know you so i'll just stare blankly at the elf behind the camera.

well, at least he didn't cry. cry much anyway.  it was just so quick.  you wait forever and then you have your 5 seconds of fame.  i wanted to capture the moment more but the line was getting longer and wanted their turn.  so, we got our free 5 seconds with santa, grabbed our free picture and went to eat.  it was fun.  i'm glad we went before it gets really crazy at santa's workshop.  parents are nuts.  i saw them.  the crazy ones last sunday.  they're taking the kids to meet santa and they don't like to wait their turn.

james has been a very good boy this year so i'm positive he isn't on the naughty list.  of course, i'm not bias either.  

happy december!!!