Little Brownie turns 6...

It is hard to believe that 2,190 days ago at 3:07a, we gave birth to our second son Little Brownie. Wow...that sounds like more days than I can remember.  As Little Brownie turns 6, I sit here and reflect over how quickly it has gone, how much we have changed and especially how much he has grown.

Little Brownie is definitely a competitor.  He loves to play with his best friend Big Brownie.  He enjoys drawing pictures and creating a whole story around it.  Many of the main characters might be reflective of people in his life with new names, to protect their identity I'm certain.  He will look for the good in most every situation.  As an incoming first grader of our homeschool life, he LOVES science and making potions.  He loves to hear stories of wonder like James and the Giant Peach and The Magic Tree House series.  He loves to play baseball, but mostly when he is hitting the ball well and running the fastest around the bases.  He has learned to be a good sport and congratulate others when they might have a slight advantage.

He is an awesome board game player.  Multiple winnings of the popular game Dog-o-poly. Speaking of dogs, he is a natural dog whisperer.  He enjoys learning to work with dogs and dogs naturally gravitate to him.  He gently hums, when he is quiet and he always gives the best compliments to make me feel special.  I am certain he will one day be an amazing husband, father and Jesus follower.  

As in the past, on his birthday, I share the audio of his birth from the 911 call Daddy Brown placed as we "birthed" him in the car.  It will be available all day today and then put away for another year.  It's been a little crazy around here the past few weeks, and I failed to get the video updated with pictures from this previous year.  So, you will be viewing the 2013 version.  Realize that Little Brownie is about 5 inches taller, a more diverse and crisp vocabulary and still the most caring soul on the planet. Enjoy!  

I blogged about this experience in 2009, and you can read his birth story here.  

My dad said...

Every now and again, my sweet Big Brownie has a moment. A moment in which I find much clarity. Now that he is 4 years old, I have to remind myself that he is in fact...4 years old. He is taking on his "big brother" status with honor and valor. He proclaims to Little Brownie no less than 8 times a day that he is older and taller than Little Brownie. He takes joy in teaching him words, letters and numbers that "only big brother know". He takes great pride in caring for our Boxer Andy by feeding him in the morning and letting him outside. Big Brownie certainly understands the dynamics of his place in the family.

Sometimes, as parents our own words come back to bite us in the booty. Tonight for example, we arrived home well into the evening. I explained in the car that once we get home, we only have 15 minutes to play and then it would be bedtime. Both boys ran into the house wielding their Styrofoam swords, Spider-man wrists and wrestling holds. I reminded Big Brownie that in the car he wanted to play his new Wii...(thanks to our Tutu Nani). He said, "Oh mom, I am going to play Spider-Man with my brother instead. After the 15 minutes of play was complete, I told everyone to go upstairs and wash up for bedtime.

Begrudgingly the boys went upstairs. As the mumbled up the steps, Daddy Brown says to them, "You can play in the playroom until Mom comes upstairs." After about 2 minutes, Big Brownie yells down and said, "Hey Dad, I need your help with my Wii...I can't get it to turn on." I then explained, "You are supposed to be getting ready for bed, not playing your Wii". Which he then replied in quite an annoyed little tone, "Mom...MY DAD SAID, I could play until you came upstairs!" And there you have it folks. Like a paralegal checking the footnotes and correcting the judge...indeed, "My Dad said!"

How can he remember?

Ever wonder..."How on earth could he remember that?" My Big Brownie is now 4 years old. Yesterday marked the 1 1/2 year anniversary that we put Bubba to rest to the DAY. I have been missing our Bubba and Sissy but haven't really said much except a few words to Daddy Brown.

Last night, we went to Publix and as we were leaving, the boys asked the counter clerk for a balloon. Big Brownie wanted purple, but settled for blue and Little Brownie, OF COURSE, wanted green. Because I knew our history of accidental release of the balloons in the past, I asked the clerk to tie the balloons to the boys arms so we could make it home. We successfully make it to the car with me, groceries, 2 Brownies and 2 balloons. As we are driving home, Big Brownie starts firing off questions left and right. "Why do balloons float?" "What happens if I let it go? "How high in the sky will it go?" "Could it make it to heaven?"

As we approach home, he says, "Mama, I would really like Bubba and Sissy to play with my balloon in heaven!" Tears filled my eyes and I said, "Oh Buddy, are you sure? You won't have a balloon to play with if you let it go." He said, "I know, I want my Bubba and Sissy to play with it and have lots of fun." I said, "Ok, do you want to say anything before you let it go?" He replied, "Yes, I wanna say (as he bowed his head) God, please let my balloon go into heaven so Bubba and Sissy can play with it. I miss them very much, but now I have Andy to play with." He kissed his balloon and we let it go. In amazement, he watched as it floated up and disappeared before our eyes in the pink, orange and blue sky of dusk.

How is it that he can remember them from a year and a half ago.? That would have made him just barely 2 1/2 years old. I am truly blessed to have 2 Brownies that care and love so generously and kindly. Afterward, as we walked up to the door Big Brownie said, "Mama, Bubba and Sissy were really cool dogs. We will get to see them again won't we?" I said, "Oh yes, because all dogs go to heaven!" He smiled big and gave me a huge hug and said, "I like you a lot Mama!" I said, "I like you a lot too!" He giggled and said, "I really do love you...and your pancakes!"

Can I get a "Choo-Choo"...

For about 2 weeks now, we have been everything "Thomas the Train" that we can see, hear, play and wear. Last weekend, we rode on a train car in the big city that Thomas was pulling. Tutu Nani joined us for our big adventure. I can say that the boys have not stopped talking about the trip and I've officially learned just about all the accompanying train car's names as well. Aside from our favorite...Thomas, we also LOVE Percy. In fact, there may be an all out brawl in the floor over Percy. What it is about that little green train, I haven't a clue. Maybe it's the fact that even though we have 3 "Percy" train cars, we usually can only scare up 1 at a time. Or maybe it is the fact that he is green? Or MAYBE it is the fact that Percy seems to be Big Brownie's favorite and Little Brownie has picked up on this invaluable piece of information.

We have also enjoyed some much needed down-time and family time. I had a birthday last week and I'm officially as old as Daddy Brown...again, for the 34th time. We started the day with "Blue" Blueberry pancakes, "Green" eggs, "Yellow" bananas and "Orange" juice. The boys sang to me over and over all day long. We visited with my grandmother as she was recovering from cataract surgery and ended the day with Daddy Brown splurging with a grilled steak and potato dinner cooked lovingly over the charcoal grill. I even got to sneak away to Target...BY MYSELF! Which is about the best present one can receive these days. We enjoyed birthday candles, cake and ice cream. It was the best number 34 birthday I could have imagined.

Big Brownie is still LOVING Mother's Day Out and for the first time since he has been attending, he didn't cry for me before rest time. Praise Be! My boy is growing up. Ever the protector and ever the kind soul that he is. He always seems to know the right words to say at the exact moment I need to hear them. Today for example, there was an incident in the living room. Little Brownie poured his grape juice on the carpet...on purpose. To keep from exploding a world of discipline, I took a deep breathe, place Little Brownie in time-out and retrieved a towel to clean the mess. While steam is bellowing from my ears and all I can think about is..."Well, I'm gonna get to clean the carpets again tonight at midnight..." Big Brownie looks up at me and says, "Mama, don't be upset, I will help you clean it up." And then he proceeds to say as he hands me my cell phone, "Mama, I need to make a phone call. I need to call my dad and tell him we need a new house." Just exactly the smile that I needed.

Of course, Little Brownie is good for some true loving. We were sitting on the couch this morning reading a book and he says, "Mommy, I hode you?" I reach around to scoop him in my arms and he reaches up and wraps those sweet arms around my neck. He looks right into my eyes and says, "I wub you Mommy!" I love it when I ask him for a kiss, he pulls my head to his and plants a "Big Kips" on my lips. I'll hear him trip upstairs and I will call out, "Are you okay?" He responds, "I otay!" I can't believe he is going to be 2 year old in just a few weeks. My oh my, how time truly does fly.

So for now, I'm loving every minute of every day that I get to spend with my babies. Each day sometimes seems to be a repeat of the day before. Reading tons of books, praying over meals and snacks, playing with our toys and trains. And playing with our trains and playing with our trains and oh, how about, playing with our trains. We love to sing our favorite little jingle, (I think from Disney's Chuggington show, but I'm not 100% sure...

"Chugga-Chugga Chugga-Chugga...Choo-Choo
Chugga-Chugga Chugga-Chugga...Choo-Choo
That's how we play the train game."

For now, I'm soaking it all in. Loving on my boys, praying with and over my boys and us all praying over their trains.

Running, Relaxing and Rainbows...

Well, today was the BIG day! That's right, the day I have been preparing since the end of May. I made a commitment to run a 5k race and today, I can mark it off my official bucket list. I can tell you that when I started, I could barely jog for a 60 second period. I can tell you that in the first 4 1/2 weeks I had tremendous doubt that I would complete my goal. I can also tell you that the first time I ran 20 minutes, it was the milestone of milestones. At that moment I knew that I could do this...and today I did.

The day started out with Little Brownie waking at 3a. Daddy Brown sprung from the bed to attend to him while I slept a while longer for the big day. Once my alarm went off at 4:45a, I snoozed until 5:03a, then realized it was RACE DAY. We started out with the Brown family running on schedule. This is an unusual statement, because we are usually ALWAYS running behind. Little Brownie apparently did not return to slumber after his 3a awakening, but enjoyed resting and playing in his crib for 2 hours. I sprung out of the bed and hopped into the shower, dressed, woke Daddy Brown and the Brownies and everyone was dressed and ready to depart the house at exactly 5:35a. Daddy Brown went to put The Brownies in the car and we hit our first snag...I had left the car on all night long. WHAT? Yep, that is right, something I haven't done in MANY MANY YEARS. So, the family truckster was out of commission and with seconds counting down, Daddy Brown whisked the boys car seats out of the car and into his work truck. I ran around trying to fasten and buckle as quickly as possible. In a bit of frazzle, we buckled in ourselves and out the driveway we went. Not before a note of encouragement from a friend. Tacked to the mailbox, a special note... and in small print, Phil 4:13 which reads, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me". That meant so much to me.

As we continue down the road to drop the Brownies off at Gran Gran and Pops, Daddy Brown realized he had forgotten his wallet. We made the decision to turn around and retrieve it. Precious minutes are slipping away and I'm getting more and more anxious. Daddy Brown runs inside, grabs his wallet and it is now 6:03a. We get to Gran Gran and Pops house and drop the boys without any issues, switched vehicles so they could take the boys to eat at Cracker Barrel and we headed to our destination at approximately 6:25a. I talked to Daddy Brown about my anxiousness. Self doubt entered my mind and I began to worry. I had been worrying for several days after having a couple of bad runs. Several late nights and extremely early mornings during the past week had prevented me from getting a few extra "good" runs in and I felt unsettled and uncertain.

We arrived at the race venue on one of the most beautiful mornings at 7:03a. As we pulled into the parking lot and parked, Daddy Brown grabbed my hands and we prayed. The weather could not have been more perfect for a day of outdoor adventure. Low humidity, only about 75 degrees and partly cloudy. Daddy Brown and I went to the registration table and out of the 4 of us that was running, my name was not on the list. My heart sank into my stomach. The organizers hustled me quickly to another table, registered me without question and handed me my race number...562. I pinned my number to my shirt and still had so much doubt. Aunt and Uncle Fudge were there and Aunt Berry arrived to watch us run as our own cheering section. We stretched and prepared for the run. I went all the way to the back of the pack. I didn't want to hold any body up and I was still not sure if I could run the entire 5k without stopping. That was my goal...I didn't want to stop. No matter how slow my pace was, I just didn't want to stop.

The horn sounded and off we went. Daddy Brown was with me in pace and stride the entire time. Many times I felt like I was going to stop. Then, I'd ask for strength. I'd ask for guidance. I remembered Baby Tyler from earlier in the week and how he will never have the opportunity to run. It helped push me. I asked Daddy Brown to run in front of me and asked him to lead me home. It hurt when an elderly gentlemen passed us with a smooth gliding pace. It hurt when I realized that the 2.5 mile marker sign we just passed was for the second lap around and I was only REALLY passing the 1 mile marker. But in the end, I did it, we did it. It wasn't just me and I could not have done it without the Good Lord, a little will power and of course, Daddy Brown.

As we approached the finish line, I began to tear up. I raised my hands and praised God. For I had set a goal 3 months ago and today, I realized that goal. It was monumental for me to have completed it. Once it was over, I couldn't hold back the tears. It felt good and it felt surreal. It was almost an out of body experience. We walked to the bathrooms and I took a deep breath. We ate wonderful breakfast food that the organizers provided and we talked about the race. We watched other runners as they interacted with each other and we recovered quickly. As awards and prizes were handed out, I looked at Aunt Fudge and thought how grateful I am to have such a wonderful friend who was so willing to go on this journey with me. I looked at Uncle Fudge and giggled as I knew he was in his element. He wanted so badly to crack jokes and cut-up, but because of Aunt Fudge, hewas truly on his best behavior. I looked at Aunt Berry, who woke up at the crack of dawn to come show support. I will be eternally grateful for her for showing up. And I looked at Daddy Brown, who has encouraged and help me to do this. I felt so many emotions, I couldn't really speak. On the way home, Daddy Brown asked me, "Are you proud of yourself?" I said, "Yes". He said, "You don't seem happy." I replied, "I am, I just feel odd". He said, "You did great and I'm proud of you"!

We picked up the boys, took the rest of the afternoon to relax and rest. As we pulled into home, there was a bouquet of red roses waiting for me on the doorstep. On the note, "We are so proud of you and we love you!" Flowers left by my sisters and just one more reason I feel blessed by every person in my life. Daddy Brown got the family car running...thank you Jesus! The boys and I headed to the store to pick up a few items and along the way, enjoyed a rainbow hunt. We found 5 on the way from our house to the store. They were so excited. Little Brownie yelled, "Wook, Mommy, Bainbow!" Big Brownie pointed out all the colors he saw. Yep, it was a good day. One that I will remember and cherish for many years to come. I set a goal, I followed a program to realize that goal and in the end, I met my goal. It could not have been better...well, except the part about the old man that passed me, that still hurts! ~Mama Brown.

April didn't "Fool"...

What a beautiful day to be out enjoying the sunshine with The Brownies and Tutu Nani. Tutu runs in the day care circles with her job, so we were kindly invited to participate in an Easter egg hunt with some of the local in-home family daycare's at the park. There were games, that we missed because we were running late...as usual. But we did make it for the most important part of the day...the hunt.

Tutu Nani came prepared with rations of powdered donuts and Capri-Sun beverages. Little Brownie loved the treats. However, Big Brownie was anxious to get down to business...hunt for eggs and then he wanted to see the Easter Bunny. Daddy Brown and I don't have a particular aversion to the Easter Bunny. We as kids always grew up with coloring eggs, Easter baskets and of course...the Bunny. I believe it's what you teach your children about Easter and it's true meaning. All the fun stuff is just that...fun stuff. Once all the eggs had been hidden and the kids were all lined up, I took Little Brownie with me and Tutu Nani took Big Brownie with her. The little ones had such a great time finding the eggs and placing them in their baskets. I had to explain to Little Brownie that we were only searching for the eggs on the ground, not eggs in other kids baskets.

Once the hunt had concluded, the boys sat at the top of the hill to investigate their treasures. They found chocolate and skittles. "Yummmm"...said Little Brownie. Then, out came the Easter Bunny. Well, most every other year, we have just seen the bunny at the mall. This was the first year the bunny was walking and shaking hands with the other children. Big Brownie was excited until we got within 3 feet of him and then he didn't want to have anything to do with the Bunny. Little Brownie did his own research, he looked, he listened and he also decided this Bunny was NOT COOL! So, this is as close as they would get and they absolutely had to be in somebody's arms of protection before they would get this close.

We had a great time. After the Bunny left, Big Brownie kept asking, "Where did the Bunny go? I want to go see him again." Based on his previous reaction, I'm not too sure he REALLY wanted to see the Bunny again, but nevertheless, I explained that the Bunny had to go eat carrots and take a nap. We played at the park for about another hour and then we had lunch and now everyone is napping well. It has been a beautiful day for the first of April. One that is usually held for pranks, but April didn't "Fool" anybody today!

Is there anything better?

I love my job. It is the absolute hardest job I've ever had. About 2 weeks ago, we had to be somewhere at 9a on a weekday morning. For one day, I had to actually wake everyone up, as opposed to allowing everyone to wake on their own. I woke up while the house was still quiet, to make sure I showered, dressed appropriately in "non-mommy" wear, actually blow-dried and styled my hair and wore make-up. You know, how I looked most every day prior to having The Brownies. I then woke Daddy Brown and Big Brownie woke up in the process. I roused Little Brownie and got them dressed, barely fed and out the door we flew, so we wouldn't be late.

It was a wake-up call for me. What if I had to work outside the home? This would be our song and dance everyday. A dance that many Mom's out there are faced with everyday. We have certainly sacrificed a lot in worldly possessions and luxuries to be able to afford the ability for me to stay home. Some months are tighter than others and makes things a little more stressful. However, both Daddy Brown and I are so committed to our jobs as parents first and foremost that for as long as we can, I can stay at home and raise our babies during the day and Daddy Brown can come home to healthy, happy Brownies...most days. I know there are some Mothers that prefer to work outside the home...I always thought I would be one of them. Would I be able to fully commit to the job of being a Mom full-time? Could I let go of the professional person I had worked so hard to become?

It was definitely a struggle in the beginning. When I just had Big Brownie, I still worked full-time hours on part-time days. When I became pregnant with Little Brownie and after delivering him, I went to part-time. When I realized that I wasn't doing either job to the best of my ability, I felt like a failure. I didn't want to let anyone down. Daddy Brown helped me realize that the only people I shouldn't let down, was my family. All the rest of it, we would work out...and we did. It was the best decision we have ever made. I love the opportunity to see all the "firsts" of our Brownies. Some Mom's want to stay home, but can't for one reason or another. I have so much respect for those Mom's who get up everyday, get their families ready and out the door to school or daycare, puts in a full day of work, come home to make supper, work on homework, baths, bedtime and on top of that, keep the house clean and the laundry caught up. Wow, it still amazes me these "Super Mom's" exist.

For me, I'm happy to be a stay-at-home Mama. I'm glad to know that I have each day to teach them shapes, colors, numbers, ABC's, etc. I'm so proud to know that Daddy Brown and I can actually potty train a child. I'm happy everyday to have the ability to look at these faces everyday. Most days I think I'm not that much to look at for them, but they are the most beautiful creatures we have every created. No spreadsheet, proposal or presentation has ever measured up to the success I feel in our Brownies. I mean seriously, is there anything better than this?

Or this...

Or this...

I don't think so!

Where are you going?

During the last couple of days, we have had so much going on that by the time we put the Brownies down for bed it is usually late in the evening. Daddy Brown has been putting Big Brownie down and I've been putting Little Brownie down at the same time. Under normal circumstances, I put Little Brownie to bed while Daddy Brown plays, baths and/or reads with Big Brownie. Afterward, I come to help with bedtime prayer and then I sing bedtime songs. Since Daddy Brown has been putting Big Brownie down, he has been in charge of singing the songs. We have the normal 5 standby songs that we sing on a regular basis...Hawaiian Like Me, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Itsy-Bitsy Spider, Jesus Loves Me and Rock-a-by Baby.

Sunday night, we were going to celebrate Daddy Brown's birthday at Gran Gran and Pops house. In anticipation of a big night, we put the boys down for nap and I began to sing the normal songs. Big Brownie stopped me and said, "No Mom, sing the Little One song". Because he has a tendency to make special requests at times, mostly from one of his shows, I asked him to sing it to me so I'd know what song to sing. He sang, "Where are you going my little one, little one" over and over. This was not a song I was familiar with so I made up something and he seemed satisfied. I continued on with the other songs. I came out of his room and told Daddy Brown about this new song in case he needed to know. He said, "Oh that's a new song that I've been singing to him at night." Daddy Brown got up, went to his room and sang it for him.

That night, we came home from Daddy Brown's birthday dinner and it was late. We shuffled everyone around to get pajamas, snacks, juice, wipe downs and to their beds. I was determined to be able to help put Big Brownie down too. The boys were bushed from playing at Gran Gran and Pops house, and therefore Little Brownie went down for bed quicker than normal. As I walked into Big Brownies room, they were finishing up with reading books. We said our prayers and Daddy Brown kissed Big Brownie good night and as he was walking out, I asked him to sing the song so I could learn and sing it to Big Brownie.

"Where are you going, my little one, little one,
Where are you going, my baby my own,
turn around and you're 2,
turn around and you're 4,
turn around and you're a young man, walking out the door.
Turn around, turn around, turn around my little one,
turn around and you're a young man, walking out the door."

I teared up a little bit as Daddy Brown sang this sweet lullaby that I've never heard. It is true, they are growing up so fast. Daddy Brown said his mom used to sing it to him and I hope our boys will remember that their Dad sang it to them. What a sweet moment between father and son.

Dear Lord...

We rose today with runny noses and scratchy throats. My poor Brownies woke with dried snot stretched from one ear to the other. Breathing from their mouths and big swollen eyes...allergies and a cold I think. All this just in time for Daddy Brown's birthday next week. So, with that, I pray...

Dear Lord,

Please help my Brownies feel better. Please give me the strength to stretch my arms wide enough to cover them with love and understanding. Thank you for continued good health and goodwill to our brothers. Please keep Daddy Brown and I from getting sick. Please continue to give us sun and warmer weather. Please help Little Brownie not get so frustrated, so quickly with Big Brownie and please help him understand that biting is NOT the way. Please help Big Brownie to understand that all binkies do not belong to him. Please help them eat for nourishment and drink to stay hydrated. Please Lord, let them rest peacefully. Please Lord, let them feel solace and comfort in our kisses and hugs. Lord, I lift my Brownies up to you and ask for a speedy recovery. Thank you Jesus for being our Lord and Savior. Thank you for giving us each day and help us to live in each day as if it were the last. And lastly Lord, thank you for giving us a ray of sunshine in our newly passed down stock of "Zhu-Zhu Pets" from Aunt Berry and family. With such a wonderful distraction for the Brownies, they almost forget how bad they are feeling. In these things I pray to you in the name of Jesus...Amen.

This is the day that the Lord has made...

Having been cooped up in the house for several weeks, it was so nice to see the sun streaming through the windows this morning. We ate our breakfast, changed our clothes and opened the back door to find out what adventure was in store for us today. Big Brownie asked if we were going to watch Charlie Brown outside. I really can't believe he remembered our Fall outdoor movie back in November...but he did. I told him it was too bright outside to watch a movie. He was happy with that explanation. I have been wanting the Brownies to use their outside toys from Christmas OUTSIDE, so we brought our 3 cars, 1 fire engine and our t-ball set to the yard. As we ran and jumped, hit balls and dug holes, Big Brownie asked if we could ride on the cars. I took all the riding toys to the driveway and we began to ride around, running and pushing the cars with glee.

Then...the great escape. Little Brownie took off running down the side easement of our property. I told Big Brownie to follow him. Off we went to see what else we could find, and to the back of the field we ventured. We saw red birds, blue birds and robins. We saw a bee and a dragonfly. We dug in the dirt and found a worm. The Brownies didn't know what to do with this new found exploration. We took off through the field and found a huge brush pile with sticks and logs. We found moss on trees and cut hay on the ground. We found mole holes that we stomped and hills that we ran up and down.

Through the field we went to the horse farm down the road. And guess what, the horses were out and feeding near by. The Brownies ran to the fence and looked through with amazement and ease. They began to talk to and point at the horses, making sure that not only each other could see, but that I was also as excited as they were to see these beauties. I decided to take the road back to the house. I was definitely on pins and needles as we do have a little more traffic up and down our street these days. As soon as I'd hear a car, I would yank Little Brownie up in my arms and run to grab Big Brownies hand. All the while trying to explain that cars are nice to ride in, but can be very dangerous if we are not careful on the road. Big Brownie got the point right away and if I said, "Car", he'd run and grab my hand. Little Brownie on the other hand, just got really upset every time I picked him up. He wanted to look for and pick up rocks to throw. We threw rocks, dirt and leaves. It was my mission to find rocks for Little Brownie going in the direction of home. This was the only way to keep them moving in the right direction. I finally gave in and we ventured back the way we came through the field.

On the way back, we noticed a bird house on a fence. The Brownies got so excited to know that there were actual birds in the house. One flew out and they cheered! On our journey back, we crossed over a ditch. The Brownies could not resist the urge to stop and pick up more rocks, more dirt and sticks. I finally convinced them they might be hungry and thirsty and that we needed to head home. Once we got home, the Brownies played on the slides as I prepared a quick lunch. I set up our outdoor table under the leaf bare tree and brought out our lunch. They loved it. Chomping away on hot dogs, chips and bananas. However, the excitement of being outdoors overcame the feeling of hunger. They both ate just enough to satisfy the desire to eat and it was back to playing.

We went back to the driveway to play with our cars. Big Brownie looked up at the sky as a hawk was flying over head. He said, "Look Mama an eagle!" I told him to reach his arms out to the side and soar like an eagle. Before long, Little Brownie followed behind and we were all soaring like birds through the front yard. I can only imagine what people passing by must have thought. It was really cute. I convinced the boys it was time to come inside, and now, everyone is down for their naps and sound asleep. We have been craving the outdoors. Being so cold and snowy, it hasn't been worth it to get outside much. But on days like today, days that are truly blessing from the Lord, we can reach out our arms and soar like eagles. Oh yes, this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made! Get out and enjoy it!

I Heart...

It is Valentine's Day and I've been in the mood for loving on my boys. Par for my course lately, Little Brownie was up from 1:45a to 5:57a last night. After I finally fell asleep at 5:58a, I was awakened by Big Brownie entering our room and up into our bed at 6:03a. Exhausted, I just rolled over and we all slept in until 9:30a. Up from the bed we jumped wishing each other "Happy Valentine's Day". I woke Little Brownie up from his slumber party crash at 9:45a. We all came downstairs and we made some Valentine's Day Monkey Bread for breakfast with a side of sprinkles, sausage and biscuits and grapes. We all enjoyed our special holiday breakfast. Sissy got to eat our leftovers and we have just enjoyed being with each other all day.

Daddy Brown and I will celebrate our 12th year of marriage this year and with that, we have shared 16 Valentine Day's together. There really aren't enough words in the universe to express how much I love Daddy Brown, my Big Brownie, my Little Brownie, my Sissy and my whole family. Make sure you love on the ones you care for and the ones that love on you. Make sure to tell your friends and family how much you love them every chance you get. It doesn't have to be Valentine's Day to say the words. Just say them often and say it with meaning behind it...I Heart You!