This post is only one reason why Sadie is going to hate being born so close to Christmas...

I love Christmas. There’s just something special about that time of year. We got to spend time with family, and when you've got all these great cousins around to help, lots of silliness can occur. It was especially fun this year, now that Jackson is really starting to get into the spirit of it all. He and Sadie visited Santa for the first time (Jackson enjoyed it so much we actually chatted with him two different times!), helped me make Christmas cookies and candy, and stuck with his original wish list the whole season through (a monster truck, a car and a school bus…and according to him, Sadie also wanted a monster truck).

Sadie did not get a monster truck, but she did get some swell things that Jackson has enjoyed just as much as her (and getting to see Daddy in his own version of a Santa suit is a gift in and of itself~) . And Jackson? Well…he must have been a pretty good boy. A few days after Christmas, he was playing with his new trucks while I was cleaning up the kitchen, and I hear him say, “Okay monster trucks. Say cheese!” He’s got them all lined up for a picture, and he was especially excited when I offered to take one for him. This from the child who six months ago wouldn’t stay in one place long enough for us to pick up a camera!

And Sadie…wow. She has grown up so quickly. We celebrated her 1st birthday on New Year’s Eve (her actual day is the 29th. I finally realize how much it’s going to stink for her to have a birthday so close to Christmas…maybe we’ll do a half-birthday or something in the summer…). It was just a small family thing, but Sadie was decked out in all her "princessness"-- tutu and crown included. At first I thought we were going to have trouble keeping the crown in place, but once she discovered the beauty of cake, the crown was an afterthought!

She loved every single bite of her cake. For some odd reason, no one else minded that she didn't want to share! :)

She is a happy, beautiful little girl, full of mischief and as stubborn as both her parents put together (God help us all). She is the "anti-Jackson"...where he was quiet, she is loud; where he exercised extreme caution, she shows no fear; where he was perfectly happy with what was around him, she is full of curiosity and loves to dig, where he was our little conformist, she's our little rebel. ...And while Jackson is a great kid that we are lucky lucky lucky to have, I am so glad that she is making her own path rather than following in his footsteps.

Picture Day, Take 2...

Remember back in the summer when I said that I would only attempt to have my children professionally photographed only when I lost my mind completely? That day came a few weeks ago, sort of. Every year, our high school journalism department does a fund raiser called "Studio Red." They have a portrait studio set up in a back room, and for $25 they will take your picture and put them on a CD, which you can take to Sam's or Walmart or wherever and have developed.

We've done this for the past two years with mixed results. High school students are the photographers, and they do a great job. The first year, we got some of my very favorite pictures of Jackson at that age. The second year Jackson walked into the room and straight into the edge of a table. Couple that with me being 8 months pregnant, and you've got why I call that year a wash.

Lately I'd noticed a slightly increased tolerance of Sadie by her big brother, so I figured for $25, what did we have to lose (my sanity notwithstanding, of course)?

Turns out my children like having their pictures taken by 17 year olds. Sadie was a little tired and hungry and not totally feeling it, but Jackson was totally willing to cheese it up. We had a great time, and thirty minutes later we walked out of there with over 150 pictures on a CD!! What a deal!

Here are some of the highlights...

The above picture is one I'm especially happy about. Sadie was not at all happy at this point, and Jackson had to kiss her four or five times to get this shot. And he did so willingly. Happily, even.

The tutu Sadie is wearing here was created by her Aunt Kim. It is too cute, and if we could've kept her smiling longer than 2 seconds, we would've taken a ton of pictures with her in it! As it was, most of them have her screaming in it (see below). Sigh.

To say the least, we were thrilled with the results of our $25 photo session.

Here and there...and back again...

I have traveled more in the past ten days than in the past ten months...at least it feels that way. It has been a busy, crazy time, and I am ready to be still for a few days. But at the same time, all the chaos provided a much needed break.

First, Kevin and I had the opportunity to take a "free" cruise. Neither of us had ever been on a cruise before, so it was a perfect--and relatively cheap--chance for us to see if we are cruise people. We had a wonderful time, and both of us agreed that another cruise is in our future.

However, we also noted an interesting aspect of cruising...it is frighteningly similar to going to camp. I fully believe cruise people were camp people years ago. Think about it...cruises have organized activities, a director of all things fun, scheduled meals, sneaky little ways to make you spend crazy amounts of money, and are structured in such a way that prompts the forging of new friendships...sound familiar? Every time we stepped onto the elevator, someone would say to the group, "Hi! Is this your first cruise?" I mean, how many times have you stepped on an elevator on a regular vacation and had someone say, "Hi! First time at a Embassy Suites?" I kept waiting to see people form a circle around the Lido Deck and start singing "Kumbahya."



Kevin and I noted that while we aren't exactly camp people, we thoroughly enjoyed snorkeling in the beautiful waters off Cozumel...

...relaxing on the beach and soaking up some rays (those are my toes right there--and that's as close as you'll get to seeing my fat behind in a swimsuit!)...

...and watching the sun set off the back of the ship. It was incredibly relaxing and a much needed escape for a few days.



I did notice, however, that my children were completely grown by the time we got home. Jackson starts college in the spring. Gosh. Perhaps that is overstating a tad, but he really did seem to be speaking more clearly, using different words and acting more and more like a big boy...and don't even get me started on Sadie! She is growing and changing every day, and she just looked so much less like a baby when we got home!


...at least that's how I remember it. I only got to see them a few hours before rushing off again. This time to a training seminar in the Dallas area.


When I talked to Sadie tonight, she was telling me all about getting her driver's license. Sigh. Jackson was unavailable for comment, as he was attending graduate school out of state.


As I sit in my hotel room, I realize that three years ago, this would've been a great little getaway for me...nothing like a little "me time"...but I'm homesick. I don't want to miss a thing, and yet I know I am. I know these are days that we can't get back...and no matter how small and insignificant the event, I'm not there to see it.



The trip has not been without its bright spots. Last night I had dinner with an old friend from high school. She and I hadn't been in touch in years, and a fluke email put us in contact! We had a great conversation, caught up with each other, and made plans to meet again. It was nice to see that people can grow and change, and still hold onto the parts that made them your friend in the first place.



Tonight I met my beautiful niece Christen for dinner and shopping. Now I'm back in my room, and trying to relax...hoping I'll manage to get to my training tomorrow without missing my exit...and counting the minutes until the weekend.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." ~Philippians 4:6 NIV

For years, I never understood what Paul meant when he wrote this verse. Growing up, I always believed that being anxious was a good thing. I took it to mean mean that you were looking forward to something, anticipating it. But in the last few weeks--in the last couple of years, really--it's occurred to me that the root word for anxious is anxiety.

(As my husband would say, "Thanks there Captain Obvious." One would think an English teacher would've caught on to that before now.)

As I sit here at 3 a.m., I am anxious.

Today is election day. I fully anticipate it to be a close race. I know in my heart that regardless of the outcome, my God is still in charge. I was listening to Christian talk radio last night, and a speaker made a very good point that as Christians, we should be less concerned about saving America and more concerned about saving Americans. My God will not change at the whim of a president.

But still, I am anxious.

In two days, Kevin and I are leaving for our first honest to goodness vacation since our honeymoon. We'll be gone for five days. On a cruise ship to paradise. Our kids will be here with people that love them and will take great care of them.

But I am anxious.

While we've both spent a couple of nights away before, we've never spent five nights away. And as luck would have it, both kids decided to get runny noses this weekend. Sadie likes to add to my guilt by coughing and being unusually clingy. What if I leave and she gets really sick?

I am anxious.

Jackson is at that age where he quite literally brings joy to my soul all the time...like when we're in JC Penney last night and he thought the lady on the loud speaker was talking just to him, so he'd answer her... and when she said, "And as always, thank you for shopping at JC Penney," he replied, "You're welcome!" What if he thinks we've abandoned him?

I am anxious.

To make matters worse, when we return from our trip, I will have to turn right around and go to a training seminar for three days. Again, away from my babies.

I am anxious.

As I was laying in bed tonight, listening to my baby girl cough, wondering what kind of mother leaves her children for that long, it hit me that there is a second half to that verse. In the darkness, I tried to make my requests known to God, but all I could manage was

"I am anxious."

Halloween 2008...Times Two

You might not have noticed, but Halloween fell on a Friday night this year. One might think that would be a rather convenient night for trick or treating. Not so in small town Texas. Friday nights are reserved for high school football, silly. So Saturday, November 1st was designated Halloween for us.





This little change created quite the moral dilemma for my dear husband. You see, November 1st is not only Halloween around here, it's also the opening weekend of deer season. Hmmm...go to deer lease and do man things for an entire weekend, or spend two hours in the chaos that is down town trick or treating? Decisions, decisions...



Me being the supportive, loving wife I am, suggested a compromise. Instead of heaping on the guilt, I thought it might be fun to take the kids to a few family members houses on Thursday before he departed on Friday. I also liked this idea because it let us get twice the wear out of our costumes.

Jackson was pretty stoked about the idea too. He had a great time ringing door bells and saying "Trick or Treat!" just like the old days.

He got ninja swords from Nannie and Dado,

new Crocs from Nana and Aunt Robin,

a stuffed deer from Aunt Judy, stickers and giant lollipops from Cody and Karen, trucks from Aunt Kim and Uncle Jed, and a "Jackson friendly" goody bag from Aunt Christi and Uncle Andy. It was just like Christmas!







Saturday was definitely an equally great time for both Jackson and Sadie. Our police/fire department close down part of mainstreet so that downtown businesses can entertain trick or treaters for two hours. I thought this was a great idea even before I had kids and loved handing out candy at my dad's office. This year we got to be a part of the craziness. Jackson's cousin Eli came down to join us, and the boys had a great time, especially when Elmo came to visit (Eli was brave and shook hands with him, but Jackson simply smiled and waved from a safe distance. I think the fact that his Elmo at home is two feet tall and this one was three times that).








Sadie did not have a treat sack, but she was perfectly happy as long as she was in the middle of the action. If we took her inside the office, she was not a happy camper. The plus side to wearing her costume twice was that she actually kept the hat (a.k.a. the stem of the strawberry) on for the entire two hours!

All in all, it was a win-win situation for everyone. Kevin got to be a part of the festivities AND do manly deer hunting things (including shooting a deer), I got more for my money in costume wear, and Jackson got twice the candy. There were no losers in the Reed household this weekend!

Maybe if I just cut my legs off...

Last week Kevin and I decided it was time to get off our lazy booties and join a gym. I am completely stoked about the very notion that I might not be "the fat girl" in the not so distant future. I joined a gym several years ago in a town where I worked, and I can honestly say I never felt better about myself physically than I did back then. I would be completely thrilled to feel that way now.

My love affair with our current gym got off to a bit of a rocky start. First, our children didn't love the oh-so-convenient child care, so our first real workout was over rather abruptly. Second, in an effort to be each other's workout buddy, we tried to wait until Kevin got off work to go...not our most practical idea ever. But we did manage to make it over twice last week, which was twice more than we'd exercised in, oh, forever, so score one for us!

This week started out more smoothly...sort of. I was able to schedule a "training assessment" with the gym's resident trainer. She was very nice and diplomatic. She actually asked me what my fitness goals were rather than just assuming weight loss might be my main objective. And when we were going over what I typically eat in a day, she didn't fall to the floor in convulsive laughter, screaming, "LIAR! LIAR!" I thought that was pretty nice of her, considering. Then I got on the scale. Again, she was quite the professional. I knew what I weighed, so that was no big shock (depressing, yes, but not shocking)...it was the body fat percentage that nearly sent me over the edge.

...and no, I'm not going to share the number with you here. Suffice it to say that I am a big ol' tub of lard.

I was stunned. Trainer girl told me to take this number with a grain of salt...it could fluxuate as much as four percentage points, she said. Like four stupid points were going to make me feel better about myself!! I managed to pick my ego up off the floor after a minute and let her show me the ropes on the weight machines. Contrary to outward appearances, I wasn't completely unfamiliar with the inside of a gym. Trainer girl was still really helpful, and gave me some other exercises that I could do for my abs that have morphed into a strange blob since childbirth.

I guess the good news is I managed to get in a full workout after my assessment. The kids were with me and were perfect little angels for an hour and a half. The husband had to work late, so I was able to get done earlier than normal. I will be both bummed and thrilled if I'm not sore tomorrow. Wish me luck! Hopefully this is just the beginning of the healthy phase of my life!

Jackson, Meet Thomas

Today was big day in the world of Jackson. About a month ago, his Aunt Debbie invited us to take a ride on Thomas the Train with cousin Eli and family. Of course we accepted, but not because Jackson loves Thomas the Train...as a matter of fact, Jackson had no idea who Thomas was. But he loves trains, and one of his favorite things to do when he's playing is to climb on the couch and yell, "All aboard!" So we all hopped into the car and made the trek to Rusk.

Along with the other seven thousand two to four year olds and their parents. Apparently this Thomas the Train thing is pretty big. Who knew?

I was actually relieved to see that the other 6994 people were not all waiting to take the train (at least not at the same time). The appropriate title of our little outing is something like, "A Day Out with Thomas." This included a bounce house (...Oh, and by the way, here's my two cents about something that irked me a little during the day...if your kid is 8 or 9 and still wanting to wear his Thomas pajama shirt to ride the train, and if he's a foot and a half taller and 40 pounds heavier than every other kid in the bounce house...GET HIM A NEW HOBBY.), a picnic lunch, a petting zoo, hay rides, throwing pine cones in the lake (probably not a Thomas sanctioned event, but the boys loved this all the same), blowing bubbles, and of course, playing with miniature Thomases...in other words, three year old boy heaven.

The biggest hit was definitely the train ride. From the moment the boys saw the train pull into the station, they were hooked.

They danced, "choo chooed", clapped, laughed, and thoroughly enjoyed every second of the thirty minute ride.

I have a short video of all this action, but silly me videoed sideways, and I don't want you to break your neck (or your computer) trying to watch a seven second video. So look at the pictures and use your imagination.

As we walked away, Jackson kept yelling, "Bye train! I had so much fun! Choo Choo!"

By the end of the day, the boys were both totally exhausted. Jackson was asleep ten minutes into the ride home. Usually a nap in the car means a moody little boy later, but he was in a great mood after he woke up and loved telling the rest of the family (especially Sadie, who sat this train ride out due to a little fever...oh yeah, and being a nine month old) about riding the train. I feel certain this would rate in his top five favorite days of all time.

First Big Boy Party!

Last weekend--before the great plague of 2008 (a.k.a. the stomach virus) invaded our home--Jackson got to go to his first big boy party. He was super excited about this...1)because the boy is probably at the top of Jackson's coolest kids ever list (he's our babysitter's son, so Jackson's known him all his life, and he has always been incredibly nice to Jackson, even though Lane is three years older), and 2)because he's just figured out what birthday parties are all about.

This birthday party was at a place that has a bunch of those inflatable bounce rooms, slides and obstacle courses for kids. To say the very least, it lived up to every single one of Jackson's little two year old brain's ideal birthday party expectations. There were kids there his age, lots of familiar faces, and not one but TWO cars for him to roll around in!

As you can see, I had to step in to help Jackson get the full effect (Karen graciously lended a hand as well, which should win her some sort of medal). It was worth it. The boy was worn out by the end of the night, but he had a great time.