A Letter to My Sons

I'm not the greatest writer, it doesn't come easy to me. So when I see something I love, why can't I use it? I mean of course giving credit to the author?!?! I saw this post called "A Letter to my Boys", by Dave Willis, and I immediately teared up. I pray your father and I can be an example to you, Grey and Gibson, and that God will always be first in your life.

A Letter to My Sons

To Grey and Gibson

You guys are too young to care anything about reading Mom’s blog right now, but one day, I hope you stumble across this and get something out of it. Above everything else I write, always know that you are loved. You are each a gift from God and your Dad and I are so blessed to be your parents!

Remember that the measure of a man has nothing to do with your stature, your salary or your “success”; it’s a matter of the heart. Being a man means taking responsibility. It means protecting the weak, defending the truth, providing for those under your care, selflessly serving and loving your wife, providing a genuine example for your children, and leaving every person and place a little better off than you found them. This is the duty of every man.

Each of you will be leaders, but as you lead, remember that unless you love those you’re leading, you’re not worth following. Also remember that unless you’re following Jesus, you’ll be lost. His plan for your life is the only one that counts. The Bible is your roadmap for life, so make sure you know it well.

Always look for the best in people and you’ll end up discovering the best in yourself along the way. People may let you down and break your heart, but refuse to become bitter or cynical. You can rarely control what happens to you, but you can always control how you choose to respond, so always respond with grace, faith, dignity, patience and perseverance.

Be the same person in both public and private. There’s no true success without true integrity. Real success means living in a way that the people who know you the best are the ones who love and respect you the most.

Remember that every victory is an opportunity to give praise to God and to those who helped you achieve it, and every failure is an opportunity to gain new strength and perspective. Don’t get too attached to your trophies, because you won’t be able to take them with you. In the end, your relationships will be all that counts, so don’t ever value finances over faith or possessions over people.

As you grow, the world is going to do it’s best to make you question yourself and doubt your convictions; don’t let it. If you don’t know who you are, the world will try to make you believe that you’re someone else.

Don’t build your identity on things that change (your looks, your money, your success, etc.), but build your identity on the only One who is unchanging. God’s opinion of you is the only one that counts, he He says you are limitlessly loved and called to a world-changing purpose, so don’t settle for anything less.

Don’t take yourself too seriously or your mission lightly. Let laughter be the soundtrack of your life. Laughter and joy are gifts from God that should be cherished even in life’s most challenging seasons. They’re good medicine for the soul!

When you’ve blown it, be humble enough to admit fault and seek forgiveness. Pride has been the downfall of many men.

Be always confident, but never cocky. Be always aware, but never afraid. Be always content, but never complacent.

I love you guys more than you can imagine. Remember that there’s no mistake you could ever make that is bigger than God’s grace. Your Dad and I will always be your biggest fans!

Love,

Mom

Finally Fall

Gibson got his 1st tooth last week! He's only 4 months old, well 5 now, but still!!! My little baby mouth Gibson is gone :(  Makes this mama sad.

It's Halloween time and we went to Cedar Hill Farm last week, we've done this every year since Grey was born. Grey had a blast this year because he understands more. He's such a scarey cat though! He wouldn't ride the pony, the train, and almost wouldn't ride the tractor to go pick pumpkins! We had fun though, and I can't wait to go trick or treating! We are going to the Fall Festival at church on Wednesday and then around the neighborHOOD at pawpaw and neenee's Thursday, Halloween.

Here are some pictures from the farm

 This is the best one I could get of them together

He was soooo excited!!!!

 

Gibson was excited too!!

 

He is getting too big.........

 

This is a side shot from just a year ago to now. Man time is flying by!

This just melts my heart

 

Picking out his punkin!!!

  We've hit another milestone with Gibson, he is allowed to start eating cereal and baby food. He HATES cereal!!!!

SEE

 Gonna keep trying though..........

We decorated pumpkins this past weekend too, and Grey wanted the potato head ones, of course! He had fun though and every day when we get home he runs to look at them and screams "my punkins!!"

And this is just a rare picture, with me in it! I always seem to be the one taking the pictures, so on rare occasions Kenny will get one, if I'm screaming for him to take it! Ha!

And here the boys are in their costumes.

I knowwwwwww!!!!! I can't stand how cute they are either!!!!!

Well we moving on uuupppp!!!!

We have officially and finally moved!! I pray we NEVER have to do it again!! It was one of the most stressful things to do with 2 little people. I was ill prepared because I couldn't find the time to pack having a newborn and a 2 year old that would pull whatever it was I just put in a box and say "Ew! What's dat!?" So when the day came, I just threw anything and everything in a garbage bag! Once again, not the smartest thing I've ever done, but it got done! It's a little bitter sweet for me. This was the house I took care of my mom in, me and Kenny were married while we were in it, and I brought both boys home here. It was time to move on to bigger and better things, but I can't help but be a little sad. I'll miss 717 Burton Lane.......but Guernsey Cove is our new home!

Bigger house and a MUCH bigger yard for Louie and the boys to play!

Gibson is 4 months now and he's already changing so much! Time REALLY needs to slow down! With 2 it really flies by. He is babbling all the time and loves to stand! He hates sitting or laying down. He wants to be in the action too! He loves watching Grey and just thinks Grey is hilarious.  He ate cereal for the first time this month and he still doesn't really care for it. Hopefully he'll get use to it. I can't remember how long it took Grey, but I'm sure he didn't like it at first either. It's kinda funny how much you forget in such a short period of time. We just got him a jumper and he goes to town in it! He just jumps and jumps until he passes out! He loves looking at Kenny, too. Whenever he hears Kenny's voice, his little head turns until he finds him! Then he just smiles and smiles.

Grey is a talking fool! In the last few months, his vocabulary has almost tripled! He can count to 20, thanks Dora. He allllllmost has his ABC's down, but not quite. And yes, he's in his terrible 2 stage, I'm praying 3's aren't quite as bad as everyone says they are. The 2's actually haven't been that bad. He has his moments of tantrum throwing, but nothing where I have to leave the store, YET! We have this "thing", where we say I love you, I love you more, I love you most! Jinx!!! He just has the sweetest, kindest soul, and the sweetest little voice I've ever heard!!!

I pray these 2 love each other and are there for each other always, because when me and Kenny are long gone, they are ALL each other will have. These 2 boys are my world and my reason for being. Have I said that enough!?!?! I just want to make sure they know that they were loved SO much by everyone, especially me and their dad.

                                                             Coloring with daddy!

 

This picture makes me laugh! Grey loves wearing my necklaces and here he is with one on. 

                                     Just a little naked swimming at pawpaw and nee nee's.

                                                              Gibson and doodoo! 

              Grey still loves his "baby Gibson". I'm guessing this is what we will call him! Ha!

                                               The MANY faces of Gibson!!!!!

      He did NOT like cereal! Maybe I shouldn't have tried it for the first time when he was so tired.....

3 months old

I didn't include this picture yesterday, well, because I hadn't taken the picture yet. I was a day late! What's new! Haha! There were too many things going through my mind when I wrote yesterday, that I forgot some stuff. So I'm sure as I remember things, I'll just keep adding them. Gibson turned 3 months old August 20, like I said, time is flying by. Isn't he just the cutest!!!!!

I caught Grey yesterday walking around in mama's heels. I think he liked the sound of them, but I don't wear them very much, so it was cool to him. Annnnnd someone (Miller) gave me the idea to put this in his senior yearbook. So it's not my fault Grey! Blame Miller!

I said in the other post that Grey loves his baby Gibson. Well, he has to hold Gibson's hand in the morning on the way to the sitter's. I swear, he is the sweetest boy EVER!!! Of course not all the time :)

This last picture is just a cute one. We ask Grey now where he wants to go to school, and Kenny loves it that he say Ole Miss! He'll even say hotty toddy! When I ask him what's at Ole Miss, he says PINE CONES! hahaha!!! The last time we went he played with pine cones the whole time, so that what he remembers. Too funny though.

I just love how much Grey is talking now. He says the funniest things. He tells me "I be right back mama" when he leaves a room now, and I havvveeee to say ok for him to leave. When he gets back, he says "I back mama!" We have this little thing now too. I say I love you, I love you more, I love you most!!! And he repeats it. He melts my heart, even during his fits. He likes asking what we are doing all the time. The other day I died laughing because we were walking up to the house and he turned around waving at me and said "whoa, whoa, whoa! Stop!" For no apparent reason, it was hilarious! He loves school buses and garbage trucks and waves at them when he see's them. His current obsession is Toy Story! He loves Buzz and Jessie and Woody. He has ALL the characters from all 3 of the movies. He runs around with buzz screaming to anyyyyy and wonnnnn!!!! (to infinity and beyond) Here he is passed out, with woody beside him.

Well, until next time! Or until I remember something I left out!

Gibson is HERE!!!!

A lot has happened since my last post in April. I am now a mother of 2 boys!! Gibson Lane Luther was born on May 20 at 1:49 pm, weighing in at a whopping 9 pounds 6 oz!!! Once again, I had an easy delivery. I couldn't imagine being in labor for 20 hours like some of my friends. He came in to this world PERFECT! The greatest memory I have from that day is Grey meeting Gibson for the 1st time. I talked to him about "baby Gibson" the whole time I was pregnant, so he would understand somewhat. He just jumped right in the bed with me at the hospital and say heyyyyy baby Gibson. So now, he doesn't call him brother, he still calls him his baby Gibson. This is my favorite picture. Nothing but love........

 

Even though the first few days were the happiest, I was so sad because I missed Grey sooooo much! I've never been away from him for more than a day, so it was hard on me. I was ready to be home! So of course, my child that NEVER gets sick, gets strep throat the DAY we come home from the hospital! Thankfully, no one else got it. I was just stressed to the max the first few days. I am so glad that Kenny was home because I couldn't have done it by myself, mentally AND physically. Grey absolutely LOVES Gibson! He wakes up in the morning asking where he is and he hugs and kisses him constantly. Let's just see how long it lasts. Haha! He acted out for about a month when we first brought Gibson home, but just with us. He threw some major fits! I wasn't ready for all that! He definitely calmed down though and is use to life of not being the only child.

So, playing catch up, Gibson is now 3 months old! Time REALLY flies when you have 2! He has been such a blessing and a great baby. Gibson loves being held and loves smiling! He really is a laid back baby. He LOVES to eat, fat boy! He does NOT like laying on his tummy! He likes to look in the mirror too, just like his daddy. He rolled over at just 7 days old, but don't tell Kenny because he wasn't there when it happened and I never told.......sshhhh!!!!! Grey rolled over at 2 weeks old. I have some strong boys!!! I have tried to take it all in this time around. I wished for everything to hurry up with Grey, just so I could sleep. It doesn't seem to bother me this time, I guess because I'm use to no sleep. I just thank God every chance I get that He has given me 2 healthy, beautiful baby boys. I couldn't be happier and thankful than I am today. 

We have also been blessed with a new house! We are moving in September to a bigger house!!! Where would you be without family!?!?!? God is definitely good.

These pictures are from our trip to Hot Springs for July 4th.

King of the world!!!!

This is Gibson at 1 month

And here he is at 2 months

 

 The rest are just some of my favorites.

Gibson's 1st real bath

We went to meet the Rebels in Oxford this past weekend. It was crazy packed, so we didn't stay long. But Grey had fun running around. He never wants to take a picture anymore, so it's hard to get one of his full face. He immediately turns around when I take a picture.

Potty training at its finest! He'll kill me one day for this :)

My sweet boys

Being a mother of 2 is challenging and a little harder, but 100 % worth it! It's easier the second time around because I'm not so scared and I have "somewhat" of an idea of what I'm doing. Will we have another one? I'm not totally against it, but for right now 2 is enough. My family feels complete!