Morgan and Derrick's Wedding

I think I would like Spring a whole lot better if I would stop feeling like I'm going to scratch my face off!! Itchy Itchy Itchy Allergies! Ugh!! I'm a sneezing machine! The upside is that Spring allergies mean summer is almost here!! EEK!!!!!!!! I'm so excited for summer and the lake I can hardly stand it.
Spring also means wedding season! I happen to love going to weddings, I do! Aaron does not exactly share my enthusiasm, but this weekend we were both in one so he made no complaints. Aaron's best friend from college, Derrick married one of my best friends, Morgan. I met Morgan when Aaron and I first started dating and have loved her since Day 1. She is one of those people that has about 50 best friends because everyone loves her! She and Derrick have been dating on and off for about 6 years and whether or not they were dating or not dating one topic that dominated our conversations was if and when we would all get married. We laugh now that we don't know what we're going to talk about since they finally are! I have never been happier for two people-seriously. It was one of my fav weddings ever. Aaron was a groomsmen and I was in the house party. It was such a special day!! I was doing about 50 things that day and kinda forgot to take as many pics as I usually would have but I did get a few. They had 2 receptions. They got married in Sheridan, so they had one "cake and punch" reception at the church and then a big reception at the Women's City Club in Little Rock, which was beautiful. However, I spent the whole trip from Sheridan to LR deleting pics of my memory card, so I only had 2 pics from the LR reception- BUMMER!!! But I got a few at the church reception!! So here ya go ...


Headed to the Rehearsal Dinner


Elizabeth, Morgan, and Me


Aaron and me with the Bride and Groom-to-be


Derrick with all the ladies :)


Our little family, minus Dalton


My pretty sister, Rachel


Maw, Unca' Da', Papa, and Dede


Yay for Married Friends!!

There are no words ....

Well, maybe a couple words that I really want to say right now. Most have 4 letters and most I would have confess later. Avery and I have just been going round and round. She is just such a stinker lately!! I think over the past few weeks she's just gotten .... I refuse to say "bad," but I am looking for a synonym. There are constant temper tantrums and she screams "no" at me all the time! I don't know where my sweet little baby went?!?!?!
Last night we went to Aaron's grandmother's house to eat dinner. Avery was perfectly delightful when she was doing something she wanted to be doing, but as soon as I told her "no" she was on the floor kicking and screaming. Kicking and screaming, I tell you!
After we got home last night she laid around and played in the floor with Aaron and then we got her ready for bed. Aaron put her in her crib and went out on the front porch. A few minutes later we hear a "thud" and here comes Avery ......................................................
AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She can escape!! She recently learned how to open her door after I started putting her in time-out. So we let her sleep in our bed in contrast to trying to convert her crib to a toddler bed late at night.
But, I have a great habit of waking up and forgetting all bad moods, events, or feelings from the previous day. However, Avery reminded me very quickly. So far this morning she has thrown about 4 temper tantrums, she got the icing packets for the toaster strudels that were cooking, off the counter and made QUITE the sticky mess (she opened these herself). AND THEN she opened the oven (THE ONE THAT WAS ON AND BAKING THE TOASTER STRUDELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and put a plastic cutting board in there. I saw her open the oven and I spanked her about that- it's just SO dangerous!!!! But I didn't know she had put anything in there until I smelled it. I opened the oven and couldn't even identify what was in there. I seriously want to cry about how big of a mess that will be to clean up. Kinda hating that the cleaning lady came yesterday and not today. Crap.
BUT there is a light at then end of the tunnel. Tonight I am super pumped about going to the soft opening for the new Sephora at Park Plaza mall!!!! Woo Hoo!! No babies allowed! And tomorrow the wedding weekend begins for Morgan and Derrick! Yay!!!! Plus all my cousins and family from Colorado and Alabama will be here next week so there will be lots of "help" around here next week.
OK, I'm feeling a little better, I had to vent. And I just thought it would really overwhelm Aaron if I called with a breakdown at 10 am.

Our First ER Visit.

Tonight we had an "incident." Avery was sitting in her booster chair, in the dining chair, pulled up to the kitchen table. For one reason or another the seat was not strapped in. When Avery is done eating a lot of times she will push away from the table, scooting the chair away. Well, this time when she did this the loose chair flipped out throwing Av into the table. She hit right under her left eyebrow. It scared her to death! If Aaron hadn't been right there I might have lost it completely. It was POURING blood. Avery was screaming. Dalton was crying. I was frantic. It was a mess.
Thankfully, Aaron pretty much thrives in these situations. He is completely cool, calm, and collected. He doesn't miss a beat. We racked our brains for RNs close by to see if we should take her in. It was kinda small, but would NOT stop bleeding! His Aunt Carol Ann came over and said she thought Av needed a stitch.His mom happened to be at bible study near by and rushed over to watch Bubba. And off we went.
When we arrived at Arkansas Children's Hospital we were greeted by a metal detector and about 6 big policemen. Not security guards in a golf cart- policemen. Cocked and Loaded. Exactly whom I want to see when I'm escorting my baby girl into the hospital with a busted head. Super.
We were sent to triage where they told us that kids that come by ambulance or have respiratory symptoms rank a 1, Avery was a 2. And, they thought she might have to be sedated because it was too close to her eye to try to hold her still for stitches, therefore she couldn't eat or drink for the duration of our stay. The waiting room visit alone was about about 2 and a half hours. Can I repeat that?? We stayed in a hospital waiting room for 2 and half hours with no juice or snacks.......... Holy Moly. Lisa told me we were lucky though because most of the time at Children's whenever you come in with an injured child they seperate the two parents for questioning to make sure you weren't abusing your child. I would have lost it.
We were then taken to a back room that reminds me of what hell must be like. Crying babies, screaming kids, HELLACIOUS. The doctor would come in and scrub the heck out of her eye and get her all worked up. We would spend 12 minutes calming her down, just in time for them to come in and do it again. Hell, I tell you.
We hugged and hugged and coddled and coddled. It was pitiful. Of course by this time it's almost midnight, so she was exhausted on top of everything else.
This was a funny moment in the video below. One of the very, very few and far between. She had her duck and was just a mothering it away. Anything we did to her, she did to the duck. She's so funny.






Then the doctor came in and said in order to do stitches they would have to sedate her (which we had already agreed was not going to happen). So they were going to do Dermabond on it. Which essentially is a glue. We still had to all hold her down so that it didn't get in her eye. They cleaned it out by pouring a whole bottle of cleaning solution in it, she was soaked. And then applied the glue. The worst part was that one eye was covered and the other was half open and I was really all she could see. So through shaking screams she would shriek "MMAAMMAA!!!!" I almost died. She literally cried herself to sleep during this part. The poor little thing was just screaming and shaking. Oh.My.Lord.
Afterward she was trying to put on her fleece and pointing to the curtain saying "Bye Bye! Please! Bye Bye! Please!!!!!!!!!!!" Because for some reason it took forever to discharge us. We were SO ready to leave. Children's ER doctors and nurses seriously have one of the worst jobs ever. I could NOT work there.
We finally made it home around 1 or 1:30 a.m. She was zonked out. Never even made a move. Poor little thing.
Unfortunately, our Moms and More luncheon was the next morning. Agh! I was so disappointed! It was a common theme this year- every luncheon, brunch or special thing, my kids got sick or some crisis happened before. It was ridiculous. My leader even joked with me last week saying "don't tell your kids the luncheon is next week Rebekah, you know they'll get sick." But obviously Moms 'n More wasn't gonna happen this morning either. Avery slept until 9 and Dalton slept until 10:30 ... He is going to have to slow down on his growing.
Here are some pics of our horrible trip to the ER! (Of course I took pictures!)


On our way to the hospital ... Before I knew she couldn't have juice and snacks.


Aaron is such a good Daddy


She is already such a little "Mommy"




After one of the lovely "scrub sessions"


Post Dermabond ...


Finally home safe and sound. What a night.

Weekend Fun

Well, Folks it's been a grand ole' weekend at the Boone House. I was really displaced Friday because of our trip to Paragould mid-week, it just felt like a Monday. I was positively exhausted from my busy day of physical therapy and a fun-filled meeting. But I rushed home and made a delish Pork Tenderloin, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus and I even made Spicy Creamed Corn ... which I love. We all went to bed at a reasonable hour and I am happy to report no one made a peep in our house until 9:15. It was oh-so-wonderful. When the babies started talking Aaron brought them into our room and we all piled up in the bed to watch a little Noggin. After a couple rounds of diaper changes and some chocolate milk Aaron went to get donuts, which are one of my least favorite breakfast items, but he tried. I let them eat their donuts on a blanket in the living room and Avery kept giving Dalton bites of her donut. It was sinfully, unhealthily sweet.


Then we packed everyone up to go to Dede and Poppa's (my parents) house. Rachel was home from UofA for Spring Break!!!!! Yay!!! Ben and Sarah Baker were over there too and we all ate a little Old World Pizza and played with the kids. Dad announced he had bought a Party Barge for the lake. YAYYYYY!!!!!!! The ski boat was getting pretty cramped with all these grandkids so I could not be more pumped about a Barge. I made all our lake reservations in January so I've been counting down until May for quite some time. There is NO place I'd rather be that Lake Ouachita. Seriously. Dad always asked us when we were little where we wanted to spend out week long vacay in the summer and we always voted the lake over the beach, is that weird?? We don't think so.


Rachel came home with us to hang out but when we got there Aaron told us to go have a girls night and he would keep the kids (umm ... yes- he's wonderful). So we went to Cantina Laredo- it was so wonderful, as usual. I love it! However, we each got a Margarita and we seriously only could drink about half. They were wayyyyyy strong. So be careful there.


After getting home to a PERFECTLY CLEAN house .... no lie, my husband is awesome. I took a couple Benadryl for my allergies and zonked out. I was pretty hazy the next morning when I woke up just in time to get the kids on the road again. Some of Aaron's family was in town from Missouri on Sunday so we all went to his cousins to visit. It was a pretty fun day!!

I have GOT to get this post up since I've been working on it for several days, but I'll post pics soon!

RB


I think we told Maci and Avery to chill out on the snacks before lunch and they aren't happy about it!


Eating some lunch


Bubba getting some apple cake and cool whip from Bobo ... loves it!




A little cat nap after lunch ...


He's getting so big!


I remember thinking when I found out he was a boy "what the heck am I going to do with a boy??" Umm ... love him to pieces!!!!!!!


Avery and sweet Amber


Avery loves Amber!

Paragould Visit

I am typing about 4 words per minute right now. I am just pooped out from our big venture to Paragould, AR to see Aaron's sister, Ashley and her family. We went up yesterday morning and stayed the night. After the weather got all "blizzardy," we left about noon today. I let the kids skip their morning nap yesterday thinking that they would surely sleep the whole way there. We left about noon and stopped at Chik-fil-A before picking up Aaron's mom. They did sleep the whole way to Little Rock, but as soon as Lynda got in the car they were up. They may have slept a couple 15 minute stretches, but for the most part, they were "up an at 'em."
We arrived to an excited Ash and Ryley and really had a great time watching the cousins run and laugh and play. The night was pretty uneventful and enjoyable until bedtime. Again, I was sure that since they really hadn't napped and had been going strong all day, early bedtime and uninterrupted sleep was inevitable. Wrong again. Dalton went down about 7:30-8ish (he fell asleep drinking his bottle and left about half, so he was obviously exhausted) however he woke up about 9:15 needing me. I rocked and coddled him back to sleep for him to only wake up about 10 minutes later. This time Lynda got him and rocked him for a while. I wrestled Avery. But since we only brought one "pack 'n play" which Dalton was supposed to reside in, Avery was going to sleep with Lynda. She pretty much refused to fall asleep. Finally I switched with Lynda and we laid Dalton down. He pretty much woke up every hour and a half two hours and ended up sleeping with me (or on top of me I should say) in a twin bed. Oh well ... We were making memories.
This morning we were busy in the kitchen and realized Avery was missing. Lynda went and checked on her and she was IN the sink ... uh-huh, with the water running. You know, only mildly dangerous. Aaron didn't really find this entertaining. Even more importantly, I think that was the third time I had to change her PJs this morning. She is such a mess.




This morning we woke up to a BLIZZARD. It was snowing like crazy! In case you need a recap, scroll down to my last pics of a few days ago ...when it was 80 DEGREES! AGH!!
We left this morning and scurried home trying to escape the ice and snow. I cat-napped a little on the way home, but Dalton really wanted me to know he didn't like being in his carseat the whole way home, so my naps didn't last long.
Here are a few pics of our big trip :)

A Day in the Life...

Whew. I am plumb worn out.
My two hoodlums have been crawling all over me since the wee hours of the morning. Seriouslyyyy.... we got up this morning, changed diapers, made toaster strudels- which I burned, ate cereal,yogurt, and drank bottles instead. We read some books and laid around until about 10. I got them all dressed (well not ALL dressed, I couldn't find Dalton's shoes so I let him go in just socks. The socks may or may not have been Avery's and they may or may not have had ruffles on them.) I think it's time to get him some new shoes anyway. These are the cute shoes I'm determined to find this weekend. I love Robeez because they are so easy to get on them and great for learning to crawl and Eeek! even walk ... and ... I dunno, I just love 'em!!




I mean, are those not the cutest ones you've ever seen!??!?!?!

Then we ran by Chik-fil-A before meeting our playdate friends- Shannon with her cute kiddos Nash and Nyla. Really, I barely get to talk to her, we just kinda run different directions after our kiddos. The kids LOVE the park. Anything outside. Dalton just squealed in his ruffly socks the whole time. Mmm... I love that little booger.







After the park, we came home and had naptime. Even me. However when I get to take a nap during the day I barely sleep and really just kinda wake up every 3-5 minutes thinking of something I should be doing. And today I had about 24 things I should have been doing besides napping. The kiddos woke up earlier than they should have- shocker. Thus I got up about 19 minutes after laying down. Not that I was counting.








We sat on the front porch for a while. Dalton played in his exersaucer and Avery ate some apples and played on the porch swing. We came back in and read books and maybe watched a little Horton and got ready for supper. Aaron wasn't going to be home until late, so I definitely made chicken nuggets, green beans, and peaches for supper. I felt kinda bad, but they sure lapped it up.
Bath time was lovely ... lovely. No lie within the first 10 seconds they were in there, they both pooped. Never has this EVA' happened. I jerked Dalton out, followed by Avery whom thought this was hilarious. Sick Sick Sick. It made me realize how much I totally depend on Aaron to be home at about 5:30 on the dot ... Gosh, he really goes above and beyond helping me soooooooo much.
I let them play in Avery's room for a little while, while I picked up the kitchen and then talked to Caroline for a long time because she was driving home from Memphis. I fed Dalton his bottle and put him to bed. I folded laundry and watched a Casting Crowns concert tour on the Gospel channel ... love them.
I'm hoping that tomorrow will amount to more. Tomorrow night is Morgan's bachelorette and then I think I'm going to go out and about with Caroline and co. for her b-day,which is Sunday. But on Sunday the whole fam is going out to Caroline's family's for a fun-filled Sunday, which the old Mom in me happens to be even more excited about then all the Saturday night festivities. Whoops. I think I'm just out of my element on the whole "going out" thing these days. Am I really only 23????? In the words of Caroline "Geez."

P.S. I was adding the pics on here this morning and I am totally back to loving my heathens this morning. When I went in to get Dalton out of his crib this morning, he was standing up! Agh!! I couldn't believe it. I really wanted to run out and get my camera from the kitchen, but I knew he would have a conniption fit, so I'll do it later. However, one funny thing that I just HAVE to share this morning, is that he's been rolling around the living room in just a diaper this morning and every time he drops from holding on to the couch, a whole cloud of baby powder just "puffs" from out of the top of his diaper. It is seriously cracking me up .... Agh the bipolar-ness of a new mom. One minute you're hiding in the closet, and the next you just can't get close enough to them. :)

A Fun Little Diddly

I'm taking a break today and am going to do a fun little diddly I stole from Shaylea's blog.

Get Pumped ... Here we go again!
1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4. There are no books near me that go up to 18 pages. And I don't feel like getting up to find a longer one. Sorry!

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What's there? A dainty white spoon that goes to Avery's tea set.

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV? Spice Kitchen on HGTV. I had recorded it yesterday bc they were doing an English Country kitchen ... fav.

4. Without looking, guess what time it is: 12:50

5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time? 12:56

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear? Dalton fussing ... he's trying to wake up from his nap ... :( No!

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing? Umm... this morning at about 10:30. I was sitting on the porch swing talking to Lisa.

8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at? A post by Mare.

9. What are you wearing? Still in my PJs ... shhh!! I'm about to shower and take the kiddos to the park though!

10. Did you dream last night? I did actually. It was weird and I'm not really sure I'm comfortable posting- ha!

11. When did you last laugh? Right before I put Avery down. She was being silly doing her "tippy toe, tippy toe" creeping thing that she learned off of Dora. Hilarious.

12. What is on the walls of the room you are in? One mirror, a couple pictures.

13. Seen anything weird lately? People's status updates on facebook ... people are seriously out of their dang minds.

14. What do you think of this quiz? It's not the greatest.

15. What is the last film you saw? Oh gosh, I can't even remember. Unless you count "Horton Hears a Who." We're going to Ben and Sarah Baker's tonight and I think we are going to watch "Australia."

16.If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy? A huge piece of land to build a dream house on.

17. Tell me something about you that I don't know: I seriously take about 15 minutes to order at "fast food" places. It drives Aaron bonkers. I think it just all looks and sounds the same. Unless I'm @ BYB then I know I want the Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich Combo with a Lemonade.

18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do? I wish everyone would live by the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have done unto you.

19. Do you like to dance? Ya know, I really don't. I'm just too long and lanky and ... white.

20. George Bush: I am so embarrassed by the way he has been treated. I just wish people would have had some respect for his leadership and the position he was voted in to.

23. Would you ever consider living abroad? Mmm... Could my family come??

24. What do you want to say to God when you reach the pearly gates? Something tells me I will be way too emotional to speak.

Something Fun

OK, here's another one. You better be good and do it and then pass it along!

Five names you go by: Rebekah, Mama, "Soft Bird" (haha, family inside joke... weird thing)
Three things you are wearing right now: Tunic, Jeans, Cowboy Boots
Three things you want very badly at the moment: The "go ahead" for putting our house on the market, A getaway trip with Aaron, A Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich from Backyard Burgers.
Three people who will fill this out: Mandy, Alison, Cabs (if she ever re-enters the blog world).
Two things you did last night: Cooked Dinner (BBQ Chicken, Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes and Crescent Rolls), Watched the Bachelor Finale ... whoa, Missed living with my sisters like crazy, (but we called each other every commercial break.)
Three things you are doing or did today: Took a shower, went to Moms 'n More, Getting ready for physical therapy this afternoon.
People you last talked to on the phone: Bobo (Aaron's grandmother), Lisa, and the lady at the Peabody to make our reservations for the family life conference: A Weekend to Remember next month.
Two things you are going to do tomorrow: I'm drawing a blank ... feed the kids, change their diapers, go to physical therapy.
Your favorite beverage: Mexico Chiquito Fruit Punch ... delish.


If you are reading this post then you are tagged. I just don't really know how to do that yet!

A Sore Thumb

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

What is it with women and wanting to gossip? Seriously how does it happen and how do so many of us carry on with it or just let it slide. It can be so destructive. I really think this very thing butchered my community group.

This past week in my bible study, He Speaks To Me, by Priscilla Shirer, we have been talking about being Set Apart. She challenged us to be set apart in every area, to be sticking out like sore thumbs in our communities and groups of friends. To me, women who DON'T speak badly about others are set apart immediately in my mind. This morning at church our pastor challenged us to pick up our cross and carry it with us, not run back to it to ask for forgiveness after we sin. I thought about what areas of my life weren't completely in line with Christ, where I was confessing the most. Gossip hit me hard. I want to be someone that never speaks badly of others. That to me is one of the best qualities in others and that is something that I really want to embody. I chose my memory verse for March 1-15 to be Ephesians 4:29. I want to really dwell on this verse and pray that God will remind me of it daily, especially if anything "unwholesome" shows up in my conversation. So ladies, keep me accountable here! If you hear me saying anything in my convos or even on my blog, just throw out an "Eph. 4:29" my way ... I need it!