It's Been a While so....

I opened up my blog on a whim this morning.  Just to see where I left off.  And the first post was this one.  Man do I need to get back in this habit.  I know there are tons of moments I have missed.  TONS.  And this proves it. But boy was this one worth sharing.  I had to update and hit post. And pray that I can start backing up our memories again.  Sure there will be holes in there. But maybe I can get back to it.  Treat it simply like a journal and make sure I get something in here every week.  Catching up will be trickier, but I've done it once before.  I am sure I can do it again!  Here's to hoping!  Stories like this need to be jotted down so my kids have them to read when I'm long gone and can remember how much I love getting to be their mom!  Anyway, enough rambling for today.


**** (Post first drafted during the 2016 School Year this past fall) I haven't blogged in just about a year.  But for the first time in a long time, I wanted to blog. Words came to my mind the way they used to.  I watched a memory unfold in front me of and knew just what I'd say to myself 15 years from now.  So I really wanted to sit down, load my pics from the day and blog.  I hope its the beginning of a lot more of it...because I cannot for the life of me figure out why I don't make the time to blog...but then I sit down to the computer and work out meal plans, grocery lists, coupons, calendars and bills and realize what time I had devoted to the computer is gone!  And life with 3 kids is likely going to be linked to diminished brain function in some scientific study down the road.  Seriously.  It's exhausting. Regardless, Greyson and I had one of those days this past Friday that I know when I am old and gray that I will look back on and feel like I really hit the jackpot in life.  I know I am blessed. But sometimes you have moments that rise up above the rest and you know that one day it'll stand out.

This little boy has stolen my heart.  All 3 of my little boys absolutely did the same thing at different times in their life.  But at this age, I am having more conversations with Greyson than I ever remember the other two slowing down to have with me.  Friday morning after our newly established drop-off routine at Owen and Coop's school, we hit the donut shop for donuts.  This little boy walked right on in with me holding my hand the whole way.  Stopped at the glass counter and requested SPRINKLES with so much enthusiasm you would think he might burst.  Then picked out a pink milk and patiently waited while I paid for our breakfast.  He picked a booth and then very specifically requested I sit across from him.  I laid a napkin out for him and he said, "you donut too Mommy!!"  making sure I had a napkin just like his laid in front of me.  He uttered an Oh Boy and smiled at me.  After devouring all the icing and sprinkles off the top of his donut, he said yummy yummy yummy almost under his breath.  And finding more sprinkles on the table he said Oh!!  More sprinkles! With his chubby little fingers he picked those couple of sprinkles off the table and popped them in his mouth. Such pure joy.  Over such a simple little thing.  Donuts for breakfast.  Sprinkles.  Happy as could be in this single moment.  And I felt it too.  We finished our breakfast talking about the cars in the lot, the pictures on the wall and whatever else popped into his little 2 year old mind.  But leaving that donut shop holding my hand asking me where we were going next...I knew God was smiling on me.  Thanks Greyson.  Sometimes Mommy has no idea if she's doing anything right with you 3 boys. I worry one day you'll grow up and leave me and Daddy alone and feel like we failed you as parents.  But today was a glimpse of the love we share.  And years from now I hope we still find time to sit down at the donut shop and eat sprinkles and strawberry milk. I know I'll never forget this particular morning with you***

UABC Pumpkin Patch Trip 2015

Our preschool took the kiddos to Brautigam's Orchard this year for a field trip.  Let me say this place has so much charm it's off the charts!!  

Kiddos being asked to DON'T touch while waiting for our tractor ride to pick apples.

Coop surrounded by cute ladies.  Oh my heart. 

Coop and his good buddy Garett!  Too cute :)

Picking an apple!

This orchard is known for their apple cider donuts.  Mr Landon here happen to think they were amazing! So did Aunt Jessie :)

The owner of the orchard and farm gave us a little tour and talked to the kids about the animals.  Then took us to feed cows and pigs!  Here we are feeding the cows from the greens off of some corn stalks.

Coop thought it was awesome and kept going back for more!

Here…a much stinkers animal…the piggies!

They just got into fresh mud and spraying the kids and teachers with the mud.  Some kids thought it was funny…others thought it was not cool at all!!

There was a big area for the kids to run free and play.  Lots to do and fun was had by all!

Swinging on "horses" made from tires with Adele.

Needless to say the pictures speak for themselves!!  We had an awesome day :)  And everyone slept well that night for sure!!  

Homecoming Fun, Messes, Another Park Trip and A Visit from Peyt!!

The first weekend of September we took off with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Josh, Aunt KT and Reagan for the annual Bethalto Homecoming.  The boys call it a carnival…and it brings back so many memories of doing this exact same thing with my Grandma and Pap.  First stop was the bumper cars!

Watching...

This cutie melts my heart!

Owen, Cooper, Grandpa, Greyson, Aunt KT and Reagan are all in there.  And Reagan didn't crack a single smile.

On more than one occasion we had to tell Cooper to sit.

Uncle Josh rode this with the older boys…and I'm glad. It spun a.lot. and I think I would have puked if I got on!!

Dinner time!

After dinner, Daddy, Grandpa and the big boys got a real big kid ride…the sizzler!  It used to be my fave!!

Kids version of the Rush Street Flyer at Six Flags.  The boys had a blast!

After we finished the rides, we took off for a visit to Uncle Josh and Aunt Katie's, then to get some ice cream.  We had a blast!!

One afternoon Coop requested cupcakes…and I try to indulge his request as often as I have the ingredients. When we make them we work together, we count and measure and talk.  We also often knock the mix out of the bowl.  But little hands make big messes!  It's one of those memories I hope he looks back and remembers doing with me often! Anyway, below is the result of said cupcakes.  All over his brother's face!

I took the kiddos to the park one morning early before the heat got too bad…boy did our September get warm!  So we headed to the park around 8am.  We scootered and hit the playground just the 3 of us.  I can't wait to work with Greyson on his own scooter next summer!!

There was a guy fertilizing the ball fields…and Greyson was enamored with the whole process.

That same morning while we were at the park we got a message from Aunt Steff asking if we would like a visitor for the afternoon!  Afternoon visitors this cute can't be passed up!!!  

We ate lunch, played and painted...

Put together puzzles and we even had some chocolate chip cookies for snack!  Thanks for the visit little lady! Can't wait to do it again :)

Ten Years

Ten years ago today…wow.  Ten years ago on this day I was getting my hair done…putting on my dress and waiting with a pit of excitement and nerves in my stomach.  I was looking at the flowers on the table you sent me.  Applying my 5th application of lip gloss.  Waiting for someone to tell me…it's time.  Waiting for my big walk down the aisle. To you. To say my vows.  To become husband and wife.  To start a new chapter in our life together.  I had no idea what the future held.  But I couldn't wait!

We were just 22.  Babies really.  Of course it didn't feel like it then.  It felt like we were full grown adults…who had a plan and life figured out.  For the most part, I think we were and did.  We knew we wanted to be married.  We knew Jeremy was going to get his Civil Engineering Degree and I'd work at Boeing and continue working on my degree.  We knew we wanted to take some trips, own a house verses rent and we had already gone through the painstaking process of purchasing our first house.  We also knew we enjoyed the process of updating said house and taking care of it and making it our own. And we knew at some point we wanted to start a family with 2 maybe 3 kids.  But looking back now…I realize how lucky we are that all those things even came together for us! And while I think you earn your life, you make your plans, you do your best and work hard to be able to say that the life you build is your own, that's only part of it.  What I've learned with time and wisdom is yes those things are part of life.  You work for the things you want and make hard choices and do what it takes to get where you want your life to be. BUT only with those things AND if you are oh so lucky, those plans come together.  

Celebrating 10 years of marriage, heck of living life…real adult life…sick parents, sleepless babies, learning to navigate parenting a child with a learning delay, job challenges, and so much more...it all makes you realize just how lucky you are to be able to say you accomplished anything you set out to accomplish.  Hard work, luck but mostly faith that God has the wheel are the ONLY reason we can truly say we have accomplished our goals.  We can say we are healthy and happy. We can say we have made that house our own.  We have 3 beautiful kids that call us Mom and Dad who are healthy and happy and make us laugh every single day.  Don't get me wrong.  We have worked.  We have poured blood sweat and tears into our tiny starter house…we've stretched its limits.  We've made it grow with us instead of moving out.  I'm still not sure which is easier…moving or remodeling..both have many challenges.  Many months of pregnancy and 3 major c-sections later we have our babies. We've spent days and weeks apart while Jeremy worked hard for promotions and paychecks at his job. So we have worked.  We've sacrificed for our goals.  Heck we are still learning to do all of these things.  But before we even started this journey God set us up for success.  Because any number of our beautiful successes could have been just the opposite despite our plans and work and sacrifice.  So 10 years later I know we are lucky, quite honestly we aren't just lucky…we are more simply, flat out blessed!!

I wish I had asked my 22 year old self what life would look like.  I bet I would say some of the same things.  But I also bet I would have guessed we would have maybe traveled abroad, bought a bigger house and done a few other things we didn't quite get to. I doubt I would have thought about burying a Jer's Dad at 57. Or having a son who couldn't talk till we got him therapy. Or how I would one day quit my job to stay home and how exciting AND truly scary that has been.  I wouldn't have imagined that sunset Jeremy and I would spend in Gulf Shores. Or sitting on the beach in the Dominican next to this best friend of mine knowing at that moment there was no where else in the world I'd rather be. I also I wouldn't have imagined the 3 boys I was going to be blessed with.  Or moments like grasping our babies fingers moments after they were born…or looking into their eyes and seeing their Daddy looking back at me.  Or our first holidays with each of them.  Seeing them learn to walk, talk or eat something they truly love.  Or living room dance parties to music from Wreck in Ralph.  First days of school.  Homemade crafts. How good it would feel to graduate with my bachelors degree…finally!  Or that first date after we had Owen and we realized how different life was after a baby.  Or late nights, turned early mornings out with best friends making memories we know we'll never forget.  Or just simply living life watching so many of our goals, dreams and plans come to fruition.  I couldn't have seen them because they hadn't happened yet.  But…all these beautiful things were going to happen and so much more that I can barely begin to list here.  Things I knew would be part of it but couldn't see them just yet.  But like I said before…10 years of life together teaches you things.  It makes you appreciate things. The good?  It's so good.  Better than what you imagine it to be.  And the bad?  It's definitely hard.  Harder than you imagine. The journey is long and short all at the same time.  But our journey has been filled with so much amazing goodness…and the past 10 years have taught me just how precious and precarious life can be. We can plan all we want.  But we aren't promised tomorrow.

We aren't guaranteed a do-over.  We get one big beautiful messy life.  And that's it!  So here I sit 10 years later so very thankful for hitting this milestone.  For experiencing all the amazing and messy parts of life with the same partner by my side 10 years later.  Knowing that I hope like hell we have 30 more to celebrate.  That I hope I get to sit down and look back at the next 10 years and take stock just like I am now.  Because if this is what 10 years later looks like…I hope the next 10 are half as good to us:

I went back over all my blog posts about our anniversaries…and found still to this day….this blog that I wrote about 4 years ago is still my favorite.  It captures for me…everything I love about our life.  Everything about why our marriage has worked for 10 years and I why I feel like we will stand the test of time.  We're gonna make it for the long haul.  Not because we are different than every other couple out there.  Or because we have something special others don't. Though some may argue we do.  But because there is a true love and respect for each other and a willingness to keep working at it and honestly just have fun.  10 years later we can date like we did when we were 22, only it's even better because we aren't 22 and have so much richness to talk and laugh about that we didn't have before.   So not only do I have a handsome husband to enjoy the romantic side of life with…I have a friend. The best. One who makes me the most angry I've ever been.  One who challenges me.  One who makes me laugh like no one else. And one who has been by my side through good and bad and still wants to be my friend, my companion and my partner in crime.  Happy 10 Year anniversary babe.  What a ride it's been so far. I'm so proud of us.  And just like I was 10 years ago today, I can't wait see where the next ten will take us!  Love you always.

Kicking off September!!

I am so happy to say that I am officially ALMOST caught up!  It just turned October…and these pics?  Just from last month!  Yay for keeping my memories on track and FINALLY catching up a blog that's been severely behind for at least two years!

Greyson had a followup for his ear tubes the first week of September.  We had to do an interesting dance with the kids to make it work…Daddy took Grey to Children's and I took Owen to school then me and Coop headed to STL to meet up and gather Greyson from him so he could go on to work. Well Cooper and I had some time to kill and ended up at the City Garden waiting for the other half of our crew.  What an unexpectedly fun morning!!!

Petting a bunny.

Following a hill of ants.

Daddy and Greyson arrived!

The fountains at the park were still on since Labor Day was right around the corner.  We did not have swim gear and were completely unprepared.  BUT…we stripped down to our shorts and bare feet and had a ball.

After running wild for a bit, we enjoyed lunch from one of the awesome food trucks that pulled up while we played.  I had a lunch time bagel that was delicious!!  I can't wait to take this in more next summer!  Thanks for a fun day of adventuring City Garden…never mind the $115 in parking tickets we got.  $100 for Jeremy who parked the van in a handicap spot…and $15 for mine because the meter ran out.  Lesson learned…and didn't I mention that in a previous post…it's fun and chaotic being a Linley!!

After our trip to the City Garden, we had Coop's first day of four year old preschool!  He was very excited but got real serious when I asked him to smile.  True Coop fashion!

UABC Preschool is where it's at!  Not only do they have an amazing heart for kids…but for the parents too.  I arrived to a fresh cup of coffee prepared by Pastor Brad. 

After school we were all smiles!

And so was his partner in crime!!

Love this little lady!!

My after-school lunch date!

Welcome September!  It was a great way to usher in our first month of fall :)