Happy Halloween!!!

Growing Up

Growing up is hard. Hard on mommy, that is. My sweet, sweet boy lost his first tooth this morning. He is happy. I am sad. I remember when that tooth first came in...I remember my baby's tears from the pain, the late nights applying cream and teething tablets to ease the pain, and the giving of infant Tylonel. Now the tears are not from Braxton....they are from mom. Those big adult teeth will be popping up before we know it and that sweet baby face will change. Sigh.

Growing up is exciting. My boy will go into "big church" with mommy and daddy tomorrow. It is promotion Sunday at our church. So he's promoting! Promoting to attempting to sit still and listen to our pastor speak for however long and promoting to using a quiet voice if he needs to talk to mom. I have my bag of tricks to help with this promotion.

Growing up is tearful. My sweet son starts Kindergarten on Monday. He is so excited. Mom and Dad can't believe it. Oh, where did the time go?

We are so proud of our Braxton boy! He can count to 100, read a little, retell his favorite bible stories, and problem solve and pretend like no other. He loves to swim and is actually quite great at it. He is a good big brother and he loves his family. He loves to learn new things and is so proud of his accomplishments. Growing up sure is fun!

Her name is Kate....

and she is 5 years old.

As I hugged my own little 5 year old this morning I couldn't help but think of Kate. I do not know Kate and most likely we will never cross paths, but I am compelled to pray for her and her family. Her family is broken as their world has been rocked. They are clinging to the one true God, the ultimate healer. Please click HERE to read Kate's story and pray for this sweet little girl.

My Babes on the Beach

The not so frequent blogger...that's me!

I have become a not so frequent blogger. Oh well. I started out all gung-ho and then life decided to take over my time. :)

My boys are growing like super weeds that won't stop. I keep saying to Nash, "Please be little forever". I know he won't. He still lets me snuggle and is such a momma's boy. He comes by that naturally! Braxton is Mr. Independent, Mr. Talk-Back, Mr. I'm-Going-To-Do-What-I-Want, and Mr. Please-Don't-Ask-Me-To-Help-You-Do-ANYTHING. He's only 5. I think I'm in trouble.

Braxton is playing tee-ball this semester. He's a lefty and his Daddy wants him to be a super star on the field....Ummmmm, we're trying to figure out if baseball is "his sport". Don't tell me "he's only 5". There are kiddos out there who already love the game and have a knack for it. Only time and lots of practice will tell! He's been begging us to play football, so we're going to try flag football in the fall. Oh dear me!

The BIG news is.....no, I'm not pregnant....I am going back to full time teaching in the fall. Holy Moly! I haven't landed a job yet, but I have had a few good interviews and have made some good contacts within the district. I will keep you posted!

So needless to say, we've been busy. Tee-ball, job hunting, school, church, and the rest of our daily happenings have kept us on our toes.

Blogs are more fun to look and read when pictures are included, so I'll leave ya with some pictures....

Our BIG boys on Easter morning. Look at 'em!! Just look how big they are....


The joys of being in the student ministry....a yard full of marshmallow Peeps.


A picture of us....just in case you forgot what we all look like.


And drum roll please.....I am counting down the days until I am here.

Steve and I leave in a week for METRO, a conference for youth ministers and their wives. It just so happens to take place at the beach. Whoo-hoo! :) Thank you to whoever chose this wonderful location for us to meet! This conference couldn't come at a better time.

Welcome back me! I can't promise frequent blogging, but if something great happens I'll try to be better about letting the world know. :)

Happy Easter friends and family! "The tomb is empty so you don't have to be." Thank Jesus for being ALIVE.

Safe and Sound

Tonight I felt as if I was holding a daisy, picking off the petals, and saying "take shelter, don't take shelter, take shelter, don't take shelter". When the sirens started going off and the dude on the news said to take cover, my "take shelter" petal won and I thought of the old saying....better safe than sorry.

The kids didn't even wake up as they were transferred into the tub and pillows and blankets were piled on top. The man of the house roamed around looking out the windows keeping watch in order to "protect his family". Say what??? Unless my hubs is superman (which in many ways he is) there ain't no wind gonna stop for him!!

The storm has passed. We are all safe and sound. The kids have been transferred back into their beds without making a peep.

So what does a good mommy do before getting them out of the tub???? Take a picture, of course.


Sleep tight everyone!

Random Things

It's just me and this little dude today....staying home from preschool. We do not look like this right now, but I thought I'd post a picture of me and my little guy on one of our better days.

Today we have our jammies on, mommy isn't wearing make-up, our hair is a mess, and we are just taking it easy. You see, my sweet Nash started vomiting on Saturday night - to which my husband left the room saying "I can't do this." Thanks hubs. Boy howdy, did I have a mess to clean up at midnight! Nash ran a fever all day Sunday and Monday, and after a trip to the doctor yesterday we were told he has strep throat. Oh, lovely. So Mommy and Nash are enjoying a day at home, getting him tanked up on antibiotics in order to get back to reality tomorrow. He is already feeling better and I have been pretty productive with just one child at home. I forgot how easy it was just having one kiddo, especially one that doesn't argue with me yet! I also forgot how much I LOVE staying home.

Our sweet niece Addison had a birthday on Sunday. We have been so engulfed in sickness that we haven't even called her. Bad Aunt. Bad Uncle.

Happy Birthday Addy! We wish we could've been there to celebrate with you, especially Braxton! Braxton and Addy have so much fun when they are together. We love our time with the rest of the Aylor clan!

For all you baseball fans out there......

Andy Pettite of the New York Yankees came to our church a few weeks ago. He gave his testimony and signed autographs. It was great! Steve had the privilege of hanging out with him and interviewing him in front of the student ministry.

I guess that wraps up my randomness for today. Braxton will be home from school in a few short hours. Let's see what this mommy can accomplish in the meantime!

My Whereabouts

Yes, I still have a blog. It's just been a little boring lately. I have been spending too much time on facebook getting caught up on the happenings of my friends, looking at their photos, writing notes, and changing my status way too often. I have also been getting caught up on my DVR'd recordings. I am a watcher of 24, The Bachelor, American Idol, and Grey's Anatomy, and not at all ashamed to admit this one...All My Children. I love me some good TV and DVR is the best invention of all time. I have started a new "meal plan" and have been successful for almost a week in eating right. Yay me! I have decided to call it a "meal plan" instead of diet because I always crash and burn with each diet I start. I'm hoping to be skinny by April....hoping, and praying, and wishing, and dreaming. If I succeed I will post a before and after picture...oh, did I just say that? Okay, you can hold me accountable.

We have a birthday party to attend today and house that needs cleaning.....better get crackin'. Enjoy your weekend!

An Aylor Reenactment

Characters: An average mom with not so average kids - Braxton (5 years old) and Nash (2 years old)

Scene: Nash is sitting quietly on the floor playing the ever so annoyingly loud duck game...incomes Braxton.

SMASH! POUND! BONK!

Game is now messed up. Nash is unhappy. Braxton has a pleasant smirk on his face.

Dialogue begins:
Mommy: "Braxton, that wasn't nice. Go to time out and I will talk to you in a minute."
Braxton: "MOM!!!! Why didn't you tell me not to do that before I did it?? You ARE SUPPOSED to tell me when I'm about to do something wrong!!!"
Braxton exits the room, angry with his mom for not making him aware of his wrong behavior BEFORE IT HAPPENS.

As Mommy helps Nash get his game back together, Braxton can be heard from his time out spot.
Braxton (yelling): "MOM!!!! Why didn't you tell me not to do that? Next time, just tell me before I do it."

End Scene.

(Add "Conscience" to mom's job description.)

I've been tagged...

By my friend Marci...

So here we go:
1. Choose the 4th folder where you store pictures on the computer.
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people to do the same.
5. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.)


This is when Braxton met his little brother Nash for the first time. Braxton brought Nash a sweet little bear from Build a Bear to help welcome him to our family!

I am not a good player when it comes to taggin' games.....it takes me too long to respond if I do at all! Sooooo, I'm not going to put that kind of pressure on my bloggin' friends. :) If you want to play I'd LOVE to see what picture you dig up! Leave me a comment if you join in on the fun and I'll mosey on over to your corner in cyberspace and see your pic!

Postcard

Just to make you smile.....

Me: "Braxton, I need you to take all of your toys to the playroom."
B: "I can't mom. I'm a postcard."
Me: "A what?"
B: "A postcard. Postcards don't walk and they can't talk."

(Braxton proceeds to sit very still on the floor for what seems like a very long time....3 minutes maybe, but it felt much longer especially when he's refusing to look at me or move a muscle.)

Me: "Braxton, go take your toys to your playroom!"
B: "Postcards don't have ears mom. I can't hear you."

Plans and Roadblocks

I am a planner.

I have a built in need to know what's ahead of me or my insides get all twisty. I do not like being thrown for a loop. I like for things to fall into place. I like to map things out.

I. Am. A. Planner.

I don't like surprises. I like being prepared. I like knowing things in advance. I do not like the unknown. I like knowing where my path will take me. Have you caught on yet? I'm a planner.

Proverbs 16:9 says,
"In his heart a man plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps."

Hmmmm. Ponder that verse for a moment. What truth! Yes, I am a planner, but only God knows the path I should take.

Have you ever felt like you were cruising along just fine and then WHAM, you hit a roadblock? I sure have. I often have my plans and then something prevents them from falling into place. It frustrates me as 'all get out' that I can't see around that pesky roadblock. I often get mad because I don't know why the roadblock is there and why it can't just be moved?? Why can't I just shove it out of the way and carry on with my plan? I may not be able to see the purpose of the roadblock, but God does. He knows it's purpose. Maybe the roadblock is protecting me from danger lying ahead. Maybe it is there to point me in a different direction...somewhere better, safer, and more fulfilling. Maybe the purpose of the roadblock is to cause me to stop, look, and listen to what HE wants me to hear.

God, thank you for plans and for roadblocks. Help me to hear your purpose, to listen to your voice, and to follow the path that you set before me.

These are my kids.


This is their new swing set.


They love being outside. They love to have fun! They look like pretty good kids, right????



This is what they did today...
*Nash smacked three friends in his class. Made one of them cry.
*Braxton enjoyed telling me about his day..."Mom, I cooked babies on the stove in my class."

Who are their parents are WHAT are they teaching them at home??

A Quiet Moment

I have a few minutes before the darth vadar pretending, hulk smashing, can I have a snack asking, don't touch your brother requesting begins again. My house is quiet for a moment, so I thought I'd blog instead of folding the pile of laundry on the couch that is so desperately calling my name. Nash is napping and Braxton is playing quietly with his Tinker Toys in his room. (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Tinker Toys by the way.) The only sound I can hear is the typing from my computer and the sloshing of the load of laundry in the washer...better fold that pile on the couch before adding more to it, right? :)

I finally feel somewhat back in order from the holidays. My house is normal looking again. I miss the twinkly lights of my Christmas tree and I miss the stockings hung with care. Only 11 more months until I get to decorate again! We were truly blessed this Christmas and love the treasures given to us by all of our family. My parents and Steve's parents went in together and got the boys a swing set for the backyard. They are loving it!! I'll post pictures of it on a different day. It is freezing today and rainy. I do not think it would be fabulous parenting if I sat my kids outside in the rain to take a picture right now.

I haven't really made any New Year's resolutions except for the ones I always make: Get Organized, Lose Weight, Get in Shape, Spend more time in the Word and less time on the internet. I usually fall off the wagon so I don't know why I make resolutions. I guess it's better to start the year off right with a few goals than to keep on doing what I'm doing. So perhaps those are my resolutions, again.

One goal Steve and I have together in 2009 is to be more aggressive in tackling our debt. I hate debt. It is a thorn in my side that won't go away. We are not frivolous and we are making good choices with our money. We are all about Dave Ramsey and are trying to seek wisdom from the Father with every financial decision we make. We are facing it head on, but it seems like it just won't budge. One thing we have done in our attempt to be debt free is we have gone to one car. That's right folks, we share a car. We are going on month 5 of this journey and I must admit that it is taking it's toll. My most recent prayer request is for a set of wheels, nothing fancy, just something that gets from here to there.

Well, my house is starting to rumble. Braxton is by my side, complaining of hunger pains and wanting to watch a cartoon. I can now hear Nash crying in the monitor and waking up way too soon. My moment of aloneness is coming to an end, and so is my little blog entry for the day!