All About Daddy

This Father's Day has been a first.  On Friday, we got a call that Skip was not feeling like himself.  He couldn't feel anything on one side of his body.  Brian and I immediately thought the word STROKE.  Later that afternoon, Brian rushed into the house and confirmed the worst.  Skip wasn't right and we NEEDED to get him to the hospital.

Hours later, our fears were confirmed.  He had a stroke.  Our lives have changed in a moment.  Brenda's husband, Brian's father, our kid's Grandpa.  Skip carries many roles in his life, and for awhile on Friday I was trying to think of what it would be like in a world where Skip wasn't there and those roles were vacant.

Thank God, he has survived and he even has great promise of fully recovering through hard work and will power, both of which my father-in-law has in spades.  This weekend went by in a blur.  Trips back and forth from the hospital, picking up and dropping off kids.  Before we knew it, Sunday was here.  Father's Day.

The kids and I had grand plans of staying at home and resting.  After running everywhere for two days straight, home was what was needed.  Brian of course had to be at the hospital.  He needed to be there for his dad and for his mom.  We carved out some hours Sunday morning for our family.  Time to celebrate the Father in our family unit.

Brian requested pancakes, so early that morning I packed up the boys and headed to the store ( a quiet house is another way of saying thank you! )  After getting home I made, and we feasted on pancakes, biscuits and fruit.  Even O.P. got in on the pancake action.

Afterwards the kids geared up in their new soccer cleats and shinguards  and played outside with Daddy before he had to go.  We took the time to enjoy each other.  We took the time to make some memories.  If anything, this past weekend has taught us to appreciate these things just a little bit more.

Maddy's Big Day

Maddy graduated from Kindergarten at the beginning of June.  We have been so busy that I find that its the middle of June and I haven't had the chance to post the special occasion...

June 1, was dedicated to all things Madison.  I took of work to make sure that I could spend the whole day with my little girl who is growing up much too fast.  I picked her up from her last day of school and we headed to lunch, her choice... Olive Garden of course!  After enjoying soup, salad and bread sticks to her hearts desire, we headed to the nail salon to get manicures and pedicures in preparation for the big night.  After our nails were done, we headed home to get dressed for graduation.

Maddy remembered ALL of her lines for the evening's program and walked across the stage to get her "diploma" that had to be returned at the end of the night....  At the end of the evening they announced the children that won the Christian Character Award this year.  They chose one little boy and one little girl from each class.  My heart could not be any happier when I heard my Maddy girl's name announced as the recipient. 

It was a night to remember.  I cannot help but fast forward in my head to 12 years from now when Maddy walks across that stage once again.  My firstborn makes me so proud.  I love you Maddy Lynn <3

My Little Men

I grew up in a family of girls.  My poor father survived in our house by learning when to comfort girls who were crying for no reason and running to the store for chocolate when necessary.   As a girl in this house of women and one lone man, I had NO CLUE what living with boys was truly like.  That was of course until 7 years ago when I married Brian.  I then learned what it was like to have to put the toilet seat down and throw smelly socks in the washer.  It came as an utter shock that Brian did not innately know to run to the store when I was blue or to give me a hug when the tears threatened to spill.  Learning to live with a BOY was like learning to navigate through a unknown wilderness.  

And then... four years later I received another shock to the system.  I gave birth to a BOY.  With Maddy, I had kind of known what was ahead, but I was a mess when it came to getting to know my firstborn son.  Lets just say I could write a book about everything I learned about changing a baby boy's diaper....  

That was just the beginning however....  Travis brought me into a whole new world.  The boo boos, the dirt, the noises... they were all so foreign to me.  As he grew older and Peyton joined the family, the cars, trucks, and dinosaurs took over my house. I realized that my life has forever changed.  I once had a toy box full of barbie dolls, Disney princess paraphernalia and dress up clothes.  Now after two boys were added to the mix, it is more like every Lightning McQueen in the world is jumbled in with barbie heads and matchbox cars.  I am LUCKY if in the span of one day I don't trip over a race car track or slip on a lightning.

 But I discovered something I never would have expected.  There is NOTHING in this world like the love of a little boy.  They might smell, they might make more car noises than they actually talk on the majority of days, but when their semi grubby hands reach up to hold your hand, or they sleepily grab you around the neck in a hug before bed, my heart melts into a great glob of mommy love for my little guys.  

This week is a celebration of all things BOY.  My Travis and Peyton are 2 years and 3 days apart.  We not only spend this week knee deep in Lightning McQueen Birthday cake, but finding room for their ever expanding collection of cars, tractors, trains, tracks and trailers.  If it has wheels, my boys have it....  After this week, Maddy and I will have to escape the world of boys and men and spend some time doing something SUPER girly.... but I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Between the innocence of babyhood and the dignity of manhood, we find a delightful creature of a boy.
-- Author Unknown

Sunday Morning Breakfast

 Usually Sunday mornings are a crazy mad dash to get ready for church and run out the door.  There are baths for dirty kiddos, the search for matching socks and the inevitable battle of the wills with Maddy over the outfit she wants to wear and what I want her to wear.  We try to leave the house by 9 am and heaven help us... we reallllly try to hit that self made deadline.  What always gets left off the to do list is breakfast.   This makes the kids happy because then they get to choose whether they get McDonald's or Hardee's biscuits for breakfast.  And THIS is our weekly Sunday routine....

 This past week has been rough.  Peyt was sick last week and on Friday Maddy and Travis also were sick.  We decided to keep the kiddos home this week so as not to spread our lovely cooties any further than the Rustay house. 

 As Brian and I laid in bed this morning listening to the pitter patter of little feet and more often than not the squeals and screams of our offspring... I decided to do something out of the normal for a Sunday.... MAKE breakfast.  What might you ask is the breakfast of choice in the Rustay family???  Pancakes of course!  I am sad we missed church this morning, but I am so grateful for the time spent with my precious little family.  These days of childhood are moving so quickly and maybe just maybe, we made a memory this morning that will last long into a future of hectic Sunday mornings...

Catching my breath...

The men of my life <3

Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
— Unknown

I was going through all the pictures on my phone last night and noticed something that hasn't crossed my mind in the last few months.  Not only do i have almost 1300 pics on my iPhone.... but I haven't put any of these up on my blog in ages.  I checked this morning and confirmed to myself that I haven't posted since this past December. 

Sibling love

Its a perfect example of Life just happening.  The title of my blog pretty much sums up what and why I share.  The few dear souls that look at this blog are checking in on this family and OUR life.  Our life for the past couple months has just been on over drive.  I accepted a new full time job in January and it feels like I have barely come up for breath since then!  We have been learning how to navigate the changes in our family and make readjustments as we go along.   

Life changes and you change with it.  The following pics pretty much cover where things have been and what has been happening for the past three months.  I will try to be better about postings! 

Baby Elena Elizabeth Roth born January 19th and weighing in at 6lbs 14 oz.

Dennis the Menace

 

 

 

 

 

My Travey boy

 

 

 

Last but not least, our O.P. Dopey <3

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

A letter to my sweet babies;

Christmas is over, the presents are unwrapped.  The tree is empty and the lights are off.  I am writing you this letter as you are contentedly playing with all of your new toys.  I hear cars rolling across the floor and happy voices calling back and forth.  I have been going through all the pictures I took a couple of days ago and picking some to share. 

Things have changed so much for Mommy over the years.  It seems like forever ago, but I was once a little girl excited for Christmas morning.. waiting to dive into the presents under the tree and rip into the paper hiding my presents.  But now it is you, Maddy, Travis and Peyton that I look forward to seeing on Christmas morning.  I wait with impatience to see your faces light up when you come around the corner and see the tree FULL of goodies.

This year was no different!  I actually had a hard time falling asleep on Christmas Eve in anticipation for the morning.  I heard the first peeps from you, Peyton and hopped out of bed faster than any other day of the year!  The looks on your faces did not disappoint and I was given the gift of watching the Christmas magic unfold in front of me that morning. 

Here are just a couple of the moments I captured.  I cherish them and look forward to the years ahead with you, my sweet children. 

Love you more than you can ever know,

Mommy

Daddy reading you The Christmas Story Poem before bed, Peyt watching the Grinch, Grandpa, Daddy and various children and Cookies for Santa and celery for the Reindeer.... Christmas Eve at our house!

 

 

 

Reading about the birth of baby Jesus before presents, and then stocking time!!!!

Eight Days til Christmas!

This past November, I was wandering around Target with the boys and found a cute little foam Christmas Tree countdown.  I picked it up compulsively, thinking it would be something fun the kids could do to keep track of the days until Christmas. 

I actually forgot about it and it stayed in the Target bag in the back of the truck until the last day of November.  When I remembered it, I brought it inside and the kids were instantaneously all over me asking questions.  I pulled it out, assembled it and explained what it was and what we were going to do.

Bright and early the next morning, Maddy bounced out of bed and immediately asked who go to do the first day.  And so began our new tradition.  The child who doesn't get to change the date, gets to plug in all the Christmas lights... a system that will only work until Peyt wants in on the action....

We are 17 days in, and both of my older children can tell you what day it is and how many days until the big day... It was definitely a good $5 spent!