Weekend of Blessings

Exciting News........

 

***OUR HOUSE IS UNDER CONTRACT!!!***

 

This weekend was full of blessings, as most weekends are, but this weekend we celebrated, rejoiced, shed tears of joy and excitement, and praised God from Whom all blessings flow because of a BIG answered prayer. After almost 4 months on the market (which felt much longer to us by the way), after a financial struggle that was really starting to weigh on us and concern us, after being 2nd choice to 2 different buyers twice, and after many, many prayers for a family/couple/individual to fall in love with our home, we are celebrating the blessing of an offer we could accept and anxiously awaiting for it close next month!! Thank you for all of your prayers with us and please continue to pray that everything will go according to plan and that it will close!

 

So that was like the main highlight of our weekend. Our house was shown 4 different times to 3 different people between Thursday and Friday after somewhat of a drought in the home showing department, and on Friday afternoon an offer came in and we worked out a deal and signed the contract Friday night. We are THRILLED!!!

 

The financial burden this will lift for us, particularly for my husband who has been working so hard trying to figure out how to stretch our money and make ends meet without totally depleting our savings, is just huge. We are so, so, soooooo thankful!

 

The next challenge after closing will be finding a "forever home" here. While this won't be the easiest task ever due to lack of homes for sale here in our small town, we are super excited about God leading us to "the one".  A home we want to be in long term. The place where we'll raise our boys and send them off to college. (Gulp.) The place we'll share holidays and special occasions and make memories galore. This next house (we hope and PRAY), will be it.

 

We are just so thankful for God's faithfulness and goodness to us. We are so thankful for His provisions... Terrell's new job that allowed us to move (something we prayed for for years), a home to rent while we waited for our house to sell, financial needs met during this stretch of "tough times", a contract for our house, the list goes on and on. To God be the glory great things He hath done! (I can always think of a song to sing or reference. =))

 

This weekend was also full of other blessings too... a fun night with the fam Friday night going out to eat and watching a movie with the big boys, a fun soccer game for Garrison Saturday morning, a fun Saturday day date for me and Terrell (although dates during the Georgia season are a bit challenging...haha), a relaxing Saturday night after our boys crashed from their day with Granna and Papa, and a super awesome Sunday at church that included the cutest ever Superhero party and lunch for preschoolers and families.

 

It was a GREAT weekend and one that left us counting our blessings over and over and over again. 

 

Now for praying hard and holding our breath til the end of next month when our house is scheduled to close... I'll let you know when I exhale.

Friday Favorites: Fall is Here!

We have had a pretty great first week of Fall. Austin and I started a new theme this week, things went really well keeping Baby M (and I'll be keeping her 3-4 days next week too), we thoroughly enjoyed the weather and spent lots of time outside... it's just been a busy, fun, different but still normal, good week. Yay. 

Here are my favorite moments...

*The new thematic unit I decided on for Austin was Fall... apples, leaves, pumpkins, weather changes, etc. We'll do our Fall theme into the month of October and then eventually switch our focus to more Halloween related fun. =) Austin's favorite activities this week were "Apple Tree Comparing" and "Leaf Patterns". (Just for my own memory so I can repeat this for Layton one day I'm going to elaborate.)

With the apple trees, we made our trees first and then used red pom poms for our apples. I wrote down a number and he placed that many "apples" on one tree, then I wrote down a second number and he placed that many apples on the second tree. Then he had to tell me which tree had the most apples. Number recognition, counting, number sense, and fine motor practice all had a place in this little activity, AND, he had fun doing it. Success!

With the leaf patterns I just pulled out my fake leaves and started a pattern that he had to finish. So simple but really engaging and really good pattern practice. We also made patterns with acorns and pine cones we had stashed away.

*Student of the Month lunch with our biggest! We are sooo proud of Garrison. Big school continues to be a bit of an adjustment for him (the days are still long) and he definitely has his faults, so this honor was a big deal. We loved having lunch with him (he picked Zaxbys!) and he felt SO special. And, we let him decide if he wanted to check out after lunch or stay at school... he decided to come home early. =) It was a fun and special day. (BIG thanks to my mom for taking her lunch break and coming over to hold down the fort with Austin, Layton, and Baby M so I wouldn't have to miss a special lunch with my favorite Kindergartner.)

*A morning at the park! I ventured out with Austin, Layton, and Baby M to the park on Wednesday morning and even though we couldn't stay as long as we would've liked to (feeding schedules and naptime schedules always take top priority when wrangling 3), it was a beautiful day and I think the whole crew had fun! I am definitely getting the hang of things with my new job. =) I'm still not keeping her full-time but definitely more regularly and I think I have a good system down... especially since they are all on pretty much the same schedule. God's provisions are never ending.

*Austin, Layton, and I got to have lunch with my Nanny yesterday. Such a treat! We love living in the hometown!!

*Last night I took the big boys to Garrison's soccer practice... and while Garrison practiced with his team, Austin and I practiced on a separate field. We had so much fun running and chasing each other down and honing our soccer skills. And I think the one-on-one time for my middle has been great for him. I'm hoping to carve out lots of one-on-one time for my firstborn during his Fall Break when his little brothers are napping. Alone time with mama or daddy for each little man is always a good thing. =)

*Favorite quote of the week:
God has no problems, only plans. There is never panic in heaven. ~ Corrie ten Boom
I LOVE this. It's so comforting and reassuring to remember.

*Least favorite moment this week: Austin had a MAJOR, MASSIVE, AWFUL meltdown leaving the school on Thursday morning after we dropped Garrison off. (The days I keep Baby M, Terrell has to take him to school and my mom has to pick him up and bring him home... at least until we can upgrade our vehicle... so I was really looking forward to Thursday and walking in my Kindergartner. Sigh.) I think this particular meltdown goes down in history as our worst ever due to the number of witnesses. How embarrassing! Thank goodness my friend Megan was walking out with me and took over pushing Layton in the stroller and getting him in the car while I fought and wrestled and wrangled and struggled with my kicking, screaming, wailing, flailing 3 year old. It wasn't pretty. Thankfully I know Megan understood (and probably, *hopefully* most other parents too), and this morning was MUCH better. Thank you Jesus.

This weekend we are looking forward to good family time tonight, Garrison's soccer game in the morning, a day date (12 noon til 7:00 PM... woohoo!) for mama and daddy tomorrow, and a fun Sunday at church with a special preschool/chidren's party and lunch afterwards. So excited about another great weekend! Happy Friday!!

Buggy Days Weekend: The Highlights

Buggy Days weekend did not disappoint. We had a great one! The weather was perfect, the kids were perfect (or as close to perfect as they could be), LIVING HERE was perfect, and the weekend was pretty close to perfect too.

(Check out this post from last year's Buggy Days... SO blessed, SO grateful, SO amazed that this year we really do live 5 minutes away!)

Here's a run-down, with a just a few pics thrown in too...

*We woke up Saturday morning to a major leak in our basement (PANIC), but were able to get in touch with a plumber who could come out mid-day. Praise the Lord!

*We made it to town early and went straight to the kids area. The boys played on jumpy's, slides, obstacle courses, and rode the kiddie train. They had a blast. And I was all over the place trying to keep up with them since they went separate directions almost the entire morning.

*We pulled them away from the kiddie area long enough to walk down one street of booths before we decided it was time to get lunch.

*As soon as we got our lunch, the plumber called, so Terrell had to dash away to meet him while I ate lunch with the kiddos and my parents. 

*After lunch (which also included THE BEST red velvet funnel cake ever!), Papa took the boys back to the kiddie park while my mom, sister, and I tried to make the rounds and see everything the booths had to offer. 

*Then the big boys decided to have their faces painted. And we waited in line like an hour or something crazy. I thought I was going to lose my mind. Thankfully we survived the wait AND made it to our spot to watch the parade on time. The boys were very proud of their faces and I was very proud of their ability to wait that long. Gracious.

*Meanwhile back at the house, Terrell and the plumber determined the source of the leak and were able to repair it, at least temporarily. (SO thankful it happened on a Saturday and Terrell was able to be here to help the plumber and make sure it was fixed!! We were looking at no baths or washing of clothes until it was repaired. Nooooooo. So thankful it didn't come to that!)

*Terrell made it back for the parade. Yay! The parade was good and entertaining and fun for all... except Austin wasn't a fan of the loud fire trucks (AT ALL) but everything else was a hit! 

*My Nanny took us back to our car on her golf cart. A definite highlight for my big boys. (We had already made the decision to head home after the parade for some rest time. Buggy Days totally exhausts my boys.) 

*Layton's first Buggy Days was a success! He didn't nap until we got in the car on the way home but was never fussy or high maintenance. Just really sleepy. =)

*Rest time went so-so. The boys were still wound up so they didn't totally chill out like we wanted them to but I still know we made the right decision. I'm not sure either one of them could have handled much more. Especially not my 3 year old.  

*We went to my parents' house for supper where they had brought home some "Buggy Days" food and enjoyed our night with family. We had a GREAT time until my big boys started melting and Layton fell asleep while being held in a noisy room (something that never happens). 

*Garrison was deliriously tired and acting totally CRAZY and Austin was deliriously tired and provided us with our 5th annual Buggy Days meltdown. It was fun. Sigh. (Bless their hearts.)

*We finally got the boys in bed around 8:30 after LOTS of tears and drama from our 3 year old and determined we will be able to go watch the fireworks as a family of 5 in approximately 5 years. Ha! Every time I see pictures of families with really small children watching fireworks I'm just amazed. Our babies just can't handle the full day-late night combo. Garrison had originally asked if we would take him to watch the fireworks but I don't even think he would've been able to stay up. It was a FUN day, but it was a LONG day. 

*Sunday morning we went to church and then Sunday afternoon Terrell's mom came over to keep the boys so Terrell and I could go back to Buggy Days to one store in particular we wanted to see and browse and go grocery shopping and go to Dairy Queen for dessert. Such a fun date! A very much marriedfor9yearswith3kids date, but a date nonetheless! Yay!

*We ordered pizza last night and prepared for Baby M to come over today! (I'm keeping baby girl today, tomorrow, and Wednesday and we're having a really good day so far. I can tell I've done this before and have my bearings this time around. A very good feeling that I'm super thankful for.) 

And there's the highlights from our Buggy Days. =) It was a wonderful weekend and it feels like Fall is officially here! Yaaaay!

Friday Favorites: Week of Soccer and Sickness

This week has been full of soccer and sickness. We are hoping and praying the sickies are almost behind us. If they don't go away soon, I'll have to head to the doctor next week. Thankfully I feel like I may be able to kick this yuckiness. Finger crossed!

So this week wasn't the easiest or most fun, but we did have some bright spots I'm thankful for. Here are my faves from the week...

*My big boys played soccer outside with Austin's new soccer goals this week! This was a birthday present from Terrell's sister and her family and it's been a big hit so far. =)

This is their pose/face/expression for GOAL!

*Layton got to enjoy some of the big boys' story time before bedtime one night this week. Presh! (This was also the night my bigs wanted to go to sleep shirtless...)

*Since daddy was reading Garrison's chapter book... which doesn't hold Austin's attention... my middle was hanging out and playing on the other couch waiting for his turn... but of course he requested mama make his picture too. =)

*This little man loves peek-a-boo with mama!

*An after school game of Don't Break the Ice. Anything calm, engaging, and that requires SITTING after school I can reeeally appreciate.

*One of my quiet time devotionals this week. While this week hasn't been TERRIBLE, it has been challenging and even a little discouraging. Between not feeling my best and trying to keep up with everything and everybody throughout the week, we still have a big ole financial burden hanging over us. Not being able to sell our house quite yet is starting to catch up with us in more ways than one. Financially it's catching up with us and mentally/emotionally it's starting to catch up with us. We are trying soo hard to be patient and trust God and not complain in the meantime, but when it comes down to losing money we feel we can't afford to lose, it's hard. So the timing of this devotion was perfect. (PS... prayers for our house to sell soon are SOOO appreciated!!)

*This sweet boy graduated to the highchair this week! So cute! He has also decided to put his hands in his mouth after every. single. bite. I think he's going to start needing a mini bath after every meal. Sigh.

*My middle had another soccer game last night that was so fun to watch! While he wanted almost NO part of the game to begin with (even going so far as fake sneezing as his excuse... OH MY), he finally came around and scored a couple of goals and did great! I loved watching him! This one is such a mess. =)

*Not pictured: My biggest got his stitches removed yesterday morning and did GREAT! He's like the best stitches patient ever. =) We are so thankful his head is okay and for a great first and hopefully last experience with stitches!

Now we are looking forward to this weekend so much... It's our annual arts and crafts festival here and a big time highlight for our family. This weekend kicks off the Fall season for us and we look forward to it every year! Happy Friday and Happy Weekend!!

Soccer Mom

I'm officially a soccer mom again! This time of 2 boys. =) Garrison and Austin have both had their first soccer games of the season and it looks like we're going to have a great one!

Austin has decided that even though he's somewhat confused about games and everyone going after 1 ball, he's a soccer player and a member of a team and ready to participate and follow the herd! At least that's what he did for his first game. We'll see if the newness and love of the game wears off as the season goes on. Ha! I thought he did AMAZING for his first game given he's only partcipated in one practice and he's a newly turned 3 year old!

I made a few pictures (with my phone) at his first game...

And my biggest boy had a GREAT first game! He was competitive and all over the field and scored like 4 goals and just went all out. We were super proud of how hard he played and very impressed with how well he did for his first game. I got a few iphone pics of him too...but I'm vowing to take my fancy camera to at least one game in the future!

I am just loving watching my boys and cheering them on! Being a soccer mom may may make life a little crazy and require lots of juggling, multi-tasking, and later nights, but I'm loving the memories we're making and enjoying "doing life" with some fellow soccer parents/friends we love. And it's pretty special that family members will be able to come to several games this sesaon too. Yay for being back in the hometown!

Now if we could all shake the crud that's been hanging around since last week, we'd be ready for our next game tomorrow night and Buggy Days coming up this weekend. Mama is over the coughing. OVER IT. Ugh. And my poor Austin is over the runny nose. Big time. Thankfully Layton's on an antibiotic for his ear infection and Garrison and daddy seem to be healthy. The whole family will get back to 100% one day... Sigh.

Happy Wednesday afternoon!

7 Months Old

Layton turned 7 months old on Friday! While this particular month seemed to go a little slower than some, the past 7 have flown by. Wow. I must soak it up. I must try, try, try to enjoy every single second. The smiles, coos, cuddles, cries, fussiness, happiness, chaos, fun, all of it. 

Even though he was sick and not feeling his best, we were able to keep the tradition of a picture with his monkey on his birthday... and got a few smiles! This month seemed to bring about lots of changes for my littlest, especially when it came to his sleeping habits. I think our new big school routine has thrown him off just a little. But since big school is here to stay, maybe it's just time for mama to accept this as the new normal... an early bird on our hands! Even though sleeping habits have been inconsistent and he now has his first little ear infection, this month has been pretty good. =)

Layton with his monkey. He's wearing the same little shirt both of his big brothers wore for their 7 month pics...

 

Garrison at 7 months...

 

Austin at 7 months...

 

7 Months Stats and Happenings...

 

*You weigh 14 pounds, 11 ounces and are at least 25.25 inches long. (There's been some confusion with your length so hopefully we'll get an accurate measurement at your next appointment.). You've slimmed down over the past month or 2 and are definitely on the small side. We may have to change some things with your feedings coming up but for now you're healthy and proportionate so we're just going to go back to the doctor for a weight check next month.

 

*You are still wearing size 3 diapers and wearing 6-9 and 6-12 months clothes. Yay for hand-me-downs from big brothers!

 

*You STILL don't have a tooth. We keep checking and keep right on waiting. Maybe one will come in soon. =)

 

*We introduced the sippy cup this month! You weren't super impressed at first but seem to be enjoying it a little more every time you use it. For now we give it to you a few times a week with water and just a tiny splash of juice.

 

*You still have a really big appetite when it comes to your solids. Yay for being a good eater!

 

*This month you didn't sleep through the night consistently... which was a little tough on mama and daddy. But we think you're getting back on track! You go to bed around 7:30 every night and on the nights you sleep all night you usually wake up between 5:00 and 5:30 needing your paci and then wake up for the day between 6:30 and 7:00. Early wake-up calls are becoming a regular thing around here.

 

*Naptimes have changed a little too. Your morning nap has shortened and lasts around an hour or a little more while your afternoon nap is closer to 2 hours. The afternoon nap is the naptime you typically struggle to sleep all the way through without waking up. 

 

*This month you sat up for a few seconds on own for the first time! Since then you've decided you aren't very interested in sitting up by yourself. Haha! We try it out about once a day and you seem to be getting the hang of it more and more even though your interest level is still just so-so.

 

*You are still rolling over and around a lot and this month started changing directions on the floor very easily. You can turn and spin and shift to see or face whatever you want. =)

 

*You laugh and smile and are totally entertained (and sometimes overwhelmed!) by your big brothers! I can't wait to see the 3 of you grow in friendship as you get older!

 

*We are SO blessed God gave us you!! Happy Birthday Layton Thomas!

 



Friday Favorites... Finally

This week has been a bit of a doozie. We've had stitches, a touch of sickness for almost everyone in the household, a sleepless night, and just the usual crazy busy life stuff. I'm tired. But thankfully it's Friday and we have the weekend to look forward to. And hopefully the weekend will give us a chance to all get well and back to 100%.

My favorite happenings from the week...

*Sunday morning ready for church! Even though Layton wasn't having it, I just love matching boys way too much to not get a picture. Terrell's mom found these shirts for them... yay for a matching shirt in ALL 3 sizes!

*The big boys got to enjoy the waterslide from Austin's party one more day before it was time for it to be picked up. They both loved it this year and since we live here now we were able to take full advantage. Yay!

*Austin, Layton, and I had a fun time at the library and Story Time this week!

 

*We were able to get outside one afternoon this week that wasn't unbearably hot. So thankful we're supposed to get a preview of Fall weather soon! These were the cool dudes Layton and I had the pleasure of hanging out with. =)

 

*Austin's favorite school project this week was his "shape fire engine" (Original idea here.) Since Austin knows all of his basic shapes really well, we just had fun putting this together and then counting shapes and comparing sizes of shapes and talking about biggest and smallest, greatest and least. I am very proud of my little student and his love of learning.

*Garrison's Student of Month letter and super cute school pictures came home the same day he fell and hit his head and did an AMAZING job getting 3 stitches! Pretty proud of my biggest too... and thankful he's okay!

*This sweet boy (who is 7 months old today!) is the cutest thing ever after his baths. Just precious. He's congested and coughing now (boo) but he was happy and clean and just wonderful this particular night after his bath.

We are looking forward to Austin's first soccer game in the morning and a pretty low-key and hopefully RESTFUL weekend. Happy Friday afternoon!!

Another Day in the Life of Us

I finally remembered and made time to do a "Day in the Life" post. Finally. My first one in over a year. My first one as a mom of 3. I don't love doing these because they're time consuming and I have to make notes of things throughout the whole day so I won't forget and they turn out to be the longest post ever, BUT, I do really really appreciate them once I've done them. Looking back, I think I've done 6 total and I absolutely love and am so thankful for having a regular day recorded in history to see how things were, how things have changed, and just to remember. So here's what we were up to yesterday...

My alarm went off at 5:20 just like every morning during the week... except apparently I was dreaming so deeply about a particular house here in B'ville (one that isn't even for sale), that I hit snooze 3 times in my sleep. And I never do that! Ugh. So I started the day in a rush when I didn't get up until 5:50.

After getting myself ready just in time, I woke up the big boys at 6:40. Austin got up pretty quickly and Garrison finally made it out of bed and Terrell and I made them breakfast (I ate as I went) and got them ready before I woke up Layton around 7:00. He was already awake by the way. He's become an early bird lately. I nursed Layton while Terrell finished getting ready for work and the boys colored at their table.

Finally, around 7:25 we were loading up to head to big school.

I managed to get all 3 babies down to Garrison's classroom, talked to his teacher for minute, and then the 2 littles all the way back to the parking lot where I talked to 2 sweet friends/mamas before heading home about ten after eight.

As soon as we got home I fed Layton his breakfast... oatmeal cereal and prunes. He loved it as always. =) While I fed Layton, Austin played with the letter magnets on the fridge and drew on the magna doodle before hanging all over me and begging for a show. (I usually try to wait until Layton's nap to let him watch a show so I can be productive during that time, but yesterday morning he wasn't feeling his "independent play", so I gave in.)

 

I turned on Team Umizoomi for Austin, finished feeding Layton, put Layton in the swing so I could clean up the kitchen (Layton is never impressed with this), and then finallly got Layton ready for his morning nap. We read books, rocked, sang Jesus Loves Me and then he went right to sleep.

 

I had a few minutes to get on the computer since Austin's show wasn't off so I checked my email, responded to a couple, and then worked on a blog a little before Austin was ready for his school stuff, as he calls it.

 

I'm doing one more week of transportation since I didn't have time to prepare anything new over the weekend. Yesterday we went over the calendar, days of the week, etc, and then used our dot markers to do some transportation pages... which turned out to be a good little assessment.   

After finishing up "school", Austin wanted to play his new games he got for his birthday. So we played "Uno Moo" and "Don't Break the Ice" 2 times each. He is loving his new games.

Then, it was time for me to do some things around the house, so I told Austin he could choose something to play with in the living room or in his room. We're working hard on him becoming a little more independent when it comes to unstructured play. He finally found something to do on his own while I finally got around to making up our bed and straightening things up around the house. Then I went ahead and made our lunches so they'd be ready as soon as we got home from Story Time at the library.

Layton woke up around 10:20 so I got him up and fed him around 10:35 so we could make it to the library by 11:00. Story Time was fun and went really well for our first time! Austin didn't participate in everything but I think he enjoyed it and I'd like to plan to go every week.

As soon as we got home we got our lunches out of the fridge and ate. Everyday after Austin finishes lunch and clears his place, he gets to play on the Kindle while I clean up the kitchen and get Layton down for his afternoon nap.

I got Layton down for his nap around 12:30 and then got Austin down for his nap around 12:45. While they napped, I did laundry, talked to my mom, called our pharmacy, did some school prep for Austin, got the boys' after school snack ready (it's so much easier having the snack ready for them as soon as we get home from picking Garrison up instead of them complaining or fighting or getting all wound up while I get it ready), and finished yesterday's blog.

Layton and Austin were both up from their naps by 2:30, so I fed Layton and then we got ready to go pick Garrison up from school.

We got home around 3:10 and the boys ate their snack while I tended to Layton. After their snack they were ready to watch Clifford!

I got Layton settled on his playmat while the boys had their after school "chill time" on the couch and went through Garrison's bookbag and notebook and Tuesday folder. Imagine my surprise and JOY to discover Garrison had been awarded Student of the Month!! I waited til Clifford went off before telling him and this is his face when he heard the good news. He was really proud and honored. =)

Then it was homework time. And of course Austin wanted homework too so I ended up writing his name and some numbers and letters for him to trace.

After we made it through homework and reading and sight words, etc, we all played Uno Moo together and then the boys finally got to run free and play together while I started on supper. (Tuesday nights we have soccer at 6:00 so I had to get started on it before 5:00 and was thankfully making something super simple.) Anyway, the boys were having so much fun just running around the house. They were chasing each other and laughing and just doing what they do all the time... especially in the late afternoons. And Layton was totally content in his swing so I was feeling pretty good about things. All was well.

Until I heard an awful "bang". AWFUL. The kind every mom recognizes as someone's body (usually someone's head) hitting a piece of furniture. Then I heard immediate loud crying. I ran into the living room to see who was hurt and what had happened and saw them both laying on the floor crying but could see Garrison was hurt worse. He was lying face down on the floor with his arm covering his forehead. I got him up to check on him and saw a huge gash on his head and blood everywhere. (AWFUL.) It turned my stomach and I started feeling ready to panick.

To make a long story short I got him in the kitchen and applied pressure and tried to stop the bleeding while shaking and fighting tears and my heart racing and calling Terrell who was on his way home and asking him WHAT DO I DO? and him telling me to call my mom. My mom was on her way home from work and came straight over. Thank you Jesus we live in B'ville. She took care of Garrison while I tried to get in touch with a doctor... except they were all closed because it was after 5. I was still panicky and shaking and poor Garrison was still upset and scared and hurting. It was just awful. Thankfully between my mom and Terrell's mom and our hometown connections we were able to meet a family friend doctor after hours for stitches and avoided the ER. Praise God!

Garrison did AMAZING throughout the entire procedure. The nurse nicknamed him "Man of Steel". He was so brave and still and just did PERFECT. Seriously. The doctor said he was the most calm, cooperative, laid back child she had ever sutured, ever. We were SO proud and SO thankful for God's grace throughout the whole ordeal. It scared me to death but I am just beyond thankful my baby is okay and that it wasn't more serious. He got 3 stitches and was able to pick out this little giraffe from the prize box at the doctor's office. He fondly named him Tall Legs. =)

One of the funniest things he said during the procedure was Mama, I think I will just eat supper after soccer practice. Bless it. He was soo disappointed to hear that there would be no chance of soccer that night. We did end up going to the field to tell his coach and pick up his uniform and schedule. So he enjoyed that.

Then we came home and relieved my mom (again, SOOOO thankful we're living back here now!) and tried to eat and get everyone ready for bed. It was an eventful, traumatizing evening but by bedtime all was well. Layton was asleep by 7:45 and the big boys were asleep by 8:30. Layton woke up around 9:00 and couldn't go back to sleep for a stretch but after that he only woke up once. I turned in around 10:00 and read in bed before falling asleep.

And that was our day. So grateful for everyone being okay at the end of it!

**BIG thanks to my mom for all of her help yesterday and for Terrell's mom calling the doctor for us!! We are so, so blessed and couldn't be more grateful!