Big boy bed!

I am totally one of those people that when it comes to sleep I need like 10 hours a night. Knowing that is not really realistic when you have kids (ok, really EVER), but I always cherish my sleep. 

And when it comes to my kiddos sleeping...well, let's just say in our house I am the "sleep nazi." :)

I am not super duper strict but when it comes to bedtime routines and bedtimes...I don't mess around.

Walker has always been a pretty good sleeper, especially in the last two years and he loves his crib so I kind of just figured that he would go to college in his crib. Ok, not really, but he never complains and never crawls out. Actually, that's not true...when he was 18 months old he crawled out twice. The second time he must have hurt himself because he never crawled out again after that.

The last two weeks Walker has decided that he does not need to go to bed at night and has decided to yell and scream at us for upwards of 45 minutes each night after we put him down in his crib. 

One night when he was just wailing I walked in and took a mental evaluation of the crib situation and realized that he was just too darn tall for the crib...maybe he was just uncomfortable curled in weird positions just to be able to fit in his crib. 

So, two nights ago we decided to bite the bullet and switch him to a big boy bed.

And boy was he excited!!!! His bed is exactly like his idol's (Jackson) bed so he thinks that is pretty darn cool. And we let him pick out whatever sheets and blankets that he wanted. And he thought that was beyond everything.


We really talked up the importance of a big boy bed and staying in your bed and sleeping all night long. I was prepared for the night to be a bust and have him staring at me beside my bedside multiple times that night. And you know what??? The kiddo went down without a fuss AND he slept all night not getting up even one time.

The next day he took a two hour nap in his bed and slept all night again last night.

The only downside is....he has woken up each of the last two mornings at 5:45 a.m. for the day. EEK.


As we carried his crib out to our storage unit on the side of our house I got strangely emotional knowing that Walker is the very last of our kiddos to sleep in the crib. I thought about how far we have come in our parenting, in our marriage, our family and personally. What a blessing these three boys have been. And even though our family is complete, it still made me tear up.

And as we were rounding the corner and Walker came tearing down the hallway on his scooter and slammed smack dab into the side of the crib and made me smash my finger.....I got over the sadness. Just like that. :)

Sedona

Earlier this week I had the chance to go on a retreat with my YPO Forum to Sedona, Arizona. It was a quick 48 hour trip but oh so good!

I am so thankful for this group of women and feel so blessed to know each of them. Our husbands are all a part of YPO (Young Presidents Organization) and are all a part of their own respective forums and we finally took the plunge and formed a forum of our own. I resisted the forum for a long time because I felt like I didn't have the time and felt like I have enough friends....but this group....man, they sure are special.

We are all in various stages of motherhood, our marriages, our work and life so the perspective I receive from each person is incredible. We meet once a month and follow a meeting format and man do we get deep. It's so refreshing to be able to dive deeper into the kind of woman, mother, wife and friend you want to be. Our conversations are never short of awe inspiring.

YPO encourages forums to take a retreat once a year and so we embarked on our retreat to Sedona. We hiked, went to the spa, took a Pink Jeep tour, took a cooking class, ate great food and even went on a wine tour where our wine tour guide picked us up in a hearse! Seriously. A hearse!!!

We laughed, we cried, we talked for hours and hours and we just had the best time. Everytime I am with these women I come away feeling like I can do anything!

I believe it is so important to take the time to spend time with your girlfriends as much as you can. I know it is so hard to find the time to do this but I always come away feeling energized and smiling so much my face hurts.

I am so thankful for these strong, faithful women in my life. (And Sedona was amazing as well! If you haven't been...go!)

Walker's Most Epic Moment To Date.

Oh Walker Stone. 

This child is forever making me pull my hair out and melt me all at the same time. 

Today. 

Today may have been his most epic moment to date.

I needed to get in the shower for work. 

So I gave him Renzi's Ipad to play on while I showered. Easy enough, right? I have done this countless times before. It's my go to so that I can actually get something done, like general hygiene.

I get in the shower. Shower. Get out of the shower.

And as I am putting my makeup on he came running into the bathroom so excited to show me the video he took. OF ME IN THE SHOWER.

I did not notice he had taken the video because in the video I have my eyes closed because I was washing my face. Heaven forbid I have to keep my eyes open while I am washing my face. But apparently that is what I must start doing.

I quickly erased the video and thought to myself. Dang. I thought I looked better naked. Thank goodness no one else saw that video.

Or did they.

Forty five minutes later I put Walker in the car, backed out of the driveway and decided to check my email really fast before we take off down the road.

And lo and behold.

There was an email in my inbox from Renzi. With no Subject.

And a video attachment.

Yup. Walker had somehow emailed the video of me in the shower to me.

HOLY CRAP DID HE SEND THIS TO ANYONE ELSE? WHAT IF HE SENT IT TO ALL OF RENZI'S CONTACTS? OMG MY LIFE IS OVER. WHY DIDN'T I SUCK IN? DO I REALLY LOOK LIKE THAT? I MISSED A SPOT ON MY FACE. OMG. MY LIFE IS OVER. (Just some of the thoughts that ran through my mind in the 2.5 seconds it took me to process what had just happened.)

I bolted out of the car and back into the house to grab Renzi's Ipad to see if Walker had sent it out to anyone else.

And thank GOD...he had NOT.

But if he had!!! OMG times infinity.

Looks like we will be finding a new activity for Walker to do while I shower.

Family Pics 2014.

So lucky that they are mine! XOXO.

Dear Future Daughter In Law(s)

I recently read a post on another person's blog titled "A letter to my future daughter in law."

It inspired me to write one as well. EEK. Here goes nothing!

Dear Future Daughter in Law(s):

Hi.

I'm your wicked mother in law. Just kidding. I think. :)

As I write this letter to you both, your future husband is either (a) running up and down the hallway yelling and not wearing pants or (b) running laps in our cul de sac because he "wants to work on his fitness for when he is drafted number one pick in the first round of the NBA."

Let me tell you just a little about what these boys mean to me.

They hold my heart in the palm of their hands. They challenge me daily. They bring such joy to my face and joy to my heart. They wear me the freak out. I would do anything and everything for them.

When each of them were born, I remember holding them and praying over them. Praying that I "wouldn't screw this up," that I "would be the mom God wanted me to be." I had no idea what I was doing,  yet I felt like I knew everything. And then we left the hospital. Ha!

I love this verse: "Make him a man among men. A leader among leaders. Make him strong, resilient, brave, loving and humble. Make him a good man in a storm."

My responsibility as a mom is to show and teach my sons a life filled with the Gospel. A life filled abundantly with the Lord. I need to teach them to stand on their own two feet, but make sure they know that they are never alone in anything they do because God is with them always.

I want you to know that Jackson is gentle, yet firm. Kind, yet full of leadership. And empathetic beyond all comprehension. He just KNOWS people. He just KNOWS feelings. And he just KNOWS how to interact and teach people and love people and...he's just so amazing.

I want you to know that Walker is loud, yet shy. Loving and trustworthy. He loves people yet needs to be alone sometimes. And this one...whoo wee. He's going to move mountains with his persuasion skills and smile. He just KNOWS how to move people and turn them into puddles of goo on the floor. He's also just so amazing.

My prayer for you is that you know Jesus. That you want Jesus in your marriage, in your kid's lives. That you know that family is everything. That you have the love for your husband as I know he will have for you.

Always know my intentions are good. I've never had a daughter, so this is new to me. My heart will also hold YOU in the palm of my hand. I will always be there for you. You are our family too.

I will be the best grandma on the planet. I will insist after one month after you have a baby that I come over and stay up with the baby for the night. At least once a week. I will insist you shut your door and sleep. Don't worry about a thing. Just sleep. :)

I will love you like you are my own. Because...you love my own.

You, my precious daughter in law. YOU are special.

Always,
Your Mother In Law. (AKA Lee Anne) (AKA Grandma Lee Lee) :)

Happy Halloweenie!!!

Happy Halloweenie from Harry Potter and Buzz Lightyear!!

What fun we had this year....trick or treating, eating dinner with fun friends before, school parties, candy, etc. 

Walker had so much fun he demanded we go trick or treating again the minute he woke up the next morning.

And then, as I was looking through pics I zeroed in on this pic. Ole Harry is apparently trying to put a spell on some poor kid. Bahhaaa!!!!

Can't get enough.

Of these precious littles.