Wedding Day...Beach Day

Chloe and I took a little trip this past Saturday so see a friend of mine from college get married. The wedding was beautiful, the bride was gorgeous, and my sweet husband met us there to be a part of the day. Chloe and I drove down with some time to spare, enough to stick our feet in the ocean. After the wedding my car decided to not cooperate so Barrett took us to dinner on the river. It was an impromptu vacation, one much needed and loved. It's nice to get away sometimes and spend time with one child at a time. With our new addition due in September, I fear missing first moments with all my kids. Seeing Chloe prancing on the beach and snuggling with Barrett reminded me that each of my kids are so special and unique. I relish the moments, seconds, and milliseconds. Precious!

Playing on the Weekends

It's hard balancing work with family because there shouldn't really be a balance. I wish more of my days were spent surrounded by these crazy kids. Barrett and I love Saturdays! A whole day to play with our kids with no obligations? Yes please! No matter what the workdays hold, Saturdays are devoted to family and what a blessing they are. One day these guys will want to be with friends or they will have jobs...seems very far away. But while we still hold hero status, we commit to making this the best day of the week!

It's a new Freeman!

Just when you thought it was safe, and you got used to the crazy Chloe and relaxed Reef, there comes (dun dun dun) the other Freeman. Coming soon in a September near you!

Pack of Wolves

Yep, I have two crazy, yappy, wolves in my house and I love it. These two toddlers are the most entertaining Littles I've ever seen (I am totally biased). Chloe is a sponge as always and sings songs, counts stairs, eats vegetables, and plays with her brother. Now if we can just get sharing and not getting out of bed to pee every 5 minutes down. Reef, oh Reef...he is a darling! He snuggles, plays well by himself and loves shoes. He can say "God is Great" and mock anyone and did I mention he loves shoes?

Sometimes, when our whole family is chillin' in the playroom, my heart gets so overwhelmed by the blessings we have been given that I have to take a deep breath. The kids will be covering Barrett with hugs and kisses and I have this perfect second to thank God. Wherever life takes us, it will take US, as a pack.  What more could I possibly ask for?

New Year, New Year

Shouldn't there be flying cars? Weren't we promised easy space travel to Mars at least by 2014? I remember sitting in 7th grade science class hearing about the possibilities of the future, dreaming of what my life would look like. I had so many expectations for my future.

Expectations can be dangerous things. If met, we give ourselves glory for a job well done. If they are not met, our emotions are thrown into turmoil and someone must take the blame. Either way, expectations are selfish, one person or group of people's idea of how something should go or be.

This year I am throwing expectations to the wind, freeing myself from the human prison of "should be." As a mother, this will free my kids to learn and grow in their own unique ways. As a wife, I will not expect things out of my husband but love him with all of who I am. As a friend, I will allow each relationship to take its own shape and not fit it into a comfortable box. I will not let other people's expectations make me question who I am or what I do.

God expects nothing from me, He welcomes me to love Him and others. This is my goal in 2014, to devote myself fully to loving God and others. What an impact this will have on the relationships He has blessed me with. There is freedom in loving all people for who they are uniquely. 

The Holiday Season

The holiday season has always been such a special time for Barrett and me. We grew up with rich family traditions centered around grandparents and church. Since we've been married, our traditions have merged but it wasn't until we had Chloe and Reef that we have truly understood the meaning of family traditions. 

Now that Chloe is old enough to know what holidays are about, she knows the meaning of Thanksgiving. She enjoys being with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. She is thankful for silly things like her Cinderella doll and for more serious things like Ms Gracie and Lauren. Christmas is more than a tree and decorations; it's about baby Jesus and angels and a promise.

As a mother the holiday season is easy to get lost in, especially as a working mom. But when I watch my kids singing together at church, their eyes twinkling in the glow of the Christmas tree, I am reminded to experience the holidays like a child. I want to live in awe of the blessings and I want to be crushed when I see injustice. I want to cry with excitement because of the love of others. Thank you God for giving us children to follow as examples for the holiday season.

What a Day

Anyone with children will agree that kids grow fast, and if you get too wrapped up in the day to day of obligations and jobs, you miss so much. But then there are some days that you live and wonder "Am I going to make it?" Today Team Freeman experienced the "Man Down" disease. During naptime, 3 year old Chloe injured her gum by slamming her mouth onto the foot of her bed. Covered in blood and screaming, we cleaned her up and cuddled her sobbing body for hours, waiting for the pain to subside.

Finally Chloe got it together and was ready to play. It didn't take long for her to forget the pain, especially when Reef came into the picture. Chloe was playing behind their playhouse when Reef came to the door, smiles abounding. Then the world slowed down, seconds turned

to minutes as Chloe yelled "NO!" and slammed the door literally in Reef's innocent face. Reef cried in pain, a large, black hill appearing on his forehead.

It took 10 minutes of ice and cuddling to stop the tears and another 10 for Reef not to be afraid of Chloe's apology..."Are we going to make it?"

Parenting is a daily adventure and while most days you sit and catalogue every movement and sound, there are others that you experience and learn from, that are emotional and unpredictable. The ones that you are proud to say "We made it!"