Just Do It

Sometimes you just have to start typing when it comes to blogging.

So we are 3 days into August and the excitement of everything Fall is mounting. School will be starting soon and for Tate, Britton and I that means starting preschool. I am teaching the 3 & 4-year-old class at "Early Steps Preschool" at our church. Tate attended last Spring and loved it. This will be my first year teaching, and I tell you, I CANNOT WAIT! I began praying about this job as soon as I heard it would be available. The Lord has ignited a passion in me for loving children- teaching them and showing God's love to them.

This year will be full of firsts, adventures, challenges and rewards. I cannot wait to see what is in store. I am already praying for each of my "students" and that we have a wonderful year together.

MOPS will begin before I know it. There is still quite a list of things that need to happen before it all begins but I am so happy to say that as of today, we have registered 27 moms! This is just a miracle to me- proof that God is behind this ministry 100%.

Gotta cut this short...dinner's almost done.

full of wonder...

Mayonaise sandwiches & popsicles...Summer has arrived!

Today has been full of firsts for us at the Shaw house. Derek made the boys their first mayonnaise sandwiches and much to my horror, they gobbled them up like they were hot brownies! Guess they are true "Shaw" boys, as the love for the creamy sandwich spread runs deep in Derek's clan.

I spent the morning cleaning house and then decided to organize the garage. It's always a work in progress. We haven't had a Saturday like this in a very long time- piddling around the house, working on projects that we don't have the energy to tackle during the week. No obligations.

Britton got to ride with daddy on the lawnmower today and he also ate his first Popsicle. Pictures below...


Britton's First Ride








Britton's First Popsicle









Tate's done this a time or two...












I love these pictures because I can see down the road, 60 years from now, the two of them side by side looking as ridiculous as ever in mesh-backed hats with straight rims. Only then, the Popsicles will be replaced by cups of coffee and the laughter will spill over a nice game of checkers.

MOPS Update

I just got home from another MOPS Steering Team meeting. We try to cram lots of fun but lots of planning into those 1 1/2 hour meetings. God is tearing doors wide open for us in so many ways. We are meeting at a park in Corneila on Friday and will continue to have "Fridays in The Park" throughout the Summer. I just had to send a little shout out to the Lord to publicly thank Him for the many, many blessings he has bestowed on our group.

HOTLanta

Man, is it HOT outside! The boys and I started planting a sunflower garden this morning, but after 15 minutes of digging, Tate, who loves to be outside, told me "It's too hot- let's go inside." WHo was I to argue? While I do love summer and the all the fun things that come with this season- the BLAZING heat is not one of them.

So we spent today making forts, cleaning house and then we made a caterpillar. We took a leg of pantyhose and filled it with a mixture of dirt and grass seed. After Tate put a cup full of the mixture in, I would tie off a "ball", we continued until 6 balls were formed. Then we used pipe cleaners for legs and antennae. The we set the caterpillar outside to soak up the sun and the water that Tate poured over him. The idea is that over time, the little bare naked caterpillar will start to sprout green "fuzz" (grass) and soon we will have a fuzzy little friend. I'll take a picture of it and periodically post the progress. We had so much fun!

Also, I told Tate about a little boy that we sponsor through 'Compassion'. His name is Pandi and I was writing a letter to him today and printing out pictures of our family. I explained to Tate that Pandi is not as fortunate as we are so we are trying to help him out by sending him money. Tate then asked me several "why" type questions. Later on I caught him in our change jar. I asked him what he was doing and he said "I'm getting money to send to "Panda". How much does he need, mom?" How precious was that!!??

I guess even at 3 he is grasping the concept of helping others. At least, that was my hope when I told him about Pandi. We will pray for Pandi and continue to support him- and write letters to him as a family. I want my boys to always be cognizant of the needs of others and develop a true passion for charity & missions.

Thank you, Lord for such a wonderful opportunity to share Your goodness and love with my boys!!

The "Conductor" turns 3

Happy Birthday Tate

My firstborn baby turns three tomorrow. For some reason I am having trouble accepting this. A baby is a baby- a one year old is a baby- a two year old is still a baby, but three...he's not such a baby anymore.

My how this year has flown. Tate continues to amaze me with the things he knows and the things he picks up on. He has a zest for life that is contagious and he is as stubborn as the stubbornest parts of Derek and I. I love him. Oh, how I love him!

I find myself hugging a little tighter, holding a little longer and looking a little closer at his precious face. We play trains and chase and we sing and play ball and do art...we have so much fun together. I know it won't always be this way. One day it won't be "cool" to like your mother and the things I want to do with him won't be so fascinating anymore. I'll revel in the now.

The sweet part about three though is he is becoming his own little person. He has a sense of humor- he says "I'm just jokin' mom". He laughs at the funny things I say and do. We can have conversations about why caterpillars turn into butterflies and he stays with me.

I plan on living this year to the fullest. Tate is three, Brit is 16 months- both are getting more and more manageable by the day. There are lots of adventures out there for us- so many places to go and explore.

We are planning our first family camping trip for next weekend. I am so excited!! Derek and I laughed when we envision 2 am next Saturday morning when its hot as the blue blazes and we have two little boy furnaces sleeping next to us, yet we already know we won't get a wink. But still, how fun.

Speaking of Derek- BLESS HIM!! He has been a dream of a husband lately. Something has come over him and I truly thank God for it. He is happier- more easy going and is putting up with me like never before.

MOPS- that has been going GREAT! The Lord continues to send us more and more moms who want to join us in the fall. I CANNOT WAIT to see what He will do with this ministry.

Off to finish cleaning before the big party tomorrow. ALL of our parents will be there- that is something that hasn't happened since our wedding. I am so thankful that they can all make it this year.

Love to my friends.

Ramblings

WOW! I have been horrible at keeping up with this blog lately. I guess we have been pretty busy around here with different kinds of things. Britton had a new set of ear tubes pun in and an adenoidectomy on Wednesday. Yesterday he was very fussy and had a lot of bloody discharge coming our of his left ear. I know that is gross, but I cannot help but be a little worried about him. I called the Dr. and he said that was normal, so if the drainage hasn't stopped by Monday I am going to take him in.

I still cannot get used to Britton's haircut. He really did have beautiful hair before but it is so stick straight that it was growing over his eyes and when I would trim it, well it would just look silly. Yesterday morning Derek let me sleep in so when I got up and looked over at the couch- for a second I thought he was Tate but I knew something wasn't right because of his small body. Anyway, so far I have gotten a lot of positive feedback on the new do. I don't think anyone will be telling me my child looks like a china doll anymore.

Tate. What has he been up to? He has developed quite an obsession...or should I say passion for Thomas Trains. He plays with them from the morning he gets up to the minute we make him go to bed. I have never seen him like this. His bedtime story has now become the Thomas catalog!!

Derek is well- just working as usual and helping me with things around the house. We are planning Tate's birthday party which will of course have a "Thomas" theme. We will do mostly family but will also invite some of his little friends to the party.

As for me, I am feeling much, MUCH better! There was a period of about 5-6 months where I was in pain every day, had no energy and just sort of felt helpless. I went to the Physical Therapist for a therapy session one time and have been markedly better ever since. Except for my bedroom, I have a clean house, have been cooking dinner on a regular basis and have been really enjoying planting things in the yard. I know those things may seem mundane to most of you, but a few months ago it was all I could do just to make it out of bed.

Speaking of gardening, Tate has been my little helper this Spring. He loves to help me plant things. We are making a sunflower garden in our back yard and he is helping me every step of the way. I want to instill in my boys an appreciation for the beauty & gifts that God gave us through nature. I love teaching him about plants and animals and how things grow. We found a caterpillar in our sunflower garden-to-be and it was so cute they way he was interested, yet did not want to get too close. He kept saying "He's little, he won't hurt me" more to himself of course, than to me. I told him how that little caterpillar would one day become a butterfly. He kept repeating the caterpillar, cocoon, butterfly sequence and asking me a million questions starting with "WHY?". He never did touch it but kept wanting me to go with him to look at it. So sweet. I love his curious nature.

Britton can walk, he just doesn't want to. He walks if he is not thinking about it and will take about 6 steps to me. I think he has a hard time with balance since his ears bother him so much. Hopefully he will do better once he recovers from the surgery.

Love & blessings to all...

Easter & Egg Hunts

Tate & Britton- All dressed up!

The Easter Bunny left a trail of tracks...

Bitsy...before & after

Oh my goodness...what have I done to my son? I tried to trim Britton's hair today and it just ended in a disaster! So, I decided to buzz his hair and this is is the result:

BEFORE:











After:













So...be honest, what do you think? On the bright side, maybe now people will stop thinking he is a girl!!

Potty Training Success

I cannot believe that I have not written this yet, but Tate has been Potty Trained for almost a month now! One day he decided he just didn't want to wear diapers and he's been in big boy underwear ever since. The last pack of diapers we bought have now lasted us over a month, which is a record!!

He is doing so well with everything- we are so proud of him.

I have to run to the grocery store...no time for elaborate blogging but I did want to give an update about our latest success.

Love to all~
Merideth

So, as you saw, my husband broke into my blogger account the other day. I was totally blown away by his post- it means so much to know that I am not alone. But then again, even when we are alone- we are NEVER alone if we have Jesus. As a SAHM sometimes we can feel alone- even if we go to playgroup, volunteer at church, have lunch with girlfriends, attend a bible study, etc. We still spend endless hours talking to people that are under 3 feet tall. I have to remind myself to talk to God too. He is always there, always ready and always interested in what I have to say.

Stained

Before I had children, I had two types of clothes: work clothes & play clothes. My first baby was born and had a bad case of acid reflux for 6 months. I gained a new clothes- stained and not stained. The stained clothes were for Target & Wal-Mart- the unstained for Sundays & Dates with my hubby. Now, after two babies I have 2 more categories- really bad stained and not so bad stained. I'm not kidding. Every single shirt I own has a stain. Even my black shirts have little reminders of baby spit up- you know where the black is blacker in some spots than others. It is inevitable. No matter what I wear- I will be stained.

And so it is, the life of a mother. Constant reminders of the little ones who count on you. I consider myself lucky. I'll take stained any day!

My beautiful little family

My wife would never believe that I would post anything on here, but I just wanted to say how proud I am of our little family. Everyday I thank GOD for the opportunity to raise our children and be with my wife. He has answered all of my dreams and even though it is tough, it is always worth it.

Hang in there Mer, I am fighting with you and I believe in us. You are a great mother and our boys are always shown love. I love you and thanks for the memories that you have helped create together.

Your Hubby

Peace in this life

My stove top has dust on it. That should tell you the extent to which I have been fulfilling my "homemaker" duties. I have become quite creative in dreaming up meals that don't require a heat source other than the microwave. I used to love to cook. I would try new recipes and sit with anticipation as my husband took the first bite of my creations. I used to scour cookbooks for healthy, yet declicious-sounding meals. I used to make sure I had each food group represented and tried to serve food of every color of the rainbow. Last night my oldest son had boxed macaroni and cheese and cut up fruit for dinner. My youngest, when after turning his nose up at canned chicken noodle soup and a helping of black beans, would only accept oatmeal for his supper.

I am tired.

My floors need to be mopped. The carpet needs cleaning and I NEED a BREAK!

It is so very hard to remain positive after a day like yesterday when Britton literally screams the whole day unless I am holing him; when Tate feels personally rejected because, no I won't let him have bubble gum since he has swallowed every other piece I have ever tried to give him. The laundry is piled and our suitcase from 3 weeks ago sits on the bedroom floor unpacked.

This too, shall pass. I know that, Lord.

The most creative thing I did yesterday was build a fort for my son. I think I made his day...possibly his week. He delights in the little things.

Help me, Lord to count my blessings. To thank YOU for the constant chatter streaming out of my toddler's mouth- for he is able to speak! To revel in rocking my baby to sleep for the 4th nap time attempt- he is alive to hold and cuddle.

Ground me, Oh Lord. Give me strength to press on through fatigue and dissapointment. Remind me that I am ever so blessed and though sometimes I feel like I am on the brink of insanity- I prayed for this life for years and years and there is no place I would rather be, no one I would have rather become than the person you made me to be.

Thank you , Lord. Thank you.

Thoughts

Soooo, I haven't exactly been the most avid blogger lately. I rarely blog without pictures to post but I think that a blog should be about more than photographs. Memories, thoughts, dreams- they all belong here.

Today was so rainy and cold- the kind of day that all you want to do is drink coffee and read a book on the couch covered in a favorite quilt. As mother of young children though, that just cannot be done. There are bowls of cereal to be filled, sippy cups to distribute, sticky hands to clean and food-laden floors to mop.

The Playgroup girls and I threw a little impromptu shower for Michelle today. It was nice to have the gang back together again. We haven't met all together since December and doing so again reminded me of why this group was started in the first place.

As I looked around the room today at my precious mother-friends, I thought how amazing it was that I was in the presence of truly great women and all WONDERFUL mothers. We each have our own way of doing things- one mom tries to keep sweets from the hands of her toddler, another mom thinks organic foods are the key to good health, a few moms let their kids wander without worry while some moms hover over their little one "just to make sure". No matter how we parent or what choices we make for our children, I know without a doubt that we are all doing what we think is best for our kids. We may make different choices along the way for our babies, but one thing rings true for us all- we LOVE our children and we are doing the best we can, the best way we know how.

*****

Something else that has been on my mind latley is the MOPS group that our church is starting. I have been prayhing faithfully that the women who are called to work as leaders in this ministry will find their way to me- or I them. I have never been more passionate about any other ministry in my life. I truly believe that God has called on our church to charter and support this group. There are countless mothers out there in this city, county, state and world who are all going through the same things right now. They are all filled with the excitement of being a new mother yet plaqued by the fear of never "being enough" or "doing enough". The blessing is that the Lord IS Enough- that is all we need to know.

Please pray for this group as we continue to recruit our leadership team. 4 positions have been filled but 4 more still remain. I know that God has already chosen these women- some of who may not feel ready or adequate (I was neither) but as I may have mentioned here before- God does not call the "ready" or "equipped" or "adequate"- He "prepares, equips and empowers" the called.

Blessings, sweet friends.

Friday at Toccoa Falls College

Last Friday my friend Tori and I took the boys to Toccoa Falls college with us as we distributed Marriage Conference fliers. Micah & Britton got to ride in a stroller but Tate was a sport as he walked all over campus and then up to see the water fall. The weather here is finally becoming beautiful again so we plan on doing many, many outdoor activities this Spring. Below are pictures that Tori took of Micah (in red) and Tate (in blue). After the trip to the Falls, we went to McDonald's for lunch and then let the boys play in the Play land. They had a blast!

Britton's 1 yr Check-up

Went to the Doctor today- two toddlers in tow which is always a blast! Actually, they both behaved very well so I cannot complain. Little Britton has lost 5 ounces since October- must be all the cruisin'. He is 20% in height and weight (sorry, Daddy) but healthy as an ox. I forgot to mention on this blog that he had tubes put in his ears on Wednesday. He sis great and has been eating like a horse ever since. It is nice to see him out of pain, finally.

Sunday he woke up and had all of this yucky junk oozing out of his right ear- gross, yes- but it proves that the tubes are doing there job.

Things are pretty hectic around here- planning the Marriage Conference, Recruiting for MOPS, chasing babies, etc. We are good though. I have a Physical Therapy evaluation on Monday (Happy Birthday to me) so we can determine just what exactly is going on in my hip flexor (sp.?) area. My internist thinks that these babies have done a number on me and that my muscles are pulling away from the bone. I have been in constant pain since August and am ready to be healthy again!!

Love to all of you!

M

Have you been to Habersham MOPS Latley?

http://habershammops.blogspot.com/

NOT even close to the "Greatest Show on Earth"!

Well, we took Tate to the circus today along with our friends Beth & Joseph and their daughter Kalen. We had been prepping Tate since December for the "Greatest Show on Earth". Our enthusiasm was contagious and as the days counted down, we all got more and more excited. Well, either I was easily impressed as a child or Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey has tanked. I mean the show was pretty bad. The majority of the acts were either clowns or domestic cats and dogs. Sure, there were a few elephants and one Tiger act, but all in all it was a total flop. Tate kept asking "Where are the Lions?" He looked so disappointed. Anyway, we all had to laugh when it was over because what could we do? Better to find out how NOT great it is now than with a few more kids in tow. For anyone who is reading this and is contemplating taking their kid to the "Greatest Show on Earth" save your money! You will get more entertainment out of watching a ferret chase it's tail.

Happy Birthday Grani

Derek's mom came to visit us 2 weekends ago and we celebrated her belated 50th birthday. Tate helped decorate the cake and was so exited to give Grani a little party. The two had a blast together- he LOVES spending time with grandparents and it makes my heart smile to see how much they love my boys!

Snow Pictures

As promised...

He is with Jesus

Baby Drew went to be with Jesus on February 11th, his 11 month birthday. The family laid his body to rest yesterday in our church cemetery. The funeral was truly a testament to God's Grace, Mercy, Love & Power.

The Pastor gave a short message on the believer's response to tragedy- specifically the death of a child. He told us how David prayed and wept and fasted when his son's life hung in the balance. That Jesus too, wept for his friend Lazarus. That weeping is natural and normal. Then the Pastor told us that once David's son had passed away, he got up, bathed, changed his clothes, anointed himself and then ate. His servants were confused- why would David choose now to eat and anoint- shouldn't this be the epitome of grief- knowing his son was dead? But David knew that his son was with Jesus. Finally, David worshiped the Lord. Praised him and thanked him for the earthly life and the eternal life of his son in heaven.

Drew's parents, Bruce & Tina along with the whole family are a living testament for the Lord. I know long days lie ahead for this family. They are turning to the Lord, each other and all of their family and friends for comfort and support. So many people would turn inward and shut themselves off at a time like this, but not them.

Please pray for strength and comfort for this family. Our whole community has been rocked by Drew's passing but through it all, the Lord has surely been glorified. Pray that Derek and I can find ways to minister to Bruce & Tina.

I cannot help but put myself in their place. This could have happened to any one of our children. Though I know that Drew is most certainly where we all long to be- "home"- he will be dearly missed on earth.

4 people will receive Drew's organs- what a blessing!

PLEASE PRAY

Dear friends-
I ask that you get on your knees tonight and pray for Tina & Bruce. They are fellow church members of ours who are dealing with the devastating reality of having to let their precious little son, Drew go and be with the Lord. Drew developed bacterial meningitis after fluid from an ear infection leaked into his brain.

This past Sunday his parents said he had had a runny nose. They took him to the doctor on Monday and he was given an antibiotic to treat the ear infection. He seemed fine on Tuesday but by Wednesday was fussy and wanted to sleep all day. His parents took him to the doctor and the doctor immediately called 911.

On Thursday he was sent to Scottish Rite and by Saturday the doctors confirmed that there was no brain activity. Drew is on life support right now without hope of recovery. It has been said that his parents were going to take him off of life support today and let him go. I do not know if that has happened yet or not.

Please, please be in prayer for this family. I am heartbroken for them, as we all are. Pray for strength for the family and ultimately they come to know God's purpose and plan for sweet little Drew.

SNOW DAY!!

We woke up this morning to a 5" blanket of snow. For us Southerners, that's practically a blizzard. Tate was so excited and he kept asking "Where did the grass go?"

We actually spent the night at my Gram's house in anticipation of wintry weather. The last time we had snow & ice we lost power at our house for three days and without a fireplace to keep us warm (well, we have the fireplace & logs but are waiting on the propane tank) we were FREEZING!! Gram has a wood burning stove so we are all nice and toasty- we still have power too. Derek is in Atlanta- he spent the night at my mom's house so he wouldn't be stuck up here today. He had several people flying in from all over the country today so he could not miss today at work.

Tate and I played out in the snow for about an hour and a half. It was so much fun! I felt like a little kid- we made a little snowman, threw snowballs at each other and tried to sled. We took some pictures so I will post them when I get a chance.

I have a million things to do at my house but it is actually nice to get away from there so I can just enjoy the day.

Be blessed, sweet friends!!

WHEW!!!

Hey Y'all!! It's been awhile! Things are crazy as ever around here. I have several irons in the fire right now with MOPS and then I am now coordinating a large scale Marriage Conference at our church. I am never happier though as when I'm busy for the Lord!

My mom is coming up this weekend- she can't get here fast enough!! The weekend looks fun with Girl's Night tonight and then a Sunday School social tomorrow night.

HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY to Rhonda!!! (Derek's Mama) She has had a difficult one because her mom is in the hospital suffering from complications after Gall Bladder surgery. Our prayers are with all of her and granny.

Well, I am off to meet with Amanda- hopefully her twin boys will keep Tate entertained.

Love yous!!

Happy Anniversary to us!

Well, the virus ended up making its way through our whole family. I spent our 4th wedding anniversary in bed recovering while my sweet grandmother and aunt took care of the babies. Derek came down with it that evening.

We ended up feeling better (but not great) by the weekend so we resumed our already-scheduled plans. I helped give a bridal shower for my best friend from college on Saturday and then on Sunday went to a baby shower for another college friend/sorority sister.

Things are back to normal today. We were supposed to have playgroup today at Tori's, but she is experiencing some possible pre-term labor pains. Please pray for her.

Tate went to MMO yesterday while Derek and I took Britton to the ENT. After an examination and a test, the Dr. confirmed what we had suspected- Brit is definitely a candidate for tubes. His surgery is scheduled for Valentine's Day. I really hope this will help him get over all of his ear infections.

.....baby up from nap, gotta run

Photo caption

For some reason I could not get the captions for the photos below to work properly. Please forgive the mess.

Christmas With Papa

Derek's dad came into town the first weekend in January with a "sleigh" full of toys for the boys. They LOVE to visit and play with Papa, especially Tate. Here are some photos...


Tate anticipates Papa's arrival...says he's "so excited"!

Checking out his new truck. Thanks, Papa!

He's ready to to work! He wore these to Wal-Mart the other day, too! I know people thought I was crazy.

Britton tests out the mic.

Britton's first car.