Love for God's word
I have always had a very precocious child. I have often wondered if I would be able to take off those rose colored glasses and see my child the way she truly is. I have always thought that she is very smart, especially when it came to verbal intelligence. She has always been very verbal. I can remember when the pediatrician asked me if she was saying 5 words. At that time she was already using 11 word sentences. We laughed and answered yes. I have never really thought anything of it. For years I have told parents to talk to their children. Don't talk at them. Don't baby talk to them. Don't label things. Just talk to them. For years I have told parents that and thought nothing of it until we had Charlie. That is what Dusty and I have done. We do not simplify things for her we just explain what we mean. All of this to say that tonight at the store I was blown away. We were in Hobby Lobby doing what we always do when we are shopping, telling stories. (On a side note, one day I will be like A.A. Milne and publish my stories.). This one happened to be about a princess who was hiking up a mountain to find special shiny stones. We were telling the story and Brantley started fussing. I thought nothing of it as I handed him his passifer. There was a Hobby Lobby employee on the isle that we were on. The story had come to the point where the princess had found her stones and was putting them in her satchel. Yes, I know who uses that word but it was what came into my mine. Charlie asked what a satchel was and laughed when I said it was like a bag or a backpack or a purse. She said the word a couple of times and then said "tell the rest of the story." About this time Brantley started fussing. Charlie says "Mom, he's being 'un-corrigible' isn't he." I laughed. This past week I had told Charlie to quite being so incorrigible when she was throwing a temper tantrum at bedtime. The lady asked me if she how old she was. I said three. She said she must be really intelligent. 
Now, of course being the mom that I am I replied with a very simple "I think so but what do I know, I am just her mom." I never really think about her because she is mine. I think she is super intelligent. She blows me away on a daily basis with what she picks up and what she knows. Dusty teases her and says she is already smarter than he is. I just don't think about it when I am talking to her. I use new words because words are fun. She picks up on them and I have the smartest three year old in the world. She is so smart that she can tell you that you are being 'un-corrigible' and that she will have to ask someone's advice to find out what is her responsibility. And yes, she really does speak like that!
This little munch-kin has had a busy week. Sunday he couldn't crawl, he wasn't pulling up, and he only screamed he didn't really babble or say any sounds. Now here it is Wednesday, he can crawl were ever his little heart is content. He pulls into a standing position in his crib. And he doesn't just scream any more. 
He is saying ba-ba-ba, ga-ga-ga, and da-da-da. He has had a very busy week. 
It's hard to believe that it has been 8 years since this picture was taken on a VERY cold an windy Oklahoma day. Yesterday was my anniversary. I got a call from Dusty about lunch time. "Happy anniversary dear. I have some good and some bad news." 
Here is my brother and his family (and my sister too). Randy goes by David now. I don't know that I will ever be able to call him that. But Charlie and Brantley do. Anyway Randy married this great girl Nancy last October. We were blessed to also get a Nephew/cousin in the deal. Randy adopted Alex and he is ours. Alex is about a year older than Charlie. They have had a pretty rough marriage since it has almost been a bi-coastal one. Nancy is in the Army and was stationed in AZ. She is now stationed in NC at a base about 3 hours away from where Randy is stationed. Alex has been in TX with his grandmother. 
I am so glad that they are finally in the same state. I don't know how they did it. It will get difficult again in April when Nancy heads to Afghanistan. I am very thankful for the jobs that Nancy and Randy do (Army & Marines). I am very thankful and blessed that they are serving to protect my family. I pray for them often even though I do not get to see them as often as I would like. My SIL is one of the bravest and most beautiful women I have never met. Maybe one day we will be blessed with the opportunity to see each other in person instead of just conversing on the computer or the phone. 
Here is Randy and Alex at the beach at mom's house. Can I tell you that I so can not wait for June when we head to mom's for the pirate festival they have in Fort Walton Beach. It is just so beautiful in Florida where mom lives.
This, my dear friends, is my BEAUTIFUL sister Tonya (aka TEE-TEE-TAA-TAA). And can I tell you that I am so stinking excited for her and Chase (hopefully I will one day get a picture of the two of them together). They are expecting a baby boy in Aug. August 20th to be exact. He will be a year and two days younger than Brantley. Anyway, I am so excited for them. 
Charlie and I had some friends over today for a pizza party. I had toppings on the table where the kids could make their own pizza. 
We had delicious pizza. And enjoyed our friends thoroughly. Charlie enjoyed them so much that she made more for dinner. She is such a strange child. 
I had a friend over last night. She is one of the sweetest people I have ever known. She and one of her friends came over to crop. I had the best time. I can't wait till she can do it again. Unfortunately her husband is an accountant, so it will have to wait till after tax season. I actually got a few things done. I did this layout it is a lift of a dear sweet "internet" friend of mine Penny. She is such an inspiration to me when I comes to scrappy- ness. 
Linda (my mil) just moved to her own office so she asked for a few layouts. She has a few on loan. I did this one for her of my nephews last night. It is the only picture of the three of them that I have on my computer. I hope she likes it as much as I do. 
Charlie loves to go hot swimming. She is showing me how she blows bubbles under the water. 
It looks like Brantley might like it as well. This is his first time in the hot tub. He didn't like it at first but I think it was the temperature of the water. 
Here he is floating and splashing. He really liked that. 
The three loves of my life. 
And afterwards here my incredibly sweet two kids in their matching pj's. Don't they look exactly alike?
