Thankful Thursday...The view from here

This was my view a few nights ago. Buddy is a typical three year old boy that goes and goes and goes until he finally passes out. Normally he will pass out on the couch or on the floor. On Christmas day he passed out with his feet on the floor and his chest on the couch.

But not on this night.

On this night, my Buddy climbed up into his mamas arms

layed his head on my chest

and fell fast asleep.

I am so thankful that every once in a while, I get these quiet moments with him.

God Makes Rainbows

Tonight I am sitting on the couch. I am reading some of my favorite blogs and Buddy is sitting on the other couch across from me watching Ice Age:Dawn of the Dinosaurs (one of his favorites).

At one point in the movie, there is a scene that shows a rainbow. Buddy turns to me all excited and says, Look Mommy! There's a rainbow!

Me: I see, a rainbow!

Buddy: Can we get one?

Me: No Buddy. Only God makes Rainbows.

Buddy: Can He make one for us?

Me: Yes, He will make one for us.

Buddy: YES! (with a small fist pump)

I love this kid and his sweet heart.

There goes my baby

This week Buddy turned 3 years old...he is getting so big so fast. This morning I made it my mission to take down his crib and to redo his bed for him using a Toy Story theme (that his sweet Nana bought for him) so that he could have a "big boy bed". This was heart wrenching.

As I was disassembling the side of the crib that comes off (it's a crib that turns into a toddler bed), I was reminded of the day when JJ and I (well JJ at least) were putting the crib together anxiously awaiting his arrival. I can't remember the exact day we assembled it but I know we were only a few weeks away from his birth. We had waited so long because I had a miscarriage (that's a whole other post) before I got pregnant with Jeremiah and I had such a tough pregnancy with being in and out of the hospital with high blood pressure, protein in my urine on a regular basis, gestational diabetes, and kidney stones. For a while the doctor told us she would deliver Jeremiah at 29 weeks because of my health.

I think that we were both a little afraid to hope that we would be holding our baby, we had gone through so much the previous ten months. I remember JJ telling me when we were putting the crib up "I didn't think that this was going to happen. I was too afraid to hope." But God shined on us and we made it to 37 1/2 weeks and our beautiful baby boy was born.

We are so lucky. This little guy has brought so much joy into our lives. It makes me so sad to know that he is our last child (unless God intervenes) and that he is growing up so fast. Before I know it, he will be riding a bike, going to his friends house to hang out, going to camps, and getting a girlfriend.

So right now I will not cry, I will try hard not to be sad. I will cherish each and every moment I have with him. When he cries for me in the middle of the night, I will go to him because I know before long he will no longer think it is manly to cry. When he wants me to read a book to him "just a ill bit" (little bit) even though I have already read it twice, I will because pretty soon he will be able to read on his own. When he wants "one more kiss" before bed time, I will close my eyes, remember what his sweet kisses feel like because in the not too far future he won't allow me to kiss him anymore and I know, that I will miss this.

(Sorry the pics in this post are so bad. I was using my iPhone.)

The Bell Frogs and TOO MUCH BIRTHDAY!

August is always a busy month for us. Two of our kids have birthdays in the month of August along with my sister in law, J.J.'s uncle, his best friend, and Binky has two good friends that also have birthdays in August, so basically we end up partying all month.

Birthdays are a big deal for us in the Bell household. The kids always get to celebrate on the date of their birthday by going out to eat (their choice) or cake and ice cream at home with family. Then they have a "friends" birthday party on the weekend of their birthday, and then we will celebrate that Sunday with lunch at a restaurant of their choice.

Last week was Binky's birthday, she turned 9! She had partied so hard for three days straight with a family birthday dinner on Thursday night, circus, ears pierced, and dinner at California Pizza Kitchen on Friday, then her "friend" party on Saturday followed by a slumber party for her BFF whose birthday is five days after hers. By Sunday morning, her BFF's mom called me because she had fever...I diagnosed it as TOO MUCH BIRTHDAY!

Today is the first day Binky has been fever free. Apparently we will need to make some changes for next year, this is too much! In the meantime, enjoy a few pics from her birthday PARTIES!(Notice the THREE different outfits over THREE different days. Cringe!)