An epic weekend, especially if you're a kid!

What's better than kicking off the weekend with friends, a faar, and some s'mores?  Eric is the bomb diggity when it comes to roasting marshmallows.  For real!  He has a knack for it! ;-)

Saturday, it was celebration time!  My grandfather turned 83 and we had a big cookout at my parent's house...Miller Style!

My aunt made this cake - presh!!  And it was sooo good!

Outside, there was a pretty intense baseball game going on with the kids...

...you know, the kind where the bases are bikes, sandals, and a Frisbee. ;-)

Meanwhile, Maggie soaked up some extra special attention from Papa!

And, it wouldn't be a real Miller get together without some sort of tractor ride!

Love these kiddos!!  So much fun to spend precious time with our cousins. :-)

A first for Maggie -- She has learned to ride her bike!  It is precious, and a little sad, to see her take off riding around our cul-de-sac.  How did she get this big??

Yesterday, Mom and I took some of the kids to the park for a walk.  It was gorgeous out!  Bailey loves to mother Maggie, and Maggie eats it up!

The kids did great and walked the whole trail.  Levi even stopped to show us how we needed to workout in between!

I wasn't feeling so hot yesterday, so Eric took the kids out for a bit.  This is what happens when you send Daddy out with the kids:

Levi came home with a new bike!  He loves it and I'm so excited for him. :-)

Motivational Monday - first goal :)

First, I want to say...

Happy Memorial Day!!

I'm so very thankful for family and friends that I personally know who have fought for our freedom.  What a great nation we live in!  So blessed!

Alright, you guys -- let's talk motivation!!

There is this:

YES!  I've finally made it to my first small goal of 15 pounds!!!  I was beyond excited when I woke up and weighed this morning!!  It's been a slow process so far, but I'm starting to see results.  And, other people are noticing, too, which makes it even better!  Looking forward to buying a new pair of shoes this weekend.  Woo hoo!!

Also, as a little gift to myself, I ordered a new dress today with my birthday money!  Woo hoo!  I ordered it two sizes smaller than what I wore in February.  I'm so anxious for it to get here.  {If it fits!!} I will post a pic as soon as it arrives.  ;-)

On the schedule for this week: playing with my kids!  Trying to get outside and do some fun stuff that doesn't seem like exercise. ;-)

Here's to my next small goal, starting today!  The next TEN pounds!  So exciting!!!!

praying for oklahoma

I really wanted to share a little about my feelings after hearing news of the tornadoes that hit Oklahoma, but I wasn't sure exactly what to write.  Everything that I was feeling seemed insignificant to what so many people were going through.  I had so many emotions going through my mind and it took me a while to process everything.  The first tweet I saw about the tornadoes was from a local weatherman.  When he tweeted that there was a tornado headed towards Moore, OK, my heart sank.  Eric and I spent some time with a disaster relief team in that exact town after it was hit by a tornado on May 3, 1999.  We went in October, 5 months after, and it looked like a desert.  We met some wonderful people whose lives had been forever changed.  To hear the news that this was happening to them again was, well, unfathomable.  

Hearing all of the reports on Monday about numerous children missing inside the school took me back to last year, when Levi's school was destroyed by a tornado.  I was 90% sure that he was on a school bus, on his way home when the tornado hit his school.  I remember waiting at the bus stop, praying to see his bus come down the street.  And, those minutes that I waited were the most intense of my life.  Seeing his face -- well, there was no better feeling in the world.  As a parent, there is nothing I fear more than to think of one of my children needing me and me not being there.  I have to admit that I've had feelings of guilt.  Why were our kids spared when others were not?  I cannot imagine what those parents have gone through or continue to experience in Oklahoma.  My thoughts and prayers have been constant these last few days.  I don't understand why these things happen AT ALL.  But, I know that God IS and WILL FOREVER BE in control.  I pray that He will be glorified and will bring comfort to everyone that needs it.  

This brings me to this morning as I dropped Levi off at school.  His last day as a first grader.  It was so bittersweet!  I realized that he is just growing up SO FAST!  In some ways, I just love it.  I love seeing the little man he is becoming.  But, I also really miss him as a little boy.  As of 2:30 today, we will have a SECOND grader in this house!  Oh my...

*****************************************************************************

I love this picture of my dad!!  I posted this on Instagram the other day and joked that this DOES NOT HAPPEN!  A lot of people say that they never see my dad smile.  Well, Maggie had my phone at Levi's game the other night and she demanded, "Papa, SMILE!"  Love it!  I see a different side of my dad than most people.  He is mostly a serious man, but when it comes to his grandchildren, he is all smiles.  He loves those little beings with his whole soul.  He is an incredible man of God and I'm so lucky and blessed to call him dad.  :-)    

The older I get, the more I appreciate my parents.  I'm so very thankful for the relationship that I have with them and with my siblings.  They are awesome.  Period.  { I realize this was a random post, but these were two special things on my heart today. ;) }

The last birthday post: It's MY turn!

This is MY birthday post, but since I almost share my birthday with Levi, I will share just a tad about his birthday on Friday!  It was field day at Levi's school, so Eric took off work to spend the day with him.  Friday evening, I let Levi pick the place he wanted to eat for dinner.  I threw out some great suggestions, but he wanted McDonald's.  ;-)  So, we loaded up with lots of our neighborhood buddies and went for dinner and ice cream.  FUN night for him!

Fast forward 12 hours and it was finally time to celebrate MY birthday!  I'm seriously like a kid.  I want the whole day to be about me!  But, when you have kids, it doesn't always work out that way.  We had to be at the ball park at 8:30.  The kids did shower me with cards and a fun gift.  

After Levi's game, the hubs sent me off for a pedicure.  Heck yeah!  That's what I'm talkin' 'bout!  Natalie met me and brought me a diet coke.  Doesn't get much better than that.    

I was definitely spoiled.  ;)

My gift from Eric and the kids!  I love them...

Saturday evening, I had big plans to meet up with friends from back in the day!  My friend, Karrie, came in town to celebrate my birthday with me!  Karrie, on the left, is my oldest friend!  And by oldest, I mean the friend I've had the longest. ;)  She and I lived next door to each other from the time we were born until 8th grade!  We were pretty much inseparable!  Lisa, the gal sitting next to me, lived across the street from us and we were always together, too.  Somewhere around middle school, Jill joined the group.  We all went to middle and most of high school together.  We experienced things together that will forever bond us!  What a great night!!

We sat and talked forever!  The topics mostly started with, "OMG, remember the time..." and it was awesome!  Reminiscing about silly things we did as kids, old boyfriends that we were destined to be with -- until we weren't, trips we went on, friends we've kept in touch with, and friends that we haven't.  We also talked about ALL THINGS BABY because Karrie is expecting her first child!!  We are so excited for her!

Sometime after dinner, we headed to pick up dessert.  I loved my cupcake!  So good!

We headed back to Karrie's parents home where she was staying.  It was nice to visit with her parents, too!  They were like my second parents growing up!  We hung out there and talked for a few more hours.  This would never get old for me!  I miss these girls and seeing them all the time.  

{Look at that cute belly bump on Karrie!!}

What a really great birthday!  I'm so thankful for all of the friends in my life...old, new, the ones I see daily, and the ones I don't.  I have bonds with each of them that cannot be broken.  I cannot tell you how blessed I feel.  And, I do have to give a big thank you to my sweet husband for making sure this day was a great day for me.  This was a birthday I won't forget. :-)

Motivational Monday

Okay, you guys -- Saturday was my birthday.  The very first thing I did was weigh.  I hadn't weighed in over two weeks!  I was honestly nervous, because we have had a TON of birthday dinners, cakes, cupcakes, treats, and anything else birthday you can throw in there!  I've been exercising consistently, and trying to make healthier choices when I can, but I have been indulging in the sweets! :-)  So, let's just say I was not very optimistic to jump on the scale...

{ Drum roll please } I was the same.  Exactly the same.  I am still down my 12.6 pounds and pretty proud of it!  All of the sweets are out of my house and it feels good to start this week fresh!

I love this one, because it is sooo me!

I LOVE to complain about not being able to lose weight or going up and down the same couple of pounds, but if I would just DO instead of obsessing about it, I wouldn't have to obsess about it, right?!  Ha!

So, this morning, I have the "I CAN DO THIS" attitude!  I'm pleased with myself that I didn't gain anything over the long May birthday streak.  So, anything is possible, right?!!  ;-)

Here's a little motivational tip.

One thing I like to do any time I have to wait is to look up motivation ideas on Pinterest.  I do it while I blow dry my hair, sit in the drive-thru, and sometimes at the ball park.  My favorite thing is to find outfits that I love and save them to my phone.

It makes me determined.

Determined to stay on track, so I can do more than just "look"! ;-)

SEVEN... {aka: God ROCKED my world when He made me a mom}

Levi,

Today, you are SEVEN.  This birthday has been really hard for me!  Even though you will always be my little boy, it seems like you are growing up way too quickly.

Seven years ago, I went into the hospital to be induced.  I was 42 weeks pregnant and you were still just comfy as could be!  There were no signs that you would be coming any time soon, so my doctor wanted to "get things started"!!  As I went into the hospital that morning, I was pretty confident that I was prepared to be a mommy.  I could not have been more wrong!  Many, many hours later, you made your entrance.  At 11:29 PM, you arrived, just 31 minutes before my 30th birthday.  I wouldn't want to share my birthday weekend with anyone else!

Our start together was a little rough.  I remember telling your Grammy {almost daily!} "...but, the book says..." and she would smile sweetly and tell me that not everything goes by the book!  You definitely didn't.  I made a lot of calls to your Aunt Tricia for baby advice.  I also called your Aunt Jenny and Uncle Travis with weird questions, as they had a little boy, too!    

At just three months old, you made your first of many trips to the beach.  I was so in love with my little baby boy!

You have always had the sweetest heart!  I love that about you!

You have always been stubborn.  I always say that this is a "Reid" trait, while your daddy blames that "Miller's".  Either way, you can give us a run for our money like no other!  

From the time that you could walk and follow your daddy around, he has been your best friend.  When he goes outside to work, you are right beside him.  When he leaves the house for an errand, you want to go.  If he up and moving, you are his shadow!  Sometimes, I look at the two of you at any given moment, and you have the exact same facial expression.  It is mind boggling.

While you have a very tender heart and can be quite shy, you also like to be the class clown.  You love telling jokes (over and over again!) and are always trying to make us laugh.  Your smile is infectious!

One of the happiest days of your life is when you finally got to hold your baby sister.  You have been such a good protector and friend to her.  You make her giggle and belly laugh almost daily.  It warms my heart when you make sure she is taken care of.

You are ALL BOY!  It's pretty awesome! :-)  You love football, baseball, basketball.  You love getting dirty and sweaty.  It can be 100 degrees outside and you don't care...you want to be outdoors doing something!

One of the most recent things you love to do is to go shooting with your dad.  You have two guns now and are a spot-on shooter!  Your Papa Bobby even says if you continue to shoot that well, they will have no choice but to put you on the SWAT team! ;-)

Levi Alexander, words cannot say how much I love you.  It is a love that fills my whole heart.  And, as great as that love is, it doesn't compare to the love that Jesus has for you.  The best day of my life so far is when you asked Jesus to come into your heart and save you from your sins.  

My prayer for you is that you will continue to have a heart for Jesus.  Love Him, serve Him, and allow Him to increase your love for helping other people.

Even though you are growing up WAY TOO FAST for this momma, you will always be my precious little boy.  Your daddy and I love you with everything that we are!  Happy Birthday, Levi Alexander.

Love, Mommy

Birthday, Birthday, Mother's Day!

My Motivation Monday post is going by the wayside today. ;-)  Don't worry, it will be back next week -- bigger and better than ever!  Ha!  

May is an extremely busy month for us.  Not only is school winding down, but we all have May birthdays!  Throw Mother's Day in the mix and it's downright cray cray!  Instead of doing three separate posts about Eric's birthday, celebrating the kids' birthdays, and Mother's Day, I'm combining them all into one neat little post.  You're welcome. ;-)

Let's go back to last Tuesday - May 7th.  It was Eric's birthday!!  He awoke to two kiddos jumping on his chest yelling 'Happy Birthday!'.  Super cute.  My mom offered to watch the kids that evening while we went to dinner.  

We ate at a local joint called Studio Pizza.  A friend of ours owns it and they have some of the best pizza in town!  FOR REAL.  It's especially nice when the owner comes out to say hello and you dribble garlic butter on your shirt while talking to him.  I'm my grandfather made over.  We also had time for some light shopping for the kids' birthdays and then got some froyo.  Yummy!!  And, Eric's birthday wouldn't be complete without some homemade strawberry cupcakes with strawberry icing.  Love you, babe!

Fast forward to Saturday.  It was Maggie's birthday, but it was also the day that we were having the kids party!  Woot woot!  They were so excited!!

We had their party at SIGS this year and they had a blast!  We invited all of our cousins and a few of our close little buddies.  I think everyone had a great time!  The kids ran around jumping, tumbling, and climbing for a solid hour.  

{ Jami, sorry that Emmy's feet are right in front of your boys' faces! :( } *

 {*We missed our buddies Pierce and Hopie big time!!}

 {Levi's cake: Baseball!}

{Maggie's cake: Minnie Mouse & pink!}

I'm so thankful for everyone who came to celebrate with us!  We are so blessed with such great family and friends.  My kids loved every minute of their special day.  :-)

Jump one more day ahead to Sunday -- Mother's Day!  I had a party hangover from the night before, so it was hard to wake up and get going.  As soon as I heard Levi stirring, he popped up and said, "Happy Mother's Day, Mommy."  MELT MY HEART.  I love that boy so much!  

We got ready and headed out to church.

I had a few moments on Sunday where I just kept thinking "how the heck did I get here?"!!  How have I been married almost 13 years?  How do I have two children?  How the heck does God trust ME enough to raise them?  The only answer I came up with is GRACE.  God's grace.  Only by God's grace, I am who I am.  Only by His grace am I allowed these two beautiful children to call mine.  

 After church, we had a wonderful lunch at my aunt's house.  It was perfect, as always.  And she made this adorable cake!

I had good intentions of getting pictures with my cousins and my grandma, but I didn't!  Ugh.  I did get my *lame* brother to capture this picture of me, my mom, Tricia, and Jenny.  I love these ladies with my whole heart!!!

And, I call my brother lame because any time you ask him to take a picture, you usually end up with 50+ just like this...

Oy.  Gotta love him, because I can't shoot him or I'd go to jail.  ;-)