Merry Christmas!

Well, we made it through our first Christmas in our new house! I must say that I was overwhelmed with pure joy as we celebrated this holiday together with our three babies. I did not spend one moment worrying about the paint, changing the light fixtures, planning the new furniture, or all the other silly things I have spent the last month fretting over. It felt so GOOD to just soak up every detail of my babies joy over the fun of Christmas! We just stepped over the boxes and had a wonderful time! Our prayer is that your Christmas was filled with blessings of family and togetherness!

Claire here...my mommy is too busy unpacking our new house to post a new entry on her blog. She gave me a couple of things to do to help her out, but I am posting a blog entry instead of putting away my clean clothes. Hey...somebody's got to keep the important things going around here!

You should know that you will probably receive the Paty Christmas card around, say....July. We would love it if you would send one to us this year, because we are starting a new tradition that I am very excited about. Mommy's friend, Ashley, gave us the idea of choosing a Christmas card that we have received, each week, and spending the week praying for that family. So know that if you want your family bathed in prayer by the Paty's for a week in 2009, send us a card to 1634 Morris Avenue. We have already received a few, and Greg and I are already talking about things that we are going to ask God to do to bless these families!

Merry Christmas everybody!

I am constantly talking to Claire and Gregory about being grateful. We discussed it at length the other day, and Gregory summed it up by stating that being grateful is simply saying "thank you" when I make him a sippy cup full of chocolate milk. Claire said that she thought being grateful was "taking care of our nice things and thanking God for our blessings". While both are precious, precious answers (they're only 3 and 5 respectively) I have been pondering this question since our conversation.
I believe that being thankful is more than saying "thank you". I believe that being thankful is an all-encompassing state of mind that overshadows every aspect of your life. When you are thankful, you are aware of the blessings that God has so richly showered upon you. And when you are aware of these blessings, you seem to take better care of them, whether they are people or things. When you take care of your blessings, you are kinder and more thoughtful of their presence in your life. When you are thoughtful, you are aknowledging that you are not the only person on the planet, and thus live a more selfless life. Being selfless allows you to serve others and love as Jesus loved.
One of my goals as a parent is to raise gracious children. I want them to know that they are blessed by God beyond measure. I want them to thank Him for these blessings and then in turn, take precious care of these blessings. I want them to be thoughtful and kind, because they realize that each person or animal or thing is a gift from God. I want them to be selfless, knowing that while they are the center of MY universe...they are not the center of THE universe. And when someone gives them a gift, or even a cup of chocolate milk...I want them to look that person in the eyes and say "thank you".
I tell my babies all the time, "it's about more than just having good manners..." Anyone can have good manners. It takes someone that is truly thankful for the gifts in their life to live a life of graciousness.
I know it's a lesson that is a little much for a three year old to wrap his brain around, but maybe someday he'll thank me for it......

Reason to Celebrate

It is official. We are purchasing our new home and will close sometime next week. I've got to get busy packing (again!) and picking out paint. Needless to say, the next two weeks are going to be a bluuuuurrrr! I will post pictures soon! Until then, stay tuned.........

At some point, there are people in your life that you've been friends with for so long, they stop being friends and are just considered family.Lori is one of those people to me. I have more memories of my childhood that include her than ones that do not. Elementary school, middle school, summer camp, the SH youth group, Cooper High school, first cars, first kisses, days in the pool, ACU...the list is endless. I still recall the exact moment that she introduced me to "Cody Paty"...
This friendship has come into clear focus this week. Lori's precious younger brother, Ben, passed away suddenly on Monday evening in Houston. The shock, sadness, and devastation are as raw as any emotions I have ever experienced. I have witnessed a family experience a loss so great, I wonder how they will ever go on.
I have so many good memories of Ben. He was a wonderful young man, a beautiful soul, that touched the lives of those he came in contact with. I grieve for a loss that I cannot begin to understand or explain. I grieve for a friend that will spend the rest of her life with the word "why" attached to her lips.
I struggle with how to be the kind of friend that Lori needs right now. I am thankful that the words, "I love you" communicate more than anything else I could possibly say.
I covet your prayers for this precious family.

Unwelcomed Visitor

As I type this post, I am propped up in bed with pillows, the remote control, and a tall glass of Sprite on the nightstand. I haven't ventured out of this position much today, since I awoke at 3:30 this morning, seemingly inheriting the stomach bug that Meredith was dealing with yesterday. Thankfully, I have an amazing husband that is holding the fort down and keeping things running as smoothly as possible. And thankfully, I have a wonderful mama that came to my rescue today. There's nothing wrong with the fact that my umbilical cord is still attached....those things can stretch from here to Abilene just fine.
I would write more except I just heard Gregory lose his dinner all over the dining room floor....3 down, 2 to go....

October was a whirlwind at the Paty house! I think we had something "big" going on every weekend of the month. Claire turned 5 (sigh), Cody had his 10 year reunion at ACU, and then Halloween...somewhere in the mix we have faithfully attended Sweetwater football games (we play for the district championship against Wylie tomorrow...go Mustangs!) and don't forget Texas Tech beating my Texas Longhorns last weekend. Cody is still glowing from that game! We are still on for the move around the first week of December. I am starting to get really excited about our new house! I may need a padded room by the time I move in the middle of the holidays, but after the year we've had, I can't think of anything more appropriate to wind up 2008: more stress. :) Blessings to you for a wonderful weekend!
P.S. I hate formatting in Blogger...sorry for the crazy post.

Dear Residents of Vards Lane:

It is with mixed emotions that I write this letter to inform you that any plans you had prepared to defraud your insurance company into paying for that cracked windshield by blaming it on our construction vehicles will no longer be legit. You see, we have made the difficult decision to, in fact, purchase a home in another part of the city, instead of spending an extra $30,000 on the marital therapy that it was inevitably going to require to accomplish the difficult task of building our new home. As much as we love each other, and the philosophy of "enriching" our marriage through "challenging life experiences", we personally do not believe in marital suicide, and therefore are choosing life instead.
We would like to believe that the Lord himself has intervened in this entire process. We have prayed fervently for Him to show us His path and will for our lives, and we have felt called to another location. Please do not take our decision personally, as we would have loved to have had all of you as neighbors. I believe we have met all of you in the last few weeks in one occasion or another. My personal favorite was the nice lady who lives at the end of the street that greeted me as my bank teller. I simply asked for a cashier's check to take to the title company to pay for the lot...she so graciously interrupted with, "My stars...you're the ones building a new house on Vards Lane! Welcome to the neighborhood!" complete with a rather large hug. While it was, indeed, a quaint moment, I must admit that I wondered how many of those moments would be shared over a rather large bowl of potato salad at every neighborhood 4th of July picnic in the future.
In closing, our prayer is that another family will be called to this location and you will soon have more neighborhood children in which your children may run amuck with. Until then, feel free to stop by our new home on Morris Avenue anytime after the 1st of December.

Best Wishes,
The Paty's

So...when are you due?

Our bestest of friends, the Gleatons, had dinner with us tonight at a local eatery. We were a sight to behold, I'm sure, with the four adults huddled at the end of the table, laughing and talking. Our two infant girls, born only 5 weeks apart, close by...whining and begging for more bites of table food. And then there were the four other children at the end of the table...they were so entertaining, the couple sitting behind us didn't even speak to one another because they were too busy staring at the circus only 5 feet away from them. These are the instances when I quietly request that Cody tips the waitress a little extra because I know she has earned her money...
All that to say, the 4 of us got into a pretty hilarious discussion. We started telling stories of how we had "put our foot in our mouth" in certain situations. Some were those "awwww...that is SO WRONG" kind of embarassing stories, some were just jaw-dropping speechless embarassing, and then there were some that just made you cringe. You know what I'm talking about, right? The kinds of situations you find yourselves in where you ask the lady when she's due, and she's not pregnant? Yep....that's what I'm saying.
So, I'm curious. Has anyone else out there put their foot in their mouth like the 4 of us have, or are we just freaks with no tact?
If so, we may be freaks, but we have awfully cute kids. The waitress even said so.

Happy Birthday Claire Bear!

5 incredible years ago, today, my life was changed forever. Madeline Claire Paty entered the world at 3:51 am after 19 hours of excruciating labor...and I haven't been the same since. She has been the most tremendous blessing and the most amazing little girl. I am honored to be her Mama!
Cody likes to give me a hard time about being the "birthday princess" because I like for the celebration to begin a little early and drag it out a few days. Apparently, Miss Claire has inherited this innate quality. We began our princess' celebration on Friday evening with a "girls night out" while her brother and Daddy went on a church campout. Meredith went to my parents house in Abilene, and Claire and I hit the salon for some manicures. She was quite a hit with all the ladies! We then headed to get her ears pierced. I was so proud of how well she did when the ladies (there were two of them, per my request, to do the job at the same time) pierced her ears. A few BIG tears rolled out of those big brown eyes, but after a couple of minutes, she was fine.
*****Disclaimer****
This is where I tell you that I took a total of 12 PICTURES of these two special events, and the camara from &%^# ate them....again. So just like our vacation pictures that I grieved over for a week and then they re-appeared, I'm counting on the manicures and ear piercing extravaganza to do the same. So basically, a couple of months from now when I'm lacking in posts, I'll post these pictures. Stay tuned! But for the record....she was the cutest thing on the planet.

Her birthday party was Saturday night upon return of brother and daddy. We headed to the gymnastics sports center where she takes lessons, and 16 of her little friends joined us for cake and fun. She received her first pieces of Brighton jewelry (sigh...it has begun) and quite possibly every Webkinz/Barbie/My Little Pony toy/accessory possible. It looks like the Wal-Mart toy aisle threw up in my living room. I just like the fact that girl toys are somewhat quiet. When Gregory's birthday rolls around, it seems like all of my friends purposefully purchase the LOUDEST possible toys...tractors, cars, dinosaurs that roar, etc. I may eat those words of saying that girls toys are quiet after I listen to the 5 second snippits of songs that Barbie and the Diamond Castle sings for the 1000th time in one day......thank you very much Grandad...love ya like a coldsore.

Ok, Blogger isn't letting me use the pictues that I DO have, so it just wasn't meant to be tonight. I'll try again tomorrow! But until then, just know that my baby turned 5 today and it has been a precious weekend celebrating all that she is to this family. She is pure sunshine.

FREEDOM!!!!

Rubber Ducky, You're the One

Is anyone else loving these bath pictures of MereMere tonight in her duck bathtub?

This girl smiles with her entire body! The last picture is one of Gregory when he was the same age...is it me or do these two look a tad bit alike?

Recap

Random thoughts and tidbits of information regarding the Paty's over the last few weeks...in no particular order:

1. We have moved completely out of our fishbowl on Broadway and are currently residing in our "temporary house" (ask Gregory, he'll tell you all about it and what temporary means). We are thankful and humbled to be here, but ask me in a weak moment how I am doing with the move, and I'll cry...so don't ask.

2. Claire and Gregory have started back to Preschool and LOVE it, as always. I am thrilled to be back to a routine, have time to myself and time one-on-one with Meredith, and love hearing about their days when I pick them up. They have already learned so much! We love Cornerstone Christian Preschool.

3. My sister-in-law, Jennifer (Cody's sister) is pregnant with her first baby. We heard from her regarding her first doctor's appointment yesterday and everything looks great! We are very excited about baby Davis making his/her appearance around the first week of April.

4. My sweet Daddy left on Sunday for Washington, D.C. to train with the SBA (Small Business Administration). He worked for them during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and will probably be returning to Louisiana to help with the relief of Hurricane Gustov. This development will most likely push our date back of breaking ground on our new home a few weeks. It's hard for me to be upset when I think about how selfish it would be for me to be frustrated at my dad for leaving my new house project so that he can go help those people that don't have a home anymore. I'm grateful for his willingness to go. I'll be ready for him to return, but grateful nonetheless.

5. Baby Meredith turns 8 months old on Sunday. Seriously?

6. 'Tis the season....football season that is. Cody and I are back in the groove of Mustang football, college football, and of course, the Cowgirls, I mean, Cowboys. It is the picture of "recreational companionship" at its finest.

7. I want to be Sarah Palin when I grow up.

8. We are praying that we get to close on our house this week. It has been a nightmare experience because of some logistics that didn't get taken care of the correct way when we purchased our home. God has worked and been faithful, and we hoping that it is all going to come to a close in the next couple of days. My new mantra? Don't count your chickens before they hatch...or your fish.

9. Cody and I are so blessed to have been a part of a small group study this summer called "The Truth Project". We have been meeting together with 4 other couples for the past 9 weeks and it has become such a tremendous blessing in our life! We look forward to our time together and have benefited so much from the amazing discussions that have taken place within our group. We highly recommend this study to anyone interested in learning about developing a Christian worldview. (you can find it on the Focus on the Family website)

10. I remain the most blessed person in the world. My God, my hubs, my children, my church...all humble me daily. The middle two categories make me want to move, change my name, and not leave a forwarding address sometimes, but humble me soon thereafter.

May your week be filled with joy!

Learning to Walk Again

I have to share something with you that has literally been the highlight of my long, stressful week...

Meredith and I were headed to Wal-mart on Wednesday to get some much-needed groceries for this hungry, fast-food overdosed family. Claire and Gregory were at preschool, so I was not quite needing a hot skewer to poke my eyes out, as I do when I am forced to grocery shop with all three children.

On the way to the store, we passed the hospital where Cody works. Traditionally, when all of the kids are in the car and we are out and about in town running errands, etc. , we like to "blow kisses to Daddy" when we drive by the hospital to allieviate the "we want to go see Daddddddyyyyy" cries that will inevitably follow if I pretend to distract them with pointing out that Dairy Queen has blizzards on sale. So, always a girl for tradition, I looked over at the hospital and "blew a couple of kisses to Daddy" for Meredith and myself.

I quickly realized that my husband was standing outside the side of hospital with a patient. At first, I thought it was Cody working with a man preparing to work on the windmills. Upon glancing twice, I figured out that he was working with one of his most special patients....let me explain.

Cody was one of the first people that C trusted to remove the bandages and treat his wounds from the HORRIBLE motorcycle crash that had taken place that took one of his arms and one of his legs. He was drug underneath a truck for over 500 yards, still concious, and received injuries that would have easily killed a less-determined man. C is still young, in his twenties, and had a lot to live for. He spent a long time in a Dallas hospital, and was then moved to Sweetwater to do his wound and physical rehab while he lived with his parents. His girlfriend has stuck by his side the entire journey, stopping her entire life to come to Sweetwater and help C get better. She has bathed him, fed him, dressed him, and encouraged him. She is walking unconditional love. I am amazed at her strength. Needless to say, C has been Cody's patient for a while, and we have developed a special relationship with him and his sweet girlfriend. They have come to church a couple of times with us and both of them know the Lord. They were so encouraging to us when we were going through our stressful situation with Meredith, and we have celebrated each little victory as C has continued to heal.

When I stopped and looked... Cody was walking with C and his NEW LEG!!! Tears just began to flow from my eyes. C was WALKING! I whipped the suburban around and headed towards the hospital parking lot so that I could hug his neck. I was so incredibly proud for him and I could NOT contain my emotions as I thought about the amazing journey that has brought him this far. I jumped out of my car and ran up the sidewalk to hug all three of their necks...it was such an amazing moment that I was so thankful I got to be a small part of.

I have not been able to get that image of my precious husband teaching C how to use his new leg and walk again out of my head. I have always been so proud of Cody and love to hear his patients gush about him everytime I walk into the hospital to visit him, but I'm not sure I have ever been prouder. What a gift! I know that we all have amazing things that God has given us to use for His glory, but I am convinced that my Cody has found his calling. It has encouraged me to make sure that I strive daily to seek God's call on my own life, and use my gifts to His glory. I am so incredibly grateful to be married to a man that reminds me of that daily...just by living.

I realize that it was probably one of those moments that "you just had to be there"....but thanks anyway for letting me brag on my hubs. I think he's kind of neat.

We are scrambling around trying to get the last boxes packed and all the loose ends tied up. I think if I stopped long enough to think, I would cry....so I try not to think. The leaving of this house is going to be extremely emotional for me (and Cody, I'm sure, but naturally, he's alot less "weepy" about it) The kids started preschool this week, so that has been a welcome distraction for them. Don't ask me about what a loser I felt like on the first day back when I woke up and realized that I didn't even have anything to pack for their lunches. And when I grabbed the camera on the way out the door to take their picture that morning, I realized that the batteries were dead. Quick trip to Wal-mart after I dropped them off (thank goodness lunch wasn't for another 3 hours) and I returned with groceries and NO BATTERIES. Claire made a point to tell me that her "lunchbles" was good, but she prefers it when I make the normal ham and cheese cut in the shape of a dinosaur. I am normally the mom that makes the yummy lunch the night before, complete with a note in their lunch box or written on their banana, lays their clothes out the night before, and sends them to school with a homemade breakfast in their tummies. My entire life revolves around them, and things have been so crazy, I haven't even remembered to grocery shop. I'd say we were busy, but that's just my opinion. Maybe that is your life all the time. Or maybe, you just hate to grocery shop.
I've got to run....my "to do" list is calling. If I haven't returned and posted in a week, send a search party. The first place to look for me will be RiverCrest Mental Hospital.

I'm serious.

Sort of.

Se habla espanol

Just a small snippet of conversation from our weekend:

(gregory walks in our bedroom with a very serious look on his face)

Me: What's up sugar?

Gregory: Mom, how do you say BOOGER in Spanish?

Anyone have Dora's number? We need to track her down...

Who knew there were two 1 o'clocks in a day...?

It is 1 o'clock in the morning and I can't sleep. I keep thinking about tomorrow being the last day of summer...what can I possibly do with my children that is fun and memorable? Pack some more boxes...? I doubt that. It seems like that's all I've done this week. We are officially moving next weekend.
It is beyond insane. I think I am beyond insane to build a house.
Ask me in a year.
So, I must go look for something fun to do that doesn't include telling Gregory to get the box off of his baby sister's head.
Meredith will appreciate my effort.
Blessings for a great weekend!

And many more...on Channel 4...and Scooby Doo...on Channel 2

My heart swells with pride as I write this next sentence....Happy Birthday Bennett! For those of you that don't know, today is Bennett Mitchell Speck's first birthday. He is the amazing son of Kelly and Travis Speck, and he came into this world a fighter. We bathed him in prayer as he lay in the Georgetown NICU (in Washington,D.C.) and God was glorified moment by moment as He brought this little life from being the "sickest baby in the NICU" to the precious, boisterous little man that he is today. I know many of you that joined me in pleading to God Almighty for this baby, as he captured our hearts from the moment his name was first spoken.

I am so happy for my dear, precious friends Kell and Travis as they are able to celebrate their little boy today! Take a moment today and thank God for the Specks, and then thank Him for the way that He reveals Himself to us daily. His faithfulness is NEVER ENDING.

Happy Birthday tiny tiger!

Keeping the Sabbath Holy

17 hours and 4 plane trips later, Meredith and I returned to Sweetwater mostly unscathed. The doctors appointment was successful. The only problem he found was a small amount of congenital ptosis, which is a little bit of a drooping eyelid on her left side. Her eyesight seems perfect and we will check her again in a year. She will probably have surgery when she is getting ready to start school at the ripe age of 5, just to help the cosmetic part of having an eyelid that droops, but other than that, she is great. I knew that...I always appreciate it when other, smarter people tell me what I already know.

If you reside anywhere in the sheer vicinity of West Texas, you know that it has been raining for the last two days. It is blissful. Therefore, I will close this blog now because two things remain to be true: A) Anytime it rains, naps become essential and B) It is Sunday, therefore, it is biblical to rest.

Amen.

Fasten Your Seat Belt

Friday morning, Meredith and I will board a plane and head back to Houston to Texas Children's Hospital. She will be seeing a pediatric opthamologist for her left eye, as it is seemingly getting worse instead of better. Even as I type this post, I can feel the anxiety level rise in me as all of the emotions return from the roller coaster I was so happy to depart from...

I prepare myself mentally by researching and questioning all of the possibilities of what Dr. Stagekuller might say. I honestly believe that one of the reasons that I was so shaken by Meredith's possible diagnosis earlier this year was because of the sheer unexpectedness of it all. We were so caught off-guard by everything Dr. Clark (the original doctor that diagnosed Meredith's hemangiomas) said that I can just remember putting my hand up and asking him to "stop talking for just a moment" while I sat down and caught my breath. I have told Cody on countless occasions since then that I don't EVER want to feel that way again...about anything.

And so began this journey with God of letting go and trusting. I can research and question, prepare and ponder, but the bottom line is that I will never be able to control what that doctor, or any other doctor, will ever say about my daughter. I will never be able to control what path this journey takes me down. It has been an emotional trip so far, but one that has showed me nothing less than His complete FAITHFULNESS. I am, indeed, so grateful.

Friday morning, that flight attendant is going to ask me to buckle my seat belt. I will be happy to oblige, because with any good roller coaster, all you can do is cling to your Father, close your eyes in the scary parts, and most of all, hold on.......

Hide and Seek

My precious son's favorite game to play with me is "hide and seek". This morning, upon being asked what he would like to do special with mommy, undoubtedly this was his answer. We went through the normal routine of counting and searching, giggling, and chasing. He even told me at one point, "Mommy, you're a great hider..." Thanks, buddy. After hearing Gregory spout off ..."18, 19, 20! Ready or not, here I come!" for the 5th time in one hour, I sat back to catch my breath as he chased aimlessly around our home searching for his playmate. I thought about the excitement he shows when he does find me, and the look on his face when I discover him. It truly is priceless.

Before I became a mom, I heard one time that a parent's face should light up every time they see their child come into the room. I immediately thought to myself, "well, of course. why wouldn't they be happy to see their little one?" Now that I have my three, I find myself caught up in the reality of life. The reality of no sleep, temper tantrums, potty training, talking back, and so on. Reality that says if I hear the word, "mommy" addressed at me again in varying tones of voice and pitches, I will spontaneously com bust. But despite all of the realness of mommy hood, I still remind myself daily about that lesson that I learned so many years ago. Those babies don't understand the reality of this journey. They don't understand stress. They don't understand the 7 loads of laundry waiting to be folded and the dishes piling up in the sink that say, "don't play...come wash us..." They just understand that when they walk in the room, this mommy is excited to see them...even if we've only been apart for 3 minutes. And on those days when inevitably I forget, God is just wise-enough to give me a good round of "hide and seek" with Gregory.

Today was one of those days....and it has been priceless.

A Letter to the Siblings

Dear Claire and Gregory,

I am writing to tell you what a great time I am having being an only child this week. Although I miss you both terribly, the process of eating without two small people in my face making chicken noises has grown on me quite nicely. This morning, I looked for you when I entered the living room, only to be greeted by my rainforest jumperoo...it wasn't near as fun jumping without you both dancing around me to the tune of Sesame Street. I think Mommy is even a little sad about how quiet the house is. I overheard her talking to Daddy last night about "this is what it was like with only one child"...they both seemed a bit nostalgic. I, on the other hand, am eating it up.
Mommy and I are surprising Daddy tonight with tickets to the Ranger Game vs. the Yankees. It's my first trip to a real baseball game! After all of those nights watching it on TV with Daddy, I get to see his face light up when we watch them in person. I can't wait! We are "kidnapping" Daddy at work at 3...I sure hope his patients don't mind.
I trust you are both having a great time at Aunt Jen and Uncle Eric's house. Mommy said we are going to pick you guys up on Thursday. That only leaves me with two more days...I better run. Mommy hasn't held me in the last three minutes and I am starting to feel neglected.

All my love,
meredith grace

"Mommy...stop kissing me..."

Do you ever have one of those days when you seriously want to permanantly attach your lips to your baby's face...?

My Cup Has Been Refilled....

Is it me or are we staring the beginning of August in the face? Is it me or is the beginning of school going to be here before I can say, "What am I going to do with 3 children for three months?" three times fast? Where has the summer gone and how do I make everything around me slow down? These are questions that burned in my heart as we were driving back into town on Wednesday night...we were returning from our family vacation and I wasn't quite ready to return to the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We took our children down to the coast to play on the beach for a few days (only to be cut short by Hurricane Dolly) and while we were there, I found myself wanting time to stand still. We found a place on the beach that was deserted and calm, and spent the entire day as if we were the only 5 people on the planet...it was wonderful. We moved on to San Antonio and had a great time swimming, strutting the River Walk, eating, and touring the S.A. Zoo. It was so good to get away, focus on eachother, and not be forced to make big decisions. (Unless, of course, you think that the decision of do we eat at Cheesecake Factory or Pappasito's is a life-choice. I guess it could be....)

We are back to the grind, back to the upcoming decisions that have to be made regarding our home situation, and back to the busy-ness we call "life". It was precious while it lasted, and lots of memories were made. There are fewer greater gifts.

I pray that you and your family have been able to get away SOMEWHERE this summer. Whether it was/is the beach, the lake, grandma's house, or your own backyard...take some time to JUST BE this summer with your family. These days are passing too quickly...

Craziness Continues...

Since I last posted, I have successfully spent 2 days in the Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital trying to get over my lovely-timed kidney infection, (which I did) travelled to the coast with my precious husband and three children, sunburned myself to a crisp, travelled back from the coast due to Hurricane Dolly, spent 2 days in San Antonio, and returned to Sweetwater. I return to the idea that as of September 1st, we are officially homeless due to the lack of rental property in this town I call home (and some other expletives at some not-so-proud-moments) but grateful nonetheless that we sold our home (fishbowl) in 6 days. I assure you that I will give some more details of our trip, complete with the SAN ANTONIO pictures due to the fact that my camara erased all of the pictures from the first half of our trip...including the ones of my babies enjoying the beach. Yep, there were some serious tears regarding that catastrophe....Soon. Right now, I have to go wash clothes or there will be 4 people at Wal-Mart tonight purchasing new underwear. And those of you that know me well know just how difficult that would be for me.....So until then, just know that the Paty's are alive. Barely.....

We Heart Dr. Kassis

Has anyone ever seen those Luv's Diaper Commercials where the mom says, "Coupons? I don't have time to cut coupons. I don't even have time to take a shower every day..." I used to see those commercials and scoff at that mother. Who doesn't have time to bathe? Obviously, this was BEFORE I gave birth, most definantly before I gave birth three times. Needless to say, I've eaten lots of crow since I had kids. I am careful to bathe daily, I promise, but there are other things that I DON'T have time for...one of them was discovered today. I don't have time to be sick.

I went to the doctor today for what I felt confident was a yucky bladder infection. Upon receiving my lab reports from the lovely sample I had to donate, the doctor walked in the room and asked if I felt as bad as my labs looked. I have a severe kidney infection. He proceded to explain that he needed to admit me to the hospital to receive repeated rounds of some potent IV antibiotic medications to alieviate this condition. Excuse me? Thankfully, this man is a colleage of Cody's and knows our family. I chuckled softly and took a deep breath....

I kindly explained to him that I have three small children at home and I don't have time to be admitted into the hospital. I have a 4 year old that would be standing at the door waiting for me to return from the doctor so that I could read Rufferella to her for the third time today. I have a three year old that would be devastated if he was late for Vacation Bible School tonight because he has been talking about it all day. And I have a 6 month old (yes, she is six months today...sniff sniff) that would need to be fed, changed, birped, and tugged around on my hip while I made dinner. He smiled warmly at me and said, "ok, Mrs. Paty...I will give you a shot and 24 hours to feel better. You have to call me tomorrow and let me know how you are feeling. If you are not alot better, you will need to be admitted. No excuses. "

I agreed. I'm waiting for the shot to kick in. Wish me luck...we have small group at our house tomorrow night.

Claire read most of Rufferella to me this evening. Thank you, Dr. Kassis, for not making this busy mama miss that moment.

P.S. We have a contract on our house...

Farewell Fishbowl...

I have always said that living at 807 E. Broadway Street in Sweetwater has made me feel like living in a fishbowl. Why, you ask? Because Broadway Street is the MAIN road through this tiny town we call home, and my house sits in the middle of a commercial district that includes the Chamber of Commerce, a State Farm Insurance Agency, and oh yea, Pizza Hut. (Nothing like having your home described as, "You know, the one across the street from Pizza Hut"....Classy.) There are two random houses that were built at the first of the 20th century, and they have remained to this day. Let me say that I LOVE this house. I could go on and on about how attached I am to the place that Cody and I have called "home" for 7 years. I cried on the day we signed the papers to purchase it because I was so happy and felt so "grown up". We have laughed here, cried here, had 3 precious babies here (well, not literally, but you know what I mean) and made too many memories to count. Every fall, tons of people come to sit on my wrap-around porch and drink lemonade and watch the Homecoming Parade go by because it's the best seat in town. And speaking of porches, its the best one around for watching lightning storms roll in from the west...one of Cody and I's favorite things to do together. So, like I was saying, it's a GREAT house that I have come to love immensely. BUT, the one downside to living here is that it is on BROADWAY street, and so everyone in town knows exactly what's going down at the Paty house at all times. For example, when we first moved here, I had purchased some furniture at Haverty's in Abilene. When the delivery truck came to deliver my new furniture, I actually had a handful of people say to me, "I saw that you bought some furniture...what did you get?" EXCUSE ME? Hence, the fishbowl description.
Yesterday was a pivotal day for the Paty's at 807 E. Broadway...we have officially put our house on the market to sell. We have purchased a lot across town (in a real neighborhood...with kids and a place to ride bikes, and there are more than 2 houses on the street...it's the little things that make a girl's heart flutter) and we are preparing to build a new home to house these little ones. Now that we know our family is complete, we have outgrown this house and are ready to get settled into something a little more...kid friendly. Let's just say that the original 1908 crystal doorknobs on the doors will probably look much better when they are not smeared with marker or chocolate chip cookies...
So, all of that to say, I am preparing to bid farewell to my fishbowl. We will forever cherish the memories here, but are looking forward to taking our 3 little fish to a bigger pond....

I apologize for my lack of posts this past week, but I can honestly say that I/We have been busier than a one-armed-man-in-a-paper-hanging-contest....the Paty's life is INSANE at the moment. So for the 2 people out there (hi Dad) that read this blog, please stay tuned and know that stories and PICTURES are coming soon.........I promise. Until then, carry on.

Prayer for my Babies

Dearest Lord,

Tonight, as I turn out the light and slip under the covers, I pray that you will be with my precious babies Claire and Gregory, as they are sleeping over at their Nana's and Big Daddy's house. They called at bedtime (a couple of hours ago) and were bawling, Lord, because they wanted me and you know how much my heart broke at the sound of their tears. It took every ounce of self-control not to jump in my car and drive the 45 minutes to Abilene to rescue them from their sleep-deprived, sugar-induced, not-hearing-the-word-"NO"-in-24-hours-stupor, but Father, I pray that you cover them with Your peace tonight as they sleep. I pray that they will rise in the morning, refreshed, and ready to run their Nana ragged another day. I pray that they will be blessed by Your Word at Vacation Bible School, and that they will be a blessing to those they come in contact with. And Lord, if they act like heathens instead of little angels, I pray that no one from the Southern Hills congregation, my childhood church You know, will say to one another, "That's Ginger Paty's kids...go figure."
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Adventures in Motherhood

Every night before Cody and I go to sleep, we usually lie in bed and talk. We discuss an assortment of things, most nights the topics include the kids and I's plans for the next day. Last night, I told him that I was looking forward to taking the children to the "Art Adventure" at the NCCIL (sometimes pronounced "nickel"), which is the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, located in Abilene. I moaned a little about the fact that I had to have myself and the kids dressed, fed (does heading to the donut shop count?) and in Abilene by 10:00 am...you see, at the beginning of the summer, I went online looking for some fun activities for the babies and I to do together this summer. On the NCCIL website, it advertised that they did an Art Adventure on the third Friday of every month. It included story time and an art activity to go along with the story...sounded right up Claire and Gregory's alley...so my alarm was set for the crack of dawn and we were ready for the adventure...

We arose this morning with the sun (sorry for the whining, people, but my babies usually ALL sleep until 9:00 most mornings, so excuse me for being a little spoiled about my sleep) and headed out to grab breakfast. We arrived in Abilene with about ten minutes to spare, and we talked all the way there about what our Art Adventure might be about...

The kids pile out of the car, Meredith is safely fastened in her stroller, and we walk briskly up the sidewalk to the front door. We come face-to-face with the girl who is opening the center for the morning, and she greets us with a cheerful, "hello!" I return the salutation and Claire immediately chimes in with, "We are here for the Art Adventure!" The girl simply cocks her head to the side and says, "oh, I am sorry...we aren't doing the Art Adventure anymore..."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I immediately had a two millisecond come-to-Jesus-meeting with my face, quickly inserted my filter in my mouth and just sweetly answered, "oh...you're not? That's too bad..we were REALLY looking forward to it...especially since it looked so great on the website. YESTERDAY.

Lesson for the day: Anytime you are planning on attending an activity that includes the word "adventure" in the title...just assume that the actual "adventure" may be the actual process of getting there. Oh yea, and call before you plan your day around anything posted on a website.

No harm, no foul. We headed across the street to the Grace Children's Museum instead. The kids loved the huge tree...this mommy loved the huge tree for providing great photo opps for my kids. We all came out winners.

Have a great weekend.

Summer Fun

Summer is here and I wanted to share some recent pictures with everyone. Meredith is officially 5 months old!! She is pure joy and the light of this family. The older two are in full force with swimming lessons and their latest, greatest new toys: BIKES. If you have never seen a three year old ride a 12 inch bike, it truly is one of the most precious things. They are getting really good at controlling their turns, and their Daddy has even taken them around the block a couple of times. (I am not that brave yet)

Blessings!

Mushy Musings

This weekend I was reminded of why I married the man I married. Saturday night he took me to dinner, just the two of us, and I was so happy to JUST BE with him, that I moved my chair over to the side of the two person table we were seated at, just so that I could be closer to him. We laughed and talked about lots of different things, none of which were the children. He even took me to Starbucks to get a yummy hazelnut mocha, even though he thinks it's a crime to pay $3.86 for a drink. He is my best friend and no one on the planet "gets me" more than he does....I love that about him. We talked about the house we are getting ready to build (I'm sure the drama of that little process will be blogged about extensively later...it will either be blogging or therapy, I'm sure) and even held me while I cried about the idea of leaving the one we're in.

It seemed perfect that the next day was Father's Day...a day to celebrate the amazing daddy that he is to my precious babies. I'm not sure there are three children on the planet that adore their father more than mine do, and I am not sure there is a man more deserving of that adoration. I wouldn't want to share this journey of parenthood with anyone but him....
So, thank you, sweet Cody, for all the ways you make this family feel happy, whole, loved, and safe.

The four of us are nuts about you.

Unsubscribe

Dear Man in Charge of Junk Email,

I am writing to tell you that I am no longer interested in receiving your emails. It seems like every time I open up my email account, anxious to receive some note of value and pertinent information, I am aghast to see that I do not have anything in my "inbox" besides Victoria's Secret emails...and I assure you, it's NOT because they need my just-had-my-third-kid-in-four-years body to model for their semi-annual sale. I do not need anymore GNC vitamins to kick in the energy I once had and have recently decided to try in the pill form, and FunJet Vacation emails are just cruel and unusual punishment for this slave-to-the-gasoline-bill,-Suburban-driving mama that can't bring herself to buy a minivan. If I had time to entertain, then yes, your Crate and Barrel ads would be of benefit as I decorated my outdoor furniture with matching utensils and dinnerware...but my backyard has been taken over by all the stuff I've bought from One Step Ahead, as I receive their emails almost daily. Apparently, they have worked. So all this to say, please unsubscribe me from your email list so that I will not be tempted to buy the nursing bras you just sent in your last ad...I'm not of the opinion that I need to nurse my baby until she's three, but I appreciate the option.
Sincerely,
Claire, Greg, and Meredith's Mama

Winding down...

Ahhh...do you hear that? Silence. I am sitting here listening to the sound of my words being typed because my children are all sleeping...all three of them at the same time. For those of you that do not have multiple children, especially three under the age of five, you have no idea what a tremendous accomplishment it is to get them to sleep all at the same time. I rarely watch tv anymore simply because I have gotten to where I love the quiet....so peaceful. Nothing warms my heart like the sight and sound of my children sleeping.

The reason they are tuckered out is because today was the last day of Cornerstone Christian Preschool for Claire and Gregory. They sang in a little music program and then had a big luncheon. Gregory wasn't too keen on doing the words and the motions...in fact, there were a couple of moments when he looked kind of like a deer in the headlights...I think he was still mad at me for making him wear his "church sandals" instead of his "shoes that make him run fast". It's the little things in life that will make a boy happy....and not so happy....

Claire, however, was in full force...completely in her element. I honestly do not have any idea where she gets her drama from! (haha) She loves to sing and dance and most importantly, loves to sing and dance when lots of people are watching with camaras! I was so proud of both of them, and even found myself becoming a tad bit emotional. Thankfully, I was able to hide behind the camera....

We are officially out for the summer! Pray for this mama as she strives to keep three children fed, clothed, played-with, and cared-for in the coming days. I can't promise that if you see me in the next 10 weeks that I will have on a clean shirt or be wearing lipstick, but my kids will be having a great time! Let the games begin..............!



Blessings to you for a great week.

All Things Equal

We are all about equality here at the Paty house. Because my first and second children were born so close together (17 months apart) I have sometimes felt like I was dealing with twins. Claire and Gregory literally breathe the same air, they are inseparable. Because of this, Cody and I try to focus on making sure that things are equally divided between the two of them. They like this idea and have a way of reminding us if we happen to forget. If I make one child a snack and a cup of milk, then the other one gets the same snack and the same milk. If we take a potty break for one child, then the other one gets recruited to take a break as well. You get the idea....

The other day when we were driving in the car (isn't that where we have the most precious conversations with our children?) Claire, Gregory, Meredith and I were headed to Abilene to visit my parents. We were discussing that May was almost over and June was coming soon. Claire asked "what things happen in June?" So we proceeded to discuss swim lessons, no preschool, and Father's Day. Her face lit up with excitement as we talked about how incredibly special her "Papa" is and what we should do for Father's Day.

A couple of moments go by and Gregory's little voice pipes up from the back of the suburban. He simply asked, "Mama, since we had Mother's Day already, and Father's Day is coming up...when is Brother's Day?" Claire chimes in..."and don't forget Sister's Day!"

So in conjunction with our belief in equality at the Paty house, we will be celebrating Brother's Day and Sister's Day sometime this summer. I wonder how long it will take before Hallmark hears of these great holidays and catches on to the splendor....

What special holidays do you have at your house?