like father...like son

I was listening to the radio the other day in the car...country, of course...and a song I hadn't heard before came on. It immediately caught my attention because it was by Brad Paisley (one of my absolute favorite country singers) but once I kept listening it almost brought a tear to my eye. The song is called "Anything Like Me"...have you heard it? If not you should keep an ear open for it! If there was ever a song written to perfectly describe my boys, this would be it. All I could do while listening to the song was picture Travis playing with Parker and how much alike I have always known that they are. I am always finding new things that Parker does or little bits of his personality that make me laugh because all I can think is "oh, Trav, thanks for that!"

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Parker is such an active little boy...and I think that may be putting it lightly! It amazes me everyday what kind of trouble he can get himself into. The biggest problem is that he actually thinks these things through and sees nothing wrong with moving the dog food bin around in the kitchen so that he can get up onto the counters and find scissors or tools or other things that toddlers should not be playing with. No matter how baby/toddler-proofed you think your house is...IT'S NOT!!! (At least not enough for Parker) He gets these things into his cute little head and by-golly he will find a way to follow through! It's crazy how much running around I do during the day to "put out fires" (not literally, thank goodness, but some days it feels like it).

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I routinely like to tell Travis "thank you" for being such a pain that kharma thought it only justified to give you a taste of your own medicine! My dad tells me all the time that my sister and I were ridiculously easy children and that our kiddos are more like he was as a child, not so much like we were. As much as it pains me to say this, I am kind of hoping that Parker's "super active get into everything phase" lasts for a while longer...crazy, I know...but I really think it would be a shame if Travis missed out on all of the "fun" while he is away! If he ever wondered what he was really like when he was little...Parker would give him a glimpse I'm sure!

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I don't want to give you the wrong idea...my kiddo does have the capacity to be such a good boy! He just has so much more fun getting into trouble, what boy wouldn't??? Let's be serious! He can be so sweet and loving. He loves to cuddle, especially while watching a movie with Mommy, and he loves to hold your hand at the dinner table and pray. (Mostly his form of praying is to hold your hand, bow his head, look around the table, then say AMEN.) It is adorable! He is starting to say so many new things lately and putting so many words together. Parker has become very good at putting away his toys...even putting them into the correct places! He really likes to say the names or colors of what they are while he puts them away, which is hilarious! It is amazing how we have it in us to love others so much. Before we had Parker, I had no idea that you could ever have the capacity to love another person as much as I love that adorable little blonde-haired blue-eyed boy! (And his Daddy, too) His birthday is coming up in a week and I can't believe that I will be the mother of a 2 year-old...crazy right?

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So here's to my active little man...that is just like his Daddy. How did I ever get so lucky??? I wouldn't trade my boys for the world and hope that every Mommy out there feels as lucky and as loved as I do!

So long Keesler...Hello Sheppard!

Tomorrow Travis will be leaving Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi and heading to Sheppard AFB in Wichita Falls, Texas. He will be getting on a bus and starting the 16 hour bus ride from MS to TX...ick! But I have to admit that the thought of him being in Texas rather than Mississippi does put me a little more at ease. It is considerably closer and the flights will be much shorter for when Parker and I go to visit him for Thanksgiving.

He has finished the first half of his training and will finish the second half around Christmas time. Travis did so well during his time at Keesler and I couldn't be more proud of him. This process has been hard on all of us and has turned our world upsidedown. But through it all we make sure to talk all the time, visit when we can, and make the most of the time we are given to talk and visit because it is precious. I love and miss my husband so much, and I know that he is doing this because it is what is right for our family.

The remainder of his training is more hands-on and less "book work" which is exciting. I can't believe that the end is actually in sight. He will have 9 weeks of classes and then he will come home. If only it was for good! He will come home, probably just long enough for us to pack up and move!!! The great part about that is that we will be moving as a family...I can't tell you how wonderful it is to know that in just 2 short months we will actually get to all live under the same roof again. It has been a long time since we actually felt like a real family, living under one roof, sharing responsibilities, and getting to do things together.

After Travis being gone for so long I am sure that this two months will do either of two things:

1) it will fly by because we know that it is the end of his schooling and that we will be together at the end

--or--

2) it will drag on because we know that the end is in sight and we will be anxiously waiting for it to be over.

I am hoping for option #1!!! I will let you all know how it goes.

Is it really fall already?

Where did the time go? I can't believe that Travis has been gone since June! The bad thing is that he isn't coming home yet...the good news is that Christmas (when he will actually get to come home) is really not that far away. The bad thing is that when he does get to come home around Christmas time we will only be here for a couple weeks to get things figured out and packed...then we will be moving...the good news is that we will be moving AS A FAMILY!!! Our little unit back together again and living under the same roof. Words cannot tell you all how happy that makes me. It has been forever since we all were living in the same house, in the same city, in the same state, on the same side of the country!!! We are very excited. I'm sure Parks will be more than thrilled to have his Daddy back too!



Keesler AFB, {Biloxi, Mississippi}

September 8th was our 3rd anniversary, and although we weren't able to spend it together...I was able to go visit Travis for some much needed alone time. It would have been wonderful to get to take Parker with me, but it was such a long day of airports and plane rides that he would have been miserable (and made me miserable in the process). Plus, I think it is necessary for parents to get away together free of children every once in a while! It was so great to see Travis and to get to see where he has been living and put some faces to names of "his boys" that I hear about all the time. I think it was strange for them to have someone around that called them by their first names!!! I had such a great time and it went by much too quickly. It was so hard to say goodbye to my hubby...AGAIN...and to get into a taxi and drive away. It wasn't until I was in the airplane and taking off that it really hit me and I started to tear up. Getting to see him is totally worth it, but does make it hard to get used to sleeping by myself again and it is so hard to go back to not having him around again. Boy do I love that man!!! We were so thankful to my parents for watching Parker for the long weekend. I know he had so much fun and I couldn't think of anyone he would love to get to hang-out with more! Here are some pictures from the trip:

{bowling on the base...in case you were wondering...I whooped up on all the boys!!!}

{out at Shady's...me-trav-brandon}

{out on the beach...chase-brandon-trav}

Playing at the park

This morning Parker and I went to the park with my friend Jessica and her son Cooper. Parker and Cooper play so well together and had fun playing at the park! It is nice to just get out of the house for an hour or so and let Parker get some of his excess energy out.
















Hanging out around the house

{these are the 3 toys that Parker will not go anywhere without...literally...he takes them to bed and then brings them with him when he wakes up}

{this is usually what the floor around our house looks like...as soon as Parker wakes up he dumps the bucket the toys are put away in out in the middle of the floor}

to our 3rd year...

...wish you were here.

So...today is our anniversary. It is rainy and gloomy outside. (Totally the kind of day that Travis and I love to sit around with a cup of coffee on...too bad he isn't here to have one with me!) Instead he is stuck in Mississippi. We will be celebrating our anniversary in about a week when I fly to Mississippi to see him!!!


So here is to my amazing hubby on our anniversary:

Travis,

It is hard to believe that 3 years have already flown by. Where did the time go, really? It feels like just yesterday I was sitting on your lap in Luke's Explorer and not wanting to get up...because even though I barely knew you then...I knew that it was exactly where I belonged. From that night on I couldn't shake the feeling that with you was my place, my home. I had never been more sure of anything in my life (yet). That moment was the best in my life up 'til then..until the day you asked me to spend the rest of my life with you...then the moment I became your wife...then the moment we had Parker. There is one common piece among all of the best moments of my life, and that piece is you. Without you none of those moments would have been possible.

Three years ago today I married my best friend, the love of my life, and my own personal comedian, and my hero. Babe, look at how much you can grow in three years. Look at how our love has grown, how we have grown, how our family has grown, how our son has grown, and how our strength has grown. You make me proud everyday and I know that I am not only blessed to be your wife...but that I was meant to be your wife. God brings people into our lives at the exact right moments, He brought you to me at the perfect time--and he brought Parker to us at the perfect time.

So here's to 3 years of marriage--I'm so glad we both took a chance on each other so long ago. Who knew people really did fall in love with people they had just met???

The only thing that could make this day more perfect was if you were here. I miss you honey and I can't wait to see you in a week!

Happy anniversary baby--I love you and I miss you!