Paxton's Thanksgiving Program

Paxton had his first school program this week!!!! Oh my stars, I am over the moon thrilled at how well the little man did on stage. He was brave, happy, and he knew ever word and hand motion. He was wiggly and super comfortable on stage...he even spoke into the microphone and told everyone that he was thankful for "his toys". Such major improvements on his ability to cope with new situations and crowds of people.  He is maturing and growing into such a great, headstrong little boy with confidence, a sweet spirit and the fight to conquer the world! 

Here is our sweet little Indian (standing, in the middle, smiling at his friend beside him). 

Burr

Baby it's cold outside....but boy oh boy is it warm and toasty inside. 

By far the best part of this insane arctic front, is this precious babe in her winter coat!

 

Friday

Friday, Maddox rocked crazy hat, crazy sock and jeans day!!!!! He's quite the stud!

Friday, we found out Paxton has pneumonia. Yuck!

Friday, these two cuties actually got along and colored together while waiting on the doctor. Success. 

Friday, I made a spontaneous decision to take all three kids to a movie. By myself. It was so much fun. Awesome. 

Friday, after the movie, the trio enjoyed a bedtime story with daddy!! Best part of the entire day!!! He's a great daddy!!!

God and Nation Day

Maddox preformed in his very first God and Nation program at school! Everyone kept telling us how wonderful this school production was, but, oh my mercy, we were blown away! I absolutely loved watching my little guy sing his heart out, praising our Lord and admiring the find men and women who have bravely fought for our freedoms! Such a blessing to us all!

Here are the 1st-3rd graders. Maddox is on the bottom row, 4th from the right

Maddox was thrilled when they honored all the men and women who served in the military! He was so proud to show his Papa! (When Paul joined the group who served in the Army, Maddox was beaming, nudging his buddies saying "look, that's my grandpa!")

Maddox had some of his friends!

Great job buddy!

Some of his classmates. So blessed by such a sweet group of first graders!

My sweet boys!

Ha, Harper wanted in too!!

Great job buddy! We are all so proud of you, not only for your spectacular performance and your maturity on stage, but we are also so proud of the wonderful life lessons you learned while preparing for this program!

Seriously

Seriously!?! Could she get any cuter?

This girl is happiest playing with her baby, eating cake, and coloring! Sounds like a pretty good life to me!!!

She is sassiest when asked to do anything that is not on her agenda, taking group pictures and when she feels like someone is going to take her toys!

She brings the greatest joy to all of our lives. Oh Harper Grace. We just adore you!

Halloween 2014

The kiddos had a great Halloween! We had two Vikings and Queen Elsa!

They enjoyed a super fun trunk or treat at the church followed by a visit to my granny's assisted living home! They all wore their costumes well and had a great time! (Now, here's to gradually throwing away most of their candy without being caught!!!)

Fantastic

This little boy had such a fantastic day at school!!!!!

His class (and the entire PreK) are working on a Thanksgiving program that they will preform during chapel in a few weeks. The teacher that is in charge of the entire program explained to all the kids that she would be watching for 2 kids that were listening really well and doing what they were asked to do. Well, at the end of their practice, Paxton was one of the kids that was picked to get a reward from the treasure box! (He was one out of 48)!! My heart is so full of pride for him! Such major improvements and I am so happy to watch grow and mature!!!!

Black Knights

Paxton has had such a great time playing soccer this season! He is learning more about the game and he certainly tries to keep up with the other boys! He hasn't discovered how to be aggressive or "scrappy" but he has a great time and his team is simply the best! His coach and the other dads that help out are truly amazing and they help and encourage Paxton so very much!!! Way to go Black knights! You boys were a joy to watch this fall!!!

At the end of this game, the boys were give a medal! Paxton was beyond excited to receive his very first participation medal!!!!

Oh my goodness, the joy he had after getting that medal was so adorable! He was one proud little boy!

Such a sweet team! These boys and their parents have been so much fun to be around!! Looking forward to another great soccer season in the spring!!!

Monday Prayer

Oh my sweet boys. Lunch boxes are packed, backpacks are ready and I just waved goodbye as you headed out the door for a breakfast burrito on your way to school!  I am sitting in my room praying over you both and I wanted to write it down so you both can look back and see the hand of God in both of your lives. 

Maddox, my Maddox. I pray you have an amazing day today. I pray your eyes are opened to something that truly amazes you. I pray you take your time. Be diligent and do your best work. I pray when it is time to listen, that you would turn your ears and listen and learn the lessons being taught....then, when it is time to play, I pray you get out there and laugh, run, jump and play your heart out. Keep your eyes open for someone who needs a friend. You, my love, are and amazing friend and the world could use more kiddos like you! I pray you know how much you are loved. Be kind, respectful and patient. I know today holds greatness for you!

Paxton, oh Paxton. I pray for peace and calm in your heart today. Please talk with kindness and love and be patient with your teacher and fellow classmates. I pray you continue to have that zest and eagerness for life and your desire to "have a turn" but I pray you continue to learn that sometimes , it is someone else's time....but keep up that (respectful) fight....you will get your turn...and boy do I know that whatever it is, you will rock it!!! I pray you are able to laugh, play and learn so much today! I have no doubt that today holds great things for you. Be ready. Be willing. Be calm and respectful. Allow the rest of the world to see the sweet, kind and loving Paxton that we all know and love!! Make sure someone gets to hear your belly laugh today, for I am certain, it alone, can change the world!

Go get 'em boys! Prek and 1st grade are waiting and allow yourselves to be the best thing it's ever seen!!!!

Day Date

I had such a fun afternoon date with my handsome, kind , super sweet MADD-man. Gosh, we don't get near enough time alone! He is truly spectacular! We talked about LEGOs, fun games played at school (which, by the way he was super excited about because they were playing a form of knockout game and he was he last one standing!), and we had the most amazing conversation about what he wants to do when he grows up and gets a job. He said "momma, how do I know what to do when I need a job" My response was simple "well, you try to find something you love to do, and you do it the best you can....if you could do anything at all, what would make you the happiest?" I can honestly tell you, my heart wasn't fully ready for his response. He looked up at me with his expressive brown eyes and said "mom, I would be the happiest being a missionary in Africa. I want to tell people about Jesus". Oh my mercy, I am so proud of the love for The Lord he is gaining everyday. I love that he longs to share the love of Christ to the world. I have no doubt he will do great things for Christ!!

(Now, please excuses me as I curl up in a ball and cry at the thought of my baby boy leaving me and living in Africa....)

Precious Boys

Oh my precious boys. As you left the house today, on your way to school, I was struck with a powerful urge to drop to my knees and pray for you both. I have no doubt that you two boys will change the world someday. Your spunk, energy and  tenacity will move mountains. 

Oh sweet Maddox, I pray you take your time today. Soak everything in and don't be afraid to be content in the moment (just for a little while...your zest for life and for all things new is what is going to take you places in this world, just don't forget to slow down and do your best work first). You have such a kind a loving spirit. Look out for someone who needs a friend. Everybody needs a Maddox in their life!! 

Oh spunky Paxton. Be patient my love. You are heard! We all hear you and we know you can do amazing things. Don't let your frustrations hinder the amount of kindness and joy you are able to bring to everyone you meet. Simply use your words (in your normal speaking voice, please), you have wonderful things to say. You have so much love in that heart of yours, just be patient and show kindness. Continue to take your time and show off those coloring skills. Soak it all in today buddy and have fun being a kind and patient four year old!!

Ok boy! Today is your day. Go out and change the world!!

Pumpkins

Today my littlest love and I went to a small pumpkin patch held in the front lawn of a local church. It was so much fun! Harp LOVED all the pumpkins and ran from one grouping to the next, pointing out her favorite ones and saying the gourds were "yucky". 

She is at such a fun (and sassy) stage in life right now! When she is sweet, oh my stars, she simply melts your heart. 

She has so much spunk and a zest for life. She shows little fear and knows what she likes! I am so thankful for this season of life and I truly cherish the one on one time I get with her during the day. 

It shall come to no surprise to anyone that the precious pumpkin this little lady chose to bring home was a "baby" one. And, yes, she treats it like one of her babies...rocking it, talking sweetly to it, and even singing to it. So funny. Love my baby lovin little lady!

Great Day

I took my own advice, remembered my children are 2,4,6 and treated them to a frozen yogurt outing (thanks mom for picking the boys up from school being an extra set of hands for me). Harper had a great day at her class today. She played hard and made two of the same craft because she was having so much fun doing it! She was a happy happy girl today! Maddox had a great day at school, he played hard and was diligent with his work (he took his time and did his best work, rather than racing to be the first one finished). Paxton had a great day. No tallies, used a kind voice and was patient with others. 

Oh I am thankful The Lord heard my cries  for a better day. It was most certainly a great day!!!

2, 4, 6

Life lately has been fast and furious. After school homework, basketball practice, soccer practice, Little Gym classes, church classes....running from here to there and everywhere. Everyone (except for momma) does better when we are busy. Less time to argue, more alone time and more exercise. It's all great for them, but I am worn out. I'm exhausted. I'm not sleeping well at night. I am grumpy. I am easily irritated and I don't like it one bit. They deserve better. They would get in so much trouble if they acted the way I behave toward them sometimes. I am praying The Lord hears my cries for rest. I am tired of being the one to figure out how to help pax adjust to every day life situations without having a total melt down. I am tired of putting out arguments between the boys. I'm tired of begging Maddox to be a kind big brother to Paxton. I'm tired of asking Harper to please stop whining, or to talk like a big girl. I am wiped out. I need to refresh. I need a fresh start with the kids. I want to enjoy them. They are amazing little people and I am so blinded by my own exhaustion that I let them forget how special they truly are. I want to take the time to snuggle, or read one more story or simply giggle with my precious trio. I want to slow down and realize they are only 2, 4, and 6 years old. Not everything has to be viewed as such a big deal. And I want to give myself a break. I am in the thick of raising a 2, 4 and 6 year old. You mention their ages to anyone and you receive the sympathetic grin as if they are saying "you must have your hands full". Yup. You betcha. I have my hands full. I need to give my self the chance to take a breather and ask for help. Help. I'm drowning with my 2, 4 and 6 year old. 

I need to remind myself of all the wonderful traits they each have and they all walk, dance, jump and twirl to the beat of their own drumb. 

Welp, how's that for an uplifting and fun post. Ha. Maybe tomorrow. 

Brothers

"Brother let me be your shelter. I'll never leave you all alone. I can be the one you call when you're low. Brother let me be your fortress when the night winds are driving on.  Be the one to light the way...bring you home". -Needtobreathe

                                       

The lyrics to the song above has been my prayer for the boys. I pray they love and support and help each other all their lives. I pray for an unbreakable bond strong friendship! 

(On a funny sidenote, Harper is convinced that Paxton's name is "boys". Ha. Every time I call for them  I say boys, let's go, or boys time for dinner or boys play nice. Ha. 

                    

Happy

I'm pleased to report that miss Harper had a great day at Mother's Day out today! She cried when I left, recovered quickly and had a fantastic time painting, using glue and making a sweet friend. Her teacher said that Harper and this other super sweet little girl were the only two that didn't nap, and they kept sitting up to look at eachother, by the end of nap time they were sitting close together "whispering" to each other. How cute is that!?!

We even went to church this evening for Awanas...the kids Wednesday night program (which, by the way, Maddox thought was "iguanas" hahaha) and although she was not happy that I left her for her class, her teachers said she did great. She settled quickly and had a great time playing!!! Whew. So thankful she is getting the hang of things. She was such a happy and energetic girl this evening when I picked her up from class. Makes my heart happy!!!

And, because this is too funny not to post on here....there are just some battles not worth fighting....such as, your exhausted two year old refusing to take off her backpack in order to go to bed:

Where did he go

Can someone please tell me where my first born baby went? Gosh, he's growing up too quickly! 

Because I want to remember this sweet face forever:

A Gift

Tonight, as we were driving home, Paxton says "momma, we didn't save ourselves." (Insert momma moment of racing a thousand things through my brain attempting to figure out what exactly he is talking about). He helped me out and finished by saying "it is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8"

(Insert jaw drop)

Yes buddy! That is absolutely right. It is the most precious gift from God. (I love that he picked up the concept of that Bible verse, and I was shocked when he said the chapter and verse from the Bible)

I'm blown away at the amazing things he is learning at school. Not only is he learning his ABCs and 123s, how to adjust to more people around and learning the structure of school, but the love of The Lord is being poured over him every single day! I love this so very much. 

What a precious reminder from my little man. "WE did NOT save ourselves..." No matter how good we are, how kind we are, how much we love others....or to the other extreme...no matter how many mistakes we make...."we did not save OURSELVES....it was a GIFT". We don't earn it, we were given it!

Thank you Paxton for such a precious reminder of the Love of our Savior!!!!

Character Day

Today was "Dress like a character from a fairy tale" day for the first grade class! Maddox decided to be Robin Hood....and oh what a handsome Robin Hood he was!!! 

Struggling

        (Oh my stars....is she not just the      cutest thing you've ever seen!?! Those eyes and rosey cheeks. She is just a doll!)

Our precious little girl is having a hard time adjusting to being dropped off for her one day a week Mother's Day out program and church Sunday school. Poor thing. She cries and cries when I leave. I know this is normal, but that certainly doesn't make it any easier on either one of us. Please join me in praying for peace in her heart (and mine as well) as we help her get adjusted to a few times when momma isn't around. She eventually has a good time, but today she cried more in little spurts throughout the day and clung to my leg for dear life when I tried to drop her off at church class. I know this will all take time for her to adjust, I just want to do what is right for her. I don't want to push too much new on her and have her regress socially because I put too much stress on her too quickly. 

Fight Raiders, Fight

We cheered on our beloved Texas Tech Red Raiders this weekend. Brad took the boys to the game and they had a blast having guy time. We started out hopeful for a great game from our favorite team; however, we will cheer harder the next game and hope the raiders can pull out a great win!

I sure do love seeing our trio all decked out and cheering for the school that ultimately led me to meeting their amazing daddy!!! 

How in the world is this boy getting so big? Sheesh it feels like only a few weeks ago we were taking him to his first game!!

And here is how we all felt while we watched the game. It was a tough one to watch, but I'm confident our team will get better with time!!!

Answered Prayer

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."-Mark 11:24

Paxton James has done SO wonderfully at school the past few days. His teacher says he is adjusting to the routine, making friends and showing more maturity every single day!! I am so thankful that the Lord heard my prayers and answered them so magnificently. I cherish the visits I have with Pax in the car on the way home from school. I love to hear who he played with, who he sat next to at school and it makes me so excited to watch him transform into such a balanced little boy! The joy he is able to express as he gains confidence at school fills my heart with so much happiness. Please continue to pray over Paxton. Pray that he will form amazing friendships, he would gain a love for learning and he will continue to adapt and adjust without so much anxiety! 

Too Big

Harper started "school" last week!! She was one super excited little lady to finally have her time playing and learning new things!!!

 With her baby in her arms, we were ready to go tackle the new adventure ahead!!!

She showed no fear or anxiety when we arrived at her school. She acted as though she had been doing this for years!! Whew. This was such a relief for me. I loved watching her walk with confidence and her eagerness to have a great time in her new environment!

While I am super excited for this one day a week opportunity for her to play and interact with other kiddos and gain some confidence in an environment where I am not present, my heart did break a little when I saw her with her back pack, baby in tow, carrying her lunch box and looking far to grown up for me!

Family Fun Night

I am so pleased to report that Paxton had a really great week at school. He seems to be adjusting to his new routine and he is making much better choices. He did get one tally today at nap time, but considering how the school year started, I think the one tally isn't bad at all. He is always a stinker at nap time, not wanting to lay still or to be quiet. I think the tally system will work wonderfully for him. Everyone needs help getting back on the right path every now and then!
Maddox had another wonderful week. He is absolutely loving first grade. His teacher is so wonderful and we all just adore her. He is easily making friends and continues to make great choices. Next week homework starts as well as basketball practice for Madd and soccer practice and Little Gym class for Paxton. Our lives are about to turn a tad crazy.
This evening, the boys school had a Family Night at Joyland. Oh my mercy, it was so stinkin fun. It was fun watching Maddox see his friends and for the new friends to come running up to Madd. For the first time in the boys school career, I feel like I am making friends with some of the other moms and we all had such a great time visiting and watching the kids play. Everywhere we walked, we would run into someone we knew from the school and it was just too much fun.
Man, I have to give some huge props to Brad. Pax was too little to ride the rides alone, so Brad had to ride them with him. Whew, I think there were a few times Brad turned a bit green at the gills from all the round and round and round we goes!
Harper even got to ride a few rides and she absolutely LOVED them. No fear at all for this little lady!
As we are digging deeper into the school year and as we are getting to know more families there, I am falling in love with the kids school more and more each day!!
What a fantastic way to kick off the Labor Day weekend!

Here's Paxton Maddox and Jantzen and their super fun fake mustaches!!

Maddox Jantzen and Liam (Jantzen's brother) riding the airplanes!!!!