Don't turn your head...

I would say today has been a typical day; Stephen and myself are getting over a little bug so we've been inside for a bit So I couldn't help but take a moment and check my email, read some blogs, goof off to be honest.
The kids have just been playing, and playing and being so joyful all morning that I didn't see the harm in leaving the room for one moment

Well, I can't say that harm was done; but I can say I laughed really hard. See things got really quite in the kitchen, and I heard Abby saying "yummy" I assumed they were pretending...as I looked around the corner there they were, just sitting on the floor (Stephen naked) eating spices from the spice rack I had removed from the counter....obviously not in the best place. I love those kids!

Minor blogging issues - please help

Ok, so please notice the fun pictures on the right side of the screen - I changed them (finally!!!) Unfortunately they are sooooo small. How can I change this?? Anyone, anyone??? If i choose not to shrink to fit when I upload then the picture is ENTIRELY to large. So who's got the answer for me - thanks so much!!!
Jess

What season is it really?

To my dear friends and family who have the misfortune of not living here, I would like to apologize for the following post; it might cause mild jealousy. See every time we get an opportunity to head down to the beach or the bay we tell ourselves, this is the last time this year. Last time for some sand castles, running in the sand in bathing suites, sitting in the warm sun.....then we laugh - b/c really it's OCTOBER should we be saying this at all????

Yet there we were, this past Monday with my mom in Fairhope, living it up
And though we said it then, that was most likely the last day on the water, we'll just have to see

Even though we might not have days on the water, we'll still have amazing days outside.....that is when we leave our house!

We still haven't moved, but when we get a chance we do head over to one of the grandmother's houses and play play play!!! Mommy needs that amazing energy to get out somehow, and they know how to do it!

See this is fall for us, and fall is amazing. The heat is mostly gone, the bugs have simmered down, the humidity is at a beautiful low, and the kids can stay outside all day!!! ahhh, let's just get this house sold, move on, have some twins, and stay outside where tantrums seem to be at a minimum!!!

St. Joesph pray for us!! :)

Beautiful bride, handsome groom, stinky Greeley..?

Last week I had the great honor of heading out to Colorado to be the matron of honor for my dear friend Nikki. It was a crazy, fast, exciting, fun, -smelly??? time!! Now when I say smelly I should explain - Nikki's wedding did not smell bad at all!!! But the town of Greeley, well, it has a tendency to smell -something about thousands of cows - Nikki has grown up there so we laugh b/c she says she can't smell it....... but I know she can! :) Anyways, it was a beautiful wedding, I had a blast - and I got to do something I never, ever thought I would do..... I walked down the isle with my first FOCUS teammate Josh. That's right, Nikki married into (kinda) the FOCUS family (Nikki herself was a missionary). Her husbands brother, was on my team my very first year, so I knew she was in good hands!

It's always so different to be right in the mix of things for a wedding, you get to see all the excitement, nerves, and hide things from the bride that truly she just doesn't need to know about! :) Then you get to sit back and relax....when you get home that is! :)

But on Sunday as I sat in Mass, looked around, I got sad. I noticed the same readers, the same, servers, choir, and of course Fr. Rocco. This was my parish for two years, this was my last parish of my single times, I would go there everyday, sit, pray, discern God's will, and then eventually I dreamed about my future life back home with Alan. But this weekend I remembered how much Colorado and Greeley meant to me while I was a missionary, and I realized, unless Alan and I made an effort to actually drive back through (maybe for a coffee at our favorite spot) then I most likely would never go back to Greeley. Greeley was a great place for me when I needed it - now I have my family; but I will always remember how God changed my life there!

God Bless, and please pray for Nikki and Ryan!!

What a week

So it's been awhile, I know - but I'm back from a fun filled exciting 5 days in Colorado. That will be another post. First, some very exciting news and some wonderful pictures to share. Last Tuesday, right before I left we headed over to the doctors office and checked on the little one's in my belly - and well, we're having a Boy and a Girl!!! We are just thrilled - so let me introduce you....

This stunning, very Maddox looking child is Jude Martin Maddox! He was not shy at all, just chilled on his back ready and willing to have his picture taken in anyway we wanted! :)

This is sweet little Cecilia Marie Maddox, her face is on the bottom right of the picture. She on the other hand would have nothing to do with pictures! She laid on her tummy tucked in and put her hand on her face almost every time we tried to get a look at her, she finally gave in for a split moment :)

Mommy and babies are doing great, I look very pregnant and might throw the scale out the window here very soon!! :) Talk again real soon, I promise this time!!

How's your garden?

I've heard it said that you can tell how someone is feeling by how their garden looks - so how's your garden?

Well, mine is doing pretty good today! But I think that for me, if you were going to judge how I was doing, you should look at my blog :) Why, b/c I tend to only post when I've taken pictures, have the energy to come up with some semi-creative thoughts, and the house is calm enough for me to do it ;)So by this measurement, I would like to say that I think my "first" trimester is over, I'm doing pretty good. My energy is much better, my tummy is doing a bit better in the mornings (I can actually have coffee again!) And my patience....well God and I are still working on that one!! :)

So my question for you this Monday morning is this - What is your "garden" and how is it doing? Please leave a comment, let me know, if it's not doing so well then we can pray for each other! If fall and the crisp air has got you moving and grooving then share, and I'll still pray for you!!

As for my real garden.....it is actually doing really great! The fall flowers are blooming, the weeds are gone and there is new mulch making everything look so nice and fresh. But I have to give Alan and Stephen credit for the weeding and mulching, thanks boys you did a great job!! :)

Time flies by

Lately I've been thinking about many, many things - some I've shared with you some I have not. I think about the amazing miracle of twins, the scariness that someday's I just don't think i can handle Stephen anymore, and what will we do about educating our children (I would say pretty typical thoughts for any mom). One thing I read in a great Catholic parenting book (Parenting with Grace) is enjoy it. Enjoy it! ENJOY IT!!!! Time flies by!!!
Most people look at a young mother and say something like "enjoy it while it lasts, I wish I had." See the Popcak's explained that their goal is to enjoy every moment, push through the tough times, so when they're all grown up you'll say "enjoy every moment, b/c I did and it was completely worth it!"

I pray everyday that I will enjoy it - that I will stop thank God and push forward knowing that tomorrow Stephen will be one day older, he will never be the same tomorrow as he was today (even when the tantrums feel like they're the same).

I'm not perfect, I still ponder, pray, and cry about so many aspects about parenting - and I know I am just a beginner at this; but I truly pray that I will look back in 20, 30 years and say - I was so tired back then, but it was worth every moment, every sleepless night, everything, and I took complete advantage of it!