They say a picture is worth a thousand words...

Can I hold him any tighter?

I have learned that in motherhood you go through phases...just as the sweet little ones you are mothering go through them. What I have also found is that their phases are listed in paragraph form in any and every magazine you can pick up (as it relates to children). Even before they are born you know "What to Expect When Expecting" and then you know what happens from 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, etc. What you don't see in all of these magazines is what mommyhood is all about. There are the basics...but not the REAL "stuff" you need to know. I have discovered the reason for this is because you can't truly know until you are right-smack-dab in the middle of it all...be it the good, the bad, or the ugly...there is just no way to prepare...there is also no way or reason to compare from child to child which is another reason "What to Expect as a Mother" is not a best seller at Babies-R-Us.

That being said...the phase I am in right now you ask? The good? The bad? The Ugly?

No...its the wonderful, precious, I just can't get enough of Gage phase. Mind you, he is 2 and definitely has his moments, but right now, for today, I just want to hold him tighter, kiss him more often, and tell him a million times over how very much his daddy and I think he is the best thing that ever happened to us.

I can think of nothing better to have at Christmas than a close family who would rather do nothing more in life than live, laugh, and love together!

The best Halloween ever...

Chris and I are convinced that you take any given thing and use it for good, or for bad. Take Halloween for example. Did we worship ghosts, goblins, and demons today? No way. Did we have a great time watching Gage play with old friends at our Fall Festival at church? Did we then have a great time watching him make new ones as we visited neighbors tonight and they in turn, visited us? Definitely! It all started this afternoon on our way home from church...Gage had to get his nap in...

After a call from our friends Squirel, LeRoy and Nikki, we knew it was time to get ready and go pick them up for the Festival at church.

Gage played in the jump house, went on a hay ride, and played with his best buddy, Madison.

We came home and had to have just ONE piece of candy. We waited and waited on the first trick-or-treaters to come to our house so then we knew it was time to start! Gage was enjoying playing with his candy...dumping it out and cleaning it up!

We only walked to 5 or 6 houses that are right around us, but trust me, we got PLENTY of candy. Chris and I had just as much fun as Gage did! No neighborhood walk is complete without going to visit our favorite neighbor of all...Becki!!

As cute and precious as Gage was all dressed up and going from place to place getting candy,

do you know what my favorite part of the night was? It was when he got SOOOO excited when more "kids" (as he called them) came to the door and he got to put things in their buckets. It was priceless...and as you can see he was on the lookout the whole time!

There may be something sweeter than Superman kisses...but for right now...

I cannot think of one single thing!

Gage's weigh in...

Today was Gage's 2 year (and one month) check up. Here are his stats:

Height- 36.5 inches- 90th percentile

Weight- 29 pounds 13.8 ounces- 69th percentile

Head Circumference- 20 inches- 99th percentile

Just for fun, lets compare the stats above to the ones taken on 10/16/2008

Height- 21 inches- 11th percentile

Weight- 7 pounds 4 ounces- 1st percentile

Head Circumference- 14 inches- 3rd percentile

I have heard many people say about Gage...wow, if you didn't know...you wouldn't know...

I say...I want everyone to know where Gage has come from so they can see and experience first hand what a GREAT BIG God we serve! He is sooo good to us!

I thought I was in love when...

I walked down the aisle on October 1, 2005. At that very moment when I looked to Chris, it was then I thought...it can't possibly get any better than this! We went to Charleston on our honeymoon. We came home to our trailer (at $425 a month rent) and started living like married people. We eventually got a house, a dog, and had a baby...everything "normal" married people do. However, as I looked around, and talked with other people, I discovered something very quickly...Chris and I...were not...and are not...normal. You see, we wake up every day thankful to have each other in our own bed. We talk, we laugh, we cry. When given the choice to go hang out with a group or be together at home, 9 times out of 10 we choose together. We grew up the same way and were raised the same way, and for the most part, we are the same page when it comes to raising Gage. We are simple people who live a simple life, and it WORKS. We don't have to keep up with the Jones'. We don't have to have the best of everything. We have always been taught that enough is as good as a feast, and we have more than enough. Chris doesn't say a whole lot, but when he speaks, people listen. He is smart, he is handsome, and he is funny. He doesn't mix words, he will tell you like it is. He has the strongest love for God and for family that I have ever seen (next to my own dad). He knows me like a book, and is NOT afraid to read it out loud to me when necessary. He spares my feelings, but tells the truth in love. He does not care to impress people...he is what he is ...if you like him fine, if not, fine. Chris is a DEEP thinker and has this amazing love and respect for music. He is often mistaken for shy and sometimes cold, but he is passionate about the things that matter to him, and things that matter to me. I LOVE to watch him him with kids- not just Gage- all kids. He is drawn to them, and they are to him (much like his own dad). I could go on and on about my best friend. As I said before, when we got married, I thought I could not love Chris any more...and then do you know what happened? The next day came...and the next...and with it came a deeper, sweeter love for my sweet husband. Time, experience, kids, and above all, the Lord has kept us together these 5 years, with another 75 to follow. Chris and I love deep, laugh often, and talk daily...that coupled with the Lord's guidance and grace...proves again that we are blessed beyond belief!

Count your blessings name them one by one...

A good friend of mine, Stephanie, blogged not too long ago on things that make her happy. As I read it I thought about what a great idea it was and thought I would make a list too.

Well, days went by and I forgot to be thankful for 26 things, and it just kind of left my mind...until last night when I was doing my quiet time. A couple of girls from school and I are doing a study on the life of David and this particular day was about how Jonathan was used as an instrument of encouragement to David.

I thought of some things that encourage me...all the way from A to Z!

A-Anniversaries. Chris and I will celebrate our 5th one on October 1st!

B-Being a mommy and a wife, 2 of God's highest callings!

C-Chris Brown. He is a good husband, a good daddy, and my best friend!

D-Doctors. With their help from a great big God, my son is doing GREAT!

E-Early morning chats with my mom on the way to school...for SEVEN years now!

F-Family. The Brown's. The LaFavor's. Everyone in between!

G-Gage Brown. He is the smartest and sweetest 2 year old I know.

H-Heritage. I am the 4th generation of public school teachers in my family!

I-Interesting conversations with people. We will leave it at that!

J-Jeans. They encourage me to have a good attitude on Fridays.

K-Kindred spirits. I just started teaching with Kim but it feels like its always been this way.

L-Laughter. It is like medicine and it is GOOD for the soul.

M-Marriage- submission, love, respect, talking, laughing, crying, and just being simple!

N-Never having to doubt my salvation. God saved me once and for all! I am so thankful!

O-Ol'Captain. That is my dad. I love his fishing tales...its not about the fish...its about the people.

P-Provision. We have never had a need the Lord hasn't met!

Q-Quiet. When both of my boys are asleep...and its just ME time.

R-Remote ministry in the Boddie Projects...its not about the ice cream...its about the people.

S-Sinclair Baptist Church. Period.

T-Teaching kindergarten inclusion and working with a GREAT staff.

U-Unconditional friends. Hollie and I have been best friends since we were 16 years old!

V-Vacation time with the Brown's! Always a fun time!

W-Watching people laugh, enjoy themselves, and feel comfortable.

X-eXciting trips to the mountains with 30 women to talk about and sing to our God!

Y-Yard. We are the only house with grass in the back, so the neighborhood kids are always playing ball out there. It won't be long before Gage is right there with them.

Z-Zoo. This is going to be a fun trip, next Friday, for Chris, Gage, and I!

I have SOOOO many things to be thankful for...what are you most thankful for right now?

Avalon sings a song about it being a new day...

thank goodness that is true after reading my last blog...how depressing! Every "dog has its day" but mine is over. I am too blessed to be stressed and throwing a pity party. Its good to vent from time to time, but then its time to look around and say...ENOUGH of this! Can't wait to post about Gage's SECOND birthday!!!