B is for BROTHERLY LOVE

sure, philly may hold the official title of 'city of brotherly love' but i'm pretty sure that virginia beach may be coming in a close second.

there is an eight year difference between austin & carson.  and there are times that this gap is just unbridgeable. carson has a sarcastic wit far beyond his years (hmmm...where on EARTH could he have gotten THAT from???).  he knows what buttons to push with austin...and he's perfected the art of being the annoying younger brother.

BUT he also looks up to austin (though i have a feeling that someday...maybe not too far off...austin may be the one looking up to CARSON...he's growing SO fast).  

carson has conflicting feelings about austin going away to college.  on one hand, he's going to miss him tremendously.  but on the flip side, it will mean he gets to have his own room for the first time EVER.  and i think right now THE JOY of that emotion is winning the battle :)

nonetheless, as the time draws nearer, i'm seeing carson show his appreciation of his big brother a little more externally than he usually does.

the other day austin took him to game stop.  before they left, carson ran in his room and made sure that he was wearing a v-neck tee & his glasses...just like austin.

a few nights later, i caught them watching tv...

LIKE THIS:

and it just made my heart smile.

of course, when austin realized i had taken a photo, it made HIS eyes roll.

i love my boys.  (i love my girl too).  and i'm glad that they love each other.

even if you wouldn't necessarily get that vibe right this moment.  lol.

xoxo.

tales of a wayward blogger...A is for APPLEBEES

long time, no blog!  life with four kids stays busy pretty much always...but add moving, new job, end of school year, graduation, volleyball nationals & college prep and, well, let's just say i'm holding on for dear life.

i was chatting with a friend yesterday & shared something with her that i thought was kind of funny.  i decided to share it with you as well (if there's anyone out there still even LOOKING at this blog LOL).

austin is an official high school graduate as of last weekend.  it was an evening that we'll never forget.  we celebrated afterward with homemade brownies and ice cream.  a few days later we had an open house.  nana & papa came in from texas.  the kids had not seen them since we moved last year.

on sunday, they took the kids to the boardwalk art show.  it was a gorgeous day:  sunny, breezy...temps in the low 70s...quite a change from houston, texas!  after the art show, they went to dinner at applebee's.

jordan had taken my camera for the day.  so as we were looking through the photos, she said hudson was just in AWE of how 'fancy' applebee's was.

i don't know if this should make me smile or cry.  the last decade has been quite a rollercoaster ride.  it was 2001 when bobby experienced his first ever lay off.  carson was not even born yet.  in the time since then, our journey has included giant challenges, miracles, valleys, unbelievable amounts of sweat and tears, dream jobs, dream kitchens, loss of dream job, loss of dream kitchen (LOL) and we're still hanging on, never knowing for sure what's around the next corner.

and i'm grateful.  for ALL of it.  even if i wouldn't necessarily have CHOSEN this.

i'm thankful that my children are happy.  secure.  grateful.

i'm thankful that they don't take things for granted.

i'm thankful that hudson was able to experience his 'fancy, fine-dining' experience of mac & cheese at applebees and think that it was a big deal.

i'm thankful that they don't just 'expect' to be indulged whenever they feel like it.

but if i'm being honest, i'm a little embarassed that my kid is so impressed by applebees?  

my children have not experienced fine dining.  my children have not experienced lavish vacations.  we cannot offer them prepaid college tuition.  we cannot promise them a grand inheritance of cash.  however, my children ARE experiencing living together...in tight quarters...with moments of quarrelling...BUT EVEN MORE MOMENTS OF LAUGHING...they ARE experiencing what it means to stick together as a family...they have experienced moments of 'having' and moments of 'losing' and they are still smiling.  

i am thankful that THEY are thankful.  i am thankful that they are mine.