Thursday, October 31, 2013

halloween happiness?

Sunday afternoon-Judson is napping, i'm attempting to do some studying- we have no costume and trunk or treat is in 2 hours.
what's new???
this is how we usually roll.

i already had these black pants on and didn't feel like changing, so i glanced in my closet, saw a white shirt, a scarf, some glasses...WAH-LA! and a 1950's couple was born!
isn't my boyfriend just darling?

so cool

GT was out of town, so mom and dad helped me tame the beast for a few hours of trunk or treating at church. 

JR was getting kind of grouchy and I was like, "we're out of here" and then Will walked up and things got a whole lot better.
Judson turned that frown upside down and we got a few more minutes out of him
Thanks to an awesome big cousin!


obviously, he was thrilled about the whole thing.
that face seems rather familiar

oh yeah.

last year

so maybe Halloween isn't his favorite.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Wordless Wednesday: Duck the Halls

It's here y'all!

since it's inception, Mariah Carey's Christmas cd has been my favorite.
all time. hands down. go to Christmas album.
judge, judge, judge away, but it's good.

this year, i will be replacing it with my new go-to holiday jams.
Duck the Halls: a Robertson Family Christmas!

and I know what you're thinking!
"no way it's good. it's a joke. they can't sing. how silly!"
stop. just stop. 
go by the CD, put it in your car...or download it and put in your ear buds. it really doesn't matter how you get the tunes, just get 'em!....and be blown away.
seriously, it's really really good.
featuring some legit crooners:
Josh Turner
George Strait
Luke Bryan
Alison Krauss

a bonus! 
one song, "Hairy Christmas" was written by our own Chancie Neal.
you know I love me some Chancie!
so, so proud of and excited for her!

here's a little preview for ya
listen to Sadie sing with Alison Krauss HERE
what!?!?!

download it on iTunes HERE


Happy, Happy, Happy listening folks!

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Sweet Carolina Part number 2

you thought i was gonna leave you hangin' after part one didn't you??
Never.
there are lots of pictures to be shared, so let's get started. shall we?

 the Rehearsal Dinner
carrying on with the wedding festivities, we gathered up the night before the wedding
My cousin, Will, also the brother of the groom hosted the party at his house.
The BBQ was delicious, the weather was cooperative and the company was great!
the cousins

Me and Memory with our boys
 



The Wedding 
The wedding site was probably the most beautiful site for a wedding that I have ever ever EVER seen.
the perfect Carolina waterway view
a few swans actually swam by during the ceremony
it was absolutely perfect and seemed like it was directly out of a movie set
i mean...

the best we could get before the wedding

brothers 

a pretty good wedding guest (surprisingly!)

dream



The Reception
The after party was located at an school in their auditorium (i suppose)
it made the perfect dance floor!
the little guy tried to keep up with the partying
bless his heart, he did try
but, the weekend's festivities got the best of him and he gave in while Pa bounced to the beat of the band


the family with the newlyweds
dont' worry, that's just me on the end trying to wrangle the wild cowboy

Congrats to my cousin, David and his new bride, Courtney!
actually, he deserves a huge thank you for creating an occasion for us all to get together!

the weekend was just about as perfect as perfect can get
our family
the weather
the food
the wedding
the parties
the dancing
the beach
the scenery
did i mention my family?
every.single.thing tugged at me to stay forever in North Carolina
that, my friends, is a good time.

Friday, October 25, 2013

a whole year

It happened.
We managed to keep a tiny human alive for 1 whole year!
Where is our award?

I guess we'll just keep the little guy as our reward and call it good.
fine by me.

Happiest of birthdays to our little!

At a point, I thought it was kind of silly that we celebrate someone on their birthday.
I mean, we should be celebrating the mother for doing all of the hard work on that day! 
The kid just showed up, no work for them at all.
But, now I completely understand the purpose of celebrating birthdays.
I want to celebrate the day that Judson was born because it was on that day that our world was changed for the better.
because he was born on that day, i became a mom.
our lives were given more meaning
we became a little less selfish
we gained another perspective on this life
we caught a closer glimpse of Gods love for us 
We welcomed our son who is so full of goodness and fun

because he was born on October 25, 2012, i want to celebrate this day in a big way every year.
that day brought with it a joy that is unspeakable and a love that has forever changed me
and a little boy that has my heart
HOLY COW
he is 1

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Wordless Wednesday: When I Leave the Room

as Judson approaches his one year mark (in 2 days!), I find myself on the edge of a good cry all too often.
at random times and during mundane parts of our day

it has been hard for me to admit this, but i didn't feel that instant overwhelming connection with him when he was born-that Hallelujah moment that you hear about.
i loved him, absolutely loved him.
i did feel an instant sense of motherly protection and the need for him to be fed, dry, loved and content.
but, it wasn't the "heart walking around outside of my body" experience that I was expecting.
perhaps this makes me a bad mom. or maybe i'm just like everyone else and we just don't talk about it because we might be labeled a bad mom or whatever else people want to throw at you as a new mom.
(or maybe i was just too tired to feel anything)

but, it didn't take long for that bond to form, grow and become firm.
this day. today. i can't imagine a bond more tight than ours.
he is my heart on two legs. some cute, wobbly and curious little legs.

i didn't expect to be emotional about his turning a whole year old.
part of me was ready for him to become more independent, verbal and interactive.
then this other part of me crept out of now where. 
the part that ached for him to never grow or age a day over 6 months. 
so is motherhood, i suppose. 

recently, i listened to an interview with Natalie Grant on the radio.
she talked about her daughters and how this song, for them, came to be.
then she sang it, "When I Leave the Room"
there i was, parked in a restaurant parking lot, all weepy.
it so beautifully captures the journey of parenthood: from the first days of a newborn to the final days of this life.
of course, i am just starting this journey but it tugged on my heart something fierce

i so strongly desire for Jesus to be with Judson when i'm in and out of the room.
my little desire for him to be fed has been overtaken by my desire for him to be surrounded by angel armies.
i also recognize the amount of grace that is needed on this parenting journey. 
little eyes are watching everything and i have and am going to mess up. grace, i need it every hour.

grab a kleenex and have a listen
better yet, grab a whole box

Good night,
Looks like we made it through the day
The moon sighs and I know that we're okay
Sleep tight,
I love to watch you drift away
I would come with you but on my knees I'll stay

Good night
Five little fingers holding mine
Take flight
Into your dreams and lullabyes
There's nothing more that I can do
But just fall more in love with you
And ask the angel armies to stand by
When I leave the room

I'm gonna fail you
I already have
Ten thousand times
I will fall down flat
You'll have a seat in the front row
of everything I don't know
And all I'm trying to be
You'll see

Good night
There will be storms that we come through
In time
We will slay dragons me and you
I'll always wanna hold you tight
Keep you safe with all my might
So I will leave Jesus next to you
When I leave the room

And you will run ahead
As if you know the way
And I will pray more
Then once you'd have to pray
There will be words we can't take back
Silences too
And I'll be on my knees
You'll see

One night
When I am old and unsteady
You'll want me to fight
But I'll tell you that I'm ready
When there's nothing left to do
I will still be loving you
Then you'll fold your fingers into mine
And I will let Jesus hold you tight
When I leave the room

Monday, October 21, 2013

Monday Morning....

....coming at ya
1. For however much I blog when schoolwork is looming, I neglect my blogging and blog-reading (heaven forbid) when I have housework/party planning/cooking/peeps coming over. 
priorities people!

2. We had our first Heart to Home gathering for the season last week. When I walked in I was overwhelmed by seeing so many people I love to be with in the same (perfectly lit, warm, inviting) room! To say I'm excited about this year and our group would be an unfortunate understatement.

3. Our washing machine sounds like a waking beast with the croup at times. 

4. Judson Ray turns 1 in 4 days. 
we celebrated his 1st birthday this weekend and boy! is that kid loved!
this week, if i get around to it, i will share some things related to his turning a year old. 
perhaps i'll even put the pen to the paper and write down the events leading up to and surrounding his birth. riveting, i know.
personally, i like to read birth stories
maybe you could care less about how others labor/deliver!?
really. i like to hear what the experience was like for others
even the details. especially the details.
i don't know. 

moving on.

5. the late afternoon is a pretty nice around these parts


have a warm week folks
i'll be back




Tuesday, October 15, 2013

sweet Carolina part numero 1

why, oh why! do we not live on the coast!?!?
the weather is so refreshing (at least when we're there), the ocean is beautiful and the lifestyle is laid-back and active at the same time. a refreshing and quite appealing combination.
a few weekends ago, we flew out to North Carolina for my cousin, David's wedding.
We went a few years ago for Memory's (his sister) wedding.
This trip was just as wonderful, except GT couldn't go.
luckily, we had little Judson this time and he was quite the trooper!

thanks to Pa for making traveling through airports super fun and easy on me!
now Judson thinks all suitcases are rides
the little guy NEVER falls asleep on me so I had to document it. 
i think we should fly every day just so I can soak up those few minutes

we arrived on Thursday just in time for a little party to celebrate the couple 
except, i don't think i actually have a picture of the couple
but this is how we rolled and continue to roll
moving and chasing

my cousin Memory just had a sweet little boy, Griggs. oh my...sweet little sleepy newborn!
so, we rode around with them to the various events and absolutely enjoyed catching up in the car.
we stayed out late all three nights, so little JRay and Griggs snoozed when they could.
little troopers, i tell ya


my Mamaw Lou (my dad's mom) has one sister and two brothers, whose families live in North Carolina, Michigan, Arkansas and Texas. We don't get to see them often, but i adore them all and eat up any time we have together.

My cousin Debbie has a house in Wrightsville beach.
 You can actually stand on the top balcony, look to the right and see the sound (bay, or whatever it's called), look to the left and see the ocean. dreamboats.
we stayed in the house next door to hers and I talked about it here

Friday and Saturday were just about as perfect as perfect can get.
we sat on the porch, rocked, ate, drank coffee, went for walks, told stories, walked to the beach, i went for a run, played with the babies and thoroughly soaked up being with one another.
i wouldn't be mad if i had to go back this weekend.
not at all.
Judson sure did love his NC family and I don't blame him one bit.

part dos coming at ya soon