Friends are the best!

In my life I have always been blessed with great friends.  No matter what stage of life I have gone through, I have had a circle of friends to go through life with.  I know that not everyone is that fortunate.  

There was a time in my life when I felt like I was on my own island though.  After college, many of my high school and college friends moved away (or stayed in their college towns).  I stayed in my hometown, got married, and started work.  I felt like I was in a different stage of life being one of the only ones married.  My other friends were still on the man hunt, or even better in my opinion, were still living it up with their girlfriends on nights out.  I had found my prince (though that first year of marriage there was quite a learning curve on how to cohabitate!)

But, through my job, I met awesome people.  I know have a circle of friends that have gone through so much life with me and I them.  We are raising our kids together, weathering the storms of change, and just doing life!

So when I have a chance to spend time with any or all of them, I take it! Which is exactly what I did last night. 

I swear my friend, Jenny, is seriously like the closest thing to a clone I have- personality wise.  We look nothing alike! She is a tiny, blond cutie! Me- not so much! Ha!

We met four years ago when I got hired at WL and she was my mentor teacher.  Also being from the Decatur area, we knew a lot of the same people.  As we worked together, we also shared life.  She listened to all my first year marriage stories and gave great advice.  I supported her and told her how fabulous she looked as she was due with her second baby (she did look fabulous though- totally unfair!)

We began to extend our friendship outside of school and our husbands hit it off. (Which was no surprise because Jenny and I are alike, so obviously our picks as acceptable husbands would be similar too).  For the past four years, every other year one of us has been pregnant (no lie, all our kids our like 9 months a part, excluding the queen of our play group, sweet E!)

After spending all year teaching together, you get used to talking every day. So with Jenny's family being on vacation and mine about to go, we knew we had to get together to catch up!

So Jenny picked me up at 5:30 (because we're cute like that) and we went to dinner at one of our favorite places, Paco Sol Bistro.  It is the perfect place to go sans kids.  From there we did some power shopping, stopping at Pier 1, the mall, and Target. (What night out is complete without a trip to Target?) It was four hours of non stop talking, laughing, and story swapping.  I literally had a side ache from all the laughter.  

I mean, just check out the pic below.  I must have just said something hysterical!

Not us
;)

I am so blessed by the friendships in my life, both old and newer!

Beating the heat

I love summertime.  I love being off school.  I love days at the pool.  I love the flexibility of no set schedule.  I even love the heat.  But lately, the heat has been mingling a little to closely with HUMIDITY.  And if there is one thing I don't love, it's humidity.  Mainly because the minute I walk outside I feel as though I look like this.

So not wanting to spend our days cooped up inside, after running a few errands, the boys and I headed to the Children's Museum.  We got a membership for Christmas (a little suggestion from some friends as a great item to add to our list) and we are definitely getting Grandma's money's worth.

;)

Beau loves to watch in take in the other kids and what big brother, Hudson, is doing.  And Hudson just loves to do it all.  I adore watching him discover and play.  He is so funny and the things that he does and acts out truly shows just how  much he picks up on others around him.  

He loves the squirrels. 

Calorie counting?

Love that he is shopping for vegetables.  He does this thing right now  when any one asks if he likes vegetables, he replies, "I don't like vegetables. I like cake!" Boy after my own heart. 

Please notice all the laundry items.  I am training him young.  He will make a wonderful husband one day. ;)

We had such a great time! And, our outing, mixed with the heat zapping our energy, made for some great afternoon naps! PTL! 

Sweet summer, please slow down!

Longest Post. Ever.

What a crazy, busy long weekend that was!! And that is just what this post is going to be..L-O-N-G! So grab a sweet tea and get comfy! ;)

Let me just start off by saying I love the 4th of July.  I love that it is a celebration of nation I love and am so proud to be a citizen of.  I love that it honors our military by remembering their sacrifice.  And I love all the festivities- parades, cookouts, friends, family, and FIREWORKS!  I just love it.  The only thing I don't love about the 4th is that it normally serves as a reminder that summer is half over.  That in just a short time I will need to gear back up for school mode and prepare to leave my babies to go to work.  BUT NOT THIS YEAR! As much as I am going to miss the classroom, my colleagues, and the kiddos, I am so relieved to not have to begin to switch out of summer gear.  Because yes, it did take me that full month and a half to go from summer Bekah to school Bekah.

Ok- now where was I?  Wednesday wasn't really anything too exciting for me but it was a BIG night for Hudson.  Wednesday night was Hudson's first Big Boy sleepover at my parents' house.  Now, Hudson has spent the night at my parents before.  Sometimes by himself; sometimes with Beau.  But Wednesday was different.  Wednesday was Hudson's first sleepover there with his cousin, Graham, too.  (Graham if you recall from this post is my nephew who is just 4 months younger than Hud).

To say that I was a little nervous would be fair.  I mean, my parents are great.  They raised my brothers and I in such a wonderful, loving atmosphere and are a TON of fun.  (Which is why in less than a week we will all be vacationing together. More on that later.) But, my parents are no spring chickens. And two, two-year olds with an extreme amount of energy was going to be a lot to handle.  On my best days those two leave my exhausted.  Nevertheless, I packed Hudson's overnight bag and Beau and I dropped him off at my parents.

When we were pulling out of the driveway, I may or may not have said a quick prayer of strength and patience for my parents.  Yet, as the night went on, any little nervous feeling I had faded.  I received some texts from my mom letting me know the status of the  night. Let me tell you- I WAS JEALOUS! Those stinkers were having so much fun! And so were Hudson and Graham!  My sweet mama- the queen of Pinterest- had planned so many fun activities to keep those boys busy! And my dad was right in on the action!

Pizza on the porch

Sidewalk paint

He's got skill 

The beginning of the end... :)

I just love that my boys (and nephews) get to experience such wonderful memories with my parents.

Totally describes my parents' feelings

After picking up Hudson on the 4th, my little family headed over to our sweet friends' home for some summer fun! This family is so special to Andrew and I.  We began babysitting for them when I was in college.  Their youngest wasn't even born when we started sitting for them.  This past Sunday he turned seven.  We have done a LOT of life with them.  And Tom and Kelly, the parents of this sweet crew, have taught Andrew and I so much about how to parent intentionally, lovingly, and the way God calls us to parent.  We are so blessed to have them in our lives! We also got to spend some time with my brother, SIL, Graham and Emmett James! Such a fun time!

Hudson getting to play with the big boys

On Friday, I forged ahead on the packing front while Andrew headed back to Pittsfield; this time with my dad in tow.  My dad was going over with Andrew to meet our home inspector, a wonderful man and close family friend.  I new the minute we made an offer that Steve would be the one to do our inspection.  He is so thorough and knowledgeable.  I knew that he would make sure he went over EVERYTHING! And that is exactly what he did. I am so happy to announce that the home, built in 1905, had no major issues! PTL!

Like I said before, the previous owners had done major work on updating some of the structural aspects of the house (which made it such a sound buy for us. Thank you, previous owners!) However, cosmetically, it still needs some TLC.  If you know me at all, I am a very type A personality. I like to get things done and in a timely fashion.  To say that I don't want to go in and do a major overhaul on about every room would be a lie.  I have a vision for each space to make it exactly into our dream home.  But there is one minor issue

Good Bones + Major Overhaul = Dream Home (aka BIG BUDGET)

I mean, we are young over here at the Bruce's.  Young with two small babies. And so, I mean even though we have some money, dream house status is just not in the budget.  Liveable, get it move in ready is more our style at the moment. So as Andrew and I discussed our next steps to get a plan together I was a complete brat not real thrilled.  I stewed about it for a lot of the weekend.  I basically was having a little pity party.  My line of thinking was something like this: "if Andrew gets his dream job, and I am moving away from all my family and friends can't I get something I WANT?" (really bratty, right?)

And yet, I can write all this because my attitude changed.  On Sunday our family went to church.  I love going to church.  I love being surrounded with other people loving and praising our God.  I have especially loved our church's sermon series the past couple of months on Genesis.  If you think Genesis is only a book full of Sunday school stories and genealogies, you are mistaken, my friend.  There is some present day, hit you in the face with accountability, life lessons in there.

Anyway, this Sunday was about how we can outline blessings for future generations for years to come by the way we pray.  (Let that sink in because I mean that is huge!) And as our pastor was preaching and talking about the greatest role he can have is not necessarily on his church, which is important, but in the lives of his children and how they connect with Christ, it dawned on me.

My job as a parent is not to bless my kids with a nice, comfortable lifestyle. My greatest responsibility is to guide them towards a relationship with their Heavenly Father.  One that is completely theirs.  One that stands the test of time. Furthermore, to be an example of how to live that life.

Our church handed out a book to everyone as they left service.   In the book, "Praying Circles Around Your Children" by Mark Batterson, he states “Pray about what to pray about. …The purpose of prayer is not to outline our agenda for God; the purpose is to get into the presence of God and get God’s agenda for us.”  

Talk about a divine word from God to your heart.

Needless to say, I left church with a major attitude adjustment as well as a major burden to be better, do better, and pray harder (with a purpose) for my boys.  That is a lot in a Sunday morning; an hour no less!

With that major attitude adjustment freshly applied, our family made the most of our afternoon.  We went to Mexican (YUM!) and put the boys down for a nap.  After they woke up, we had an all out water fight! Hudson's mischievous grin and Beau's sweet giggle as he watched from the sidelines reiterated the lesson of the morning.  It was a great end to a great weekend.

If you would like to hear more about how you can impact your family's future through your prayers please visit http://www.firstdecatur.org/442121.ihtml and click on the sermon entitled, Blessing.

**Milestone**

Just a quick post--

Yesterday I went to soothe Beau for the 116th time so he would go down for his nap (this whole making sure they're awake but drowsy so they go to sleep on their own thing is T-O-U-G-H) and when I went in the little man was..

..Wait for it...

STANDING!!!

That's right! Up on his feet, hanging on to the railing of the crib, tall and proud, standing! Of course, I did not have my camera, phone or any device in hand and by the time I got a device the booger had plopped back onto his hiney.  Boo! I must get a pick because B is such a little peanut it is crazy to see him standing! Just like it was crazy to see our little many start to crawl at 5ish months!

Time FLIES when you're up at night tired out of your mind running in circles having fun!

Your husband does what?

First off, before I start today's post, let me start out by saying thank you to everyone who has congratulated us, wish us well, and has prayed for our family as we are transitioning to this new phase in our lives! We are beyond blessed by your encouragement and love for us.  It means so much to have your support.  Thank you a million times!

***********************************************************************************

So since announcing our move, and it being based on Andrew getting a new job, many people are asking, "What is your husband doing?"  In short- accounting.  Andrew graduated from Millikin University with a degree  in accounting.  He worked at a public firm during college as an intern before working there full time right out of college.  He took a brief break from the accounting world before returning to it in 2011.

However- the short answer wouldn't quite cut it.  Why move from your entire life two hours away if you are going to be doing the same thing? The EXACT question that went through my mind, people! Except this accounting job is not the same thing; not in the least.

Andrew is S-M-A-R-T when it comes to numbers and math and formulas and problem solving.  I mean, the kid is quick (which is extremely helpful when shopping and trying to figure out how much the discount will save me. e.e- can I buy this and afford another top/shoe/dress, fill in the blank? That's just boy math vs. girl math)   Yet- as we all know, just because you are good at something doesn't necessarily give you a passion for it.  Having a skill and it being your passion are not always harmonious. That was the case for Andrew.  He was good at his job, but he didn't love the work.  As his wife, it was hard for me to identify with how he was feeling because I LOVED my job.  Teaching was something I felt *good* at and I was also passionate about.  I loved going to school and seeing my kids (Don't get me wrong; not every day was rainbows and sunshine!).  As Andrew's wife, I tried to encourage his talents and his passions.  We talked through what he wanted to do; what would interest him; what could he be passionate about?  But Andrew and I have a family. And sometimes taking risks or stepping out and doing something new seemed too scary.  We like the known vs. unknown in the Bruce household.  So Andrew continued to diligently work and provide for our family but I don't feel like he was ever super content with his 9-5 routine.

On the flip side, Andrew has ALWAYS been content with the outdoors.  Sports, hunting, fishing.  That is where Andrew is at peace.  He excels when he works with his hands. He has patience to sit all day and wait for the perfect shot with his bow or gun.  It is his heaven on earth.  Andrew never rarely reads but when he wants to learn about attracting a big buck, sharpening your archery skills or any other hunting related topic, he could pore over information for hours.  He loves to watch shows on the outdoor channel about a whole slew of hunting subjects.  It was through his *research* of all things hunting that he began watching a television show, "Whitetail Properties."

Whitetail Properties

Whitetail Properties is based in Pittsfield, IL but does business throughout various states in the US.  The company began in 2007 with the goal to match clients to pieces of land for agricultural and recreational purposes.  Since 2007 the company has expanded to selling land in more than 15 states.  Although it is based in Pike County, it has real estate agents located in many of those states.  In addition to the real estate branch, the company also produces a television show under the same title that can be found on various channels.  The show highlights how to utilize your land to grow and hold mature bucks while also highlighting hunts and advertising current plots of land for sale.

Needless to say, when Andrew stumbled upon an opening for an accountant with this company it was as if the heavens opened up.  Using a skill in a company that highlights your passion? It was something that I had always wanted for Andrew.  It is definitely a huge leap of faith.  But I can honestly say, talking to my husband each night and seeing and hearing the passion and excitement in his voice about his job, is reassurance enough for me.  The people of this company, the few that I have met, also aid in putting me at ease.  They stand for integrity and hard work and honesty.  I am so proud that Andrew is able to work for a company like that.

So now when you wonder where we are going (where's Pittsfield?!) and what Andrew will be doing, I hope you have a little more insight into this new chapter.

Thick as thieves

Our family has certainly been blessed over the past few years.  Andrew and I welcomed our sweet, first born boy Hudson into the world just over two years ago.  We had no idea the amount of love a heart could for such a little new person.  God definitely taught us a lesson about loving unconditionally by granting us the opportunity to be parents.

Our little peanut on his "due date" We had him a week early.

That same year, both Andrew and I had siblings that welcomed children into this world. My brother and SIL also welcomed a boy, sweet Graham David.

Hudson- 4 months Graham- 2 days

It has been the biggest blessing watching these cousins grow together, develop, learn and change.  It is so funny to me to see how different they are and how they interact.  I think God must have been pleased with His work because once again, Andrew and I, as well as our siblings all welcomed new babies into the world. 

Our sweet Beau 

Our second beautiful nephew, Emmett James

****Sidebar: Am I terrible aunt or what? I do not have any snapshots of my beautiful nieces as newborns...just their professional shots.  I must work on getting those on here (after the move perhaps!) 

So today my SIL, Rachel, and I braved the heat and took all four boys to the zoo.  It was the best time! They were so adorable running to the different animals, running between our strollers, running between the throng of people...basically running until we had to strap them back in their strollers.

Sweet Hudson and Graham (Note the fedora and Under Armour tee. Kid has swag!) 

Two peas in a pod 

After about an hour in the heat we decided that these boys (and their mamas!!) needed some sustenance and fast.  So we packed them all up and high-tailed it to McDonald's. I so wish you all could have seen us with our baby carries in one arms, diaper bags flung over the shoulders, with our two little monkeys in the middle holding hands, mamas just trying to keep up.

It's days like today that I am so grateful for the way God has blessed my boys.  Not only do they have cousins the same age, I know they will both have lifelong friends; aunts and uncles who pray for them daily and will aid Andrew and I in guiding them towards wise decisions.  As I think about who they will be years down the road as young adults, I am so grateful for days like today and the memories that were made.

I'd rather scrub toilets at Wrigley Field...

...than pack!!!

Ok- not really but you know what I mean! I dislike LOATHE packing! You would think I wouldn't mind too much since this will be our third (yes, THIRD!) move in our four short years of marriage but I do mind.  It's not that we have a ton of stuff (we have added two boys and their toys so we definitely have more than when we started) it is the organization of packing and moving that drives me crazy!!

For example, last week when I planned my dinner menu (why I am planning a dinner menu for me and my 2 year old is beyond me, but that's an entirely different issue) I did not take into account that Saturday morning I would pack up my 9x13, which I needed last night to make baked ravioli.  No worries- we made it work but see what I mean?! Every time I go to pack a few boxes I am constantly trying to decide if I will need said items before we move.  Then I go through all the ways I might, even slightly need them, and don't pack them.  IT'S MADNESS!!

On a happier note, I need to pack because WE GOT A HOUSE!!! Well, our offer was accepted contingent upon inspection coming back clean.  And inspect we will because this baby is about 100 years old! GASP! I know- completely different from our current home what we purchased barely a year ago! How can our style of home choice change so drastically in such a short time?! Four heinous, little  letters.

H-G-T-V

That stupid silly little channel has Andrew and I dreaming all kinds of big.  So when we see shows where old homes are restored beautifully (in half an hour, mind you) we are so sure that we could do the same.  *sigh*  Time will only tell.

Our inspection on our old Victorian beauty is next Friday so fingers crossed (read praying constantly) that it all comes up roses.  It was walking through this house that I finally got a twinge of excitement.  I could actually see it redone, raising our family there and hosting countless birthday parties, holidays, and backyard cookouts.  AND- we found it on our four year anniversary.

 See- everything does happen for a reason.