Weekend Wear-out!!!

So this weekend totally kicked my butt! We went to Plano for my nephew's 4th birthday. Caleb and Aidan are like long-lost brothers, basically... they are amazing to watch together and love every minute they have together. So... here's how it went...

• Left around lunch Friday afternoon so we could get there in time for dinner with the Burkles. We all know traffic in a big city can be the opposite of fun, right? Well this was down right RIDICULOUS! It started out 30 miles before Weatherford... complete standstill. Seriously?? Yep - seriously. And - it gets better... we had to endure that 3 times before even hitting "big city traffic!" Mind you, the little delay along I20 ensured that we made it to downtown Dallas - as if on cue - at the stroke of 5:30 on a FRIDAY!!! I just want to make sure you can feel the J-O-Y in this post!!!! Oh - and did I mention we had not stopped the entire way for a potty break?!?!?!?


• Ahhhh... Saturday... the day of the BIG party! Wait - let me back it up to about 5:30 a.m. when Connor (bless his little heart) woke up to realize he hadn't the foggiest clue where he was and proceeded to get up and run from his pallet in the floor, screaming bloody murder because he was so freaked out! *Can you say INSTANTLY WIDE AWAKE?* Poor baby... come lay with Mommy and go back night-night... yeah. Right. 20 minutes into that idea and I feel *poke*poke* in my eye with the sound of the behind-the-paci giggle. *SIGH* I decided to go ahead and get up since I knew we had to get 4 adults and 4 children up, dressed, fed, and ready to head to a party by 10:00. I head to the shower only to realize I forgot my razor!!!! AAAAAHHHHHH!!! (Now, those of you who know me - and I mean know me - know that Carey doesn't skip a day of shaving. Stubble is NOT my friend!!! So, off to Albertson's I went at 6:45 a.m. complete with my Pucker Up jammies with lip prints all over them! Hey - a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! Fast forward to 10ish - we did pretty well getting us all spit-shined and ready for a party at Pump It Up! And it was fun - once I played my Mean Mommy card and made Caleb get into those bouncy things! He didn't want to - no way, no how. I gave him the choice: Bouncy Obstacle Course or Time Out for the rest of the party. Surely you can guess what he chose. And so glad he did! He had so much fun (and is still telling me so today)! After the party, we went back for naps - for everyone, and then the grandparents came over to watch Aidan open his gifts. (Caleb has already made plans for HIS OWN birthday... he wants to make sure he gets a fighter jet just like Aidan's!) Moving on to dinner - we went out for my MIL's birthday to a great Italian restaurant where we seriously committed the sin of gluttony! Before making it back "home" for the night, we just HAD to stop by and see where MIL and FIL were staying - a swanky little joint called the NYLO... all I can say is COOOOOOOL!

• Sunday - alas, Sunday!!! Time to head home, which I am grateful for because my children DO NOT sleep well away from home! You guessed it - Connor was up sleep-screaming at 5:30 again this morning. :o( Poor baby... Anyway - the drive home wasn't so bad - we stopped off at the Smokestack Restaurant in Thurber (pop. 5), and it was good eatin'! Once we were home, I think we all walked in, SIGHED, and melted into our comfort zone...

I guess I must be old... 'cause I sure do like my own bed a whole lot! Hmmm... wasn't it the ever-intelligent Dorothy who proclaimed, "There's no place like home"? ...Amen, Sister!

I LIVE For Days Like These!

It's only February, but it already feels like mid-late Spring! (Especially with the WIND!) It's crazy! But it sure is nice when you have 2 great Joys who love to play outside! We had the best time yesterday - playing on the playground - getting dirty, pretending to eat rocks, swinging, sliding, you name it...

I absolutely love how my boys love one another. It amazes me every single day. Connor just looks on at Caleb with such admiration, curiousity (what's he gonna do next to make me laugh?), wonder, and down right affection! They love to hug one another and kiss one another... and it makes up for them loving to annoy one another! ;o)

I just enjoyed watching my two C's play together yesterday... THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT! I couldn't help but think that over and over to myself... Playing outside with my boys - watching them learn about everything around them and one another. Oh, they make my heart swell with love to where it just physically hurts sometimes! I'm sad to see how quickly they are growing up right before my wide-open eyes. And, at the same time, I'm so proud and ecstatic to see who and what they are growing up to be. Blessed doesn't begin to describe the way I feel when it comes to my Joys!

What a Difference a Week Makes!

Saturday was such a tremendous high! Sunday... not so much. The day started out great - we were even on time to Sunday School! Woo-hoo! Well, to say things weren't right when we picked Connor up in the nursery would be an understatement. He was sprawled out asleep on a nursery worker - covering her like a warm blanket. And when I say warm, I mean WARM - like an electric blanket or something! By the time we got home his fever was 104.2!! We were able to keep it around 102 with a cool bath and Motrin/Tylenol until his doctor's appointment the next day. While at the doc's, his temp registered at a whopping 104.5!!! He ended up having to undergo blood work where they found his white cell count to be at 20,000 (should be around 12k). They called us back in later that afternoon for one mean antibiotic shot because the blood work didn't show if it was for sure bacterial or viral. He was one sick baby throughout the week. Luckily, the shot (plus the oral antibiotic) seem to have helped.

Ahhh... Valentine's... the joy. I'm sorry, but I've never been a big fan of the day, myself. I think we should show our love each and every day - not wait and shower the love of our life with red and pink on one day Hallmark tells us to. Enough of my disdaid... I have found a new love (if you will) for the holiday in that Caleb and I had fun making Valentines (and a HUGE mess) together in preparation for his party at school. I also got all Susie Homemaker the morning of the 14th - I free-handed heart shaped cookies and baked them while my boys enjoyed their breakfast and some nice Backyardigan's tunes on the iPod. I even DECORATED THEM! *GASP!* I know!!!! But it was all worth it - Caleb, a.k.a. "King of Hearts," had a great Valentine's Day! And isn't that all that matters?

We did get to spend a little more quality time at the park - before the cold, nasty weather reared it's ugly head! This was Connor's first time at Kid's Kingdom. Once again, he was in love with the slide! I knew it was time to go when he lunged too hard to go down the slide and almost did a face plant in the wood chips. Not to mention it was 2:30, and I had some t-i-r-e-d babies on my hand! But it was worth it - we really had a great time together!

The week almost ended kind of rough... had some things happen that really hurt my feelings. I was really hurt by a fellow church member, and that made it even a little more painful. I'm having to pray and let go... unfortunately, my human nature tends to remind me every now and again that my heart still hurts... But it's going to be ok. Thankfully, we had some nice weather this afternoon (Sunday), and Bill, Caleb, and Connor and I took some time to cruise around the new palace. I took my bible and a permanent marker and put some meaningful verses throughout some of the rooms. Still have some more to do... Anyway - that wraps up another week of the life of the Peacock family! Looking forward to what next week has in store...

These are the BEST times!

Although only February, the air whispered of Spring to come. The skies were blue, the winds were calm, and a feeling of (forgive the cheese) HAPPY just rested within!

We woke early-ish to get breakfast and cleaning done - the house was to be shown between 10-11. By 9:45 we were heading out the door. Perfect. We do an errand or two, and then we seemed to be warped into Family Zone - even though the scenery seemed to look just like the places we see every day... you could see it, feel it... we were in Family Zone! We took a drive to the State Park to show Caleb the bison that reside out there. He was less than impressed because, of course, he just wanted to get out and ruuuuuun. *sigh* It just wasn't an option because we were on a 30 minute "drive pass." Awww... nuts. We did a drive-by lunch at our house on our way to the Mall for the Chocolate Festival Kid's Area. Caleb got to indulge in a few chocolate munchies that gave him the extra bounce that he needed... yeah, right! He enjoyed it, none the less!

Next! We went to the park... had to... Caleb had to run that chocolate off, by golly! It was such an amazingly beautiful day! Caleb and Connor enjoyed themselves soooo much! Connor is so darn funny - just wants to do whatever Brother is doing. And he has no fear! That baby would just dive - I'm serious! - DIVE down the slides... no worries... wouldn't it be nice to live life that way?! *SUPER SIGH*

After much fun at the park, we headed up to Chateau Peacock to see the most recent progress. (Yes, we DO go every day - we can't help ourselves!) We actually hoisted Caleb up to the 2nd floor this time around, and he got to see where his "new room" is going to be. Excited does not encompass the feelings pouring out of him - and me, for that matter. I love the thoughts and images I have of watching my children grow up in that house. The house Bill and I built together. There's no warmer, fuzzier feeling...

Thank you, God, for a glorious day with the ones I love most - my family!