Yesterday something so odd happened to me while I was at Children's Hospital with Brody for his eye appointment. We went to the restroom outside the doctor's office and as we were washing our hands the strangest smell washed over me. It was something so familiar and sweet and took me a few seconds to realize - the smell was the soap! The same soapy smell that we had to use many, many times everyday when our sweet Molly was born and sent to the NICU. We had to scrub up to our elbows before they would let us come in to hold her or feed her and the smell from yesterday was so exactly the same that I almost cried in the middle of a Children's Hospital bathroom! It took my breath and I must have made a noise because Brody said, "What momma?"

I wanted to share....It was such a sweet and scary time with our first baby. We had so many CRAZY emotions during those 5 days of NICU. We were blessed beyond measure by the nuns at St. Mary's Hospital who would not letting us pay for our room, the nurses that made Molly a bow out of surgical tape so that her IV in her head wouldn't look so horrible, took pictures of her when we didn't want to remember her being in that isolet bed and made a cd for us to take home, and by the night-time volunteer who knitted Molly a purple hat to match her purple blankie. Yesterdays smell brought back a rush of feelings and emotions and I couldn't wait to get home and hug my sweet Molly!!

Upward soccer

My kids have thoroughly enjoyed playing Upward Soccer so far this season! We are complete newbies when it comes to soccer (remember, we do football)! Where I grew up ER didn't even offer soccer as a sport and Chad played a grand total of one year - IN THE FIRST GRADE!! Needless I say, we can hardly give our kids any pointers and yet, they are holding their own! Cooper especially has put forth great effort and shows some potential (as much as a 5 year old can right?)!! Today Cooper had 3 goals and Brody had one! Miss Molly likes playing defense the best so she doesn't have to run as much!! However, she enjoys soccer so much that when she broke her wrist she was bummed that she might not get to play!! We wrapped her cast today so she wouldn't wack anyone with it and she went on her merry way!! We are really proud of all 3 kids and we will be sad to see the season end!!

Offer Them Christ

Two seperate trips to the Phillipines are being planned right now - my sister Tracey and her husband Todd and sweet friend Mabel leave this week and my dear friends Gini and Sheryl (among many others) leave July 6th. It's funny how we send friends and family to missions abroad to be a blessing to the people of extreme poverty or children and families who need to know Christ and they come back having been extremely blessed themselves!! Please joing me in prayer for both groups. Pray for their safety in traveling Please pray for God's hand to lead them each where they need to be and please pray for the children in the areas they will be visiting. I leave you with a link to my friend Sheryl's blog - please read it, be informed, and know exactly what's going on and how to pray.

Hi friends! It's been a while but hopefully my long, lazy summer days stretching before me will allow me more blogging time! In the mean time, here is a liks of blogs that I love and follow religiously!!

My dear friend Betsy and her hubby Dustan and their sweet baby Bear

My dear, amazing friend Amanda and her sweet husband Brian and their 4 Littles

My new friend Courtney whose husband is a PIRATE, no wait, he is really a PILOT and their babies Ambram and Evelyn

And a random blog that I found through Amanda (previously mentioned)

Please enjoy these blogs and check back on them often - I could post many more that I check for new recipes and sewing tutorials but the list is long and extensive but I promise to in another post! Hope you are all enjoying your summers - I will be back soon!!

Before I became a mother...

Before I was a mom, I never tripped over toys or forgot the words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether of not my plants were poisinous. I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a mom, I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Peed on. Chewed on. I had complete control of my mind and thoughts. I slept all night.

Before I was a mom, I never held down a screaming child so a doctor could do tests. Or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a mom, I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a mom, I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know the bond between a mother and a child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a mom, I never got up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure that all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a mother. I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I became a mom.

Babies

I am missing my babies terribly today so I thought I would reminisce a little with some pictures....

I miss their sweet smelling, baby lotioned heads.

I miss giving bottles, even if it's 2 at a time.

I miss playing puzzles with Molly in her high chair.

I miss naptime.

I miss packing a bag full of snacks to make it through a trip to Wal-Mart.

I miss going to Chic-Fil-A for lunch.

I really miss fixing them a good breakfast and staying in our pjs until we just can't stand them anymore!

I miss being able to hug and kiss them anytime I want!!

Quick and Easy

Do you need a quick and easy dessert for a cookout? In charge of cookies for a bake sale? Need something special for a child's birthday party at school?

I have the perfect solution for you - super quick, perfectly easy and amazingly delicious:

Chocolate Cookie Bars

All you need: 1 box yellow cake mix, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of oil, half a bag of chocolate chips

Mix all these ingredients together and bake in a greased 9x13 pan for 25 minutes! Cool and Enjoy with a glass of milk!

Why Little Boys Need Parents

These photos are good for my heart and make me feel better about how my 2 little boys are turning out! :) Hope they are good for your heart as well!

Ok, so it's been almost 3 months (tomorrow it will be) since my last blog post and I do apologize if I actually do have any readers still out there - I am ashamed, I am astonished, and I am ready to make some new posts!! Since my last post, I have started teaching middle school as a full-time interim until the end of this school year. After that, we will see what happens as far as another job goes. The boys are still going to preschool as my friend Gini so graciously said, "You can leave but you can't take the boys." So, they head to and from school every MWF with....Gini! On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I am really missing our stay home days, chances to do laundry and clean house, heading out to Wal-Mart and going to Chic-Fil-A but there is a season for everything and I am trying to remember that! Miss Molly is loving Kindergarten and reading really well even though we have to make her read her school books instead of the books she wants to read - Lord, how I pray she will fall in love with books like I am in love with them!! Chad is into track season and it's been a bit of a struggle picking up kids etc but most pretty days the twins are able to go to practice with him and that gives me and Molly a little break! :) We are looking forward to getting TCAPS (standardized tests) out of the way, going home to VA for Easter, spending some time in Gatlinburg with my family in May and ready to be out of school for summer before June! More news will surely follow (it better right?) with Cox Clan happenings, recipes that we are trying out (especially the cupcakes we are LOVING to make), and general info! Hope to see you back her soon!