2nd Annual Pumpkin Patch Visit

I LOVE the fall! We move from lighter meals, to roasts, stews, casseroles and of course, baked goodies. Cotton sheets and bedding gets exchanged for cozy flannel and down comforters. Hooded sweatshirts...my favorite! And for us little Mezas, it means a trip to the pumpkin patch! We all had such a blast. Here are a few pictures from that beautiful day.

1) The big, "Jumpy House," as Rose called it. She played in here forever and laughed herself silly.

2) The pick of the patch!


3) The one she picked just for Mama, and the one she carried for the rest of the day.

4) No, it is not a pumpkin under my sweater!

5) At the end of the day! Next up...nap time! :)

All in a Day's Work

1. Retrieve what used to be pieces to Rose Marie's favorite puzzle from the washing machine. I don't know why I didn't look for puzzle pieces in the laundry basket initially...now I know.
2. Rescue Bud Bud from being "toilet trained," on a potty that still had pee in it! Talk about close call! Yuck! From now we "pretend" that we teach toilet training to Bud Bud, by using a little chair or a stool, not the real potty.
3. Go Jack Bauer on a spider, that Rose Marie insisted she was unable to shoot. (I didn't realize that we shoot bugs, but hey, whatever works I guess!)
4. Sift through the grocery cart at the check-out, trying to remember which things I put in the cart, and which things magically appeared there with the help of a certain two year old. Apparently, she is feeling drawn to Asian food, based on the sauces and spices I laid aside today.
5. Honing cat-like reflexes as I see, out of the corner of my eye, an egg being held above the head of said two year old, who is "baking" cinnamon bread and catching the egg just before it was about to meet certain demise all over the counter. As I gingerly take the egg from her hand, she says, "I can crack the egg myself." Right.
6. Receiving a long, wonderful little kiss from this two year old and hear her say, "Mama I love you very much."

Yeah...it is totally worth it!

A new discovery!

Guess what I discovered!!!

You can keep a toddler quiet for the duration of the grocery shopping trip by applying a small amount of lipgloss to her lips. She will keep her lips puckered the entire time!!!! She will only answer questions by nodding or shaking her head. People will comment on how quiet and well behaved she is while shopping, and I simply nod and smile my appreciation...secretly having an evil laugh within. :)

Feeling so small...

I think God gave us the vastness and power of the ocean, to remind each of us how small, and yet how very loved we are. There is something so beautiful about seeing your daughter sense this for the first time.

And then, there is the endless "sandbox" and thousands of seashells that must be collected!

Quality time with siblings, discussing the meaning of life, is essential to any beach trip! :) I love the conversations that I have with my siblings and now the spouses as well! It is such a blessing to see our little discussion circle continue to grow.

Just the three (well actually four) of us! This trip was so good for our little family. It is so nice to have so much time to relax, cuddle, laugh and talk.

"We are family..." I remember going on these trips when these two were actually shorter than me! How times have changed, but just like the seasons, those changes bring their own particular beauty.

I love beach romance! :)

The end of a beautiful day and a fantastic trip! I am sure that mothers the world over, look forward to the solid sleep that accompanies a full day of surf and sand!

Three Years Ago Today!!!

Three years ago and the smiles have not faded. Then it was a smile of joy, looking forward to the future and what it might have in store for us. Now it is a smile of complete happiness knowing exactly what our future has in store: a beautiful child - soon to be two children, a loving and caring wife, a friendship that words can never express, and busy days of living and planning for a bright future.

Many people said as we were getting married, "just wait until the honeymoon stage wears off." Scary thought then, yes, but today I feel as if we are moving in the opposite direction! Honeymoon stage? Those people got it wrong. For me, the Honeymoon stage was just the prelude to the beautiful symphony. Every time a new piece is introduced, the more exciting life gets. We have not hit the climax, but the beginning of the show is keeping me at the edge of my seat. I only have three years under my belt, but I can tell you that I think it is a mistake to wait for the honeymoon to end. Rather, why not try and make everyday and extension of that beautiful time in your life.

I know there will be ups and down, and not every day is perfect, but my wife has taught me many things. The most important of which is the title of this blog, "The Little Things!" This is something Jessica has emphasized since the day I met her (one of the many reason I fell in love with her). She said, "Jake, always remember the little things when life gets to busy. If we do that for each other on a daily basis, we will not fail." Those have been some of the best words of advice I ever have received. Day in and day out we work at the little things. Here is what is so ironic. Paying attention to the little things has allowed us to accomplish so many big things with so little effort!

These hands have been locked together ever since they could. I made a promise to never let go. That means, that no matter what comes our way, I will hold on to all that is dear to me. Sure, occasionally there is a small pair of hands that manage to slip their way in between. But my daughter Rose Marie has only enriched our friendship, not diminished. (There will be another pair in a few months who will also bless our marriage!!!)

Three years I have been holding the hands of my best friend. Three years I have been incredibly blest by God's love that shines through my wife and child. Three years, well, when you are having so much fun, time does fly.

So for all those newly married out there, when you hear sceptics say, "wait till the honeymoon is over," I say it is possible that they day may never come! Don't waste your time waiting. Instead, grab your spouse's hand, and walk forward to an incredibly happy future. All the while, remembering the little things! :)

To: My Little Princess who has made me so happy these past three years. Happy Anniversary!

Happy Feast Day!

On October 1, the Church celebrated the Feast Day of St. Therese. I have always had a special love and devotion to her. As a mother, I lean on the wisdom of St. Therese's Little Way, both for my own spirituality and for teaching my daughter about the faith.

This year, I was determined to try to keep this Feast Day in our own home. As it happened, Rose Marie woke up that morning with an awful cold, so I felt slightly discouraged. However, it turned out to be a blessing. She and I spent the good part of the morning setting up a special area in our home dedicated to St. Therese. Rose Marie poured her whole little being into making it special. We went to the store to find candles. When I asked her which color St. Therese would like, she carefully looked over the options and said, "Mama, St. Therese loves pink, she likes pink candles." So, pink it was! We went to chose three roses to give to St. Therese and of course, she chose pink again! The long and short of it was that, despite how sick she felt, she was determined to make the day special for Jesus' friend. In the midst of her efforts and preparations, she forgot about her cold. She filled the vase with water and arranged our three humble roses, she placed the candles next to St. Therese's picture and then stood back to admire her handiwork.

I realize that she does not understand the theology of St. Therese's Little Way, but I think her little heart knew it in a special way. She knows that Jesus is St. Therese's "best Friend," because she explained this fact to me several times throughout the day. The candles remained lit throughout the day and they would draw Rose Marie to the table, where she would gaze at the photo, make sure everything was in order, and she would quietly say, "St. Therese, pray for Rose Marie."

Yes, St. Therese, please pray for Rose Marie and for her Mommy.