Heavenly Mountain

This past weekend was one of the more fun times I can remember as of late. I headed to the mountains with 2 dozen of my closest friends, which is true except for the fact that I had only ever even met 3 of them - and of those, 2 were last week and 1 was only a month ago. For those of you that know me well, I'll give you a minute to process what I have just said, because this was so outside of my usual doing that it's just bizarre, no?

We stayed in a ridiculous house - I mean what house do you know with a full-out fountain in the smack middle of downstairs, just right there in the middle of the hall? It was at the tippy top of a mountain right on the edge of Boone and had amazing views that went on for ages. I heart the mountains.

What I heart even more, though, are fun, real, genuine people. And every single person on this trip was one of those. Really, every last one. It was way beyond fun. And now I have 22 or so new friends, which will make anyone's day.

Outside your comfort zone can be surprisingly comfortable. It's a good lesson. :)

Happy Birthday, Sam!

Kid, how are you THREE?Little man just home from the hospital.
Photo shoot on Mommy's bed at 6 months. :)
Your first birthday!
Turning 2 at Gymboree.

And now you're THREE! And Becca L-O-V-E-S you to the moon and back!

Seeing Double - The Woltzes :)

Meet Jack and Will. Now, if there was just one of these little guys I would be sold on the cuteness. But my gosh. There are two of them. Sure, yes, I'll give you a moment...

I've known their mom, Katie, since I was little. We went all the way through school together in Winston, and now she and her husband, William, and these precious boys live about 8 seconds around the corner. Lucky me. :)

These little guys weren't to make an appearance until fall of last year, but they had other plans and made quite an entrance in June instead at only 26.5 weeks. Early early and they were teeny tiny at right around 2 lbs a piece. But man, does prayer work - I don't know many people that weren't on their knees for this whole family, and they came through it all like champs.

They spent about 2.5 months in the NICU and fought like little soldiers to be able to come home and be a part of a family that loves them more than anything in the world. I got to meet them the first week of August of last year at the hospital and will easily remember that day forever and ever.

Katie got to hold the boys together for the first time while I was there, and through a river of tears I was able to focus enough to get a few shots of such an incredible moment for her as a mom. Hard to top. Really really hard to top.

Jack is the thinker and the laid back one. He's content to hang around and just stare at everything going on around him, doesn't really get upset over too much and falls asleep at the drop of a hat. Will is all shades of personality - quite the little talker and a big flirt. Look out ladies, a little wink from him and you'll be done for. And they both love to snuggle. I love love love snuggly babies.
Katie and William - these boys are unreal - not like I need to tell you that. I, like so so many others, am so thankful that their health is so great now and that you guys are all doing so very well!

Vivi & Nora

These are two of the most beautiful children that will ever exist, if you ask me. They look like their mother and have their daddy's gorgeous eyes. They come from such a sweet, loving, funny family and are sweet, loving, funny girls.

Viv is the "big sister" and such a piece of work. She has an imagination like nothing I've ever seen, even though she's not even 3 yet. Her make-believe friends are a very real part of her life, and the stories she can whip up about them are out of this world. She's a little Deacon and once stood on her parent's bed and serenaded all of us, at the top of her lungs, with the entire Wake Forest Alma Mater. She flips out and runs toward me screaming whenever I see her and I. LOVE. THAT. And I love her.

Sweet sweet baby Nora. Perhaps the happiest, sweetest, most laid back baby I've ever been around. When she was born I tried so hard to let the family have some time before I stopped by, and that lasted all of 3 days after they got home because I just couldn't stand it anymore. I fell in love with her at first sight. Everyone does. This picture is from when she fell asleep at her very own baptism luncheon. She's already wearing pearls - a girl after my own heart. :)

When was the last time...

...that you laughed THIS hard???

Next time you're having a rough day, just put on your bulldog pjs and go nuts. :)

Sweet Sweet Schultzes

(This post should have happened so long ago that it's embarrassing. My "best of intentions" blogging mentality has clearly not worked out so well. But 2009 is just around the corner, so let's hope there's a resolution to do better, okay?)

Will & Ben. How much fun do they look like they are? I first met the Schultzes when Will was about 3 1/2 and, as usually is the case with painfully cute children, I was sold. And when Ben was born in 2006, he quickly turned into the rolliest (word?) baby you have EVER seen. I LOVE rolls on a baby. L.O.V.E.

Will is one of the most congenial kids I've ever met in my life. I have the most vivid memory of him being 4 years old and in a little sweater vest at the Festival of Trees, tugging on my pant leg and saying, with his little hands in his khaki pockets, "So Rebecca, how are things at your house?" The kid eats, sleeps and breathes Legos and knows ev.er.y.thing about Star Wars. You think I'm kidding. And instead of calling my parents Mr. & Mrs. McNeely or Wayne and Jill, he calls them "Rebecca's Dad" and "Rebecca's Mom" I know, I can't stand it either.

Oh Beeeeen. Oh how you make me laugh. You yell - YELL - "HI!" at anyone and everyone nearby - stranger or old friend. You make their day. You eat like there's no tomorrow, and you apparently don't care for folks who sing Happy Birthday, as you started screaming whenever we tried at your 2nd birthday party. As a baby you were happiest upside down, and you flat out, absolutely adore your big brother. You, sweet boy, are precious.

I would do a disservice to this wonderful family to not mention their middle son, Thomas, who was born in January of 2005. Thomas was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and lived a short (but SO very full of life and love) 12 days in the hospital. Mary and John have made helping families who have lost a baby during pregnancy or during infancy a mission in their own lives, and all who know them have experienced true grace by witnessing their journey. Thomas is seen in bluebirds in the sky and is celebrated with cupcakes on his birthday. He is honored through ornaments on the Christmas Tree. His pictures grace the bookshelves of their home and he is talked about all the time. He is absolutely their angel.

Thomas' candle at the 2008 Heartstrings Walk to Remember

"Thomas' Team" at the walk in October

When I Grow Up...

When they're little, kids want to be astronauts, ballerinas, firefighters. They get a little older and the focus shifts a little - athletes, singers - whatever they're interested in at the time.I have known, ever since I was little, what I want to be when I "grow up" (I don't think I'm there yet - I wonder if anyone ever actually gets there.) I want to be a mom. Some people truly feel what they were put on this earth to do - for me, it is to be a mother.
I know, I know, it's not looking like it will be any time soon. Prince Charming has apparently made a pit stop in, oh, I don't know, China or somewhere - I think his white horse has broken down. But I hope that, when he does FINALLY get here, he'll be gung-ho about the pitter patter of little feet, because I want to hear lots of them.

As I've gotten older and gotten to see so many amazing mothers in action, I know that I want that even more. The love in these photos is like no other love in the world, if you ask me...I absolutely want the SUV full of carseats and cheerios and cheesy sing-a-long music. I want lots of birthday parties and school plays and even want the tears and the skinned knees and teenage broken hearts. And I thank all of the moms that I know now that I'm older for being such amazing examples. Way too many to cover here.

But, I think that one of the main reasons that my heart is so sure of all of this is because of my own mother. I want to have the relationship with my kids that she has with us. My sister and I are as different as night and day, but I know we can agree on one thing: we've got one HECK of a mother.