BORED!!

We've been trying to stay out of the heat!! Can you tell we are running out of things to do??? BRING ON THE FALL!!

Cinnamon rolls & allergies!!

No, we aren't allergic to cinnamon rolls (Thanks be to God!!), but I do feel a little bad. You would think I could handle making the kind of cinnamon rolls that you just pull apart on stick in the oven...think again!! I had one chance to make them right this morning and I blew it!! Do you know how fired up I was to have a yummy, gooey cinnamon roll made with Cinnabon cinnamon and icing??? Not to mention, my poor children patiently waited with their cute little watering mouths!!

I've never been one to brag about my cooking skills, but come on, this is the easiest thing ever!! Want to know what went wrong? A tiny step that could have saved the lives of those 6 little precious things!! I got home from the grocery store and stuck those bad boys right in the FREEZER! DUH!!!!!! Just so you know, they belong in the refrigerator. Don't make the same mistake I did!

I was so mad. Mason was so sad and Gracie just wanted to eat!! SOOOO, we ate them anyway and had a great time laughing at how crispy and tough they were. Gracie choked a couple of times, but all is well and our belly's are full!! LESSON LEARNED!! This is what they SHOULD have looked like :)

And now for the allergy test: Gracie has had a stuffy nose and watery eyes for a good ummmmm 2 years now and we had her tested yesterday to see what was causing it. Have you ever had an allergy test? OUCHY!! They pricked her back with little scrapy things...as many times as her little back would hold. She was so tough...screaming while trying to eat a lollipop and sing the Dora song all at the same time.

The results are in and I told all of you that the whole 'pet thing' just wasn't for us! It was that motherly instinct, right? HAHA!! Gracie is severely allergic to cats. She is also allergic to dogs, trees and weeds. There you have it...no cats for the Mabery Family...doctor's orders!!

GOOD TIMES!

We had such a great time visiting our family in Cape Cod!! The highlights: Mason caught a shark, we feasted on lobster and Betty Ann's ice cream until we were blue in the face, Grace body surfed, the scenery was beautiful (loved Martha's Vineyard!!), Mason and Pa had matching doo-rags!, we saw whales...and we had the opportunity to make some memories with our family that will last a lifetime!!

Time flies...

It really does seem like yesterday when I was carrying around a little short and stubby baby boy! I can remember thinking, "WOA, this kid is going to be a big ball of energy!" (AND HE IS!!) When Mason was 2-ish, I remember saying, "uh-oh, I think he has my ocd/anxious tendencies!" (AND HE STILL DOES!) I knew he was an old soul, full of sensitivity and kindness (AND HE STILL IS!). We knew very early that he would LOVE to play all kinds of sports (HE DOES...our hint: first word was ball...haha!) and I knew that I felt a kind of love that was like nothing I had ever felt before (and it just keeps getting STRONGER!!) I can't believe how much Mason has grown and I can't believe he is about to start kindergarten! While it makes me somewhat sad, I can't wait for him to experience the world that is waiting for him - I know he will shine!!

And it really wasn't that long ago that I was by the side of the most determined, strong-willed baby girl I had ever met! What a fighter!! There was a point there at the beginning when I wasn't absolutely sure she would make it through, but the older she gets, the more I understand how she did it! She has so much determination...she sparkles with life!! From the get go, I remember thinking, "YIKES, this girl is demanding!!!" (YEP, SHE STILL IS!) I remember thinking, "daddy is in trouble - she already knows how to work those big eyes!" (AND OVER HER TWO YEARS, SHE HAS PERFECTED THE POUTY EYES AND LIPS!) I remember thinking, "do I have enough love for another child"? (YEP, MY CUP RUNNETH OVER and I have such a bond with Gracie - my heart is so full of love and gratitude for her!!) She reminds us everyday that life is full of miracles and that we should embrace every moment!!

Our job is to be the parent and yet we have learned so much from our children!! I look at these pictures and get so choked up because I can't believe how much time has gone by! Where did it go??? Gracie is not a baby anymore! She is a beautiful little girl with so much to give to this world!! And my Mason is not a toddler! He is a young man with such a BIG heart!! I am the luckiest mommy ever!!!

These pictures were taken by a good friend of mine...didn't she do a good job?? She has captured my children in a way that I cannot describe! They are priceless pictures!!! I haven't seen all of the proofs yet, but these make my heart melt! She has taken our pictures before for our Christmas cards and always does a great job, but these are definitely my favorite!!

Natalie, thank you so much for helping me make time stand still (if even just for a second)!!!

How green is your bag?

One generation plants the trees...another gets the shade. -Chinese Proverb
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Tuesday's Thought

"Children, more than anyone else, enable us to be touched by life!"

M and G: You continue to show me what life is all about! I never knew my heart could feel so much...I love you bunches!!

Happy 4th of July!

What I loved about this 4th of July weekend: a hometown parade, yummy fair food, a GREAT fireworks show, The Temptations LIVE, being with my family, sparklers, dessert and TWO trips to Canton!! Does it get any better than this???

It's Wednesday!