Saying Goodbye

Last night, our family had to do what I've been dreading for about 3 weeks now. We went over to see our sweet, dear friends and told them goodbye. Travis, Sarah and their girls are moving tomorrow to the Philadelphia area as they follow God's call on their life for Travis to service as Music Minister at his dad's church.

Saying goodbye to them wasn't just wishing friends well as they move, it was saying goodbye to people that are as close to us as family. It was heartbreaking. We cried, and cried, and cried some more. To the point I had a splitting headache when we finally got home.

We have grown to love them over the years. We both have 3 kids a piece and all of them are girls. And our kids adore each other. They played last night, made up songs and sang and danced for us, laughed, giggled, ran around and just had a ball. It was like they really didn't realize that was the last time they'd be playing together for a while. When it was time to leave, they all said their goodbyes and hugged and it wasn't until we drove away that it really hit all of them. Our girls cried all the way home and Travis said their girls went inside the house and bawled, too. It's like it was finally real. Travis and Sarah have precious girls. It makes me so sad to know our kids won't grow up together. But, I also know that God has something huge in store for their family and He is going to do great things through them. They are going to be terribly missed. Our date nights where we sit and quote old "Friends" episodes and just crack up over and over again, nights where we know finding a sitter is out so we head to one house or the other and have a fun (albeit, wild) night visiting and chasing around 6 kids, spending the day celebrating each others kid's birthdays, and so much more. We will just miss them. Like so many other people here will - they are loved by many, not just us.

Praying for you as you start your journey in PA. Excited for the times that we'll get to see you all again. Looking forward to a lot of time on Skype! We love you, Sarah and Travis - you'll be missed by the Cash family!

First Day of School

Yesterday was a big day for 2 of our girls - the first day of school! Macie is in 3rd grade now and Maddie started Kindergarten. They were both excited and ready to go - they had a great summer, but I think they were truly looking forward to getting back to the routine of school and seeing their friends. They hopped right out of bed, got their new outfits on and had one of their favorite special treats for breakfast - Orange Rolls!

I surprised each of them with a feather for their hair that I found at Walgreens. They are a clip in style and work great. I got Macie bright purple and Maddie a bright orange. They have been begging for a feather all summer and I promised them that they could get one right before school started. They were so excited about them and they really looked cute in their hair.

They finished getting ready and after a few pictures, we headed out the door to drop them off. I was praying that I would do better dropping Maddie off at kindergarten than I did with Macie. (Let's just say I started crying on the ride to school, and didn't stop for about 30 minutes after we left her.) Thankfully, Macie is a very independent child and seeing me cry didn't phase her too much. I knew full well that if I cried in front of Maddie that it would not be good. She's much more emotional and would have been a basket case if I was upset. We took Macie to her class first and then headed down the hall to Maddie's class. She was chewing her nails the whole way. We got to her class, found her seat and her cubby, put her things away, snapped a few pictures and told her good-bye. No tears from either of us! YAY! Well, until I got out the door. A few tears did fall at that point. Mike was carrying Mabrie and said, "Just one more to go!" - and then he told me not to worry, that Maddie would do just fine. I dried my eyes and headed home excited for her - she's come so far - this is the child that would cry every single Sunday when we'd take her to the nursery, or every single time she had a babysitter, or every single time I'd leave the house and leave her with her daddy! She was and still is a momma's girl - but she's growing up and she's become so much more confident. I'm so proud of her!

When it came time to pick them up, I walked to the kindergarten door where all the other parents were also getting their kids, and Maddie came running to me, yelling in her loudest voice, "Momma, guess what??!! There's a boy in my class named ELMO!!" And she started cackling! I told her to be quiet, fearing that Elmo and his mom were right by me. We got a kick out of that the rest of the evening! It was too funny!

Macie also had a great day! She was excited about her new teacher and her class. She seems to think she has a great group of kids in there and that she's really going to like her 3rd grade year. She's always been a great student. I have no doubt that she'll do awesome again this year. She's is a blessing and a pure joy to parent. I couldn't be more proud of her!

And so that leaves me and little Miss at home 5 days a week. She's a ball of energy and just so much fun! I'm looking forward to our time together. It won't be long and I'll be posting her picture as she heads to kindergarten, so for now, I'm enjoying these wild, busy, fun-filled days. (And some very tiring days, if I'm being honest!)

Looking forward to a great school year! I hope all of you that have school age kids had a great first week back as well.

Farewell, Summer 2011!

It's been a great summer break for our family! We've visited Mike's family over Memorial Day, spent a few days with my family in St. Louis in June, enjoyed lots of time in the pool, had play dates with a bunch of friends, and just enjoyed the lazy days of summer right here at home.

It always seems to go by so fast and before I turn around, Walmart is restocked with Back to School supplies and we are finding our lists of things to buy for the new year. This time we had 2 lists to shop from - Macie's 3rd grade list and Maddie's Kindergarten list. They had so much fun getting their things for school. I remember being in Elementary and how much I loved picking out a new backpack, lunch box and all my supplies. I may be showing my age here, but remember when we had to get Art boxes and they were similar to those old cigar boxes? They were kind of a hard cardboard and the top just lifted up but didn't snap closed? I loved those things! I also got a huge kick out of picking out a new Trapper Keeper! I thought they were just awesome! :)

I know the girls are both ready and excited for school to start back. I am looking forward to the routine that the school year brings, but I'm also going to miss the ease of summer break. We have enjoyed our time together this summer so much.

I told Mike on Sunday that my new goal was to get up early and do my workout before getting the girls up and ready each morning. He laughed at me knowing that I've said this before but never done it. I'm happy to report that the past 2 mornings, I've been up at 6:45, workout clothes on and having a little quality time nice and early with Jillian. She's definitely not very pleasant that early in the morning. My poor body is feeling the pain today, too. But, I really want to stick with this. It feels so good once I'm done and know that I started my day off doing something good for my body. Hopefully, I can stick to it and continue doing my workout before 7:00 a.m. - then get the girls up and start our morning.

Tomorrow is the first day of school and we are all looking forward to a great school year. The girls are excited about their new teachers and are ready to get started. My prayer for them is that they will be great students, excel in their studies and be a light for Jesus in their school. I love you Macie and Maddie - it's been a fun summer! Here's to a great school year!

Girl's Night Out

Last night, the girls in our Sunday School class had a fun night out. We love having the chance to get together and enjoy some time to just sit, talk and laugh. It was a little bittersweet last night though because it was the last girl's night for my friend, Sarah. She, her husband Travis and their 3 sweet girls are moving in a couple of weeks to follow God's call on their lives and serve at a church in Pennsylvania. I was so glad we had the chance to all get together and spend some time with her before they move. Sarah and I have become so close over the past several years and to say I will miss her would not even scratch the surface of how I feel. But, I'm excited for her and her family as they begin this new journey and I know He has great things in store for them! I love you, Sarah! :) You, Travis and the girls will be SO missed by our family and our whole class!

We began our night at dinner - something very fancy - Firehouse Subs! HA! My goal was to keep the night as reasonable as possible. It was so fun to sit and talk with these girls for an hour or so. From there, we headed out (or tried to) in a massive storm that was blowing into Fort Smith. We decided that it would be best to send Melissa out with an umbrella, get her car, pull it up to the door and pick the rest of us up. Poor thing, her key pad doesn't work, so here she is in massive rain which is blowing sideways because of the wind, fumbling her keys, trying to get in her car. At one point, Amanda looked and saw the umbrella, still in Melissa's hand, but turned inside out from the wind. A lot of good that did her, huh?! She got to the door and we made our game plan of who was getting in first and what seat we were all jumping in when we got to the car. Right as 2 of the girls took off running for the car, Melissa's foot slipped off the brake and the car started moving - we were cracking up! We finally got in and were all soaked. It was too funny.

We made our way from there to the movie theater to see "The Help". The lines were LONG at the ticket counter, but we were pretty confident that all the teenage boys in line were probably NOT going to see our movie. Someone saw a group of "Seniors" and said, they are probably going to see "The Help" - again, we are cracking up at the fact that we must be getting old! HA! We are out on a Friday night, going to see the "old" people movie!

It was packed when we got in there and thankfully, we weren't the youngest in the theater. We all got our snacks and drinks and settled in. About 10 minutes in to the previews, I asked Sarah if I could have a drink of her and Melissa's soda. It was one of the big cups and when Sarah went to grab it out of the cup holder, the lid popped off and soda dumped ALL OVER the two of them. They were soaked and we were all cracking up again. They tried to dry themselves off and we found it funny that the ONE night none of us have wet wipes with us is the one night we need them most! Go figure!

We settled in again and the movie started. I won't go in to all that the movie was about, but I just have to say - go see it! It was SO good! Funny, tear jerking, sweet, thought provoking all in one! Great movie, great dinner and a great time with friends! Thanks girls! We'll do it again soon!

HURRY!

You have until the end of today to get yourself a cute Lauren Grace Boutique flower hat on sale for $18 for adult hats!! She can customize them in any color combo, school/college spirit combo you might want!

Check out her blog for some of the styles and options! Click HERE to take a look!

My Hogs hat! Woo Pig Sooie!!!

Welcome, Max!

On Sunday night, August 7th, 2011 our family welcomed a new baby boy! Mike's sister, Mallory and her husband, Mike were very surprised to find out just a month after their wedding that they were not only newlyweds, but soon to be parents! Nothing like a honeymoon surprise, huh?! :)

Little Max Henry Mazanek was born after a LONG day of labor for Mallory. He was 7 lbs. 15 oz., 21 1/2" long and just perfect! He looks a lot like Mike and Mallory's younger brother Taylor. There's something about those Cash genes - they flat out dominate.

Unfortunately, Mallory's husband was not able to be there to witness the birth of his first born. He is a military man and was selected for a specialized training which began on August 1st. They tried to convince their doctor to induce on July 30th or 31st, but were unsuccessful. The doctor would only induce 1 week early and that date was August 1st. Not too helpful since he left that same morning. They were able to talk and text all day and he was kept up to date on her progress during labor and then of course was the very first phone call once Max arrived. Thankfully, he will get to come home this weekend to meet his boy! It's a quick 1 night trip, but at least he doesn't have to wait the full 6 weeks. That would have been so hard!

We are so proud of Mallory and how great she did delivering her first baby! Not only did the labor go longer than expected, but she had to do it without her spouse there. Something I can't imagine. My mother-in-law was with her though and was an awesome coach. I guess once you have 6 kids like Cindy does, you hit pro status as a labor coach. I know it was an awesome experience for her to watch her first grandson come into the world.

Congrats Mal and Mike! We are thrilled for you! Praying God would bless your marriage and little Max as he grows. We can't wait to meet him over Thanksgiving. And like I have already stated - I have dibs on him. :)

Psalm 139:14 - I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Fun Give-Away

I don't know why I'm telling all of you about this because I really want to win! HA! No seriously, there's a fun giveaway of one of these type of hats over at Lauren Grace Boutique's blog.

There are all sorts of color combos to choose from! The hat Maddie is wearing is one of the child colors/styles, but the adult ones look just like it - with a cute flower and on your choice of hat color (black, light khaki, dark khaki, etc.). If you are the lucky winner, you choose what you want! You can also do one in your school colors!

So head on over and leave a comment HERE or HERE

And good luck! :)

P.S. - when you link to her blog - scroll down to some previous posts to see some of the hat styles/options that she's made already! So many to choose from!
P.S.S. - if you follow or become a follower of her blog, you get entered twice! So, make sure and leave that info when you comment!

What I'm Loving Friday

Ok, I'm hopping on the bandwagon. I've seen lots of posts on different blogs I read like this one and so I thought I'd join in on the fun. And because I get stuck in a rut of what to blog about. So, here goes! Here's "What I'm Loving"!

The only boy in my house and the best friend, husband and daddy I could have ever asked for!

These 3 little girls - I adore them!

Our big blue pool - when it's 115 degrees, this baby is the only thing that sounds remotely fun.

Sno-Cones - They are such a yummy treat on a hot summer night!

This Book ("Radical" by David Platt) - It's changing my outlook on how I live my life. And my outlook on what is really important. If you haven't read it, you need to.

So, what are you loving?

11 Months

I don't know how it happened so quickly, but Mabrie is 11 months old today.

I know. I was just pregnant with her. And now she's nearly 1 year old. She's talking, taking a few steps here and there, standing alone, eating everything we eat, playing with her big sisters, getting into drawers, and so much more. Sometimes I feel like the newborn stage went so quickly that I barely remember it.

She's been a total breeze of a baby. She's active and very curious, but what 11 month old isn't? I find myself walking around the house multiple times a day picking up little messes she makes. I vividly remember doing the same with Macie. She liked to get into drawers in the kitchen and pull out bowls, pots, pans and anything else she could get her little hands on. Maddie didn't get in to things too much, primarily because Maddie spent most of her time sitting at my feet crying to be held. HA! Mabrie's personality is a lot like Macie's. She's funny and outgoing and will let anyone hold her. She's a little more feisty than Macie was though.

She LOVES her daddy. She's probably the only one of the 3 that will go to him just as easily as she'll go to me. He eats it up, too. On Sunday, Mike picked her up from the nursery and when I walked in to see her, I reached my arms out to hold her and she turned away and laid her head on his shoulder. Mike was pretty excited about that! She loves when he gives her little pieces of ice from his cup. If she sees him drinking something, she will crawl up to him, open her mouth and put it up to his mouth. :) She knows exactly what he has and that she wants a bite.

I am positive that she could clap her hands and wave "bye-bye" if she wanted, but she's a little stubborn and will NOT do it. She even yells, "YAY" when we ask her to clap her hands. Stinker!

We love her so much and couldn't feel more blessed by her. So thankful that the Lord gave her to us!

11 Month Info.

Not sure of weight and length at this point
Size 3 diapers
Sleeping from 7 p.m. to around 7 a.m. every night
Has 7 teeth
Loves grilled cheese sandwiches, pasta, bananas, potatoes, green beans, mandarin oranges, apple sauce, chicken noodle soup
Takes about 4 bottles a day
Took 4 steps in a row for the first time on August 2nd
Takes 2 naps a day for around 2 hours each
Says: Mama, Dada, Bye-Bye, Ba-ba (bottle), dog

We love you, Mabrie!