our little terrific kid.

Our little sunshine was named Terrific Kid for his class for the month of February. Every two months they have a small program for the terrific kids and parents. He was so excited!!!

Charlie was not thrilled about taking pics. HA! His expressions kill me!

he's really looking TOO grown these days...

and Cade is getting so tall!

he was SO excited his Mimi surprised him!

so proud and so thankful Cade loves school so much!!!! He's got the absolute best teacher this year. She's such a blessing. Cheers to almost being done with first grade. I can't believe it!

FIRST day of FIRST grade.

For some reason today hit me even harder than last year when he started kindergarten. I don't really know why. Maybe because he just looked so grown. Maybe because in my mind I know that first grade is truly the beginning of the twelve years that simply FLIES. BY. It's big school. The number grades...and there's no turning back now! 

We really are excited about starting another year and learning so much. His teacher is Mrs. Johnson and she's been teaching for years and years (this may be her last year teaching). Oh and she is a huge Gamecock fan, so that's always a plus. She's so sweet and loving and I know Cade is going to absolutely love her. Thankful he also has some of his best buds back in his class this year, especially his new bff he made last year - Reid Lawson. 

Oh and we have a new principal at Cherokee Trail Elementary since our last one just retired, so it's a year of changes and all things new and THAT is exciting. This morning was a breath of fresh air, with everyone being so welcoming and you could definitely feel an excitement in the air. I can't wait to hear all about his first day. 

Here's a few pics we took before we rushed to make it to school on time by 7:45 sharp! Yes, school starts at 7:45 (Cade was not so thrilled about getting up early , but here's to getting back into the routine. I'm on my second cup of coffee) 

His outfit is Cat & Jack from Target! Oh and he lost his first tooth last week (bottom middle) and has a new smile for his first day :) :) :) 

forever aggravating him and trying to get a good laugh in for his first day...

and just to make me cry, here's a throwback!!!! Don't blink.

prayers for all of the teachers, faculty and students today!

monster jam | greenville, sc | 1.27.18

So for Cade's 6th birthday (YES!!! He will be SIX this Saturday *cue me falling out on the floor with hand to forehead...*) all he wanted to do was go to Monster Jam! Ever since his cousins told him about it last year, he started watching YouTube videos of Gravedigger and all the Monster Jam peeps. That was just the beginning. So when I saw Monster Jam would be in Greenville the weekend before his birthday, well I knew it was meant to be. We bought tickets before Christmas so we also gave tickets as Christmas presents to our nephews! Knew it would be a fun outing for all. (except Charlie who was left at home, poor thing, for fear it would be too loud for him....next year, we say!)

OOTN : Karlie Outsiders Button Up + AOS Black Hawk Denim + booties from Blossom

We took Charlie to Mimi & Papa's and switched, picked up two of our three nephews. Jackson (one of the twins) was at a skeet shooting competition in Orangeburg and Wayne (his dad) scooted him up to Greenville to meet us just in time for Monster Jam. He won first place in his competition! GO JACKSON. So proud of all our boys. Love em' like my own!!!!

First up, Mellow Mushroom pizza was a must....I was craving a good meal after being stuck at home for a week and knew the boys would looooove some pizza. They so did.

this face. always my "baby cade"...

Once inside it really wasn't as loud as I thought but we all wore our noise headphones...

we had great seats!

It was so fun seeing Cade's eyes light up! 

When walking up to Bon Secours he had his hand in my hand , squeezed it and SQUEALED. He said "Mama, I'm so excited!!! It's my birthday!!!!" 

Bless. 

Good thing it was raining because my heart melted right there into a big ol' puddle.

I was nervous about this year as to what could possibly "top Disneyworld" (how we spent his 5th bday), but that's what I love about our Cade. He is such a content child. He would have probably been just as happy if we had taken him up to the Dollar General to pick out a $10 toy + popped popcorn / had movie night with his cousins spending the night. (I pray he is always like this...)

He really was SO excited and all the boys had such a fun night. This first-time-Monster-jammer mama even enjoyed it! We've got a few more surprises in store for him this weekend on his actual birthday and can't wait to celebrate our big boy some more.

CADE IS FOUR!

Yep, this is our little Joshua Cade...

His face says it all. He's laid back, silly, witty. 

A sense of humor just like his daddy.

and I just can't believe he's FOUR!

He has literally changed from a toddler to a little boy right before our eyes this year.

The biggest highlight of his past year was becoming a BIG BROTHER.

Oh how he loves his baby brother and oh how Charlie loves HIM. If Cade leaves the room, Charlie will wimper. If Cade walks back into the room, it lights up his world. I can not wait to see how close these two become. I know they are sure to be the best of friends and it brings me tears of joy to see them together. 

Cade has grown bigger, grown taller. Lost more "baby fat" and again, he really looks so much more like a little boy now than a toddler. This past year he had to have some dental work done (uh, a lot of dental work. As in had to be sedated twice. Darn cavities. Apparently he has bad teeth. Some kids have "good teeth", some have "bad teeth" no matter the amount of brushing...so yeah lucky us) and now hopefully his grill is good as new and will suffice for the next couple of years until they start falling out.

We've really had some great times with our big boy this past year. His first Carolina game was a real treat! He loves football and had the best time. Chad knows that he's still a mama's boy too...

but he is definitely a "Chad mini-me". Looks just like his daddy, especially when he was at that age and they have the best time playing outside together, riding the Bad Boy, working in the yard, practicing t-ball (we just signed him up to play this year since he will be four!), going hunting (he went hunting with Chad for the first time this past year too!) etc... Chad really is so good about getting him outdoors and spending time with him. I'm excited to see how he likes playing t-ball this year and going to watch him and all the other kiddos. It's going to be fun!

Every ounce of him is 100% boy. I'm talking dirt underneath his fingernails, scraped knees, muddy boots, messy "4-wheeler" smelling hair, pop-tart crumbed mouth BOY.

He is fearless and loves new things (as in this baby shark didn't scare him one bit) and loves adventure. I hope he never loses that. Ever.

My boy definitely got something from BOTH his father and I: 

he loves to have a good time.

Music, laughing, being silly. He loves life and he taking it ALL in. That's the best.

I look into these big brown eyes and see a reflection of myself, my husband, and I see a glimpse of our future...when this four year old turns fourteen....then forty two....

We shutter to think how fast it's all going to go by but I am excited for so many fun adventures and memories made with this big brown eyed boy and sweet precious smile.

Lastly, I'll leave you with a story about this four year old and how dang sweet, thoughtful, considerate and overprotective he already is of his mama. (Mamas, if you have boys then you know the cliche' is so true: there is truly something about a little boy and their mamas) 

The other night when I had a mini-meltdown after an emotional day, (sometimes you just gotta cry. It's rare I do it, but it always makes me feel better when I do) Cade could tell I had been crying...

"What's wrong mama?" He asked, and I explained that I just missed my daddy.

He looked up with this confused look on his face, sooooo worried and said "Well, where IS he??" (like why can't you just go see him, duh!?) 

I said "He's in heaven"

and a sense of relief came over his face and he looked at me with that "I'm-going-to-take-care-of-you-mama-look" and said "Well, let's just go up and see him and come right back!!!"  (again, like duh!)

Oh, if only it were that easy. 

I didn't even say a word, I just nodded my head and then he continued.... "...then when I get up there, I'm going to hug Jesus and take a picture with him"..... hmmm a selfie, perhaps?

The innocence of a child is priceless. 

Again, it's very rare I cry, must less cry in front of Cade. I rarely talk about my dad, we have pictures and sometimes I do share stories about "Pop Pop", but I really should share more. I want Cade and Charlie to know him and understand who he is. It's been nearly eight years since he left us and I guess one meltdown a year is still ok. 

Especially until me and my sweet boy can figure out that quick trip to heaven deal so we can go spend the day with Pop Pop and "come right back..." 

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY 
to my thoughtful, caring, full of life, joy, and sweet as sugar CADE!

We love you to the moon and back and thank God every single day for sending you to us and making us parents. Life truly is so much sweeter because of you. 

Cheers to another fun filled year and we can't wait to celebrate this weekend!

another edition of "The Things Cade Says"

Last month my big boy turned three and a half. In the blink of an eye, mind you.

He is bursting with personality, comedy, wit, and sweetness. He can be the perfect little angel, then give you a hard headed, stubborn temper tantrum that will make your eyes cross in 2.5 seconds flat.

I want to remember some of the fun, quirky things he says because he certainly keeps us laughing {and cringing} when we don't know what in the world he is going to say next. I joke with everyone that I should have warned the preschool teacher about his imaginative "stories"...

Here's what our big boy Cade has been up to:

• He loves preschool so far! Some mornings it's hard to get him up {he's not a morning person and loves to sleep. "He get it from his mama"} but once he's in the car on the way he is jacked

• We ask him what his favorite part of preschool is. His response "Centers". "Well which center do you like the best"...."Home Living". ha little chef Cade coming right up....

• Also when we ask him what he did at preschool, the answer is always "Well we had a snack..." every. single. time. Priorities!

Cade: "I want to be a Lightman when I grow up"

Me: "What is a Lightman?" 

Cade: "You know, like when you shine the light looking for frogs..."

Me: "Ooooooh" {clearly, still so confused}

Cade: "Yeah it's kinda like "frog-biggin"

• He's been known to give me a heart attack (or two) lately. A few days ago he jumped OVER his baby brother who was laying on the activity mat on the floor. Omg. I cant.

• His favorite foods are Pop-Tarts and "Chucky Charms" (lucky charms) for breakfast and he loves chocolate milk. He also loves Mac & Cheese, grilled cheeses, Lunchables...anything with cheese! He also gets that from his mama :)

• He looooooves being outside with his daddy. They ride the Bad Boy Buggy and go check the hunting trail cameras, they build sandboxes together, they cut grass, he is certainly all boy and loves anything camo, gun related, or with wheels. He always has dirty nails and skinned up knees.

• With that being said though, he also loves going shopping with me (just because he thinks he will get a prize. HA) and he can be the sweetest thing giving me compliments like "Mama I like your dreeeeessssss" or "Mama I like your hair like that". It is too cute and melts my heart every time.

• A few days ago he told one of our friends that he got that scratch on his leg "from a tiger at the zoo". Ummm we haven't been to the zoo in like over a year.

Me: "Cade, tell Daddy who you love!"

Cade: {with a sheepish grin} "MAMA!!!!!!!"

[chad made a sad face]

Cade: "But daddy I love EVERYBODY....I love God... I love Jesus up in the sky (points to sky)... I love Santa Claus...I love myself...I love you....I love mama...I love me....I love Charlie..."

Good to know Santa Claus made the list before mama and daddy...aaaaand let's note how much he loves HIMSELF. BAH!

• He is fearless. So much so, sometimes it scares me. At the beach he wanted to STAY in the ocean {cue the JAWS panic} He just kept going under, like a little fish. He also would go under and swim in the kiddie pool with no swimmies and he thought he was big stuff.

• When Cade is tired, he's ill. When Cade is tired, he's grump. When Cade is tired, he. will. sleep. anywhere. This is how I found him yesterday. I knew he was being too quiet...

• My favorite thing is to watch him talk to Charlie, but in MY VOICE. He copies everything Chad and I do. He will start doing that baby talk to Charlie and say "It's ooooohkaaaay buuuuh-dy" and it just cracks me up every time.

• He's actually a huge help with Charlie. If I say "Cade, go grab me a burp cloth. Go grab me a diaper", etc... he will go to the nursery and knows exactly where everything is. He doesn't miss a beat. Very thankful for that! 

• Oh and I'll leave you with this, one of Cade's proudest moments was when he realized that when the line on Charlie's diaper went from yellow to blue, that meant he was wet. Cade will try to check his diaper and yell "MAMA! He's WET! We gotta change him!!!!"  Huh-larious.

Love my boys to the moon and back and can't imagine life before two now. It is always a crazy circus, but like everyone always told me...with two, you just keep right on going and you just DO IT. I was nervous as hell at first, but once Charlie was here I understood. You just "do it", there's no other choice but to keep going, resume life as usual, and get back to normal once the "very new" wears off. Last night I packed/lugged them both in the car by myself, drove to Greenville to pick up my friend, then scooted up to Spartanburg to see a friend's new baby. All of us. Piece of cake. I don't even think twice about it anymore now that I have the hang of it. We love always being on the go. I don't know any other way. 

Excited for the fun adventures ahead, watching Cade learn more in preschool and grow...and experiencing lots of laughs in my future! 

God is good.