When did my babies turn into boys?

And so it begins!

Another year of school is underway and yesterday was a tough day to get through. I keep thinking that every year it's going to be easier on the first day of school but for some reason it always seems to be the opposite. It just gets harder and I dislike it more with each passing year.

We managed to make it up, breakfast eaten, teeth brushed and dressed with 30 minutes to kill before we had to leave for school. The boys were nervous but excited and I was happy for them but sad for Ellee and I because I knew it was going to be a lonesome day.

He is no longer a baby and hardly even a little boy but nearly a young man and as I took this picture, I wondered when did this happen? 3rd grade seemed so far away a few years ago but we are now living what use to be the future and how I really wish I could turn back time and live in the past.

And this one, wasn't he just at home with me all day everyday yesterday? I remember his first day of preschool when I could hear him crying for me all the way down the hall screaming "don't leave me mama, don't leave me" and now he is in first grade and ready to take it on like he's been doing it forever. When did this baby of mine turn into a boy ready to conquer it like a champ?

No longer is he on the same hall that he has always been on since he started school but now on the "upper class" hall. When did he decided that taking pictures of him by his classroom door was uncool? When did he get to big to give me a hug and tell me that he loves me? When did this happen?

Oh Reece, you look so grown up standing there by your first grade door. I am so glad that you still don't mind me taking pictures of you and I'm glad that you still give me a hug and tell me you love me without wondering who is around to hear. You have come so far since that first day of preschool!!

And this Bean walks around that school like she owns the place where everyone knows her by name and wants to carry her around. She loves to wonder the halls and she knows exactly where her brothers are and how to get to them.

Oh Please El Bean don't you grow any faster because the day I have to leave you will surely be a bigger disaster.

It's a good thing all the teachers know me by now because they all know that on the first day of school I will be the one walking the halls dropping off my babies with tears streaming down my cheeks. Walking away knowing that they will spend more time at that school with people who could never love them like I do is one of the hardest things I have to do as their mama and I don't like it....I don't like it not one little bit.

When did my babies turn into boys?

9 years and halfway there!

9 years ago today they told me I was now the Mommy of a beautiful baby boy.

9 years ago today I remember looking at you and thinking to myself I don't know how to be a Mommy, but I guess him and I are going to figure this thing out together.

9 years ago today they placed this 7 lb 13 oz boy in my arms and I realized at that very moment that my life would never be the same.

9 years ago today they placed you in my arms and you slipped right into my heart.

9 years ago today I never dreamed it would go by so fast.
9 Years ago today I never dreamed that the little feet I loved to look at would soon be wearing baseball cleats and walking out the door with a bat bag bigger than he was filled to so full the zipper would hardly close.

9 Years ago today I never dreamed that I would be the proudest Mom on the planet when you take your place on the mound, behind the plate or in the field.

9 Years ago today I never dreamed that I would be watching my little boy live out his childhood dreams and watching them all come true for him.

9 Years ago today I never dreamed that your little baby feet would be taking you places where you no longer walked beside me and held my hand but walked in front of me yelling "Mom I'm pitching tonight" and "Mom did you see that strike out to pitch a no hitter".

These are the days I would never dream of missing!

9 Years ago today we welcomed you with open arms and today I realized for the first time that we are half way to the day when you will walk out of my door to a world that is bigger than you and I can ever imagine. I can't wait to see where your road takes you but until that day comes I sure hope the next 9 years go slower than the first and that you always know no matter where you go or what you do I will always be your biggest fan.

I love you to the moon, to infinity and beyond, forever and ever!

Now back to our regular scheduled long overdue vacation blogging

Day 2



We left Rochester at 5:30 Saturday morning and headed for the Wisconsin Dells where we would spend the next week.



It really wouldn't be a complete trip to Wisconisn if we didn't get to see Uncle Bro play basketball. Our first stop a 3 v 3 tournament.



We learned that Uncle Bro still takes this sport just as serious as he did in college!

The boys were in Heaven getting to spend sometime playing basketball with one of the people they look up to the most I am sure he loved playing basketball with 2 nephews that did a good job of getting on his nerves during vacation.

Caden paid his money and got in the 3 point shooting contest and Pa, as always was one of his biggest fans.

We couldn't check into our Condo at Green Mountain Village until Sunday so we spent the night at the Ho-Chunk Casino and Hotel where they boys couldn't wait to go swimming and for the most part had the pool all to themselves.

Maama and Pa enjoyed watching and Ellee enjoyed every minute with her favorite person in the world.

And this is a face we have come to know and grown to love. She is the girl who puts up with my brother, follows him around to most of his basketball tournament and pretty much just fits perfectly into just about every part of his life. Chelsea we sure do love ya and we appreciate you taking such good care of bro.

Day 2 was complete, basketball tournament didn't turn out as Bro would have liked it too, but as always it was fun for us to watch him play and talk to Caden about the trips we made to watch him play college ball

My toughest day as a Mom

Today has been a bad day.

Woke up with a horrible headache, my back hurts worse today than it ever has, my house is driving me crazy, my yard is making me nuts, Ellee has learned how to open every drawer, door, lid, and if she can't reach it off of the counter she is now strong enough to move the chairs in the kitchen to get anything she thinks she needs.

Today has been a bad day.

I have spent the majority of the last 2 days yelling at my kids for every move they made and today my Reece put things into perspective for me. It was the toughest thing I think I have ever heard come out of the mouths of my babes and it made me realize that now is not the time for a spotless house, it's not the time to worry about my yard, it's not the time to care about the garage I can't park in because it is full of stuff that hasn't been put away it is the time to just let it go and be the Mom that God wants me to be. When the words "don't you want me anymore mommy" came out of his mouth I felt like I had been stabbed in the heart a million times over and that pain hasn't stopped hours later. I asked him why he would ever say such a thing and he said, because you just yell at me, you are never proud of me, you are only proud of Caden and it makes me think that you don't want me anymore. I have never in my life felt so awful and if ever I wanted to turn back time the time was right then. How could I have let him feel this way, how could I have put so many things that were not important in front of the feelings of my child?

So this afternoon I cried lots of tears, hugged a little boy that sat on my lap for an hour, dried the eyes of Caden and Ellee and reassured all of them that they were the most important people in my life and I never wanted any of them to ever feel like they were not wanted. I told them I was not perfect, I told them that I would try harder and today was the day I realized that one day I would have a clean house from top to bottom, I would have a yard that was manicured neatly, I would have a garage that I could park in and wasn't covered in ride on toys, baseball equipment, and tools but today was not the day and tomorrow wouldn't be either. It will all be there when I get to it but from now on we were going to make sure that I remember not what is important but who is important.

Today started out really bad but I wouldn't trade it for anything because I learned a lot today about myself, about my kids, about their hearts, and about the MOST IMPORTANT parts of life.

Today I am thankful and blessed with 3 amazing children.

Dear Lord,
Today I pray that you will help me to be the Mom that you called me to be. I pray that everyday you show me the little things in the lives of my children that I should be jumping for joy over. I pray that you will let me see the drawings in the dust as artwork, the stain on carpet as a reminder of little people that grow up, fingerprints on my front door as fingerprints of God and be thankful for them instead of frustrated that they are there. I pray that when people show up at my house that I never apologize for the shape my house is in but to tell them how blessed I am to be the Mommy of 3 children and invite them to sit down among the toys and enjoy our life with us. Dear Lord and as painful as it is please don't let that feeling that I had today fade away no matter how bad it hurts because I know that I know that I know that I was called to be a Mommy and I want to be the best at it that I can be.

In your name I pray,
Trasie AKA Caden, Reece and Ellee's Mommy

We interrupt this family vacation blogging for a post to our dad!

Dear Dad,
Thank you for teaching me baseball and for being the best dad in the world.

Love,
Caden


Daddy,
I am not a princess but if I was I would tell everyone that my Prince already came and I call him daddy and hope that they could translate my language to English.

Love,
Ellee Bean


Dear Dad,
Thanks for being the best dad in the world and I really miss you when you go to work. Someday can you let me bring my scooter to work with you?

Love,
Reece

Are we there yet?

Our first day took us to Rochester, Minnesota where Uncle Bro and Aunt Chelsea call home.

We loaded up in the Tahoe with the 2 boys in the back, Mamma, Ellee and I in the middle seat, with Pa and Phil sitting in the front and taking turns at the wheel. 

Before we ever left Wichita the dreaded words "how much longer?" came out of Reece's mouth.  We all laughed and said, "it's gonna be a long trip".  A long trip it was, with many stops, for bathroom breaks, drinks, leg stretches, diaper changes and we were really beginning to wonder with 30 miles to go if we were indeed ever going to get there. 

We pulled into Rochester and met Bro and Chels at Culvers.  What is a trip to the north without several stops at Culvers for Butter Burgers and Flavor of the day frozen custard?. 

We were then off for a night at Uncle Bro's house.  Reece finally got to celebrate his 6th Birthday with a cake.  Poor kid, every year it seems like we have to put it off for some reason or another and this year was absolutely no different.  2 weeks late but by golly we hauled that cake all the way to Minnesota so he could have birthday cake with Uncle Bro. 

We then called it a day because Uncle Bro was playing in a 3 V 3 basketball tournament the next day in the Dells and told us we needed to be on the road by 5:30 a.m.   So off to bed we went so that we would be ready to face the early morning back in the car for the last leg before we reached our destination....THE WISCONSIN DELLS!

Thanks Bro and Chels for letting us invade your space.  You have a beautiful home and the only thing that would make it more perfect is if you weren't so darn far away.  We love you both!!

Please stay tuned for more on the Bressler/Reece Family Grand Adventure!

Dreamin' With Eyes Wide Open

Is this Heaven?
No, It's Iowa.

Iowa? I could have sworn it was Heaven.

Is there a Heaven?

Oh Yeah. It's a place where dreams come true.

Maybe this is Heaven.

Go the distance!

I wish I had your passion

My heart skipped a beat yesterday while watching the three of you dream with your eyes wide open. I hope that you build all of your dreams and I pray that God allows me to live long enough to see them.

Fathers Day 2010 Dyersville, Iowa