Thankfulness

This Thanksgiving, I want to take the time to be truly thankful for the things that matter the most - family. I know I have said it before, and I will say it over and over, but I am so thankful for Mikayla and Macey. They are the lights of my life, and I don't know what I would do without them. Adam has been exactly what I need, and God knew it when we came together. It hasn't been a smooth road, but we just celebrated five years last Friday. We went to Texas de Brazil in downtown Fort Worth, and ate more than we could stand.

Roy and Mary came into town this past weekend, and the girls had a blast with Grandma Mary and Grandfather. They watched the girls on Friday night, so that Adam and I could go out for our anniversary. Saturday, we went to Lowe's Build and Grow, then out to eat at Chili's for lunch. Mik and I had been having some stomach troubles from some old hot cocoa a couple days before, so we were starting to feel a little bit better. We were headed to "The Cowboy Boat," AKA Cowboy's Stadium in Arlington to watch the Trinity Trojans take on the Allen Eagles in a high school football playoff. As Mikayla and I are walking up to buy the tickets, Mikayla bends over and pukes up all of her mandarin oranges and "chicken lips" as she called chicken strips. Needless to say, we turned around and headed home. We made it home and took naps, waking up feeling rejuvenated. SuSu and Daddy Pat came over that night for a fajita feast, and we all enjoyed laughing and playing. Susu brought out the "buzzards" and chased the girls, riling them up just in time for bed.

Sunday, we went to the Gaylord Texan hotel in Grapevine to see the ice sculpture exhibit called "Ice! Shrek the Halls." It was eight rooms of Shrek-themed ice sculptures. The exhibit is an air-conditioned tent chilled to 8 degrees Fahrenheit. They give guests blue parkas to wear inside the exhibit. It was Macey's first time, and she did not crack a smile the entire time we were inside. Mikayla had gone last year, when Grandfather was here, but it was "A Charlie Brown Christmas." After the Ice!, we went to Babe's Chicken for a chicken fried steak and fried chicken dinner.





This week, I've been off school, so I have been at home with the girls all day. Tuesday was probably the most adventurous of all the days. I was cleaning in the living room when Mikayla came in and told me to "Look at your daughter."
I went in to see Macey had eaten - or attempted to eat - a blue marker. Her face was covered in blue, as well as her hands and shirt. She was as happy as a clam, and I don't think she understood when I had to take away the blue marker. I put her in the tub - which she loves - but the blue wouldn't come off. It took several tries with some rubbing alcohol to get it off, and a faint hint of blue could still be detected.

Clean and placed back in the playroom - sans blue marker - I resumed my cleaning in the living room, only to be interrupted again by Mikayla telling me Macey had ripped a book, and that I was "not going to be happy." I went in the playroom to see Macey with a hundred little pieces of my favorite childhood book, "The Story About Ping." Which was printed in the 1930's, and was already fragile. It was up on a top shelf, and I wasn't sure how she even got ahold of it. She had ripped the book to shreds. I was so upset, Macey got her first real spanking. Two swats on the butt with my hand. She absolutely fell apart and cried, with a face that told me her heart was broken. I picked up all the pieces, and I took them to the dining room table. I sat there, trying to piece the jigsaw puzzle back to some semblance of a book.

About 10 minutes into my puzzle, I hear giggles, squeals and squeaks coming from the playroom. With what Macey has already done, I knew this couldn't be good. I walk in to the
playroom, and there she was, sitting on top of Mikayla's toy kitchen. The kitchen is at least four and a half feet tall, and only about a foot wide where she was sitting. At this point, all I could do was smile. I sighed, and Macey was happy as a clam. She thought it was hilarious, and grinned and giggled at herself. It appears that I have two handfuls.

I can only be thankful for my two handfuls, though. Mikayla and Macey have brought joy, peace and love to my life that I never knew was missing. Next to Jesus, I am more thankful for those two little girls than any other gift I have ever received. My wish is for them to always know how much they are loved and cherished.

Dear God, Let my mommy calm down!

Things have been a little stressful in the Mercer household the past few weeks. I've been going through my thyroid symptoms all over again, and it's taking its toll on me physically and emotionally. This morning was particularly stressful, as Mikayla missed the potty, and we had to change her clothes, which made us late out of the door. As we were in the car headed to school, Mikayla was once again asking me a million questions, and wanting me to do a million things for her all at once. I told her she needed to calm down and be patient. Then she says, "Dear God, please let my mommy calm down." That was all I needed to take away the stress and put a smile on my face!

Mikayla also had a dentist appointment today. It's her second one, and she was actually looking forward to it. She enjoyed it the first time, and didn't have to face the dreaded drill (like so many have to), so she gets excited about the dentist. When I picked her up from day care today, I told her to come on, we were headed to the dentist, and her face lit up as she said, "Oh Mommy! I was dreaming about this all day long!" True to form, she was perfectly wonderful during the appointment. She smiled, and talked to the dental hygienist the entire time. Every time someone complimented her, she would reply with the sweetest, "Thank you."

I fall more in love with my Macey-bear every day. She is literally the sweetest little girl I have ever been around. She gives hugs all the time, and just wants to be with everyone. She wants to sit in Adam or my lap, or sit with one of us all the time. She laughs and smiles at us all the time. She's starting to talk a little bit more, but at this point, I don't think she sees much of a need to talk, as her sister does most of the talking for her.

Macey love hugging everything, and she loves shoes! She carries her shoes around, and wants me to put her shoes on her. As soon as they are on, she takes them off, then wants me to put them back on her. It's constant. It's cute, and I'll play along for a little bit.


For Halloween, Mikayla was Strawberry Shortcake, and Macey was a watermelon. They were pretty cute together. Mikayla loved being Strawberry Shortcake, and she got a lot of compliments on her costume. Some people even told her that they thought she was the real Strawberry Shortcake. She thought that was pretty neat! Macey was about the cutest thing in the world, too. She full understood this year about getting candy. You could NOT take away her bucket. She knew it was hers, and she knew what was in it.



Last Tuesday, the 25th, we went to Gateway's Fall Festival. This is our fourth year to go, and it has grown exponentially every year. It was at the new Southlake campus this year, and the girls enjoyed the games and candy. On Saturday night, we went to a Trunk-or-Treat at a Methodist church in town, and then Sunday night, we went to Lake Country's Fallapalooza. I was impressed with the Fallapalooza. It reminded me of when I was younger, and we had the "Jubilee Jamboree" at Lake Country. There were rides and games, and even a pony ride! It was Mikayla's first time on a horse, and she wasn't scared! Monday night, which was actually Halloween, we went to First Baptist Justin's "Trunk-or-Treat," then we came home and went door-to-door to trick-or-treat. Mikayla had it down, and wasn't scared to ring doorbells. Macey trotted right along with her up to the doors, but Macey was so tired, she had to ride in the stroller most of the night.

There was one house in particular that had a lot of Halloween decorations. The owners were in the driveway in costume with a chainsaw, and the garage door was open, with a strobe light and fog machine. Mikayla wanted to go up to house, but Adam and I told her it was too scary for her. She insisted that she wasn't scared, and that she wanted to get candy from that house. She started to walk up the driveway, and just as she reached the candy bowl, the guy with the chainsaw ripped the cord. "VVVRROOOOOOMMM!" screamed the chainsaw, as children and teens yelped and shrieked in excitement, but Mikayla was not excited. She turned around and was terrified. I ran up to her to comfort her, but the chainsaw scared her badly. She started to cry, so I scooped her up, and tried to calm her down. When I set her down, I bent at the knees to make myself her same height. I was telling her it would be okay, and I could feel her little heart pumping so hard. The thought of getting more candy in her bucket soon took her mind off the chainsaw, but I know I will have to spend an entire year hearing about "that boy with the chainsaw who scared me."

Stop, Drop and Roll

This week is "Fire Safety Week" at Mikayla and Macey's DayCare. Yesterday, when I picked up Mikayla, her teacher, Ms. Sharon, told me that when they were discussing how to evacuate a burning house that Mikayla got upset and burst into tears. Ms. Sharon said that she comforted Mikayla and told her that her house was not on fire. Ms. Sharon told me that she thought Mikayla was upset about her house potentially burning, and to talk to her about it. When we got in the car, I started talking to Mikayla about why she cried, and she started to tear up all over again. When she was finally able to talk, she said, "Ms. Sharon said if my house is on fire, I have to leave. I won't have time to grab my favorite toy...*sob*...that means I won't be able to have cow!" So this whole time, Mikayla was upset because she wouldn't be able to save her cow, not because her house was potentially burning down. I told Mikayla that we could always get a new cow, but I couldn't ever get a new Mikayla. Then she told me that she didn't want a new cow, she wanted HER cow!

This morning, coming to school, I found out the hard way that a colony of ants decided that the perfect place to build a mound was right by our driveway - right where I stand to put Macey in her seat. As I was putting Macey in her car seat, I felt an itch, so I itched my leg with my opposing foot. As I walked around to Mikayla's side to buckle her in, I looked down, and my legs and feet were covered with ants - from the knee down. I started yelling, and I yanked off my shoes. I started hitting my pants to get the ants off them. I already had 20 or so bites on my feet and ankles. As I was brushing off all the ants, they got on my hands and arms, too. When I was finally ant-free, the adrenaline wore off, and I could feel the pain and itch. Off-handedly, I said, "My feet are on fire!" Remember how I said it's Fire Safety Week? Mikayla tells me, "Mommy, Stop, Drop and Roll!!"

"I am Not Impressed"

Last night, I decided to take the girls on a walk/bike ride to the park. Mikayla rode her bike, and Macey and I followed with the stroller. We were enjoying our time on the swings, crawling up the stairs, sliding down the slides and twirling on the merry-go-round.
Then I heard a little boy say, "What the F*#@!" I couldn't believe it. He couldn't have been but 9 or 10 years old - if that. Mikayla was on the merry-go-round with this little boy, and she decided to hop off. She grabbed a stick, and said, "watch this!" as she tried to break it in half. The same little boy started yelling at her that it was his stick and to give it back. Confused, Mikayla didn't know what to do, and she looked at me for what action she should take.
This sacred stick was a just a stick that was laying on the ground. It was the same as any other stick that could be found among the wood chips. The little boy proceeded to yank it out of Mikayla's hand. I'm thankful that at this point, Mikayla didn't start to cry. I think she as a little in shock at the situation. I felt that now I had to intervene.
I asked the boy if his name was on the stick, and how was a little girl supposed to know it was his? I told him that if he wanted the stick for himself, he needed to put it in a place that a little girl wouldn't pick it up, thinking it was an ordinary stick. I asked him how old he was, and he yelled at me that he was 9. I told him that Mikayla is only 4, and it's not nice to yank things out of other people's hands. He proceded to yell at me, and then I see his dad make a beeline for me. He starts yelling at me that I have no right to yell at his son, and holding his cigarette between his index and middle fingers, pointed in my face and told me to "mind my own damn business." They quickly left, then it was time for us to head hone, too. As Mikayla mounted her bike, she said to me, "Mommy, that little boy yelled at me, and I am NOT impressed!"

10 years later...

I woke up that morning, rushing to get to my 8:00 a.m. education class. It was my fifth year of college, and I was 22 years old. As I was driving to ACU, the DJs on the radio were talking about an airplane that ran into the World Trade Center tower. In my rush to get to class on time, I didn't listen to details, and I thought to myself, "Some idiot flew his cessna into the tower." I get to class, and I'm sitting next to a friend named Roy. We talk about the plane hitting the tower, and we both agree the guy must have been an idiot. Not much else is said in class, because none of us really know what happened. When class is over, I walked to the campus center and saw the TV mounted above the stairs. It was then that I realized it was indeed not a cessna that ran into the WTC tower. I stood there, mouth agape, along with others in the middle of the campus center. I didn't know what to think, much less do.

I skipped my next class and went home immediately to call my parents and let Marka, my best friend who had come back to Abilene for a visit. Marka was still asleep on the couch when I walked in and told her the towers had collapsed. She didn't believe me, and I had to turn on the TV to prove to her what I was saying was true. We sat there for hours, glued to the TV. I talked to my parents, and they were ok. We agreed to meet in Comanche if there was a need to evacuate.

I looked down at my Timex watch, and I realized the date: 9-11. I told Marka, and we cried. I had to go to work that night at Texas Roadhouse, but I didn't want to. I just wanted to watch the TV, thinking how it seemed like a movie, but it wasn't: it was real.

I got to work, and no one was talking about anything but New York. The managers had brought in a TV for the kitchen staff to be able to watch what was going on while they cooked the food. There were only about two tables who came in all night, so most of the others servers were cut early, so they got to go home. I stood in the bar area glued to the TV most of the night, until I too got to go home.

My dear children, I relate to you this story, because this was the single most tragic terrorist attack on the United States in recent history. It took place years before you were born, but you will learn about this day in school, and you will be reminded of this day every September 11 that you are alive. The events of that day are still vivid in my memory, and that day forever changed America.

I want you to understand that there is a very real evil force in this world. We were reminded of this 10 years ago today. America was founded as a Christian nation, and for that reason, many people hate America, and Americans. America must stand strong against evil forces. In the same way, you - as Christian women - will be persecuted for your faith, but you must stand strong and be of good faith. The Lord will be with you every step you take, and you must always be prepared for the evil that will try to tear you down.

Back to School

I've just realized it's been since February that I last blogged. Tomorrow is the first day back to school, and so much has happened in the past few months, and I didn't write it all down, so I'm afraid some of those precious moments might be gone....

Macey likes to throw things down and say "uh oh!" She also likes to "bonk" her head against mine and laugh. She is growing up so quickly, and her personality is shining through. She loves to laugh, and her sister never loses an opportunity to make her giggle. Mikayla will stop at nothing for a laugh. She will get in Macey's face and make funny sounds, or she will throw herself on the floor to get Macey to laugh. Mikayla's favorite joke right now is: What has antlers and makes you itch? A moose-quito! Mikayla is quite the comedienne. She loves to tell jokes, and she loves people to laugh at her and with her.

Mikayla got moved up the 4-year-old room at daycare, and she is already the smartest one in class. She can already write and read some words. She knows most of her phonics, and can add single digits. Every day, she shows me her work that she did that day, and it's amazing. She is too smart for her own good sometimes, though. We were in the car about a month ago, and something happened, and Adam said, "Crap!" Mikayla gasped, "Daddy! Are you going to talk that way in front of your daughters?" Adam and I looked at each other and cracked up. We couldn't hold it in.

Mikayla and Macey love each other so much. La-La and I weren't like this when we were little, and I am so thankful that Mikayla and Macey love each other so much. If anyone knows Mikayla, they know how precious her cow is to her. She refuses to go to sleep without Cow, and he usually has to accompany us in the car everywhere we go. When Macey is upset, or tired, Mikayla willingly gives Macey her cow. Mikayla will says, "he will make May-May happy!" It's so sweet!

I finally got the playroom painted. I painted a white chair rail, with pink and green stripes below the chair rail. I found some pink glitter paint at Home Depot, and Mikayla thought it was the bee's knees. She loves the new playroom, and thinks it's so pretty.

Macey was moved up to the toddler room at daycare, and her teacher, Miss Mechielle, moved up with her. This is the same teacher who cried at the end of last school year because she would miss her because Macey wouldn't be coming back for a few months. Macey is now napping on a nap mat at school, and evidently she is the ring-leader in waking up all the other toddlers at nap time. I thought Macey might sleep ok on the mat, but I knew she would not stay on the mat once she was awake. She has proven me correct every day so far!

Macey's First Steps!

Macey took her first steps tonight! Adam and I were trying to get her to stand up, and she took a step! Adam was standing her up, and she was reaching for me. She is the most adorable thing, too. When she has been standing by herself, or when she took those steps, Adam and I cheer for her. She eats it up! She loves being cheered for. She laughs and smiles from ear to ear. I can't believe how fast she is growing up!

Valentine's Love

My Dearest Mikayla,
On this Valentine's Day, I want to tell you how much I love you. You light up my life, and I love you more than anything in this world. You came into my life and lit it up. You bring me so much joy and happiness that I never knew was possible. I love you more and more each and every day. I am so proud of the little girl you are, and I am so excited to see the young woman you will become. I am so blessed that God gave you to me, and that I get to be your mommy. God has taught me so much through you. He has taught me about His unconditional and unfailing love. He has taught me that although I may not see the big picture, He does, and I need to learn to have more faith in Him and His will for my life. Thank you, Mikayla for everything you have done for me, without your even knowing it. I love you to infinity and beyond, Mommy

My Little Lovebug Macey,
Time flies by so quickly, and each moment is fleeting. I can't believe how quickly you are growing! It only seems like yesterday you were still in my tummy. Even then, I never knew I could love someone like I love you. My heart expanded double when you came into my life. You are so precious to me. Your sweetness and unfailing love minister to me daily. You light up my life. You are the type of person who makes me want to be a better person. You challenge me daily to be more selfless and to put others' needs above my own. In less than a year, you have taught me to give, and to love abundantly. I am so proud and blessed to be your mommy and I know you will always make me proud to say that. You are called to do things that are beyond my comprehension right now, but I know through faith that you are going to touch so many people's lives throughout the world and show them your God. I can hardly wait to see the woman of God you will become. I love you for now and always, Mommy

So Much Snow

Last week, the north Texas area had the coldest temperatures we have had in more than 20 years. It was in the single digits, and with rain, sleet and snow, we missed four days of school. I don't ever remember it being as cold as it was. We were homebound the entire time, because the streets were covered with several inches of ice, with snow on top of the ice. I got out one day, because I had to get baby Tylenol for Macey because she is teething.

At age 10 moths and 3 weeks, Macey finally decided to get not one, but two teeth. They are both coming in on the bottom, and I'm so thankful that we actually got most of the week off for Macey's sake, because she was running a low grade fever the whole week while her teeth were breaking through. We had to give her Tylenol for the fever and pain, so that caused her to be drowsy. She slept most of the days we were at home, so she was much more comfortable breaking her teeth that she would have been at day care.

Adam and I played several games of Monolopy. We also had our neighbors across the street come over for a couple of game nights. They have a little girl, Willow, who is Mikayla's age, and a baby, Ivy, who is a couple months younger than Macey. We played Monopoly and the Game of Life with them. It was nice to talk to someone else for a little bit. We were all suffering from cabin fever.

We took Mikayla out to play in the snow a couple of times, but it was difficult because it was so cold. When you tried to make a snowball, your hand got wet, and the freezing temperature was biting. It felt like a thousand knives stabbing you in the fingers. The cold wind chapped our cheeks, and made our noses run. Needless to say, we couldn't stay outdoors for long.

On Saturday, after four days of being imprisoned at home by the snow, Adam and I had to get out of the house. We needed food, and we needed a mental break. We went to Wal-Mart, and it was a treacherous drive. I white-knucked it most of the drive there and back. The roads were covered in ice, and there were few spots where the ice had broken through. We saw several disabled cars on the side of the road. We made it safely there and back, but it was not easy. None of our roads had been sanded or salted. I took a few pictures on the side of the road, and it's a complete white-out. This was the fifth day of the winter storm, too! Later that afternoon, though, the sun came out and melted a substantial amount of snow and ice.

When the snow and ice melted away and we finally got to return to school, it was only two days before we had another winter storm blast. We had this past Wednesday off of school, as well. We had freezing temperatures with sleet and snow. The roads were once again covered with ice. We only missed one day of school this time, though, because the sun came out on Wednesday and melted most of what was on the roads. It's still frigid outside, but there's not any precipitation, so it's not treacherous.

Yesterday, Macey turned eleven months old, and I can't believe how fast it has gone. She still has no interest in walking, and barely will stand on her own. She will cruise around the furniture while standing, but she will not let go. I guess she thinks that she has a big sister to do everything for her, so what's her rush to walk? She is my baby, though, and I think she fully enjoys being the baby. She gets jealous any time I am holding another baby, or if Mikayla is taking up all of my attention.

A couple of weekends ago, one of my dear friends came to town for a wedding. Kyna, a friend from high school, has three little girls, Lexi (3), Paisley (nearly 2) and Sadie (3months). She was in a wedding of a mutual friend from high school. She left her two older girls in Tulsa with her mom, but had to bring Sadie, the baby, with her. Adam and I babysat Sadie on Friday night while Kyna was a the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Sadie was such a good baby, and she was so happy! It reminded me of Macey! Any time I would hold Sadie or pay any attention to her, Macey would get upset. She wanted my attention, and she wanted to make sure I knew that SHE was my baby. It was so cute, and it made me realize that even at such a young age, Macey was fully aware of her situation.

Mikayla is as smart as can be. She is learning sign language at daycare, and she comes home every day and shares what she has learned with us. She is full of personality, and she is constantly in need of attention. I have to find a way to appease her need for attention while still staying sane.

Well, we are in for record warm temperatures in the next couple of days. I guess it's time to break out the shorts.