Legacy....

I went to a funeral this morning to say goodbye to a very sweet lady. I hadn't seen her in what seems like a lifetime but once there and as the slide show played it was as if I was that little girl running down the way on early summer mornings to her house to play with her grand kids. 

 Robyn's, my childhood best friend, grandmother passed away this week.

I have had a lot of death come my way in the past few years. As sad as it is it's almost 'normal' to go to a funeral every 6 months or so. But this one really struck me. Maybe it's hormones or maybe I am finally feeling some sort of need to morn my own grandmother and mother in law, I'm not real sure. 

As I sat and listened to words spoke about Mary Francis I couldn't help but let big hot tears roll down my cheeks.

She lived for her family. That was it. Nothing more and nothing less. She loved her grand kids and took care of them. As did my own grandmother, my Mema S. They were both simple women. They didn't have any sort of 'higher' education. They worked hard to keep their homes nice and pretty. They were proud of what they had. All they needed in life to keep them happy was to see their family happy. Never speaking idle words of others and just not letting the small stuff get to them.

God always seems to know exactly what to put in my life at the right time. Yesterday I was struggling with fake persona's that people often put on. I was just at the point where I am/was tired of it. It's exhausting to listen too I can't even imagine how people live that way. But today I received a huge message to let it go.

Just let it go.

It isn't important.

I am not here to worry and wonder if someone is being truthful to me or not.

My husband and my child(ren) need me to be strong and happy. They come before all others. I support them in everything they do. I may not like to do everything they want to do (racing lol) but I am 100% supportive of  Brent and Lucas. 

I always want Lucas to see me being nice and kind to others. 

I want others to see Jesus through me and my family instead of having to 'preach' to them. I don't want to push and I don't want anyone walking away from a conversation with me feeling like less. 

That hurts me.

As I sat in that funeral home, that is across the street from my moms house thus meaning down the road from where Mary Francis lived many years, listening to her legacy I couldn't help but hope that when I am gone some of the same words will be spoke about me.

I hope my kids say she was our biggest fan.

I hope they say she enjoyed life even in the midst of hard times.

I hope my husband says she served me well.

I hope others say she was always kind to us.

I hope someone says I knew Jesus was real because she was in my life.

Those are big, huge sentences to me. They mean more to me than all the money in the world, than any career I could ever obtain, or than any social status I may think I need. 

I am not sure where exactly  I am going with all this. It just seems the older I get the more I truly understand what is important and what isn't. 

Life gets harder, more complicated, more frustrating but at the end of the day who do I want to be. Someone who relishes in that or someone who rises above it. 

Big News!

I have some big news I have been DYING to share on here!

 

We will be welcoming another little Roper into the family at the beginning of April!!

I am thrilled to get this chance again and so far everything seems to be going well. I want to do another post of the pregnancy details so far but for now enjoy all the fun pictures!

 

We told Lucas the Tuesday night before we left on our Florida trip! I was a little over 13 weeks and the doctor gave us the "I think we are out of the woods now" at our appointment that day.  I made him up a box of goodies that included a few baby things, big brother book and shirt, and a camera to take pictures of the baby. He was very very excited!

He wore his shirt for 2 days and told everyone at school his big news!

I have been loving on this baby bump but as I sit here and type this it still does not seem real! I have no idea when it will sink in.

 

14 week bump on Friday! We announced to all our family and friends on Saturday! I am overwhelmed with all the sweet words and prayers for our growing family. We are feeling very blessed.

Thursday Tidbits!

• We've had lots going on this week trying to get ready to leave for a week! We've never been gone this long with Lucas AND we haven't been away from our house and animals for this long in years! Lots to get together! I'm already exhausted and haven't even got into much of the packing yet! O boy!

• I got my new Scentsy warmer in yesterday! I am in love! So pretty for fall!

•  I cannot believe we will be on a plane in 48 hrs and we will be at Disney World in 4 days! Seems like a dream! I can't wait to see all the fall decorations and festivities! 

• My sweet boy on the way to school last week. His headphones (telephones) are loop sided and he has his tiny dalmatian dog in his hand for D show n tell! This age is just the absolute best!

• I'm sure most people around me think I am weirdly obsessed with fall right now and that is mostly true. I know my poor husband is tired of hearing about fall food, decorations, stuff to do, halloween, and all that but I just feel like this in OUR season. We have been abundantly blessed this month and I am just giddy with excitement and joy. Every single day I think about where I was this time last year and it takes my breath away knowing how faithful and good God is. We have had some hard times but the good times are here today and  I am feeling more blessed than I ever have before. So to keep with my theme a another new fall candle that my hubby picked.  

• Found this sweet owl at Hob Lob this weekend. He was the last one and I knew he would be perfect for my couch. He got "welcomed" right away when Cooper chewed his ears nearly off. How does that saying go? "We can't have anything nice"!

• More fall goodness! LOL! Pumpkin Pie! Need I say more.... this and a good fall movie! Ahhh heaven!

• Lucas and George Monday morning. Broke out a long sleeve shirt! WhooHoo!

•  Tuesday night we went to the fair! Yes we are those people. We love the fair! Well I love the fair, Brent tolerates it but ends up having fun while we are there. Lucas loves it of course and had so much fun!

• Lucas will ride anything he is tall enough for and he wants to ride things he isn't big enough for! He loves going high. He is definitely my child with this :)

• But he did get daddy on one 'scary' ride!

• And whats a night at the fair without some carny games. He did really good popping balloons this year!

• Got to see sweet Emmy the other night. She is getting so big!

Thursday Tidbits {no pictures edition}

• I don't have any recent pictures because Brent did my phone update last night and put all my pictures on the computer so I wouldn't have to delete some to take others, which is how I have been living for months! Who knew a phone could only hold 3000 pictures? ha!
• I am SO SO happy to see we have some cooler temps in sight! This weekend is going to be amazing! I am so looking forward to crunchy leaves, boots and fires! I absolutely cannot wait for Halloween this year! Love Love Love!!
• I officially started my Christmas shopping yesterday! I found some movies Luke had been wanting online for a good deal and snatched them up! I love putting movies in his stocking.
• Brent came home yesterday with great news! He got the promotion at work he had been working on. I am so proud of him! He works so hard for our family. 
• We are getting soooo close to trip time! We have kinda figured out what all we are going to do while there and this weekend  I will start packing! I can't wait to take Luke to the airport and see him on a plane.
• Lucas is really loving his class this year. His teacher is so fun and it's such a small class (8 kids) they get lots of one on one time with her.
• I guess my years are finally starting to catch up with me, my anxiety has been through the roof lately and I am starting to understand why people take medicine for things like this. I NEVER thought I'd understand "anxiety" and "worry" but sadly I am starting to. I have to remember prayer. It helps the most.
• Hoping for a date night tomorrow if Brent gets off work in time. I would love to go to Rolandos and to a movie :)

Have a great weekend!!



Currently.....

loving: lemon water! cannot get enough!

reading: nothing at all. i just can't get in the mood :(

waiting for: Sept 24th! So so anxiously waiting for that day!

excited about: our vacation in 14 days!!

working on: keeping my head above water at home and at work. its been a hard few months but slowly we are getting back in the swing of things.

enjoying: this little guy.

planning: a fun fun fall! halloween is right around the corner and i am counting down the days until i can get pumpkins and mums out :)

needing: lots of His grace.

learning: no matter how far i think i've came, i still have a long way to go.

dreaming of: the future. future holidays and years yet reminding myself to live today as well. i am also dreaming of sleeping in tomorrow :)

what are you up to 'currently'?

Lately......

This post is going to be all over the place because that is exactly how life has been lately.

Last month on the 9th we lost Brent's mom to her long hard fought battle to Alzheimer's. Our days have not been the same since. It was an expected loss but so so devastating. I can't even put into words the deep hole we have in our family and in our hearts without her presence. And even though she wasn't herself in those last few months I think most of us are morning her as she was long ago. I am morning her as she could've been. I am heartbroken Lucas won't know her as a grandmother. It shakes me to my core to think about what Brent and his sister don't have and what Lucas will never know. I want to do a full post on her soon but heavy tears fall as I write these few sentences, I am not ready.


Brent has been working a ton right now. The week before his mom went into the hospital he broke his foot as work, which I don't think I ever wrote about. He was off work for a week with that. He was off the next week for our planned vacation to Branson which we for went to spend time with his mom. So since he has been back he's had to be out of town a lot and working long hours. It's always hard but I am thankful for the man he is and how hard he works for us.


We leave for our Florida and Disney trip in 25 days!!!! We so need this getaway and are so excited about it! The planning for it was done so long ago it's weird not to be getting things ready but in the coming weeks I know we'll start making lists and packing up! This will be Luke's first time on a plane and to Disney World of course. He has been to the beach but it was to cold and he was so little this will be like his first time there too! I can't wait to experience all this through his eyes!


On August 7th Brent and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. It was not a good day this year. We spent all day at the hospital and neither of us remembered what day it was until that evening. There were no gifts this year and no dinner out alone but isn't that what being married is about being together in the hard times as well as the good. I am so blessed to get another year with Brent he is everything to me and I love him to pieces!


All that brings me to today. I am happy it's September! I am so happy fall is on it's way! And Halloween is coming! This is my absolute most favorite time of year! I woke up this morning so excited! I made some hot cocoa to drink on the way to work and Lucas pointed out some fallen leaves in our driveway, and everyday we make sure to look at the nursery on the way home to see if they have pumpkins yet. I am so grateful God blesses us with changing seasons. Where we can leave one season behind and begin a new one. And I also can't help but think about where I was in this season last year. So sad, so hurt, so angry but God's promises are always there. I am hopeful that this season will bring us blessings and happiness.

Thursday Tidbits!

• I have been quite neglectful of my blog this summer. I have no good reason why just haven't been much in the 'writing' mood. We have had some very rough weeks lately and I will be glad when life gets back to our 'normal'.

• Luke started Pre-K this week! I cannot believe my sweet BABY is in his last year of pre-school! It just doesn't seem right!

• We took Lucas up to Lokomotion in Fayetteville this past weekend to ride Go-Karts! We had a lot of fun, it was such a pretty day. He rode one time with daddy.

• Then he got to drive himself! He did SO good!

• We also had his last day in his last class a few weeks ago. He was excited to take flowers to all his teachers. You can tell he's had a hair cut since then and it was 'water day' hence the swim attire. ha!

• Waiting on Mema to come!

• Cute new Toms! I knew Lucas would like these because of the 'cheatas' but he really likes to talk about the skunks just as much. haha so funny!  

• The weather has been beautiful the past few days. I love how chilly it is in the mornings and it makes me SO excited for fall!

• But we still have one last summer hoorah before I can get into full fall mode and that is our trip to Disney and the beach coming up! Only 43 days left!!

• That's all I got! It's going to be a tough weekend for our family. I am just ready to get through it and start a new week.