Dancing Away With My Heart

Landon and I like to have dance parties together. 

So, tonight while Tyler was at his meeting, Landon and I had a dance party.

They usually consist of us just jumping around the house, spinning in circles, and Landon hanging upside down.

While we were dancing, "Never Grow Up" came on (Thanks to Taylor Swift Pandora).

Landon relaxed, put his little forehead against mine and said, "ahhhh."

And we slow danced during the entire song.

He laid his head on my shoulder and we moved around in a circle. 

It was blissful and I wanted to soak up every second of the moment because I know Landon won't always let me hold him and dance with him.

But for now, and hopefully a few more years, he will let me scoop him up, and dance with him while he rests his head on my shoulder.

I feel so honored, privileged, blessed, lucky, excited, and joyful to be able to have moments like this with this precious boy. And not only is he a precious boy, he is MY precious boy. 

My Child Is Hilarious

Landon is a little boy with a big personality and an even funnier sense of humor. He does the funniest things and his imagination is really starting to shine.

He loves standing at his kitchen, and pretending he is stirring a pot. After he is done stirring, he tastes it and says, "mmmm." And then he WALKS ;-) over to me and says, "Mama" with the spoon pointed at my mouth because he wants me to taste it too. After I taste it, he says, "mmmm" again.

Needless to say, I think he is the most adorable, funniest. sweetest baby ever to exist.

Tonight, Landon and I were on our own for the bedtime routine. Tyler had his weekly ministry team meeting.

7pm rolled around so I started Landon's bath water. He likes watching the bath tub fill up so I underdressed him and stood him up by the bath tub. When the tub was done filling up I took Landon's diaper off. In the time I folded the diaper and threw it away (in the trash can right beside the tub), Landon walked right out the door, to his walker and literally started running away from me. I chased him and yelled, "Landon Shae, get back here right now. It's time for your bath." He, of course giggled and shrieked and kept running to the opposite side of the house. As I turned the corner, I found him squatting down, peeing all over the floor. I couldn't help but laugh at him. I walked over to him, knelt down beside him, and said, "Landon, that was not a good choice." But, I couldn't help but say it with a smile on my face and a chuckle in my voice. He gave a loud, belly laugh and took off back through the house and met me at the bath tub.

His bath went great, he got his PJs on, I nursed him, and we read Goodnight Moon. 

Before I laid him down in his crib, I told him how much I loved him and I told him nothing he does will ever make me love him even any less...even if he peed on the floor.
He wrapped his little arms around my neck and hugged me. And! He initiated a kiss too, which is rare.

I just love the person this tiny human is becoming.
I love him, and knowing he loves me back is the the best.

True Life: I grew up as a PK

For those of you who are not familiar with the term, "PK" it means, Pastor's kid.
There are plenty of stereotypes that come with being a PK and I believe when Tyler told his mom he was interested in a girl from Pennsylvania and she was a pastor's kid, she responded with a worried, "Oh dear."

However, I like to think I wasn't just another pastor's daughter who rebelled against the church, never stepped foot into a church after going off to college, and got a bunch of tattoos and piercings.
(I guess I did end up with a tattoo......)

I actually loved my church family and felt they were just a natural extension of my actual family. I looked forward to going every week and I maintained some relationships that I formed with that community.

At the same time, there were plenty of things I didn't particularly like.
     I felt like I was put under a microscope and expected to be perfect. I knew if I made a "bad" choice, it would be talked about more than normal only because of the family I came from.
     I was referred to as "gospel girl" which didn't necessarily bother me, but it was annoying.
     Not only was my dad's job at the funeral home demanding, but a lot of his free time was taken up by deeds that had to be done at the church. But, I should add, he rarely missed any of my brother and I's events.

I didn't see myself marrying a pastor. I didn't have an idea of what I wanted my future husband to do as a career, but I didn't see him being a pastor.

And here we are...
Tyler is a pastor and I am now not only a pastor's kid, but a pastor's wife.

It is a beautiful thing, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have it's struggles.
     I feel like our family is under a microscope.
     Tyler has to go to meetings that take up some of our evenings and preparing teachings takes up a lot of time.

But, I am once again, blessed to be apart of a community that feels like family. It is a familiar, childhood feeling being around these people.
I am learning what it means to be a pastor's wife and I luckily have many women surrounding me with encouraging, uplifting, and loving words.

Last night, we had an event for one of our sister churches. There wasn't childcare provided so I was anxious to take Landon. He doesn't sit still very well and he likes to talk and giggle. But, to my surprise (with a few exceptions), he was on his best behavior. He was content eating crackers, playing with whatever I could find in his bag, and looking at the people who were looking at him. And he loved watching his Papa play music.

I also discovered he knows how to use a pencil. As I watched him drawing with his piece of paper that was support by a hymnal, I thought to myself, he is living the life I grew up in. I can't count how many pictures I drew during my dad's sermons. I was impressed that his scribbling lasted fifteen whole minutes!

This is his first church, service, masterpiece. 

I'm excited to see how his drawings evolve over the years.