Kids say the darnedest things…

Lately well really not so lately my sweet little sprout Charlot has been expanding her vocabulary immensely. Some for the good some for the well I’ll just let you be the judge. Here are a few of our most recent exchanges.



Driving to the field to deliver supper earlier this week…

Charlot: There a big tractor…ober there (that tractor happened to be red)

Momma: Yes it is

Charlot: What’s he doing?

Momma: Working ground.

Charlot : Working ground??? Why?

Momma: To get it ready to plant their crop.

Charlot: Oh

At this point I feel she is satisfied with questions for the moment. We are continuing to drive and we go by a field further down the road. There happens to be an even bigger John Deere tractor in the field.

Charlot: Momma there’s a BETTER tractor

Momma: That is right sweetie!

Now some may say she liked it better due to the fact it was bigger but this momma thinks she already knows the correct tractors.



Driving to the field to deliver supper earlier this week…(different night)

Radio is on a country station I am not even thinking about it when Blake Shleton’s new song comes on. I am kind of singing along. When all of a sudden from the back seat I hear…

Charlot: Chew bacca Chew bacca Chew bacca SPIT!

In this moment I have no words and I am just trying to hold it together.

The following morning I get a text from Charlot’s sitter it reads.

“Hey your daughter is laying on the couch singing Chew bacca Chew bacca SPIT!

Well just go ahead and sign me up for that mother of the year award.

Dinner delivery she is sitting on the tailgate of the truck eating her sandwich. One of the guys I work with is having a conversation with her.

JLP: Charlot do you have pigs.

Charlot: Hamps (Hamps are a breed of pigs. Yes she knows the breeds of pigs.)

JLP: Oh really I thought your Daddy had Berks

Charlot: Yes at my house

JLP: Really at your house. I thought they were at Grandma and Grandpa’s

Charlot: No at my house

JLP: Oh well where do they stay

Charlot: In my room

Lord help me. I do feel that with this kid a day will come and I will find an actual pig in her room. I will not be shocked or surprised.



And my final story the mother of them all so far. I say so far because there is no doubt in my mind with her there will be many many more.

Charlot and I are shopping in the city a week or so ago. I need to go to the restroom, and I of course take her with me. Here we in the stall. Note there are others in the room.

Charlot: Momma what that.

Momma: My undies

Charlot: They’s pretty

Momma: Thank you (giggles coming from other stalls)

Charlot: Momma what that.

Momma: My leg

Charlot: Oh (she stands there and looks for a few seconds, I feel the subject is dropped)

Charlot: Momma what that

Momma: I told you that was my leg sweetie (more giggles from other stalls) just like you have legs

Charlot: Oh… Why’s yours sooooo BUMPY!!!

Out right laughter coming from other stalls. I now know why some animals eat their young! There is your daily dose of Charlot stories. She is a crazy funny little one and I wouldn’t trade her for the world. Have a lovely day.

Mother’s Day

My Mother's Day morning view!

Sorry this is being posted almost 24 hours after I wrote it, I for sure fell asleep! These pics of Charlot were taken last week during a pig walking adventure. I couldn't resist she looked so cure!

As I sit here tonight thinking about this day I have to look at it and smile. It is later my daughter is in bed I am trying to watch Fashion Police (there’s my secret) I can’t hardly hold my eyes open but I want to see the hubs before I am totally out of it. He is still out planting corn I haven’t seen him since we both left the house around 6:30 this morning going in different directions.

He was headed to work; I was headed to take Charlot to my parent’s so they could watch her while I went to work. Now you may be thinking how dare your company making you work on Mother’s Day. But here is the thing we grew up in and around agriculture he and I both chose to work for agriculture companies. Because we both believe in what they do, we know feeding the world is a very important job and we want to be a part of it. So I did choose this lifestyle of work when you can because Mother Nature isn’t always on your side, especially this year. We are over two weeks behind schedule on planting. And the day was beautiful and we needed to take advantage.

With that said I was sort of feeling guilty about not spending the bulk of the day with Charlot. Wikipedia says that Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. A mothers influence in society I guess that is what I was doing today influencing society. And I do work for an amazing company that let me off by mid-afternoon with the request of supper being brought back to them. That amazing company also is pretty great about letting my little nugget tag along. So tonight as we were making our supper delivery to the field and my kiddo was sitting on the tailgate eating her sandwich I couldn’t think of a better way for her to see why momma wasn’t with her all day.

No my Mother’s day wasn’t exactly what I would have planned but it was pretty great day after all. I have to say moms are such amazing people weather they have crazy careers or have made the sacrifice of a career to make being a mom their career. Moms make this world a much better place, and I know mine sure does! Thanks Momma Linda for all you do! I love you and don’t say it enough.

Christmas Break Fun…

I know I have been gone for quite some time and that wasn’t my intention but as we all know sometimes life just happens and certain things get dropped. And in my case it seems the Blog is the thing that just doesn’t always happen. So I really appreciate those of you who stick it out with me continue reading.

Over Christmas and New Year’s my boss generously gives all of us several days off to enjoy our families and spend time relishing in the Holiday’s. I have always been thankful for this but becoming a mother has brought it to a brand new prospective, I get so much time with her and the hubs it is just great! We had a great Christmas season (a little sickness but we recovered nicely), did a lot of spending time with our families, a little trip and even some sledding, HOORAY SNOW! All in all a great Christmas Break. Here are some pics from over the break one of Christmas day (I have more they just aren’t with me today), some of our trip with my parents to Branson (the pics are from the BassPro in Springfield though), and the rest are from Charlot’s and my sledding adventure!




The cutest picture from Christmas at my grandma's, these two cousins sure love each other



She is trying to remove her coat because she doesn't want to leave it was a great place to stop!

 I hope everyone’s New Year is going great!

Thankful Series Continued…

Today I can’t stop thinking about how very blessed I am to have been raised by two of the most amazing people on earth. So today as with everyday I am thankful for my parents. Momma Linda or Nana as Charlot has deemed her and Pappy Paul are remarkable people who raise two pretty great kids, if I do say so myself hahaha. No seriously my parents have been an example for me my entire life. They are an amazing example of what husbands and wives, moms and dads, Nana’s and Pap’s should be.

They raised my brother and I in a house full of laughter and love. But by no means were they pushovers they taught us right from wrong and if you were wrong, boy oh boy did you know it. My parents are the type of parents that once they had kids everything else was pretty much second. They sacrificed so much to make sure that we had everything that we needed. They did an amazing job of teaching responsibility, work ethic, service. From doing chores as a family to mission trips with my dad, to making certain we had jobs (even if they had to help complete those jobs), my parents were there.

Christ was and is the center of their house, and they made certain we knew all about it. My parents wanted me to know my God and have an open relationship with him and know how to pray. They taught us that in the best of times in life and the worst of times in life you need to pray and pray often. For these things I will always be thankful.

The thing that makes up my most fond memories, are all of our showing adventures. When my brother and I were both pretty young we started showing sheep and have continued showing but as we got older we turned to pigs. Of course we still do raise and show pigs. These times with my family never had a dull moment and my parents were always there helping and supporting (financially and emotionally) through all of it. Now if any of you reading are members of show families you understand that showing doesn’t always bring out the best in all of us. My family was no different and looking back now I wouldn’t change a thing. I am so proud that my parents are going to be there helping the next generation (aka Charlot) fall in love with showing livestock.

So here’s to you Mom and Dad! Thank you for all you did, do and will do for me, I won’t ever be able to repay you for everything. But I hope you know that I love you so much and I just think you are the BEST!!!

Thankful for the most amazing little girl

Lunch date with momma...those blue eyes get me every time

Today after being gone for a couple of days I am back with another thankful post, that doesn’t mean the few days I was off that I wasn’t thankful for something trust me every day I am thankful that I can get up out of bed. Today and every day I am especially thankful for my little nugget Charlot. She has been the most unexpected and amazing surprise in my life. For those of you who know me personally you know the story of Charlot and for those of you who don’t well here you go.

One of our first moments together...

I was told at a pretty young age that having children was going to be very difficult for me, if not impossible. That was something that I shared with the hubs early on in our relationship, I wanted him to have a free pass if that was something he couldn’t look past. But he loved me and said we would worry about that another day. In the spring of 2010 I was on the pill and had changed to a different pill that my doctor thought would be better for me. I didn’t cycle for the first month and I didn’t think much of it that wasn’t anything new, second month I was a bit more concerned called the Dr. they said take a pregnancy test. I did it came back negative. I didn’t worry anymore. Third month nothing called again Dr. said well this is probably what we have talked about that your body is just shutting down, we will schedule and appointment to see you. Mind you I was show no signs of pregnancy at this point, no weight gain actually I was loosing, I felt great, so I was on the same track as my doctor.

Such a happy baby and little girl.

On September 3rd 2010 my life changed forever, I was in the field with my boss working and I became extremely lightheaded and had to sit down. My boss took me back to the office where I sat down and called my family practice doctor. He couldn’t see me that afternoon but a Nurse Practitioner could. I wasn’t feeling well at all so the hubs came to pick me up. He had been working hogs all morning so he dropped my off at the doctor’s (he kind of smelled) office and ran the vet clinic. When I got into see her she wanted to do a CT scan but thought we should draw blood (my biggest fear) for a pregnancy test. After the blood draw I sat in the room waiting for what seemed an eternity, I kept thinking I can’t really be pregnant right, well then I heard her whisper to the other nurse cancel the CT. And I knew in that moment my life was changed forever. She came in and told me what I already knew that I was pregnant and that I needed to schedule an appointment with my OBGYN.

I sat there for quite a while, somewhere between shock, disbelief, panic, and joy. Let me get real here for a moment, this was not in my 5 year plan at that point. I was very into my career, I loved where I saw it going, I wanted the hubs and I to be married for 5 years before we had a baby, I had other things I thought I wanted first. Well apparently the Lord knew exactly what I needed. As I walked outside to get in the truck with my husband I was trying to decide how I would tell him. I got in and he said (in his true fashion mind you), “well what did they say are you going to live.” I looked him square in the eye and with no expression on my face I said “Well ready or not I am pregnant.” And in that moment we both could not stop smiling and crying it was amazing and I knew it would all be alright.

On her first birthday

Charlot has brought a type of joy to my life that I can’t even describe; I sit at night and just watch her sleep still amazed at God gave her to us. So as I said today and EVERY SINGLE DAY NOW AND FOREVER I am and will be thankful for her. I love you so much Charlot.