7 years ago...

7 years ago from today was exactly 1 week before our wedding. As our anniversary draws nearer (sep 3rd!!), I've found myself reflecting a lot about our engagement, wedding, beginning of our marriage, etc. I've also been reflecting a lot about how some things have changed so much while other things have stayed so much the same... from 7 years ago to today.

7 years ago... I was practicing my vows over and over ALL day long.
Today... Jasper and I practice his vowels over and over ALL day long.

7 years ago, Andrew and I would stay up into the wee hours of the morning, talking and dreaming about our future together.
Today, if it's the wee  hours of the morning, we'd better be dreaming.

7 years ago, the Meades were a family of 5, and the Westons were a family of 7.
Today, the Meades are a family of 8, and the Westons are a family of 16.

7 years ago, Andrew and I would talk for about 100 minutes each night after our day at work.
Today, Andrew and I send about 100 texts back and forth during our day at work.

7 years ago, Andrew was an Accountant and I was in full-time ministry- hanging out with, playing sports with, and trying to teach the love of Jesus to the youth group at Cornerstone Alliance.
Today, Andrew is a Senior Accountant and I'm in full-time ministry- hanging out with, playing ball with, and trying to teach the love of Jesus to Jasper.

7 years ago, I wasn't too aware of or concerned with my sin.
Today, by the grace of God, I'm much more aware of my sin and my dependence on Him.

7 years ago, I was extremely preoccupied with a big, white, puffy dress.
Today, I sometimes feel big, white, and puffy.

7 years ago, I ran miles and miles every day.
Today, I chase a toddler miles and miles every day.

7 years ago, when Andrew and I talked on the phone, it was only on land lines.
Today, we haven't had a land line in over 4 years.

7 years ago, I thought Andrew was the greatest man alive and I was the luckiest girl in the world.
Today, I think Andrew is the greatest man alive and I'm the luckiest girl in the world. Some things never change.

7 years ago, I was blessed with many bridal showers.
Today, i'm blessed if I can squeeze a shower into my day.

7 years ago, we didn't know what challenges we would face in our marriage or quite how we would handle them.
Today, we know that challenges will always come, but God is always good and deserves our praise. No matter what.

7 years ago, I chuckled at Andrew's corny jokes.
Today, I belly-laugh at Andrew's corny jokes.

7 years ago, we held hands all the time.
Today, we hold hands all the time.

7 years ago, I thought Andrew was a good man who loved God and others and always honored his word.
Today, I know Andrew is a good man who loves God and others and always honors his word.

7 years ago, I dreaded cooking every. single. meal. for my husband and (future) kids.
Today, I love cooking and delight in making new recipes for my family to enjoy.

7 years ago, I had never made a grocery list.
Today, I make my grocery list according to chronological order of how the store is laid out, I put the quantity next to the item with how much that item should end up costing, and i have the grand total listed at the bottom of my list.

7 years ago, we were greatly looking forward to an exciting honeymoon.
Today, we greatly look forward to a quiet evening at home.

7 years ago, I was trying to imagine what life would be like with Andrew at my side every single day.
Today, I can't imagine what life would be like without Andrew at my side every single day.

As I reflect over the past 7 years of marriage, 3 things are undeniably clear:

#1 God is so good.

#2 Andrew always has been and always will be my leader, my lover, my better half, and my best friend.

#3 I'm blessed beyond belief.

horses!!

Jasper and I were outside playing in the driveway after lunch today, when all of a sudden we heard a strange noise coming down the street.... clomp... clomp... clomp...

Having no idea what it was, and being inquisitive by nature, I scoop Jasper up in my arms and walk toward the street, when all of a sudden 4 huge horses with policemen riding them came clomping by our house!!

Jasper's jaw immediately dropped and he stared, dumbfounded, at the huge "dogs", as he kept calling them. The policemen atop the horses all laughed at Jasper's reaction, they stopped in front of our house, and one of the guys kindly brought his horse, Danny, up our driveway and let us touch and pet him. Jasper was grinning HUGELY the whole time and the policemen all raved about how cute he was (he was pretty darn cute if I do say so myself).

Then Danny decided to leave quite a large a "going away" present in our driveway, which his unfortunate policeman had to clean up... leaving me ample to time dash inside and grab the camera to record Jasper's 1st horse interaction. It was precious and the policemen were all SO kind, chatting away with us. They just got a new horse who needed some training, so they were just walking up and down the streets of our neighborhood to get the new horse acclimated to the other horses. How fun that God let us be outside right at the perfect time to see these cool horses!

Sour Cream

Sour Cream... kind of a bland, white condiment used for things such as baked potatoes, chili, and tortilla soup. Right?? Nope, wrong!

Sour Cream is, in fact, a gourmet dish, filled with wonderful "nutty" overtones, and is more often than not a main entree here in the Meade Household, at least, for all persons under 2 years of age.

Jasper will do anything, say anything, perform anything, or eat anything if sour cream is the reward waiting for him.

This boy goes crazy for his (and mommy's and daddy's and anyone else who happens to be within a 35 mile radius) sour cream.

Aspirator

We have a new addition to our family, and no, we're not pregnant. :o) Our newest addition is (drum roll, please....) the nasal aspirator!!

This past week, Jasper has decided that life is not worth living if the aspirator is not within arm's reach at all times. On the very rare occasion when Jasper forgets about the aspirator b/c he's too busy trying to eat rocks, drink out of the toilet bowl, or set the house on fire, he soon remembers the aspirator and goes into full-fledged panic mode until he is once again grasping the aspirator in his cute little toddler fist.

We actually have 2 aspirators much to Jasper's delight, a blue one and a white one. Jasper's top preference is to have the blue aspirator in his mouth and the white one in his hand, but in aspirator emergencies (IE mommy forgot to bring both aspirators to the mall and sadly only brought one), only having one aspirator will suffice.

We enjoy the company of the aspirators at all times and in all circumstances.

While eating...

on the way to COSI...

in the garden...

playing chase in the driveway...

on the way to the pool...

and at the pool!

I think Jasper's strong attachment to his aspirators is pretty darn cute, and as an additional bonus, my heart can rest a little easier knowing that in case of a booger emergency, we are well prepared!

Tuck!! Tuck!!

To the 2 people who read this blog, I apologize in advance for the following post. :o) This is a complete, unfiltered "I'm-a-mommy-and-my-little-guy-is-absolutely-amazing" post. :o)

There will be nothing witty or "story-like" about the following post. I just have a (totally adorable) little guy who does (totally adorable) antics that I don't want to forget a year or 5 years from now. While I recognize that to the world at large, his antics are completely normal for a 1 year, I (as a biased mother) think that Jasper is totally brilliant and get MAJOR delight out of his antics. So... if you don't really care about what Jasper is doing these days, read no further. But if you don't mind learning his little words and his little antics, then this is the place for you to be. :o)

Jasper has 3 main things that he delights in talking about. Constantly. His favorite topics, in order of importance (to him), are:

- balls. He LOVES balls. He lives and breaths to identify balls. He could be doing or eating anything, and spotting a ball immediately takes priority. It sounds kinda like "ba! ba! ba! ba!!" and for Jasper, a ball is anything that even remotely, sorta, kinda, maybe resembles a circle. When Jasper spots a "ball", he says "ba! Ba! ba! ba! ba! ba!!" and won't stop until we respond to him. Our responses usually go like this: "Jasper! did you see a ball?? That's awesome!!! Good job seeing it!!"" Jasper's favorite "balls" include: light bulbs, car wheels, door knobs, stones, round-ish flowers, actual balls, balloons, etc. Sometimes we'll tell him things like, "this actually isn't a ball. it's a doorknob. Isn't that cool?!" but sometimes we don't. :o)

- keys. Again, Jasper LOVES keys. He knows the drawer where we keep our spare house and car keys, and VERY often throughout the day, Jasper will stop what he's doing, suddenly look up and say "KEYS!!!!" and run to the drawer, open it, and wait patiently for me to get the keys out (he's not allowed to touch anything in the kitchen cabinets or drawers). When Jasper says "keys" it sounds more like "deeees".

- stuck. and this one is my absolute favorite!! I LOVE it when Jasper identifies something as "stuck" (aka "tuck!! tuck!!). I have no idea how Jasper learned the word and meaning of "stuck" b/c I can't recall ever using it with him, but he is always spot-on when he uses the word "stuck". Normally, I'm in the kitchen getting dinner ready or whatnot, and Jasper is in his room or the living room playing, and all of a sudden I'll hear his little feet coming my way and he's saying "tuck! tuck! tuck!" and he comes to me. But when he comes to me, it's so utterly precious! He doesn't bother to look me in the face or anything. He toddles up to me saying, "tuck tuck tuck" and he grabs my hand and looks at my fingers. He always selects one of my fingers (normally my index), he wraps his little fist around my index finger, and pulls. He's never once looked at me yet. He just pulls and pulls. And when I start walking, he very resolutely walks ahead of my, pulls my finger really hard, and says "tuck tuck tuck". Eventually, we get to the "stuck" item, he finally looks me in the face and says "TUCK TUCK TUCK!!!!" and is pointing at the object. I get down on his level and say, "Oh Jasper!! Is the ball stuck?? Do you want me to get it unstuck?" and he breaks into a huge grin and signs "please" like crazy. I get the object "unstuck" and by then, my heart is totally melted, so I normally sit down and play with him instead of going back to the kitchen (maybe it's all an elaborate ploy for Jasper to get me to play with him). Jasper says "tuck!!" when his toys are really stuck, and also when he can't get things to move such as the dining room table, the couch, a wall, the fridge, etc. :o) It's really precious.

Other words Jasper can say:
-Momma
-Dadda
- Nana
- Papa
- Grandma
- Cadeo
- hot (Jasper says ALL food is "hot! hot! hot!" until I say, "No Jasper. The orange is not hot. It's cool." and as soon as I say that, he eats the orange, fully trusting my word. I don't take that kind of blind trust lightly.)
- hi
-bye
- banana (bananananananana)
- duck (he LOVES his duck)
- hat (he LOVES to wear his hat)
- yuck (which he says "KAAAA!!!" and sticks his tongue out wildly)
- baby (while simultaneously trying to give desperate hugs)

Animals sounds Jasper can say:
- dog = ruf ruf ruf ruf
- sheep = baaaaaaaaaa
- snake = hssssssssssss
- cow= ooooooooooo

body parts Jasper can point to:
- hair
- belly button
- toes
- knees
- ears
- Mommy's eyes
- Mommy's nose
- Mommy's teeth
- Mommy's elbow
* side note- Jasper loves my elbow, squeals with delight when I "make" my elbow pointy, and then proceeds to hug my elbow. constantly. not stopping, even for food. And Jasper gets the BIGGEST kick when I make my elbow disappear by unbending it. It's adorable.

Actions J can perform on command:
- clap
- smell
- blow (if a food is hot)
- jump
- click (his tongue against the roof of his mouth)

A few odds and ends:
- Jasper loves books that have animals in them and is beginning to show them to me often.
- Jasper lives to go out to the garden, pick red tomatoes, and eat them.
- Jasper loves his crib.
- he's crying a lot less when we drop him off at the nursery at church.
- he loves COSI, swimming, parks, playdates, and anything that involves playing or moving.
- he loves to laugh and to play games. EVERYTHING is turned into a game and Jasper just giggles and giggles (when he's not tired).
- when I say, "Jasper, do you want to take a tubby?" he INSTANTLY looks down at his clothes and tries frantically to pull them off. He keeps trying and keeps trying until I take them off him.
- when Jasper is hungry, he walks to his high chair and tries to climb in. I take that as my cue to feed him.
- when Jasper wants to go outside, he gets his shoes, brings them to me, climbs on my lap, and waits patiently.
- when Jasper is tired, he walks to his crib and signs "please please".
- Jasper would a million times over rather have a peach or grapes or an orange than a cookie, doughnut, or cake. He did not get that from his parents. :o)
- apparently sitting up is too tiresome for Jasper now, so he often chooses to "lounge" instead of sit. He somewhat resembles a huge man who's had too much to eat, so he lays back on his elbows and puffs his stomach out. This is what Jasper does. :o)

he's a pretty amazing little guy :o)

Precious blessings!

As Andrew and I were reflecting on this past week, I realized how amazingly blessed we are! God has given us such precious people in our life- both family and friends! I am so humbled as I think of the many people with whom I can laugh, cry, play, run, and/or stomp around with (you're absolutely invaluable to me, mom!). Women I can email, text, or call at any time with prayer requests, questions about mommyhood, quirky jokes, or praises with how God is working in my life/heart. Women (and a hubby) who know me. Women with whom I don't have to "pretend" around. Women who love me despite myself. What a rare and precious gift this is.

All 3 of us are so blessed with such precious friends. Almost every day this past week, we got to spend quality time with some very precious people and every day was laced with such encouraging conversations that centered around the Lord. I hold these relationships very dear and don't take them for granted.

Monday- play date here at home with sweet baby Joshua.

Tuesday- COSI date for Mommy and Jasper. This was the beginning of the tantrums; we needed to get out of the house or I'm not sure both of us would have made it till dinner.

Wednesday- play date and picnic lunch at Cosgray with precious Jennifer and Mateo (we have missed them so!!). Also, very precious emails with amazing friends.

Thursday- play date here at home with the wonderful kiddos: (older) Joshua, Logan, and Ali. Plus, precious encouragement from Kristi. Also, impromptu visit with Sam and Sarah (love her!) and new house tour!

Friday- precious playdate/lunch and fingerpainting with the dearest Sarah and baby Joshua. Also, family date for dinner (burgers, yum!!) and playtime at the very cool Piercefield park.

                                                            (family date)

Saturday- playdate/picnic lunch with precious Brock, Mel, Brogan, Elliot, and Kinlee at Delaware Dam (love that fam!!). Also, quick "drink" visit with Sam and Sarah.

                                                   (cousins!!)

We are so blessed with the people in our life, indeed.

Also, I leave them alone for 2 minutes at dinner tonight and this is what happens!!! :o)

Mt Dew or water? I'll let you decide. :o)

Fingerpainting and friends!

While yesterday's lunch consisted mostly of peanut butter and laughter, today's lunch consisted mostly of edible fingerpaint and laughter!! 

Sarah and baby Joshua are quickly becoming dear, dear friends of ours, and Sarah, a brave soul, invited Jas and I over for a playdate/lunch. I adore Sarah and Jasper just loves Joshua and shows it by hugging him. A lot. Not many kids actually enjoy Jasper's many hugs, but that never stops him. From hugging them. A lot.

Sarah had the best idea EVER and made edible fingerpaint for the boys to play with after lunch! It. was. awesome!

Very briefly, Jasper focused on the "fingerpainting" aspect.

But then he got wise and just focused on the "edible" aspect.

He ate...

and ate...

And ate some more.

When Jasper wasn't eating (which was rare), he was getting a kick out of precious Joshua. 

It was SUCH a precious day of fingerpainting and friends!