Seven years!

Holy Smokes has it been that long? Seven years ago LeAnn and I were joined in wedded bliss at a quaint little chapel in ... wait for it ... the MGM Grand.

Just what every little girl dreams about, right? The corny "preacher". The teal carpet. And don't forget the photo shoot afterwards, complete with the "HITCHED" license plate.

Well, I know our wedding ceremony may not have been something out of Cinderella. But you know what, I think we've done a hell of a job of living "happily ever after".

We have a great partnership. A great friendship, first and foremost. And that flows over into the love we have for each other and our family.

People say marriage is hard. LeAnn and I are getting to the age now where some of our friends are getting divorced. We see the struggles that our friends have gone through.

Not to discount what other people say, but I say marriage doesn't have to be as hard as people make it out to be. Especially when you're with someone who makes you laugh as much as LeAnn makes me. Sometimes, it's on purpose (when she makes a joke). Sometimes, it's not (when she falls up the stairs at Northglen 14). I'm not always laughing with you babe. Sometimes I'm laughing at you.

I'd be lying if I didn't admit there's times when we disagree or get on each other's nerves (shocking to those of you reading this blog, I'm sure). And I definitely know I'm not the easiest person to live with. Harping on LeAnn about money or whatever is probably not the best way to endear myself to her. And she certainly can't understand my fascination with tigerboard or watching a DVR'd Mizzou game at midnight after I'd already watched the game live that afternoon. And she absolutely hates my phone. She says I'm on it all the time. But I've got the data usage numbers to prove that she's actually on hers more than I'm on mine ... but that's beside the point.

I get that I can be an ass. But I also know that she loves me regardless. And I love her.

Seven years is supposed to be some sort of breaking point for marriages, I guess. The seven year-itch, they call it. Well, I feel like we're just getting started. Seven years is going to turn into 17 (that will make LeAnn cry, I guarantee it. She'll think about 10 years from now and realize Landon will be a junior in high school and she'll get misty ... guarantee it. :) Which will turn into 70, hopefully. Of course, I'll be 101 when that happens. I doubt she'll want me around that long.

Anyway, our marriage may have had a humble beginning in that quaint little chapel in the MGM Grand. But that day was just the start of the long and wonderful marriage we are living in our tiny little corner of the earth. I love you LeAnn. I know I don't say this near enough. But you're a great wife and an even better mother. Those boys adore you, even if K won't share his cars with you. And I adore you too.

Happy 7th Anniversary!

Love,
Scott

A Perfect Union

Going to Union Station/Crown Center is offically a family tradition! We have done it every year since Landon has been born. In fact, walking around Union Station and Crown Center is exactly what put me in labor with Kellen 3 years ago! My parents used to take me and Stacy every year and it is important to keep the traditions that my mom and dad set with us alive. And it is something that very much reminds me of my dad, so we will continue to do this every year! 

Nan came with us and the three of us slipped away to see a very cute Junie B Jones play!

Despite some very minor hang-ups during the day, it was in fact, a perfect union! CHRISTMAS I was a bad blogger, so I am forced to put all of my Christmas posts together in one...I am so mad at myself! Here are a few of my favorite pictures...

New Years New years eve was different this year. We stayed home and hung-low with the little dudes. Aunt Sissy came over too and we all rang it in together!

Hanging By A Thread

I am usually, at any given moment, emotionally hanging by a thread.  I will cry at the drop of a hat. And when it comes to my babies growing up? I can (sometimes) lose my mind.
The thought of my precious, beautiful first born losing his front teeth was too much for me to handle emotionally. Ugh. I couldn't even think about it.  Adult teeth are a big, crooked, ugly sign that your baby is no longer a baby..and that freaking high school is right around the corner.  I just KNEW I wasn't going to handle him losing them well.
That is, until the universe played a very nasty joke on me. Dun. Dun. Dunnnnn.

Because you see, nothing will make you ready for your kids front teeth to fall out like them looking like THIS for weeks before...

Bwahahaha...finally...mom isn't sad about something...

  These precious pictures are the last pictures I have of Landon and his baby front teeth. Thank god.  Those bad boys fell out that night.
And as the universe playing tricks on me...It happened again.  Because I was gone when he lost the first tooth.  He was eating dinner with Kellen and Scott. And he freaking swallowed it.  But that's ok, because the other one fell out 20 minutes later. So I at least had one baby tooth to cry over when I got home. ;)

Game Change

Scott was given tickets to a Mizzou basketball game. No big deal, right? Except, when we arrived at the game, we realized that these tickets were for the most amazing seats ever! Scott and Steven were in heaven and I was just hoping that the game would be perfect for them! Anything with me and both little boys involved is hard to be perfect!  ;)
The game ended up awesome! The experience for my family was incredible! Everyone had a great time! And Landon? Well, that boy did his father proud. He was by far, the fan of the game. He paid attention and cheered throughout the entire game. It was such a huge change from previous years when he would go to the game and only be interested for 10 minutes before he would want to get up and run around and get snacks and drive Scott crazy. He had never been so into a game! It was quite an amazing change and Scott was beaming!
I will let the (many) pictures speak for themselves....

It was so special to have Steven with us. Damn, I love that kid. I feel sorry for families that haven't gotten involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Our life would not be the same without our little brothers.
Scott? Is he really taller than you? Omg. 

Yep, he's taller than you. ;)

Fan-Of-The-Game, right here, baby!!!!!!!!

  
We had a perfect night!!!!

I am really glad that Scott didn't see this picture before we sent Christmas cards because I am fairly certain this is the picture he would have chosen! ;)