Drea Wood

Butt in the Face

Written on 05/09/2012 by Dreawood in caleb, Owen, Taite, travis

Our family loves to bike ride. While our neighborhood isnt the best for it – its extremely hilly. We do however have a small area around our home, that is bike-safe :) – and our boys enjoy it daily.

Even little Owen as you can tell, LOVES IT.

He will come to us with his helmet saying “bike” repeatedly.

Travis almost always gives in :)

& really does have fun with it.

To much fun sometimes :)

Once Travis goes back to work Monday, I may have him switch the baby bike seat back onto my bike. Although riding it 4 mo. pregnant is getting harder. I find if I go up hill with the bike, it really pulls on my lower abdominal muscles. Which normally would be good, but when you are on your 4th pregnancy, I am finding any sort of PULLING in those areas, makes for an uncomfortable day. I will write more on the pregnancy “tidbits” later today – when I post this weeks bump photo.

For those curious on how our boys learned to ride. We taught them at the high school track in our former NC town. It was nice and flat – and the pavement was that soft material used on most tracks, so if the boys fell, it wasnt to hard on them. Taite was 4 when he learned and Caleb 6. It took probably about 1 hour to teach them – and we had moments where they wanted to give up… but we got it! :) I would just suggest having a SMALLER bike, that is easier for them to balance with if they begin to fall. Im so glad we taught them though and pushed it, because they really do love bike riding, A LOT.

& for fun, here are a few flash back photos of the boys pre-biking without training wheels.

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Yes, I take pictures of Flowers

Written on 05/08/2012 by Dreawood in photography

I admit, I do sometimes stop to take pictures of flowers. I feel odd when I do it :) – just because, its a flower… and its actually located behind our boys trampoline, in the thick of thorns, poison ivy and who knows what else.

As I sat on the trampoline with Owen (yes I still get on it, even pregnant) – I couldnt help but notice this flower, with the sun hitting it just perfect!

So I run inside, grabbed the cam and had fun capturing that moment of sun and flower together :)

I think it was a beautiful moment and I actually have one of the images on my desktop now as my wall paper.

Camera Settings: Canon 7D – 50mm 1.8 (I do own the 1.4 but I use the 1.8 for personal use often)
1.8 Aperture – ISO 100 – 1/1250 Exposure

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Friends can be Family

Written on 05/08/2012 by Dreawood in family, friends

See these sweet children…

Some of them are ours…

Yet really…

I would totally claim them as my own in so many ways.

Its so weird to think we have only known this family for a few years. I met them back in 2010 – through a home school group – and those who read my blog often, have already heard me post about this :) – but I cant help but write about how much we appreciate this sweet family.

Their friendship came at a perfect time!

During a time where so many friendships were broken…
Where people we trusted – turned their backs and acted as if they never knew us.
During a time where we felt torn from everyone we knew and put into a place where staying connected to many, was impossible.

Yet this family has been there through it all and has remained so constant.

We can be apart for a half a year, or more – yet when we get back together it was as if we were never gone.

It really is as if we are family. :)

They are the type of family that I truly would trust with my kids 100%. I mean seriously, I would give them our kids if something ever happened to us. They treat my children no different than their own – and I love that. I even loved when Shannon would turn to correct one of her kids, only to realize it was “my kid” – :) It was never offensive at all, to hear from her, although she stopped herself most times ;-)

It stinks we live 8 hours from each other.

But one thing I do know, is that – distance wont affect our friendship.

I love that it is not one sided…

I love that I can go days without calling her and she will call me, just to make sure im ok.
Then other weeks ill call her 2 times a day if not more.

Friendships like this are hard to find.
& I have found through life, so often I pour and pour myself into relationships… yet it is as if I am the only one even trying. This is one of those friendships that I have never felt that way, ever.

I know not every friendship is the same. We cant expect that. Im thankful for the variety :) – and even the new friendships we’ve made since moving to GA. The Lord gives us just who we need, when we need it.

I am thankful the Lord knew we needed them now and then, and provided graciously!

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A Mixture

Written on 05/07/2012 by Dreawood in home school

Since getting back from our trip to NC… I’ve been spending hours exploring home school options for the boys this coming summer. We made the decision to go ahead and order stuff early – so that I can school them throughout the entire summer. I know, kinda stinks for them ;-) – but not really… trust me, they get enough free time.

The reason being… once Travis starts his new job – his time to “take off and help” – will be almost non-existent. He will start his training in July full time – and it will run through the Holidays. It will be a 9-5 type of deal and because it is “schooling” in a sense – he wont be able to take off much time at all, if any, once baby #4 is born.

Since my family lives 5 hours away and his 8… we don’t have the option of that being close by, although my dad who is retired now did offer to come help. I MAY take him up on that ;-) – but haven’t decided.

If we school through the summer pretty heavily, come Oct. I will be able to take a solid month, possibly 2 off if need be, to adjust to mothering 4 children… rather than juggling home schooling, house hold duties and all the other “normal” routine type things, plus a newborn.

Makes me slightly nervous just writing about it :)

I’ve organized our school room – and even though this is our formal dining room – it is the only room I feel will work for what we do. The home we live in was furnished, so we aren’t allowed to move stuff out… we also can’t hang stuff on the walls – what is up, has to stay up. So I am relying on “tacky” options to hang posters and other things we want up in the school room. Command strips are nice too :) – We are so thankful for our home, these are just small things we have to work around to make things function well. No complaints here :) – as long as dinner guest don’t mind USA maps and markers in the room.

Today Travis will school the boys – and probably tomorrow as well – while I play catch up on some final business work. I have to process a birth session, family session and then schedule a lot of sponsored post for this blog as well as She {hearts} It. Once I get all of it done, I am going to be much more free to just be the mom :) – and not divide my time between work and home. It will be a good thing I really do believe… although I am sure at times, esp. mornings where there are unkind hearts, a whiney 2 year old and a very pregnant ME – being able to stay at home and focus on that, is something I really desire… despite how hard it really can be.

I hope to write another post soon on what curriculum we do plan to use this summer-2013. It is going to be a mixture for the 1st time ever…

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Back Safe

Written on 05/04/2012 by Dreawood in family, travel, travis

We made it back Safe.
We enjoyed our short pit-stop at my parents before heading back to GA.

My dad was out of town but my mom got to soak up the boys cuteness for one last evening.

The trip back was so long today though.

So thankful Taite did not throw up any more since last night… and our travels from my moms were fairly smooth, minus the normal “are we there yet” episodes and Owen protesting about his cute lil hiney hurting (in his own owee language).

I however am whooped!!

I think the night before did me in.
After getting to bed around 11pm – waking up at 1am to the puke-fest – then not getting back to bed til 2:30 – only to be slapped in the face twice by Caleb (who slept in my bed, so Travis could sleep by Taite, in case more puke happened) – Caleb does not sleep still – he is a wild sleeper! Add to that him bringing a portable alarm clock of my moms into bed, that went off at who knows what time! – and Owen waking up twice crying – by 7:30am when the house was awake, I wasn’t.

This pregnant lady is ready for bed tonight.

Notice the bump? I really think in some positions it just looks as if I ate a lot for supper. Standing up though it is an obvious “baby bump” – I HOPE :)

Glad we have Saturday to play catch up before Sunday… and next week begins my last week of being a mom with a husband who is home all the time – Travis starts his job May 14th… I really am not sure I am ready but I do know he is :)

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