Check out my guest post!

My friend Heather recently asked me to guest post for her blog. She wanted me to do so because she was going to be welcoming home her husband from his first deployment. I was more than happy to help her out.

Her blog is He Wears Combat Boots, I Wear Stilettos and I highly recommend it! She is a personal friend of mine and she is one of the sweetest people I know. She blogs about everything from her 30 day challenge, to her obsession with Army Wives :), and from her passion about current events that affect her life and the lives of many, to her playlist of songs for deployment.

So here is my guest post. It's full of drama and intrigue! Oh who am I kidding, it's just full of drama. Drama I can expand on if you're interested! Go check it out! :D Tell me what you think here! And tell Heather what you think there! She is such a beautiful sweetheart and I'm so glad she and her hubs and their little girl are back together again. Check out their super sweet reunion pic and tell me you can resist visting her blog. You can't! It's impossible! ;)

<3tprm

Guess-My-Surprise-Trip mini contest!

Hello all! Happy Sunday!

So last night I posted about my awesome Saturday and our super secret surprise Saturday outing.
The hubs took us all on a surprise jaunt to a place I have been dying to visit since we moved here.
He knows how much I love surprises, so it was a wonderful trip all around!

And I posted this last night, but it was very late so many of you probably didn't see it, so I want to post it again and give you all another chance to enter my mini contest.

I am going to post about the trip and post a bunch of pictures later, but I want to have a little Guess-My-Surprise-Trip mini contest fun first! :D

So take a look at the picture below, examine it, think about it, and leave a comment with where you think we went. (Clue 1- peruse my About me. Just throwing that out there :))
Which ever lovely blogger comments first with the correct answer will get a featured blog post here on TPRM! 

So here is Clue 2- The photo evidence :)

Way too vague you say?

Totally not fair you say?

That's just the flipping woods you say?

I say no to all of the above!

Pay attention to the clues I gave and the answer

will be so obvious, you'll smack yourself in the head.

But seriously, don't smack yourself. 

I hold no responsibility for smack-related injuries.

:D

Happy guessing!

<3tprm

Oh and don't forget to stop by this Tuesday for my first photo challenge contest!

Etsy love :D

I recently opened my own Etsy shop (which I'm sure none of you know :D LOL) and I was featured in 3 treasuries this week!
I have also made my own treasuries of some of my favorite items I've found this week
Check them out!

Treasuries I've made:

Little Pink Birdie

Sugar and Spice

Snails and Whales and Puppy Dog Tails

The treasuries where some of my items were featured!

Owls

Pounce again!

Coffee Beans and Honey Bees

<3 :D

An open letter to my husband

I love you more than words can say. And you deserve more than this typed message on a blog. But I want to say this to you and I want everyone to know it, not just you.

You are the most amazing person I have ever met, let alone talked to and gotten to know. And yet some how God saw it that you would be my husband, and I ended up the luckiest woman on the planet. Because I got you. You are incredible. And you have given me the two most amazing gifts on the planet, our sons Gunner and Atticus. They are two of the most incredible blessings I could ever have imagined.

I could never have had this incredible life without you. You are my everything. You are in every breath, you are in every thought I have. And I hope I can help you realize that in our journey through this amazing life God has given us. I want to do everything I can do to help you see that you, because of the Lord, are the source of this incredible life.

God first of course, but he has put you at the helm of our life, and you sacrifice everything you have for us. You put your life and your future on the line for us and I will never be able to express my gratitude for your sacrifice. I know it kills you to be away from us, as it does us (we love and miss you more than we could ever fully express to you) and I know you would do it 1,000 times over to protect us. We will never hold it against you, because we know it's what you must do. You are my rock and you are my anchor. I am blessed beyond what I thought was capable. You are beyond incredible. And I, we, love you so much, without compare. We know your sacrifice and we thank you so much for it.
Bruce, you are amazing. You are gorgeous, beautiful, intelligent, smart, hilarious, sexy, seductive, capable, admirable, impressive, and incredible. What did I do to deserve you?
I don't know, but I don't care. God gave you to me and I will never complain. You are perfect to me, and a wonderful and amazing father. Our kids are so lucky to have you, they are only beginning to realize.

You are amazing and I love you.
I just thought you should know.
<3 and xoxo forever and ever

Your adoring wifey,
MaryAnne

An open letter to my sons

Where should I start with you two?
The thousands of hairs pulled out daily by your tiny fingers?
My almost-scratched-way-too-many-times corneas?
The 1,0000 ER trips? The ER trip on Christmas day for Ace because of a certain someone who shall remain nameless? One hint- his name starts with a G and ends with an unner.
The emergency trip to the dentist for me because of the head butt that almost broke off my front two teeth?
The bajillion pieces of technology destroyed by your curiosity?
The screaming sessions at just the most inopportune moments?
The furniture we can't even give away on Craig's list now?
The new carpet that is now ruined from only 4 short months of your presence?
The peaceful mommy-time interrupted by your refusal to nap?
The times you practically kill each other when you get in your 'crazy modes'?
Hmmm, well I could go on... but this is starting to grow into a bit of a long list.

But I have a longer list, so you're gonna sit there and listen, you hear me!
I will start instead with this:
For every hair you pull, I am amazed and taken aback by the sweet smell and beautiful feel of each tiny strand on your heads.
For every eye almost gouged out, I'm reminded of the sheer beauty of those gorgeous peepers you both have.
For every ER trip I am reminded of the beautiful blessing of the health and well being of our little family when we could all be hurting so much more in so many ways.
For every piece of electronics destroyed, I am amazed by how brilliant you both are and how much you both have already grown in the short time you've graced us with your presence.
For every scream fest and tantrum you have, I'm reminded to count my blessings and be grateful for your strong and amazingly sweet voices and that you can scream your lungs out when you want.
For every piece of furniture ruined, I am grateful for your ability to ruin it- by jumping, coloring, ripping, hitting and everything else your little bodies can do.
For every stain on the carpet, I am grateful we had the money to give you the food and juice for which to spill and mush.
For every nap you didn't take, I am grateful that you are able to sleep, and sleep well, and wake up refreshed and beautiful, ready to play again.
For every time you almost kill each other, I thank the good Lord in Heaven for giving you each a brother to annoy and love.

You two are the most gorgeous, sweet, amazing, beautiful, wonderful blessings I have ever been giving by our almighty Father and Teacher. With out your pirate screams, your robot rampages, your creature-from-the-black-lagoon drools and messes, your amazing strength to reach out and grab (literally and figuratively :)) almost anything you want, your funny faces, your beautiful spirits, your exceeding baby patience for your parents and all of our screw ups, your bottomless love and affection, your kisses, your hugs, your baby laughter, and your little fish stick feet, I am nothing. I was nothing.

Till there was you.

I adore and love you both from the endless mommy love inside my mommy heart.
<3 and xoxo forever and ever.
Love, Mommy

Be like you

Asylum Street Spankers

You with your big blue eyes

You with your big surprise
You with your "I don't know"s
You with your mismatched clothes

Chasin the kitty cat
Tiptoe and pitter pat
Hiding 'neath the kitchen chair
Sleepin with a teddy bear

You sittin at the breakfast table wearing two different shoes
I, I wish that I could be like you

And when we're jumpin on the bed
Jump jump jumpin up and down
It seems like such great bliss
Makes me wonder if
A grownup like me could ever feel like this

You with your funny smile
You with your certain style
You when you play pretend
You know you're my best friend

You sing a bit off key
You say "Hey look at me!"
How I wish that this could last
But you're growing up so fast

And I love your silly expressions
And your different point of view
And I, I wish that I could be like you

And when we're walking down the street
Walk walk walkin hand in hand
We're having so much fun and when the day is done
I tell you I'm so glad you're my son

You're quite extraordinary and it's absolutely true that I,
I wish that I could be like you
I wish that I could be like you

I wish that I could be like you.

An open letter to my parents

Mom and Dad, where do I begin?

Do I begin with a thank you for all of the indescribably wonderful things you have done for me? For the money you've given me to help keep me a float when I was struggling? For the compassion and understanding even when I was being worse than Damien himself? The kind words and encouragement said at exactly the right time to help me keep on putting one foot in front of the other? For this amazing gift of life you gave me through God's great plan?

Do I begin with a bottomless apology and deep regret for all I have put you through over the years? The late nights spent worried if I would make it home alive? The hours of worry wondering if I was ok where ever I was? The hurt and shame many of my actions have surely brought you? The torment I know I had to have been as a teenager? The worse torment I was as a young adult out of your span of protection?

Do I begin by singing your many unsung praises? How selfless you are? How giving you are? How gracious your spirits are? What wonderful examples you have been for me? How you've used your broken spirits, broken by me, to lift me up time and time again?

I could begin that way. But I think I'll begin and end this way. With a story you both told to me when I was a little child. A story by my favorite Teacher.

There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, "Father, give me my share of the estate." So he divided his property between them.

Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

When he came to his senses, he said, "How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men." So he got up and went to his father.

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

The son said to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son."

But the father said to his servants, "Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." So they began to celebrate.

Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. "Your brother has come," he replied, "and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound."

The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, "Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!"

"My son," the father said, "you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

I love you both more than words can say. 

<3MaryAnne

Open Letters Week here at TPRM

So I like to keep things light and loving around here... usually. There is so much hate in the world, I'd rather not rant too much (LOL yeah sure! Ha!) on my blog or get too serious. Life is too short and I prefer to laugh as often as possible. But I've had may things weighing on me as of late, and I want to take this week to write a series of open letters to people I love and people that seriously piss me off.

Tomorrow I will be starting off in the piss me off category. I'm sure it will piss you off too.

And I want to encourage all of you to write open letters to loved ones and those you wish to punch. Even if you never send them. It is such a thoughtful and healing experience, I highly recommend it. :)

Stay tuned!