Thursday, December 30, 2010

top ten of '10

10. eclipse... the proposal, the meadow, the proposal, sigh




9. the deluxe keurig



8. my little princess continuing to prefer me over all else. she's still my baby sidekick, at least for one more year!



7. a much anticipated, long awaited vacation!



6. a year of being debt free~

5. sweet baby pearl's birth!



4. career stability in unstable times

3. a year of (mostly) health

2. not getting pregnant!!!



1. happiness, joy, peace and blessing in our family!




happy 2011 to you and yours!

Friday, December 24, 2010

merry christmas from theMrs!



merry christmas from our family to yours! spend it seeing what you have instead of what you don't... focusing on what you can give and not what you receive... loving those who are here and not dwelling on those who are not... and thankful for a tiny baby who came to save us all!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

happy holidays?

two days? TWO DAYS?? it all started last thursday.... just your typical thursday. take care of kids, take care of husband, go to bed, wake to kid throwing up.... yep. it's here. christmas? no, the stomach flu. each day a new member gets it. dragging it out as long as humanly possible. nearly every bed has now been vomited in. carpets, sheets, tile, pj's, it's all soiled. i have a pile of laundry you wouldn't believe... the house is trashed... there's cooking and wrapping to do... and still more puking. i want to have a pity party... when will it end? why us? but i have to remember, we are all here this christmas. alive, breathing, together, loving. we have friends and family and each other and are blessed. sickness is a bump in the road. a small one at that. we'll just keep pouring the cups of 7up and it will be over before i know it. merry christmas to you :)

Sunday, December 19, 2010

ode to sick kids...

i know it's not flashback friday anymore, but this old post from 2008 (unfortunately) is totally appropriate again this year :( have a laugh... it's better than cleaning up puke~

twas the week before Christmas,
when all through the house
children were vomiting out of their mouths.
Papaw was at his job,
while i hold the fort
these are the days it'd be easier to work.
fevers keep climbing
children are whining
haven't eaten all day there's no time for dining.
sheets in the washer,
cartoons all day,
who'd have thought i could miss all that rambunctious play.
one silver lining
there has to be one
with seven days until Christmas we soon shall be done.

Friday, December 17, 2010

flashback friday...


it seems appropriate to revisit the top ten of 2009 as 2010 nears an end.... happy flashback friday...8 days till christmas!!

the best and the worst... here we go!

top 10 worst things of 09


10. gaining 50 lbs... again. why can't i be one of those cute little preggo women who complain about the additional 25 lbs they are carrying?

9. the cars broken into... again. we should be used to it by now i suppose. but we did get a AAA membership for christmas! so at least next time we won't have to pay for the window!

8. illness, illness and more illness. if it's contagious, we've had it. but praise the Lord we escaped the swine flu!

7. the loss of childhood icons. my kids growing up in a world without micheal jackson? crazy..

6. another year spent with a family of seven in a two bedroom house. but in this economy, i am thankful for a roof over our heads.

5. a cancelled vacation... again. although if i'm gonna miss vacation, i'm glad it's for a baby!

4. i'm not gonna comment on our political situation. let's just say it's not on my best list.

3. seeing some of my family members struggle with things so much bigger than they are. my prayer is that 2010's list will have a praise of seeing victory and breakthrough in those areas.

2. losing hannah in the spring. her life touched ours in so many ways. she will never be forgotten.

1. losing both of my grandmothers this summer. going through those losses, three months apart, while pregnant was tough. in some way's i'm glad this long year is over!

Top 10 ten BEST things of 09!


10. another year of God providing the resources for our children to attend a wonderful christian school. that school continues to bless our family in many, many ways!

9. 2009 will forever go down in the books as the year we discovered twilight. ahhh... where was my life before edward cullen? thank you stephenie meyer!

8. another year of theMr having this wonderful career. in an economy that is shaky, at best, we are blessed that he has the job he has and he loves it.

7. a year of overall health. we may have shared every little virus to run through the school but in a world of cancers, surgeries and worse... we are thankful for health.

6. the wonderful christmas news that we will have a new niece or nephew this coming year!! i love new babies! especially when i'm not the one who has to be pregnant :)

5. another year of the basics, that we often take for granted... food, clothing, housing, utilities, cars that run, insurance and health.

4. celebrating our ninth year of marriage, our twelfth year together. as many around us divorce, i am so thankful that our marriage is strong. i couldn't make it through this life alone.

3. five kids who are healthy, strong, smart, funny and wonderful! i didn't know one family could hold so much blessing~

2.the addition of our favorite little person, miss esme! she's the best surprise i've had in a long time :) who knew our family was not yet complete?

1. last, but certainly not least, if i've learned one thing this year it is how short life can be. in the blink of an eye everything can change. i am thankful to end 2009 with each member of my family healthy and happy. without them none of the rest would matter.

Happy New Year from our family to yours!!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

why i blog...

i had someone ask me recently what made me decide to start a blog. there are multiple reasons, many of which i've told you before. however, i realized that the core reason i've never really shared. let me take you back to 2000. i'm a new mom and a new wife and a college student and trying to keep all the balls in the air. i started attending a women's ministry thing at my church. i thought it would be great to make some friends who also had children since none of my current friends were anywhere near that stage. so i attend this event. i'm looking around at all this well dressed, fabulous, thin women. they have houses full of children and they make their bread from scratch and their children never get snotty noses and they meet their husband at the door in an apron and heels... ok that's probably not true but that's how i perceived it. they were perfect. i, on the other hand, had no idea what i was doing. now had i taken a few minutes to actually talk to these women i would have quickly discovered these notions were not true. but i could only see them through the haze of my own insecurities. so i felt inadequate and as if i didn't belong there and i shut down, because that's what i used to do. i spent those first few years of motherhood with very few friends and even fewer people that i really let in. for fear that if people saw who i really was, they'd be appalled. they'd think i was a bad mother or a terrible wife or an incompetent social worker or whatever. as i progressed to my mid-20's and started to grow up more and learn more about myself i discovered something: we're all in the same boat. our boat may be bigger or smaller, red as opposed to blue or have less children in it... but underneath it all we're moms. we want the absolute best for our children. we cry when they hurt. we think they are the funniest and the smartest and the cutest and we're just sure everyone else is wrong in thinking that about their kids :) if there has been one underlying desire in my life in the last eight years it has been to help women feel good about who they are. not just ok but good. to love their own skin. to feel strong about the kind of woman they are, no matter how different or the same. to support each other in our differences. to be able to look one another in the eye and say "that's not how i do things but i like you anyway!" to walk into a room full of women and not feel fat or uneducated or weird or less than. to know that what i have to offer is me. and that's alot to offer. so that's why i blog. not that you asked :)

Sunday, December 12, 2010

things Zaza is thankful for...


i've been meaning to share this for a few weeks but just haven't gotten around to it. i literally laughed so hard tears ran down my face when i saw it! my precocious second grade son was assigned in lass to write down things he's thankful for. obviously the teacher didn't specify how many he should come up with... or they had alot of time to finish the assignment! either way, he had quite a few! here they are... typed exactly as he wrote them :)

fammly
friends
free conchrey (country:)
food
erth
stuf
selebrasins (celebrations)
trees
anmils
sea
land
people
arr (air)
sun
granmother
granfother
me
toys
holadays
Jesus
God
contnets (continents)
watter
liquid
stars
school
Bible
teachers
paper
cristens
love
ten condments (commandments!)
mishenaries
games
moon
plastic
hair
clothing
books
coats
brets(barrettes, when i asked him why he said "mom, lots of girls really need them!")
shoos
underpants (i asked about this one too. he replied that if your pants fall down you still have underpants on. well, duh!)
ECA (his school:)
eyes
ears
planets
viecles (vehicles)
lights
seasons
evrything
library
places
bilders
robots
boxes
desks
chairs
david
john
me (again:)
munts (months)
names
mosis
words
stickers
paper
trees
oil
bildings
Christ
towns
frute of the spriet (fruit of the spirit)
chaple
video
winter
mars
pluto
sticky tack
nails
underware
shows
lunch
faces
jello
buttons
hot wheels
coocoos (coo coo clocks)
coocees (cookies)
milk
cherros (cheerios)
choclet milk
pinet butter
corn
chex
cows
punkins
hats
jelly
colors

Thursday, December 9, 2010

the post where i talk about how tired i am and how great my husband is...

i think i've mentioned before that i'm constantly tired... right? have i? well if not, i am. if i hadn't had mono before and been told you can only have it once i'd think i had it again. if i didn't know that i am for sure not pregnant i may even be afraid of that. i'm that tired. it may have something to do with my sweet baby who's teething and crying all night. it may be the fact that these people i live with run through this house every day like tiny tornadoes and i am constantly cleaning up after them. maybe i'm just old. eh...

anyway, that's enough of that! as you can imagine, this time of year can be a bit stressful for those of who are, how do i say it... financially challenged! finding ways to pay the bills is hard enough throughout the year but add christmas and it becomes downright crazy. so for the last several weeks, my dear husband has been working in the mornings, before his regular job, with his uncle to earn extra cash for the holidays. that's 16 hour days, if you were wondering. this is nothing uncommon in our household. he's just a hard worker. he's always been a hard worker. but i just need to state how thankful for him i am! of course the money is nice, but more than that is the fact that he does so much for our family. like doing laundry when i'm too tired. or fixing the plumbing this past sunday when i'm sure he would have much rather been relaxing. or rubbing my back at night even though his must hurt more. he's a keeper. that's for sure. if i wasn't so tired i'd tell him more often :)

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

christmas top ten

ugh... i'm a total blogging slacker lately... so many things to do.. so little time. i come up with these great ideas, then i can't bring myself to get off the couch and write it! just another reason why i need a mini notebook :) (hint*hint) anywho, it's been awhile since we've had a top ten. what to write... what to write... top ten reasons i never change out of sweatpants? top ten reasons one of these kids will not live to see their father come home from work? top ten ways to know you should stop blogging because people will begin to think you really do beat your children? nah... how about this;

top ten things i could really use for christmas!

10. a consistent eight hours of sleep. every night. not just occasionally.

9. free therapy

8. for my children to spend more than four minutes together without arguing.

7. a house that does not constantly have leaks, drywall falling down, etc

6. a vacation

5. a first shift job for my husband

4. a bullhorn for the top of my car so i can tell these other drivers what they are doing wrong.

3. a large inheritance that does not require the death of someone dear to me.

2. plastic surgery

1. to be reminded daily that my home is warm and safe, my children are healthy and perfect, my husband is hardworking and loving and i really do have it all.

what do you want?

Friday, December 3, 2010

ff

no flashback friday this week... have a raging migraine and four kids under four.... till next week :(

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

winter has arrived...

eventually i'll put up the many, many pictures from the last few weeks! the little guy's birthday...thanksgiving... holiday in the city... etc! the computer is running super slow so i haven't edited anything :( it's snowing here today! would be really sweet if not for the fact that i have to be out all evening with the kids. during naptime today i had tons to do... laundry, cleaning, my homework for Bible study on friday.. instead i slept for two hours! so the kids are home and the house is still a mess and i don't care. i feel so much better! the mess will still be here tomorrow, right?

Thursday, November 25, 2010

100 things i'm thankful for....

how can you limit thankfulness...here are just a few :)

100. starbucks
99. reality tv
98. cute heels
97. babies with chubby legs
96. friends with a great sense of humor
95. yearbooks
94. google
93. chocolate cake
92. movies that my kids will sit through entirely
91. fuzzy bathrobes
90. a cute pair of jeans
89. dimples
88. pasta of any kind
87. puppies
86. jane's addiction
85. twilight
84. summer walks
83. a long bath
82. wifi
81. "the holiday"
80. my keurig
79. a good baby sling
78. more books than i could ever list
77. blogs
76. texting
75. photos
74. the smell of clean laundry
73. lip gloss
72. hugs from little boys
71. low maintenance hair
70. a cute tattoo
69. a husband who's a morning person
68. not being pregnant
67. baby Einstein
66. hoodies
65. scrapbooks
64. doritos
63. sweatpea lotion
62. a great church
61. the right to vote
60. grilled chicken salads
59. painting little girl's toenails
58. scented candles
57. the memorial day parade
56. having a best friend in my mom
55. surround sound
54. facebook
53. home movies
52. the ocean
51. nieces and nephews
50. lists
49. penn station
48. the library
47. did i mention twilight?
46. laughing with my husband
45. bob marley
44. inside jokes
43. watermelon
42. fairy tales
41. having all of our parents in town
40. back to school supplies
39. black shirts
38. giving generously
37. having four low maintenance brothers
36. vacations
35. esme saying "bye bye" when i put her to bed
34. flip flops
33. cozy PJ's
32. cute coffee cups
31. reminiscing about the good ole days
30. "the breakfast club"
29. black and white photography
28. second chances
27. christmas music
26. rechargeable batteries
25. early potty training
24. cinnamon rolls
23. kids who are old enough to clean the bathroom
22. sledding
21. hip hop
20. a husband who works hard
19. magazines
18. a good parking space
17. playing jeopardy on the playstation
16. sleeping in
15. long weekends
14. paid holidays
13. having many good friends
12. sunshine
11. christmas trees
10. spending holidays with family
9. living in a country where i'm free from persecution
8. being blessed beyond measure
7. the bean
6. zaza
5. the princess
4. the little guy
3. miss esme2. theMr
1. a savior who died so i can have life!

happy thanksgiving all! hug your loved ones, eat lots of food and never lose sight of how how blessed we are in this country!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

say cheese!

i've never sent out a christmas card... every year i plan to but it never seems to happen! so this year, i really planned ahead! i bought the kids christmas outfits last year and kept them in my closet for easy access. i had their christmas picture done in the beginning of october.... then i saw how much christmas cards cost! uh, not in the budget! not to mention when i realized how many cards i would actually need! (can i help it we have so many friends??) so along comes this great deal from shutterfly, who i've never used before! pick a card i like, write a blog post about it, get them free! i'm in! those who know me know that i love to give photo gifts for christmas anyway! in years past i try to make a yearly calendar for each of our mothers full of pictures of their beautiful grandkids! i also love making photo coffee mugs and such. what grandpa can resist a mug with their favorite granddaughter's picture on it?? so now the biggest problem is which card to pick????

flashback friday...

two days early! i'm combining my birthday post for the little guy with flashback friday for two reasons: one, i want to share his birth story for him to read someday! two: friday i will be frantically shopping... no time for posting! without further ado, the story of the little guy's birth, four years ago!




dear little guy,

today you turn four years old! i can hardly believe it's been that long! i would be tempted to believe it's not true if not for the two new wrinkles i've acquired since your birth! i was due on thanksgiving day.




since your three older siblings were all born on their exact due date, i assumed you would be also! i ate lots of food, just fueling up for your birth of course :) but you were in no hurry! i went home from grandma's that night very grumpy and very full.




i woke the next morning to contractions, all though i had been having those for weeks! finally, by dinnertime your dad decided we probably better head to the hospital, just in case.



aunt marcie came to stay with the other kids and we headed to the hospital. i was only 3cm dilated when we got there. within 20 mins i was feeling that things were progressing way faster than my previous births.



we asked the nurse to check again, i was 7cm! they rushed me to a room and tried to get me admitted. while everyone rushed around trying to start IV's and call the doctor, i focused on breathing and not ripping anyone's head off! within 40 mins i was almost fully dilated and ready to push. no time for any drugs!




suddenly your heart rate dropped dramatically and chaos broke out in the room. all i remember clearly is the doctor telling me i had to push you out now or she was going to have to get you out herself. i reminded her i was only 8cm dilated but they weren't too concerned (easy for them to say!)



i closed my eyes and pushed and inside feared that neither one of us were going to come out of this ok. in the background, all i could hear was your little heart on the monitor, getting slower and slower. you see, even though i didn't know you yet, i already loved you fiercely! even though i had not yet seen your face, you were already my son. after a few (very painful!) pushes, you came screaming into the world, healthy and breathing and just fine! well, with the cord tangled around your body. you were not only perfectly fine, you were my biggest baby at 8'9 lbs and 22 1/2 inches long! you had a head full of dark, thick hair and looked like you were wearing a toupee :)



you cried for the first six months of your life and have been terrorizing our household since then! you have no fear and no bounds to your love. you are a cuddler and a wrestler and a helper and a not so very helper. you are my youngest son, now and forever. happy birthday little man. mommy loves you!

Friday, November 19, 2010

flashback friday!



this needs no intro... if you have kids you know these to be true!

the murphey's laws of mothering!

~if you have your carpets cleaned for the first time in five years- someone will vomit, urinate or spill chocolate milk on it within 48 hours.

~ if you mop the kitchen floor, someone will throw their plate on it.

~ if you tell people, firmly, that you are not having any more children- you will be pregnant within six months.

~if the baby is sleeping, the toddler is having a tantrum. if the toddler is sleeping, the baby is crying.

~if you are actually in the mood for some "lovin"- your baby is teething and will wake up to cry every six minutes.

~if you have a baby and a toddler, you can accomplish "lovin" in six minutes.

~if you dress your children in adorable, coordinating christmas outfits- the baby will blow up in her diaper, the toddler will slide down the wet and muddy hill and the school age children will somehow also get dirty by the time you get to the car.

~if you finally manage to fit into your pre-baby skinny jeans- they will get spit up on.

~if you plan a long, romantic evening with your husband- you will either have a sick child or get in a fight on the way to the restaurant.

and last but certainly not least...

~if you have children, they will
do all the things you swore your kids wouldn't do before you had children. and you will still think they are the cutest, smartest, most well behaved children you've ever met!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

we're not that kind of family...

remember when i told you that i'm not that kind of mom? now that that is all cleared up.. there are few things you should know about our family...

we are not a family that sees the necessity of matching socks...

we are not a family that has room for extra people in our pew in church...




we are not a family that is above eating pretzels for breakfast...

we are not a family that is still growing (hopefully!)...



we are not a family that thinks cleanliness is next to godliness (at least as far as our rooms are concerned!)...

we are not a family that likes to get up early and start the day...




we are not a family that is picture perfect...


HOWEVER...

we are a family who likes to laugh!



we are a family who's primary love language is sarcasm!

we are a family who makes up nicknames for everyone!



we are a family who loves Jesus!

we are a family who fights over the bathroom!



we are a family who dances and sings to silly music!

we are a family who enjoys the first two hours of any holiday and then drives each other crazy for the rest of the day!

we are a family who sticks together, no matter what!!



so now you know!

what kind of family are you?

Monday, November 15, 2010

what will i be today?

i'm having one those days... you know the ones i'm talking about! sick baby, disaster of a house, toddler who keeps sneaking off with the sugar bowl, sleep deprivation... you get the point. when i have days like this, it's tempting to be short and irritable and just frustrated. i have every right to be, don't i? while i may have a right to be at my worst in these situations, i also have the opportunity to be at my best. in fact, these are the scenarios where the core of who we really are comes to the surface. will i succumb to yelling and stomping and convincing myself i deserve to eat some chocolate snack (that i really don't need!) because i'm having a rough day? or will i choose to take many deep breaths, calm the sick child by constant holding and letting her nurse instead of eat her lunch, distract the unruly toddler with a story and a hug and eat a healthy lunch to keep me fueled for the remainder of the day? it's my choice. will i show my kids how to be calm and rational under pressure? will i be the hands of Jesus to them when they are at their worst? will i love them unconditionally with my actions and my words? it's my choice. every minute of every day. bad days will come and go but the unspoken lessons i'm teaching will last a lifetime. it's my choice what they will be.

Friday, November 12, 2010

flashback friday

i think this one still irks me... stupid celebrities...


i love magazines, love them. i used to buy one a week and have come to a point where i can't bring myself to spend the $4-$6. so my dear sister in law brings me hers when she's finished with them (thank you:) anyway, i'm reading one of them today and there's an article about celeb moms and how fast they lose their baby weight. of course, i have to read this because, lets be honest, i have ALOT of experience in the baby weight battle! it starts talking about christina aguilara and her (adorable) ten month old son. it says that she is happy with her post baby figure and that her husband is thrilled because he prefers full figured women. here's what made me about choke on my hazelnut iced cappaccino..... she weighs 120lbs! are you hearing this ladies?? 120 lbs is now FULL FIGURED! are you kidding me? this chick is probably 5'4 and she weighs 120 lbs and according to the media, she is full figured! i could not believe it. i don't know any real women who would be too upset about seeing that on the bathroom scale. i think i'd do some kind of crazy happy dance if i saw that. that's how much i weighed when i got married nine years and three kids ago... not to mention i was 22! see, this is the stuff that really ticks me off. this is the kind of journalistic (and that's a stretch) crap that women all over america read and then starve themselves because USweekly tells them they are overweight. this is why women are killing themselves at the gym two weeks after giving birth because angelina jolie had twins and she looks good three days later. here's the difference, those women have personal chef's that cook them healthy meals three times a day. they have a personal trainer and spend hours a day working out, most likely much sooner after birth than is healthy. they have a nanny to watch their sweet little newborns while they're doing all this and who gets up for all those night feedings (hey, i could work out four hours a day after giving birth if i wasn't so sleep deprived i would sell my next born for a nap) so even though we know all those things to be true, we still hold ourselves to the same standard and hate ourselves when we can't reach it. ladies, if 120 lbs is full figured then i'm clinically obese. but you know what? i got this body giving birth to four children. these breasts are stretched and deflated because i nursed those four babies. my once bright eyes may look haggard and tired to an outside observer, but to those who know me they are filled with joy at those little lives i have the honor of raising. and at the end of the day, my husband is always trying to get me naked, so i must not look that bad!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

top ten ways you know your husband is out of town...

theMr is chaperoning the bean's overnight field trip tonight! so it's just me and the little people tonight~

the usual routine changes somewhat when theMr is not here...

10. i can wear my comfy underwear.. you know which ones i'm talking about!

9. i'm eating taco dip for dinner instead of cooking

8. twilight will be on by 9

7. it will be ten degrees colder in our room tonight

6. i'll wear my ugly (less scratched) glasses instead of the cute ones

5. i'll sleep in the middle of the bed

4. i'll only be awoken by esme, not by him thrashing in his sleep

3. i'll have to get up with the school kids :(

2. there will be no morning people present in this house tomorrow!


1. i'll miss him terribly... even though it's only 24 hours!

Monday, November 8, 2010

beauty from ashes


awhile back i talked about perspective, remember the wide angle lens? if you don't remember, it was about seeing past what is in front of our eyes and trusting that God has it under control, for our greater good. as i shared then, our family has been in one of the hardest seasons yet for the past three years. i can't share too many details, as it's not wholly my story to tell. but it's been long, frustrating and at times brutal. but underneath all of that~ beauty. contradictory, huh? i know. see, the more life throws me that brings me to my knees, the more i have be in complete dependence on my God. i can't do it alone. i simply can't. the more i depend on Him, the more peace in the midst. i would love to tell you this peace is constant. it's not. because where i have to continue growing is my constant dependence on Him. but what i keep coming back to is that in the last few years, as many of the things i held tightest to have slipped away, He has never forsaken me. when those i needed the most couldn't be there, He held me. when i was afraid that my head would never stay above water, He carried me. when i can't see what good can possibly come, His Word promises it.

and in the midst of struggle, beauty emerges.
peace beyond understanding
joy replaces sorrow
thankfulness overcomes desperation
love overcomes bitterness
the past is washed away
the future is hope

and when we don't know the answers or the reasons or when the road will get a little less bumpy, we stand on the promise...

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." Isaiah 61:3


and that is all we need to know.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

true confessions part whatever

all of my daughters are five years apart and both of my sons are

eli and i went to the same preschool, middle school and high school but didn't meet until later

my first three children were born on their exact due dates

my biggest phobia is fire. i have smoke detectors everywhere in my house.

i seriously wash my windows only a few times a year!

i love kittens but i hate cats

this is the first time i've tried to lose the baby weight without smoking.

sometimes i hide in the pantry to cry

inside my head is a terrible potty mouth

i never like to rewatch movies but i can watch sitcoms all day

i'm allergic to soap

i love shoes. lots and lots of shoes

theMr loves shoes as much as i do. our closet is out of control

i love to see babies born. hopefully will someday be a doula

i love to have babies. (surprising, huh?)

i'm easily swayed by infomercials. i never order but i always want to!

i hate when someone's toenail color doesn't match their fingernails

i really hate when people don't put their phone on vibrate in meetings, etc

i realize blogs are somewhat narcissistic but mine is a great release for me

i'm anti twitter

i'm pro-wearing-your-PJ's-all-day

i have a deep seated desire to make everyone feel wanted and loved. it sometimes is my downfall

i can't stand to see kids picked on. it makes me really upset.

i get on compulsive organizing kicks and drive my family crazy by throwing everything away

i have a nasty temper that i'm working hard to control better

i'm down to only four piercings which is the least since i was 15

i am guarded with my heart but once you're in- i love fiercely!

i want to be a better version of who i am

i married out of my league

i should be loading the dishwasher right now

i'm wondering if anyone else will think i have too much time on my hands!

ten signs of true love

theMr and i have been together for 13 years, married for ten. when we got married, we said the same vows everyone else does. in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer (when is the richer coming?), etc. while all of those are great ideas, the reality of marriage is much more basic. deep, abiding love is in the everyday. here are ten signs you truly love someone...

10. you don't strangle him when you find out he used one of your white towels from your wedding to clean up chocolate milk.

9. he is patient with you when (once again) you let the kids pile trash on top of the trash can instead of just changing the bag yourself. (therefore causing it all to fall out when he tries to empty it)

8. you are willing to see the new airbender movie in the theater on your 10th anniversary.

7. he thinks that wrinkle between your eyes is cute :)

6. you understand that although he gets to sleep through every night, uninterrupted, he still needs to sleep in occasionally.

5. he brings home your favorite kind of sushi instead of the kind he wants.

4. you go shopping to get yourself an outfit for a speaking engagement but end up buying him two shirts.

3. he knows how to make your coffee exactly how you like it.

2. you may occasionally go to bed mad, but you never wake up that way.

1. you both realize that while the journey can be hard, exhausting, complicated and sometimes downright frustrating, you are in this together. you are on the same team. you are the president of each other's fan club. and all the little idiosyncrasies are just bumps in the road.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

flashback fridays!!

this flashback friday is a flashback of photos!

the year was 2007...




we were only a family of 6...





the princess was only 4...



Za was in kindergarten...





we had a blizzard...





the girls seemed so big... (but they weren't :)





i became an aunt for the first time...





twice






theMr and i went away alone for the first time ever!





the little guy really was a little guy...





it was a good year!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

i'm theMrs and i approved this message!

get out and vote today folks! let's get this country in gear! put up or shut up!

Monday, November 1, 2010

trip to the science museum

this past weekend my kids had four days off for teacher inservices. on thursday we went to a science museum that is close to our house. i had my five kids plus the two year old that i babysit!



i'd love to play the supermom card and tell you it was a piece of cake...
uh, not so much!



the kids were all well behaved and had fun...



but it's still six kids with one adult in a very crowded place!



actually, in the interest of full disclosure... a friend came with us...

with her five kids!



if you're not so good with math, that's 2 moms + 11 kids under 11



when all was said and done, it was a good day




the nice thing about these outtings is that the kids are totally worn out when it's over!


maybe not quite as worn out as i was!



but it was worth it :)

Sunday, October 31, 2010

i'm not that kind of mom...

yesterday we went to our church halloween alternative party, a wild west theme. they have lots of games and candy and food and the kids love it. since it was a wild west theme, i just threw some cowboy hats and boots on the kids and called it a costume! i'm a complete slacker when it comes to costumes. i take the easiest route possible! i'd like to blame it on having five kids but in reality, i'm just not that kind of mom. i saw many very creative, homemade costumes yesterday. these moms worked hard (or paid alot of money) and it paid off! i have friends who are so talented in these areas but it is just not me. i don't sew. i don't craft. heck, it's a total miracle if i sew a new button on a shirt. and if i do, you can bet it sat on my dresser for six months first! it's just not my thing. sometimes, i'll read a friend's homeschool blog and see some incredible thing she recently sewed or made from scratch and i'll have a pang of guilt. i should be doing that for my kids too. but then i remember that although i'm not that kind of mom, i am a different kind of mom...

i am a mom that blasts 80's music and has a dance party in the living room...

i am a mom who makes up silly nicknames for everyone in the household...

i am a mom who let's you wear your superman cape to church...




i am a mom who won't compete with other moms but instead try to make you feel that we are all in the same boat...

i am a mom who changes the words to all the tv theme songs to be about our family...

i am a mom who is open about her love of twilight even when all the other moms think she is crazy...




i am a mom who thinks it's ok to never let your kids sleep in your room...

i am a mom let's you give your brother a wet willy when he deserves it...

i am a mom who gives you cake for breakfast on your birthday...

i am a mom who will help you make yourself a costume as opposed to me making it...




i am a mom who God decided was the perfect mom for you!

i am not a mom who will operate in guilt and condemnation over what i am not, as opposed to what i am. i will be confident in the kind of mom God made me and be secure in the fact that the Lord wanted you with me!

and that's all for today :) happy fall!


*sidenote: please excuse the poor quality of these photos... we also took my 3 year old nephew with us, it was total chaos! who would've guessed that six kids at a costume party would NOT be conducive to taking photos???