top ten of eleven!

i've been planning to do this all week. it's been a little crazy around here ;) nothing like waiting till the last minute! this would be the top ten highs and lows of 2011!

10. what we not so affectionately refer to as "The Great Lice Fiasco of '11". five kids. five heads of lice. two heads shaved and countless hours of nitpicking later.... they got it again. a total of four rounds of washing everything in the house. three weeks of hell. hopefully to never be repeated!

9. our new van! first vehicle with a/c in 5 years! woo hoo! i never thought i'd be so overjoyed at a minivan. but i still say a prayer of thanks every time i get in it!

8. medical woes x 7! strep throats, hand foot and mouth, ear infections, surgery for me. but no ER visits, no hospitalizations, all minor illnesses. not bad!

7. breaking dawn! i have waited a lot of years to see that wedding. it was every bit as good as i imagined. which is why i had to see it two three times. only 11 months till part 2!

6. the passing of "old papaw". my last remaining grandparent. while we were sad to see him gone, we were rejoicing with him for being reunited with nanny!

5. good business in a bad economy. theMr's side business flourished this year. his best year yet with lots on the books already for 2012. proof that God is so much bigger than our economy!

~the final four are all good. because there was much more good than bad in this year!

4. four weekend trips away for me! january was my first weekend away alone in eight years. it was followed by two trips to the International House of Prayer, a weekend Beth moore conference, a women of Faith conference and a Twi-Moms sleepover! after ten years as a stay at home mom, it was good to find some time for myself this year!

3. the birth of a ministry (and not a baby!). more later on that one :) soon, i promise!

2. the official end of childbirthing. bittersweet for sure. but it was time.

1. the renewal and revival of our marriage. we took a long, brutal road to find it. i wouldn't want to go through it again for anything. but it was worth every tear, every heartache. sometimes in order to make something all it can be, God has to take it back down to the foundation and rebuild. and He did. i will forever be thankful that in 2011 i fell in love with my husband all over again. i eagerly await what is in store for us in 2012.

thanks for reading this year. thanks for caring what happens to our family. thanks for comments and emails and earrings and love. who knew blogging came along with a new "family"? what a wonderful surprise. cheers to 2012! ~theMrs

how to tick off your readers...

let's get back to laughing... what better way than to laugh at yourself!!

top ten ways to tick off your readers!

10. write a post about how they spend their money. throw in the insinuation that they will have to answer to the Big Guy for those choices!

9. write about potty training. who knew people had such sensitive feelings about potty training?

8. a post about discipline is always a sure fire way to get anger. every mom thinks she's doing it the right way. tell them that's not how you think it should be done and look out. whew!

7. any post written tongue in cheek. there will always be someone who doesn't get your humor/sarcasm. it's hard to communicate that in writing.

6. talk about politics. no explanation necessary.

5. write a list of the kinds of moms who drive you crazy. that one is bound to bring out the anger...

4. discussing facebook NoNo's

3. post about your love of twilight. often.

2. the minivan nazis.

1. you can't win em all. some posts will be one reader's favorite while another is a furious. it's the name of the game. i figure if i'm not occasionally ruffling a few feathers, i'm not really saying anything!

p.s. stay tuned... a cool new feature coming in the next few days!!!

flashback friday!

this is for you sarah!! :)

how much do you really know about me?


i can fit my entire fist in my mouth.

true or false?

i asked theMr out on our first date.

true or false?


i'm afraid of public restrooms.

true or false?

i live in a tiny two bedroom, one bathroom house in the ghetto so my kids can go to private school.

true or false?

i'm not at all competitive.

true or false?

i hate watching movies more than once.

true or false?

i sang in plays, productions and church most of my childhood and now will not sing in public.

true or false?

i've never broken a bone.

true or false?

i'm allergic to nature.

true or false?

i'm super ambitious.

true or false?

i spent many nights camping with theMr when we were dating and then refused to do so once we were married.

true or false?

i want to design a women's golf clothing line that doesn't look like something 80 year old women would wear.

true or false?

one of my children pushed one of my other children out of a two story window.

true or false?

i collect teapots.

true or false?

my mom is my best friend.

true or false?

sometimes i pretend i didn't see my kids do things so i don't have to address it.

true or false?

it makes me feel better when i see people from high school and they've gotten fat.

true or false?

i don't put sunscreen on my kids when we swim at home.

true or false?

i secretly think my husband is hotter than any of my friend's husbands.

true or false?

i was unmarried and in college when i had my first child.

true or false?

my husband was originally buddhist.

true or false?

i have a twilight calendar in my kitchen but i keep it on the same month all year long... (*cough*edward*cough*)



all these are true. every single one. and now you know.

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!

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!!

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!

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!

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???

true or false?

how much do you really know about me?


i can fit my entire fist in my mouth.

true or false?

i asked theMr out on our first date.

true or false?

i'm on vacation and i sent my husband to the pool with the older kids so the baby could nap. and i'm blogging instead of getting ready.

true or false?

i'm afraid of public restrooms.

true or false?

i live in a tiny two bedroom, one bathroom house in the ghetto so my kids can go to private school.

true or false?

i'm not at all competitive.

true or false?

i hate watching movies more than once.

true or false?

i sang in plays, productions and church most of my childhood and now will not sing in public.

true or false?

i've never broken a bone.

true or false?

i'm allergic to nature.

true or false?

i'm super ambitious.

true or false?

i spent many nights camping with theMr when w were dating and then refused to do so once we were married.

true or false?

i want to design a women's golf clothing line that doesn't look like something 80 year old women would wear.

true or false?

i collect teapots.

true or false?

my mom is my best friend.

true or false?

sometimes i pretend i didn't see my kids do things so i don't have to address it.

true or false?

it makes me feel better when i see people from high school and they've gotten fat.

true or false?

i don't put sunscreen on my kids when we swim at home.

true or false?

i secretly think my husband is hotter than any of my friend's husbands.

true or false?

i was unmarried and in college when i had my first child.

true or false?

my husband was originally buddhist.

true or false?

i have a twilight calendar in my kitchen but i keep it on the same month all year long... (*cough*edward*cough*)



all these are true. every single one. and now you know.

anniversary top ten!

i can hardly believe it's been ten years since i married theMr. i realized this morning while i was driving the three older kids to camp what a long strange trip it's been! i can only imagine if someone had told me then that one day i'd be carting three of my five kids to camp and hoping the little ones would take a nap so i could have one too! ohhh.. the romance :) so here we are, a decade later, a little bit smarter, fatter and just as poor! but we have grown from shallow first love to something that i never thought was possible for two people as dysfunctional as we are. to best friends, partners in sarcasm, twilight loving, baby making, people who stay up too late watching movies and laughing and regretting it the next morning! we've been through lots of ups and lots of downs and we're still here. we still love each other. we still want to come home to each other at the end of the day. i'd say that's success :) without further ado...

top ten reasons i'm so glad i married theMr!

10. we love the same stupid shows. shows geared towards teenagers. shows who's actors would be embarrassed to know that we're fans because we'd remind them of their parents. and we have no shame about it.




9. he can fix just about anything. especially if i tell him he can't. then he gets it done even faster just to prove me wrong.



8. he supports me in all my craziness. we're talking alot of craziness. i'm pretty much a hormonal roller coaster. in ten years there have probably only been about 11 months that i haven't been pregnant or breastfeeding. trust me, he's put up with a LOT.




7. he's a dreamer. he has goals and desires and plans for our family that sometimes defy reality. but i love him for it. one glass half empty person is enough in a marriage!





6. he's hot. i mean, super HOT. way hotter than when i married him. not many women can say that!




5. he obviously has great DNA, have you seen my kids?



4. he's the only person in the world who lets me be completely myself and loves me for it. i never have to be anything other than what i am for him. and i think he tends to make me the best version of myself. i hope i do the same for him.




3. he works so hard for us. besides his stressful, full time job, he does contracting jobs on the side to help make ends meet. he works hard to not only provide the things we need but things we want to.



2. he's a super dad.



1. he's truly my best friend. there is no one that i have more fun with, that i laugh more with, that i trust more completely than theMr. he is my partner for life and my love for eternity!




Happy Anniversary!

New Moon Top Ten!!!

Well ladies, the day has finally arrived! I was at my local walmart at midnight to secure my copy and one for my sister in law. I got there around 11 with the intention of doing my grocery shopping first. That plan quickly changed, however, when I saw the line.





From the front of the store all the way to the back to frozen foods. And that was an hour early. So I hopped in line, made some new friends and accepted the kids would have to eat peanut butter and jelly for another day. Oh wait, we’re out of jelly. Make that peanut butter and nothing.


this is the phone of one of my new friends in line... how awesome is that!?


these two ladies were next to me in line~ one was a total twihard and the other just saw twilight for the first time this week! i have to admit i was a little jealous, remember seeing it for the first time? *sigh



So in honor of this momentous occasion, this week’s top ten list will be all about new moon. Did you expect anything less???

Top ten best things about New Moon!

10. the directing is 100% better than twilight! Don’t get me wrong, you know I heart twilight. But some of those scenes are just too much. New moon was less awkward pause and more excitement. That’s saying a lot considering it’s the least action of all the books. That’s good writing and good directing.

9. the depression scene. Could you ever have imagined that reading three blank pages with only the names of months could have such an impact? I wondered how they would manage to convey that and they did a great job. Very powerful.

8. the wolf pack. I can’t say too much more… they’re teenagers and I’m married.

7. Jane. Who would’ve guessed Dakota fanning could be so creepy and perfect as Jane? When I heard they had cast her I thought it was nuts. Until I saw her! She’s perfect for that role.

6. Jessica. She was definitely funny in the first movie but she stole the show in new moon. Her expressions, her looks, total comedy.

5. the special effects. Remember the running through the tree scene in twilight? Terrible. With that precedent set I was truly afraid to see how they’d pull off the transformation of wolves. I stand humbled and corrected! From the minute I saw the early trailer I was hooked. Great CGI!

4. visions of Edward… how very creative. Anyone who can take the one story without Edward and write it so that we’re not longing for him for the entire two hours is genius. ‘nuf said.

3. the soundtrack. I have to admit that I still love the twilight soundtrack more but the new one is growing on me. As enamored as I am with Bella’s lullaby I have really grown to love the song from the meadow.

2. Jacob black. For those of us who had read the books, twilight was a tease as far as Jacob was concerned. In new moon we finally got to see the Jake we know and love. No matter what “team” you’re on, you gotta love Jacob. Even if you don’t, at least he’s shirtless! (oh wait, he’s 17…..he’s 17…)

1. and the #1 BEST thing about new moon? Edward comes back and he proposes.


Enjoy your new moon viewing! Leave me a comment and tell me your favorite thing!

2 DAYS TO GO!!!!

till i can own the New Moon DVD for myself... can you feel the excitement? the anticipation?? can you guess what 32 year old mother of five will be at walmart at midnight friday night? *yay*


*the precious

top ten reasons i should not have read "twilight"

10. now i continuously think of these characters, as if they are real people. i actually miss them. feel free to refer a mental health professional.

9. i found a website for MOMs who are hooked on twilight. while it made me feel a little less unstable, i now have a message board to discuss with others. like i needed something to encourage me to spend more time on the internet.

8. i'm trying to figure out how i will convince this new baby to take a bottle occasionally (my other breast feeders would have no part in it) so i can see the new movie when it comes out in november. you read that right. altering your parenting over a movie. priceless...

7. my DVR is overloaded. i have no desire to watch tv (usually my secret love :) i just want to read. so does themr.

6. as i'm dangerously close to the end of the final book (i've put off finishing for as long as i can) i'm trying to figure out what i will do next. what did i do before twilight? i tried to start rereading wuthering heights last night but it just didn't cut it.

5. someone wanted to borrow book three and i had to convince myself that it was ok to let it out of my possession.

4. i'm 31, enough said.

3. i'm too hormonal to be reading a love story. that's all i'll say about that.

2. i tried to win a contest today that was a trip to the set. hello? i'm pregnant with my fifth kid. i'm sure i can just jet off to italy and go to a movie set.

1. i don't know what #1 is. if reasons 2-10 were not enough to convince you then you're as addicted as i am!

do you wanna be a vampire?

oh my, has anyone read the Twilight series? i had never even heard of these books until the movie came out. when it did, i was in no particular hurry to see it as i thought it was a teen movie. well, we rented it last weekend. themr and i are officially in a twilight frenzy. seriously. we watched it last friday night. we liked it so much that we bought it over the weekend. on sunday i started reading book one, since the few people i talked to about it said the book was so much better. i finished it monday and started book two. i'm almost finished with book three now and will buy the last one today. i actually have to force myself to not read it and get things done. my laundry situation is completely out of control. my house sadly shows the evidence of my week of obsessive reading. themr is reading book one. he doesn't have nearly as much time as i do so it'll take him longer. i don't know what it is about his story that's so intriguing. i know part of it is that i relate to the main character, Bella. she is totally me in high school. it's funny because a few chapters into the first book themr said "she reminds me so much of you". other than that, i can't seem to put my finger on what's so addicting but it is. i'm trying to slow myself down on this last book because i'm sad that it will be over soon! i don't want to finish it! i keep thinking "i'm a 31 year old mother of (almost) five and i'm hooked on a vampire series for teens". i don't even want to think about what that says about me. anyone feel my pain?