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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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 :)