Look Who's Walking

Kinley on the other hand, is content just watching...


Sweet, sweet, sweet.

Not that I'm partial.

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

3 In 1?

Yes, we are pumped for the new house. Perfect location, close to grandma, great yard, not to mention it's only 5min from my favorite Target...I know, it's like a red clearance sticker dream.

It's dated, but it's ours. I can't wait to get in there and start re-doing things, fixing it up, and making it a home. Ahhh, that sounds like bliss.

Oh Lord, please let the inspections go well!

I do have a question though. Our girls share rooms right now. In our old 3bedroom home, the babies shared a room, and the 3 older girls shared a room. This new house has 4 rooms, which opens the door for Ella to have her own. While I know she is the oldest, the only singleton, and loves the idea of her own space, I also know that they do a lot of laughing and talking at night when we put them to bed.

You know, the night time talking that makes you crazy - and you just want to go in and scream "stop speaking, and close your eyes...go to sleep!!" Ahem...

Anyway. Even though that chatter does make me a little crazy sometimes, it is sweet. They have so much fun together...

I think she will miss being with them, even though they are younger...and they "annoy her sometimes." So what do you think? Do your kids room together? Is 3 to many in 1 room when we have an extra that she could have?

Oh, and I guess I should mention that I want to make that 4th bedroom into the cutest playroom you've ever seen...

So what do you think??

Sweet, Sweet Mercy...

We got a house, we got a house, we got a house!!!

Ahem, sorry - we're a little excited...

Please pray for the inspections...that everything checks out OK!!

Sweet, Much Needed Time Together

The 7 of us had a great weekend...
laughing...
playing games...
taking funny pictures in the mirror...

just goofing off and hanging out together...

it was much needed.

Hope you all had a great weekend!!

No Really, You Totally Do...

You Rock.

Even the hearts think so, see???

I am sooo incredibly thankful for your comments and emails. I am humbled by your generosity. Thank you, a million times over...I mean that with every inch of my being.

We are good, just on a rocky road right now. I'll be writing more on our situation...a little later...when this crazy fog has lifted a bit :).

Your prayers are felt. Please let me know if there is anything in your life that I could be praying for.

Thanks again for your words, what would I do without you???

It Is What It Is

We are struggling. I just wanted to share that.

I know it's just a season, and I know life isn't always easy.

I want to go on and on about these sweet pants...


But there are so many other things to talk about.

I hate (and that is a word I don't love to use) admitting that we have hit a rough patch, but we have. Don't get me wrong, everyone is healthy, and I am thankful for so many things...
Like a God that lets us go through times because we need to grow. And a God that sends so many blessings to help calm His child, even if the storm is still raging.

We are struggling.

In our communication, in our parenting, and in our marriage. We are just trying to keep our heads above water.

I just felt like I needed to be real.

We need to refocus, reconnect, and remember our Foundation. That is sometimes easier said than done.

We are beaten down. By our situation, and by each other.

It's so much easier to write about these little feet...

Sigh...love those toes.

Anyway, I just needed to write this down. After all, it is our real life. Thanks for reading, thanks for listening, and thanks for hanging around this little circus :).

Here's hoping that light hearted posts are in the near future :)!

---------------------------------

Update...

Thanks sooo much for all your thoughts. We are good. We have definitely hit a rough, and interesting patch in our journey. We are looking forward to seeing what growth God has planned along this road.

What's Your Outlet?

Updated...

I loovve that we all have so much in common! Just think - if we lived in the same town we could get "time out of the house" and meet for coffee, or walk around Target, talk about blogs, or just sit in the much sought after silence!! Ahhh, sounds like bliss :).

You know a few other things I love? (um, yes, Target...and Chickfila...and my pj's) Ahem, besides those things...

I love music, and I loovve singing in the car. Yes, I am that person.

I also adore Candy Hearts during the Valentines Day season. Love. Them.

And finally, I loovve 3 day weekends! It's great knowing that we don't have to get up and going in the morning - we can just make pancakes and relax. These weekends are especially nice after a really loonng, crazy week. You know those weeks. When Tuesday feels like it should be Friday, and you start to think the men in white suits are going to show up and take you away to a padded room where you can beat your head against the wall freely...

You don't have those weeks? Yea I don't either.

Oh I kid, I kid.

So anyway, thank you sooo much for letting me in on your hobbies and stress relievers - I love reading about them!
Hope you all have a great weekend!!

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Original Post...

I'm curious. What do you do when if you get some time to yourself or time out of the house?

I love laughing with girlfriends, it's the perfect medicine. This past week my friend whipped up some nachos while we were hanging out watching The Bachelor...

Which by the way, ABC - could we take the trashy down a notch, and only allow Jake to cry once an episode? I'm just sayin'.

Anyway. We made Paula Deen Nachos, and they were fabulous...you must try them. We used chicken instead of chili, and they turned out amazing.

So back to the topic. What's your outlet? Do you hangout w/ girlfriends? Bible Study? Shopping? Reading? (Obviously) Blogging? Other hobbies? I want to know!!

Tell me, tell me, tell me...

(Sweet)

Back To Work

Well the relaxing weekend (in which I got all my laundry done...no applause please.) is over, and tomorrow is Monday.

Back to work.

It's ok though, I just love the ladies in my office. They are fabulous. My favorite time of the day, hands down, are our lunch meetings.

We conduct a lot of our business meetings at Chickfila. The food's good, and we can always find a table big enough for all of us. The youngest of the group always sits next to me - she has grown attached...

And everyone is always willing to share their food - we're cool that way...

Obviously we get off track sometimes when someone starts to act goofy...

But it always ends up being a productive lunch.

We get a lot done.

So actually, I kinda look forward to Monday :).

Expecting

Not me, don't get all excited. Remember, I'm battling stress as it is - can you imagine if I had pregnancy hormones running through me?? Let's not go there.

All of my sessions lately have been of pregnant mama's and newborns...

I. love. it.

I adore pregnancy - It's such an amazing time...

And look at this brand new sweetness...

Oh and the feet...LOVE the feet...

Just wanted to share! Hope you are having a great weekend!

I'm Kickin' Stress Out The Door

It is really cold outside...

We are getting all kinds of beautiful snow...

And the girls have a snow day.

A lazy, stay in your pj's, get the crockpots out, play lots of rounds of Old Maid, snow day....it's a beautiful thing isn't it??

I love crockpots. Possibly the most practical kitchen appliance for the busy mom, don't ya think?

So we had a nice relaxing day here, just me and my little ladies.

And yes, I took my self imposed stress level down a much needed notch...and I didn't yell...as much :). Oh, this motherhood thing is a process isn't it? If I'm not being hard on them, I'm being hard on myself...

Geez, relax. Let's take this one sweet day at a time.

If I don't relax and de-stress, I'm going to end up in a therapy session somewhere talking about my childhood and how my yelling is somehow related to a bad perm I had in the 6th grade. Ahem...

So one of my goals is to be more patient and less stressed - they deserve that from me. And after all, this time is fleeting...I'm done wasting my time being stressed about things that don't matter near as much as my girls happiness. They're little, they're sweet, and they are truly a gift.

Well those are my random thoughts for now...

Thankyouandgoodnight.

A Cross Mother

Today has truly been a "I should be fired, with no option of re-hire" kind of day.

I so badly want to pretend that I never yell at my girls, and I never lose my patience. I want to write about bows and funny times at Target. But the only thing that I could think of tonight when I sat down at my computer was, "just confess that you've been a crappy mom today!" So there it is.

I've been a crappy mom today.

(excuse me while I go swallow my pride.)

Oh I yelled at the girls - taking my stress out on those sweet little savvies...when they don't deserve it.

So I thought I'd post a prayer/poem that my mom gave me, she kept it close while we were growing up. I'm sure some of you have read it before. It's a good one...

A Prayer For Cross Mothers

Oh God, I was so cross to the children today. Forgive me. I was discouraged and tired - and I took it out on them. Forgive my bad temper, my impatience, and most of all, my yelling. I am so ashamed as I think of it.

I want to kneel down by each of their beds, wake them and ask them to forgive me, but I can't.

They wouldn't understand. I must go on living with the memory of this awful day, and my unjust tirades.

Hours later I can still see the fear in their eyes as they scurried around trying to appease me, thinking my anger and raving was their fault.

Oh, God, the helplessness of children. Their innocence before the awful monster - the enraged adult.

And how forgiving they are, hugging me so fervently at bedtime, kissing me goodnight.

All I can do is straighten a cover, touch a small head burrowed into a pillow, and hope with all my heart that they will forgive me.

Lord, in failing these little ones that you have put in my keeping, I am failing You. Please let your infinite patience and goodness replenish me for tomorrow." -Majorie Holmes

Here We Go...

Well...

We've baked...

We've ate...

We've played in the bath...

We've opened gifts...

We've visited family...

We've played Memory...

...in which I've been beat by two 3 yr olds more times than I'd like to admit... why can't I remember where the cards are anymore!?

We've built towers...

We've posed for pictures...

We've stayed in our pj's...

We've played Hello Kitty bingo...

We've danced to Girls Just Want To Have Fun...

We've made necklaces...

We've laughed...

We've run out of things to do...

And we've broke every Slinky in the house...

I think it's time to get back to our normal routine! Oh man, it is going to be a big, freezing cold shock in the morning!!

Oh well, at least we have some sweet little faces like this to warm our hearts...

Here we go...

I'll take a Tall Nonfat Peppermint Latte, two 3yr olds, two 1yr olds, and the 75% off section at Target, please.

Thankyouverymuch.

2009 Rewind

You might want to sit down for this...

Janurary
Kinley & Raya turn 2 months old...
Octomom gives birth to 8 babies...
I decide to hit the gym again...
I start to find out our new normal isn't exactly...normal.

February
Eric and I celebrate 6 years of marriage...
I eat popcorn off the floor at Target...
The Steelers win the Superbowl...
And I embark on a journey to find a Double Baby Carrier.

March
I turn 28...
I start making more homemade baby food...
We start looking for a new home with a big backyard.

April
Reese & Charlotte turn 3...
They also join the land of going on the potty...
I feel the itch to make the jump into a photography business I've always wanted...
I think about using only cloth diapers...
And Susan Boyle changes Reality TV.

May
I start taking my camera everywhere...
I do my 1st real photo shoot...
Ella decides she wants to live for Jesus...
And the babies start cutting teeth.

June
Ella turned 5...
We put our house on the market...
I introduced our crazy crew to the pool, people stare...
And I buckled under the pressure of being a mom to many small children.

July
We celebrate the 4th...
I begin learning a lot about friendships...the good and the bad...
I start finding myself saying, "my friend that I know through blogging..."
And I realize how blessed I am from all your encouraging words, comments, and love that you all pour into my life.

August
I confess my love for pj pants...
Eric & Reese fall in a local restaurant that puts them in the ER...
We decide on an amazing and incredible preschool/academy for the girls...
And Ella has her 1st day of Kindergarten...


September
I start baking pumpkin goodies...
I write a poem about Target...
And Reese & Charlotte start preschool.

October
I'm overwhelmed with all our showings...
I decide I don't want to sell our home...
I catch the flu right before Halloween...
Our house sells.

November
Kinley & Raya turn 1...
I can't believe it...
I get some great deals on black Friday...
We move out of our home on Thanksgiving...
Move in with family, and start looking for a new home.


December
December proves to be the most stressful time in our 6 years...
I start driving 45min each way to the girls school...
Eric works around the clock...
We get an up close view of how stress can affect a marriage...
And we struggle to just keep our heads above water.

Whew! So here we are.

A new day, a new year.

Not to mention a new season of the Bachelor starting this Monday! Sorry...I'm not the only one that watches am I??

I am sooo incredibly thankful for a fresh start, and we are looking forward to seeing what God has planned for our family in 2010!!
Happy New Year!