A Spoonful of Sugar

The Sickness

2012-01-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Our house is diseased..

Ok, that was dramatic..

But it is.

All 3 of the children

are sick..

and on top of their sickness..

They all had pink eye too.

And then I got it too.

Diseased I tell you.

8 eyeball,

that need a drop in each,

4 times a day..

too much for this horrible math person to figure out..

It's a lot.

The first time we did Aria's eye drops..

She screamed like crazy..

Seriously,
screaming,
yelling "STOP HURTING ME"
awesome.
I was traumatized more than her..
Then a few hours later,
"Aria, it's bedtime"
"Mommy, don't forget my eye drops."
Really?
Could she actually be sit still this time?
Not scream?

Nope,
she screamed still..
and adding flailing around like a dying fish to her repertoire.
I love that girl,
spunk and a half.
(Now after a few days she let's me put eye drops in like it is her job)

Since the two oldest are feeling better,
and because they have be confined to a house for a week,
we have brought in their tricycles for them to ride.
Yes, it's just as bad of an idea as it sounds.

We also have let them play video games and watch tv,
because that is the only good thing about being sick,
But now we are detoxing them and trying to get them back into a normal schedule,
Yes, it's just as bad of an idea as it sounds.

Slowly we are getting back to normal.
I am thankful I get to stay home with them,
Because sickness, craziness, tantrums and all..
I love those kids.

(side-note: I think Ari is ready to get back to normal too, she took one look at my face today and said "Mommy, let's do makeup." Honesty is her policy.)

When Dinosaurs attack...

2012-01-12T11:16:00.000-05:00

NYC is a dangerous place..

Here you can see is being attacked by a dinosaur...

If only we knew that Spider-man was on his way

and there was nothing to fear..

side-note:

my son is not quite as good of an actor as it may seem..

The dinosaur started to roar..

as we were taking this picture..

He really was terrified.

Labels

2012-01-12T00:18:00.000-05:00

David was an Adulterer.

a coward.

Rahab a Prostitute.

a liar.

Paul a Persecutor

a murderer.

These are the labels we would use.

These are the things we would say.

But God says

David

Man after my own heart.

Rahab

In the Savior's lineage.

Paul

Forgiven.

They were not

who the labels

said they were.

And neither are you.

broken

weak

liar

adulterer

thief

addict

Those might be the labels given to you.

God gives you another

One who He loves.

Choose to hear the truth

and ignore the labels.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Blessed

2012-01-10T14:01:00.000-05:00

I am blessed..

Sometimes when a need is met..

an unexpected check.

a generous gift.

an answered prayer..

Blessed.

In those moments..

It's easy to praise God.

Say..

"Isn't He amazing?"

To share how much I love Him.

How blessed I am because of His provision.

But,

Something has been stirring at my heart lately.

What if I didn't have those blessings..

Would I still

Say..

"Isn't He amazing?"

Share how much I love Him..

Rejoice that I am blessed just to be His.

Is my love for God..

Or His blessings?

Is my awe directed towards Him..

Or my comfort..

Is just being His enough..

Or is it dependent on what He can do for me?

My prayer is that my love will continue to grow..

That it will be so rooted in Him..

that no matter what the circumstances..

the trials..

I will still say

"Isn't He amazing?"

I am blessed.

Secret Mission

2012-01-04T14:15:00.000-05:00

Can I tell you something?

I hate pinterest.

Ok, just kidding,

I love it like every one else.

I love the inspiration..

the creativity...

but the problem is..

you can have all the creativity and inspiration..

in the world..

but when you have the crafting ability...

of.

I don't know,

a 3 legged dog

because yes a 4 legged dog has better crafting skills than me.

You end up with frustration...

I would look at all those pretty things..

and do just that..

Look.

I had wonderful ideas for advent activities..

but never actually did them..

because I knew mine would never be that pretty or unique..

So you know what I did?

Around the 12th day before Christmas..

I gave up..

I gave up the unrealistic expectations..

and did something totally our family.

I found a manila envelope..

put a sticky note on it..

so classy..

with a note

TOP SECRET FOR AGENT PEANUT BUTTER, JELLY AND NUTELLA.

and inside I put a plain piece of white paper,

with a hastily and poorly written..

note..

Telling the kids of a secret mission..

and we went on our way

looking at Christmas lights

getting hot chocolate..

It wasn't well constructed..

But the memories were.

The looks on my kids faces

each time they found the envelope..

Each time we had a mission..

Each time we spent that precious time together.

were amazing.

So what have I learned

Pinterest is evil.

Ok , just kidding.

Inspiration is wonderful

But

Don't get so caught up with the presentation

that you miss the present.

Still Thankful.. still sarcastic

2011-12-10T11:15:00.001-05:00

So..

about writing something I was thankful for

everyday in November.

Yep.

I was pretty awesome at that.

You know something else

I am awesome at?

Taking self timer pictures.

Yep.

Well the season of Thankfulness continues..

And I am thankful for my kids.

They are the funniest,sweetest, wittiest children ever..

God uses them in such an amazing way..

to teach me about

compassion..

love..

forgiveness..

I am blessed to be a Mom..

and I am beyond blessed to be their Mom.

And..

they are lucky we don't do the whole

naughty or nice thing

because this happened

this week

That's the stuffing from my couch cushions..

in case you were wondering.

yep,

not so awesome.

I love Fridays...

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

Friday's

Are Court's day off..

we have family day.

I love Fridays.

I am Thankful that we get to spend time together as a family..

I am thankful for a husband who makes it a priority.

Every Friday is awesome..

But one Friday in particular was

EPIC..

and I don't use that word lightly.

Actually,

I do use that word lightly,

in fact,

I have used it today alone..

to describe

breakfast,

a song

and a dirty diaper.

We went apple picking..

to the beach for pizza..

to another beach

to walk around..

to the Library..

and then to small group..

Pretty Legendary..

another word I don't use lightly

(yes, I do)

I am so thankful for this awesome family of mine.

and Friday family fun days.

(we don't really call it that)

(yes, we do)

A tragedy, some crazy blizzard and a hero.

2011-11-03T15:04:00.000-04:00

Two years ago,

I wrote a little post about something I was thankful for every day in November

leading up to Thanksgiving.

Hey, it's not original or anything,

but when a month is suppose to be focused on Thankfulness,

why reinvent to wheel.

Last year I decided to destroy the wheel altogether and not even make a list

but I had a 1 month old so I gave myself some grace.

This year the wheel is back intact.

Wait.

I have confused myself with the wheel metaphor.

All I am trying to say it..

I will be doing the Thankful game again.

And since it is already the third day of November..

You get 3 things today..

I expect a hardy Woot. Woot.

If you actually said Woot. Woot

I am thankful for you.

Day 1

We had a snow storm here..

Growing up in Canada I wasn't too shocked because I remember at least 2 Halloweens were our costumes included some sort of coat and boots because the ground was covered in snow.

But apparently it hasn't snowed in our area before Halloween since the Civil War.

Do you know how I know this little factoid?

Because the newscaster must have said it 15 times as they kept rotating through 5 different news stories, all about snows and shovels. But if the majority of our audience is without power and can't watch then I guess you can get a little lazy with your hard hitting breaking news.

Power was out every where.

All through our town.

Yet we didn't lose power for a minute.

That in itself, was a wonderful blessing.

Because we had power,

we were able to have people over,

who didn't have power.

I am thankful for that..

And that every time someone came,

they brought me dunkin donuts.

double win

Day 2.

I shattered our coffee pot.

It was like it was happening in slow motion.

The fall off the counter..

The tumbling down to the floor..

My over exaggerated cry

as I went to grab it..

and then CRASH..

Aria actually came in to see the carnage..

and said

"Oh no, how are you going to make coffee!"

Fact:Mommy without coffee, not so pleasant.

I texted Court right away.

He shared in my sorrow.

That evening when I came home.

Court had a present waiting for me.

Wrapped and everything...

(This is important because presents are Rarely wrapped in this house, I am likely to hand a present over in it's target bag, because I love target and I am lazy)

Inside was the fanciest coffee maker I have ever seen.

And not only did he buy me a beautiful coffee maker.

He got it for half off it's original price.

Clearance is my love language.

I am thankful for my husband,

his considerate heart,

and his mad clearance skills.

Day 3.

As I am writing this..

My children are all sleeping..

My husband cleaned the living room..

made me a fresh pot of coffee.

lit a candle..

and told me to relax.

Have I mentioned how awesome and considerate..

he is?

I am so thankful for him.

I promise, not every thankful post will have to do with coffee..

Why did I promise that?

Every post may in fact, have something to do with coffee.

Keeping it real.

Date night..

2011-10-13T11:36:00.000-04:00

Court and I had a date..

we had a baby sitter..

and we were going to a wedding

so free food..

Yeah

pretty much the awesomeness trifecta..

Add to this,

we haven't been on a date in awhile..

We were pretty pumped..

speaking of pumped

When we stopped to pump gas.

our car stopped..

working.

Yeah..

so date night became..

waiting for AAA

at the 7/11

boomsauce.

So of course we did

what any dressed up couple,

stuck outside a 7/11

would do,

Bought a insane amount of slurpees and slim jims..

I also got the Raspberry Cappacino..

Yeah high class all the way.

It was actually really fun,

The owner of the 7/11

even offered us his car in case we wanted to go anywhere..

Yes, you read that right,

Offered his car.

He definitely is now on our Christmas list..

in fact, since I am awful about Christmas Cards..

He probably is the only one on our Christmas Card list.

Eventually AAA came,

We rode with the truck to the repair shop,

and then an employee of the repair shop drove us to the wedding reception,

and we made in just in time for dinner,

BOO YAH.

End of a era...

2011-10-12T11:34:00.000-04:00

When Court and I first got married..

we decide one thing..

we would never own a van...

we also had a five year plan that involved us not having kids until we had been married 5 years.

We are going to celebrate our six year anniversary in January, and we have 3 kids. Yeah, we are awesome at plans.

Anyways,

we didn't want to be a van family.

But 3 kids and a new house later..

we decided

we wanted to be a family that feeds their children..

so..

we bought a 16 year old van.

Swagger.

And honestly..

We LOVED that thing..

Her name was Yolanda Vega..

and she was a champ...

Even after we got in an accident..

and it looked like she was set on by an Elephant.

She was an awesome fam van..

But sadly..

Today we are saying goodbye to our Yolanda...

Court and I will miss her,

The kids will miss her,

(They cried for the first few days when we couldn't drive her)

The people at the stoplight next to us who always gave us strange looks,

probably because she sounded like she could explode any second..

will miss her,

So in honor of our Yolanda..

Here is the lady our Yolanda was named after...

I warn you,

you will not able able to stop saying Yolanda Vega

after watching these videos..

You're welcome.

Future..

2011-10-11T14:08:00.001-04:00

Sometimes the tasks gets overwhelming...

The dishes

that never end..

the accidents that

need to be cleaned..

the noses to wipe..

the tears to dry..

the voices

to quiet..

the beds to make

All the tasks

sometimes make me forget..

for a moment

that I am not called to parent

"tasks"

I am called to parent

little wonderful people..

with a future..

a purpose..

A whole life ahead that I can't even begin to imagine...

When I remember that..

The tasks

become significant..

They are all little ways I am preparing them for their future..

Their wonderful..

amazing..

God given..

future.

And I get to be a part of it.

"You've been handed a piece of history in advance- a gracious gift sent to a time you will not see"

-Tim Kimmel Grace Based Parenting

For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Hair today, gone tomorrow

2011-09-29T17:30:00.000-04:00

I knew the day was going to come..

I knew it was bound to happen..

I just knew it.

Aria cut her hair.

I would really like to blame

"Tangled"

the person

who pretended to cut her hair with play doh scissors..

In fact,

I have blamed them both.

But the fact of the matter is.

I am the one

who had 12 inches of my hair cut off..

In the kitchen..

with her watching.

I guess I can take a little bit of the blame too..

But Disney is getting most of it..

Because they are a multi billion dollar company..

I have a right to blame corporations

for my lack of judgment.

Right?

Right.

We will all sitting at the table.

Aria was doing a project.

Gibson was doing a project.

I was helping Jack with a puzzle..

I thought to my self

"wow this is peaceful"

and then as I always do

when that thought comes to my mind..

I looked around frantically

for the mischief that had to be happening at that moment.

And that's when I saw it..

Beautiful curls..

falling to the table..

I gasped

Aria 's little eyes brimmed with tears..

and started saying

"So sorry, scissors are for cutting paper, I am sorry, Momma"

I felt awful..

because lets be honest..

my gasp was more like a screech.

Hugged her..

let her know it's just hair,

Momma's not mad.

I literally said it 10 times..

"It's just hair, baby girl...just hair."

I think I might have been crying too.

The truth is..

It was just a few inches of hair..

It is so easy to get caught up in things..

To make them bigger than they are..

to make them worse than they are..

But it's just hair.

And, of course, a mullet never goes out of style.

Birthday boy..

2011-09-22T08:08:00.000-04:00

Dear Jackson,
You adore your Daddy and I.
You think we are the coolest thing since..
disposable diapers.
But one day..
You will realize
You are way cooler than us.

And that's OK.
But no matter how cool you are
I expect you to give us hugs and kisses.
and to say you love us in public.
Because I am not cool.
I don't claim to be.
I will make a very uncool fuss,
if you don't.

Because I love you,
and you will always be my baby.
(cue the Mariah Carey music)

Love,
The uncoolness known as your parents

Picture Perfect

2011-09-21T16:17:00.000-04:00

I tried to take the kids picture.
Together.
All 3.
I could write about it.
Instead here is a picture..
that captures the essence of that experience.

I am framing it.

My son is a genius...

2011-09-20T22:11:00.002-04:00

Jackson reads my blog..

That is the only logical explanation..

to why he was up all night.

He realized I was getting

a little emotional over him getting older..

and he decided I needed to cuddle him

all night

in his rocking chair..

So Jack,

if you are reading this..

As much as I appreciate your sacrifice

of sleep..

SLEEP IS GOOD

I also stayed up way to late..

watching a Jane Austen movie..

so my thoughts are in a British accent..

And I have a strong desire to curtsy...

So if you see me today..

And I curtsy..

just go with it.

Truth be told, allergies are hitting little Jackson and even though I joke, I feel so bad for my little man.

Bittersweet

2011-09-19T23:39:00.001-04:00

There is cake mix and frosting in the cupboard.

B&N sent me a coupon for a free cupcake..

You would think I would be ecstatic.

I am not..

Because even though..

cake and more cake..

are 2 of my favorite things..

It means 1 thing.

Jackson's birthday is coming up.

Soon...

I am having the hardest time with this..

I am sure with Gibson and Aria..

I felt this bittersweet feeling..

But with Jack Jack..

being my youngest,

my baby..

I want to cry..

with my first 2..

I heard over and over again..

"it goes by so fast."

But with my 3rd..

I realize how much that is true.

I love watching him grow..

I love that I get to be a part of his amazing life..

I am so blessed..

to be these kids mom.

And I have loved every stage..

BUT

the baby stage is special..

and we are about to move out of it..

and

It makes me a little bit sad..

it even makes me dislike cake

a little bit..

a very little bit.

You got mail...

2011-08-31T05:29:00.001-04:00

This is not a tutorial..

I repeat..

This is not a tutorial..

If you want a tutorial on making mail boxes..

ask a kindergartner..

they probably have a hundred better ideas..

More creative..

and better executed..

That is not the point..

This is just a way to give you an idea..

On a fun little way to connect with your family..

Gibson was soo excited about making mail..

That he went FIGHT FREE down for a nap..

because I told him,

he could write a letter after nap..

The kid's are made out of old formula containers..

The plan was to make all of them this way..

But Court

~~tried to keep me from being a hoarder~~

hates fun

and threw them away..

So I used shoe boxes..

little mini ones that hold little mini people's shoes.

Jackson will be getting his own soon..

He just is kind of into eating mail..

so we are waiting a bit..

Our mail center...

I dusted for this picture..

feel honored.

Waiting for Daddy

2011-08-30T12:16:00.000-04:00

We have these windows..

In our dining room..

That are always filled..

with smudges...

streaks..

little people..

checking to see if Daddy is home..

This little guy..

Is the newest addition

to the

"Is Daddy home yet? Let me check."

club..

Too bad it's like 10 in the morning..

It will be a little bit of a wait..

But well worth it.

It's the little things

2011-08-02T13:08:00.000-04:00

Today my kids ate a sandwich..

Not a PB&J

Or cheese and meat without bread..

A real..

Ham and cheese..

WITH

Mayonnaise

and BREAD

Sandwich..

This has only happened

a handful of times..

and always

with some dessert bribery..

But today..

They ate a sandwich..

So for all the mom's out there..

Whose toddler only eats..

yogurt..

or cheerios..

Or things that are orange..

Or start with the letter m.

There is hope..

One day they too might eat a sandwich..

And you will

rejoice..

bring it up in phone conversations..

text to your husbands..

and if you are really lame

blog about..

Because you are their Momma..

And the little things really aren't so little..

when your kids do them..

BTW

Court and I toyed with the idea of calling french fries "carrots"

so they would shout out "I want CARROTS!"

we when passed Mickey D's..

Because even though a french fry called a carrot..

is still a french fry..

it gets you less dirty looks

When your children exclaim it in public..

#TruthBomb

2011-07-27T10:22:00.000-04:00

Right now..
No matter how you feel..
No matter what negative emotions are telling you..

No matter..
Who has told you in the past..
that you are unlovable..
unworthy...
not good enough..

You are loved..
Perfectly...
Fully..
Immeasurably..

And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:17-19
The Message

Embrace the camera..

2011-07-14T08:51:00.000-04:00

The funny thing about Candids is...

When you try to argue that the reason your face looks so silly in every pic..

is clearly because you were not expecting a picture to be taken..

you then have to draw the natural conclusion..

that in real life..

the distorted face captured in the candid shots..

Is in fact the expression that is on your face at any given moment..

{sigh}

But the good thing is..

that in my candids and in real life

I am surrounded by such awesomeness..

aka my family..

That maybe no one notices my wacky expressions..

{maybe}

(all pictures taken by Court's Mom aka the Nana Cam)

I love...

2011-07-13T08:22:00.000-04:00

Where we live...

Impromptu beach trips...

Are the bomb..

Wading in the freezing cold ocean...

Fully clothed..

Is the bomb..

New England is the bomb.

Greater than all our sin..

2011-07-08T08:50:00.000-04:00

There are many posts right now about a certain case..

This post is not about that..

It's not about my feelings on justice..

Or my opinions on the verdict.

They probably are the same as yours..

They probably are the same as rest of America's..

But that is not what this is about..

It is about the thought..

the realization...

that drove me to my knees..

That confronted me like a wave..

knocking me over..

leaving me gasping for air..

astonished..

amazed..

in awe..

humbled...

This is about Grace.

Not the grace that we usually think of..

Tied up in bows and lace..

Gentle..

Inviting..

Non-intrusive..

Real Grace..

Messy..

Raw...

Offered to everyone..

Even those we would want to condemn..

Grace draws us to our knees...

It confounds us..

Humbles us..

Because it exposes all the messiness of our own hearts..

And the ugliness..

The things we try to hide..

Because when you are confronted with Grace..

You are confronted with all your junk..

You are confronted with your need for grace..

Your need for forgiveness..

Your need for HIM..

And then slowly...

It becomes clear..

That the grace you receive..

You are utterly undeserving for..

and as much as you would like to categorize sin in different degrees..

As much as you would like to think..

The things in your heart aren't that bad..

It hits you..

You are just as undeserving of grace..

Just as undeserving as Grace..

as those you would like to condemn..

You are just as undeserving of Grace

as those others want to condemn..

We are all undeserving of Grace..

And that is what makes it so amazing...

I wear my sunglasses at night...

2011-07-07T10:55:00.000-04:00

Court and I had a date last night..

At the ballpark..

Our church had an event to support our youth group so we went..

And Nana is in town to watch the kiddos..

I made sure to wear my sunglasses..

which was a smart move..

(note the ominous skies in the 2nd picture)

Also note that the mascot is a Fisher cat..

Fisher cats are vicious little animals..

That I wouldn't want to come in contact with in real life..

But dress someone up in a 7 foot costume..

and I will gladly take my picture with him..

hmm. weird.

Anyways..

Shockingly the game got canceled..

But because Court and I were kid less...

we decided to make the most out of it..

So we went to a movie too..

(note I am still wearing my sunglasses, at this point the rain at matted them to my head..nice)

So the night was wonderful..

Between the ballpark and the movies I had

cotton candy, nachos and popcorn..

Did that make you sick a little?

Sorry.

T-Ball and Tutu's

2011-07-06T09:26:00.002-04:00

After Yesterday's word only post..

This will be a picture post..
light on the words.
I am pretty sure I just heard a "hallelujah" in the distance..
I would be more upset if if not for the fact that my kid's are insanely cute..
and the realization that everyone needs a little break from the randomness that is my brain.
Happy trees,internet slang,B's beards, oh my!

P.S.
Just so it is clear.. I have the best husband ever.. and the kids have the best Daddy..
P.P.S
If I was going to write a full post, I would discuss how adorable Ari's baseball attire is.
P.P.P.S
I do realize that for a Picture Post this is getting pretty wordy.
P.P.P.P.S
Sorry about that.

Remember....

2011-07-05T16:26:00.000-04:00

Dear Court,
I love you.. I love how gracious and forgiving you are.
I love how if I did something.. like say accidentally drilled a hole in the wall.. you would say "That's OK sweetie I love you, and here is a Mocha Frappe that I picked you up on the way home.. just because I love you." or something to that effect.
What a guy you are..

Love,
Your loving wife

P.S.
Maybe you could just stay out of the guest room for a little while... like until I have time to go to home depot and get plaster..
P.P.S
and even though I am being silly in this post you really are an amazing husband.. for realz

A picture is worth a thousand words, but since I do not have any I will make up for it by rambling. on and on.

2011-07-05T10:48:00.002-04:00

It is a law of nature..

Every holiday..

or special occasion.

I will forget my camera..

And there will be no pictures ..

And then on days where my kids are dong nothing but sitting on the floor...

maybe eating a cracker or two..

(and by cracker I mean booger gross, I know but true, can I get an Amen from all the toddler moms out there?)

I will not only have my camera..

but take so many pictures that my kids will feign illness to get me to stop.

True Story.

But we did actually celebrate 4th of July.

And it was awesome.

Take my word for it.

I am very excited to be part of such a wonderful nation..

I am excited to celebrate our freedom..

but I am even more excited about the true freedom we have in Christ...

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

Galatians 5:1

Happy Weekend

2011-07-01T18:40:00.002-04:00

Friday night drive in with the family.

Aria is excited we are all sitting in the trunk,

wait until she finds out there is a movie too!

she will be pumped.

Embrace the camera..

2011-06-30T09:25:00.002-04:00

Tea time with my little girl..

Love..

Pizza Party...

2011-06-27T06:34:00.002-04:00

You're only as old as you feel.. man am I in trouble.

2011-06-23T11:01:00.000-04:00

(me in my old man hat)

I woke up the other day and all my joints hurt..

Later on that day it rained..

You all know what this means right?

I am old.

I can feel the weather in my bones.

Others my age my be complaining about the stray gray hair..

the small microscopic wrinkle..

Oh no, not me..

I have jumped about 50 years on the aging train..

Right to the point where people are saying things like..

"A storm's abrewing, I can feel it in my bones, sonny."

As they spit a stream of tabaccy out of the corner of their mouth..

I am not sure what old person I am referencing..

But in my head I see it all.

My head is a scary place to be.

I guess there is nothing to do but embrace this state of old age...

Stock up on Ensure..

Complain about music being too loud..

Making comments about kids these days..

and "Back in MY day."

I already have the hat..

I should probably invest in a good cane..

Not for walking purposes just yet..

but so I can practice hitting "Young whippersnappers " over the head when they are disrespectful.

Because apparently as I age I also go back in time to the 50's.

Is anyone else aging a lot faster than they expected?

We should have dinner sometime..

How does 4:00 work for you?

Late nights, early mornings

2011-06-21T10:51:00.002-04:00

My children don't sleep.

Really.

Well I guess they do sleep.

Just not all at the same time.

Which means Court and I are tired always.

Really

Court gets up with them more than me because he is the bombsauce.

And also because in the middle of the night..

I can't make it out of our room without seriously injuring myself.

So usually we go to bed at a decent hour..

Yesterday we didn't..

We stayed up I made him watch some youtube of my favorite music..

He learned some Maroon 5 on the guitar..

We both said that we were making a mistake staying up late..

And then we continued to listen to more music..

Because well, we weren't making the smart choices..

We finally went to bed after 1..

And even though when we go to bed at 10,

Jack usually wakes up at 11..

He didn't wake up to 1:30..

Shake my head..

sidenote: SMH is one of only abbreviations that doesn't make me RME when people use it on fb,

I like that expression, however I have to say it in a weird little voice,

because I am..well..weird..

I have rather strong feelings about internet language

My husband..

I love him..

I love that he will endure a few hours of listening to my very random taste in music..

That he plays me songs on the guitar..

(two songs he played last night were songs that he wrote me for our wedding)

I love that in the morning after a tiring night..

He brings me iced coffee..

because he knows me and knows that a caffeinated Momma is much better than a Momma so tired she can barely function..

and by barely function I mean MOVE..

A little Fu Manchu For You..

2011-06-20T12:39:00.000-04:00

June 15th was a joyous occasion..

The Bruin's won the Stanley Cup..

And while that was wonderful on it's own..

I had another reason to celebrate..

The Stanley Cup was over..

Which means the Bruin's Beard my husband had been rocking was over too..

w00t.

We had to wait until the Bruin's parade..

for him to shave the beard..

because obviously they are strict rules when it comes to such matters..

And then we had to wait until I could take pictures detailing the experience..

Obviously..

So that means today was the big day..

There are lots of things you can say about this video..

One being I have too much time on my hands..

please don't say that though..

One reason I am excited about him getting rid of his B's beard

Is because when he says B's beard,

I have to say B's beard beats Battle Star gallactica...

I literally have to say it..

And I am tired of saying it.

OK one last time..

B's beard beats Battle Star Galactica..

and Bears beat beets..

I would offer a fun prize for whoever could tell me what show that is from..

But if making videos about beards is what I do for fun..

I wouldn't trust my definition of fun prize..

So it would just be best to stop typing.

Cuddle bug

2011-06-16T16:29:00.000-04:00

I love to cuddle this little man..

He also knows that if he lays his head on my shoulder..

I will not put him down...

I feel like he may abuse this power a little bit..

Remember Jackson..

with great power comes great responsibility little one..

Let's go to the mall.. today!

2011-06-10T09:23:00.001-04:00

We have been having a bit of a heatwave.

You will not hear me complaining about it..

because 99% of the time, New England is having a cold front..

So I can take the month or so of hot weather that creeps in..

That being said..

Our house was a tad bit on the hot side..

So during the hottest hours of the day the kiddos went to the mall..

(maybe that's the other reason I am not complaining.. too hot days= good excuse to go to the mall)

Some highlights:

Jack Jack looking like an angel sleeping in his carriage...

Aria sharing her donut with Gibson..

AFTER she licked all the frosting off..

(that's my girl)

Gibson showing off his sweet break dancing skills in H+M

(that's my boy)

Aria carrying around her baby doll in her front carrier..

sidenote: Aria can be a very sweet little Momma,

carrying her baby doll around..

And then there are times when she stands in front of a mirror hands on her hips..

"talking" to her kids..

Those times make me question my parenting skills a bit..

Do I seriously say "Seriously" that much..

hmm I might have answered my own question.

When we got home..

Court and I discussed some of the kids and my summer outings during the day..

He said

"Wow, you have a sweet summer played out."

Yes, yes we do...

What are some of your summer plans?

If you don't have any sweet plans..

you can always watch this video over and over again..
awesomeness.

So umm.. why do you blog..

2011-06-09T10:57:00.001-04:00

{where I found this awesomeness}

I have written this post only about a thousand times..

reread..

thought hmm.. that's not exactly right..

put it in the place were post go to die..

aka my draft box

(seriously if a post goes they I can hear it scream PLEASE NO JUST POST ME YOU WILL OVER THINK ME AND THEN DELETE ME!!!!! Which is totally true..)

I started blogging..

because I was dealing with a lot of negativity...

I was being negative..

I was dwelling on lies and not the truth..

Some one very gently and lovingly,

told me

that it was because I wasn't grateful..

Gratefulness was something I thought I didn't have a problem with..

But as it was bought to my attention..

I realized that finding the negatives all the time..

was really saying

"God, this isn't good enough."

"This circumstance isn't what I want, your grace is not enough."

I thought I was in the right,

complaining about situations that were wrong..

I thought I was fighting for JUSTICE for me..

Instead I was wallowing in ingratitude...

The verse on my sidebar..

convicted me..

I need to focus on the good things..

The things that He has provided..

The grace that He gives..

Holding on to truth's

that are like that Spoonful of Sugar..

that helps a rough circumstance easier..

Because the truth is..

God is enough...

His Grace is sufficient..

And I am blessed..

So sometimes there are silly stories..

Random posts..

And my ..um.. interesting sense of humor..

(If the posts I post make my cut can you even imagine what is in my Draft box?)

(scary)

But it's always me trying to hold on to the truth..

of what is good..
The ONE who is worthy of praise..

Living room redo....

2011-06-08T12:36:00.002-04:00

DIY is one of the most horrifying phrases to me..

Why you ask?

because of the Y in DIY...

Yourself..

well actually myself...

I am one of the least craftiest person known to man..

I have many ideas...

Grand ideas people..

I just don't really have the umm..

SKILLS..

to do them..

But alas..

DIY is also C.H.E.A.P.E.R

and that is one of my favorite words..

so I will have to

Make it work..

I want to redo my living room..

I have an awesome HUGE red couch

I need to work around...

and I will have to figure out how to do the rest..

If you are insanely talented (ie. EVERY other member of my family)

Please help me...

Happy Birthday to my little girl...

2011-05-27T20:48:00.002-04:00

Dear Ari--Belle,
My little lady.. As I write this you are singing.. you actually are always singing.. and twirling around. You have such a spark in you... a look in your eyes that says you can do anything you put your mind too.. and you can sweet girl.. I had all these fears.. how you and your brother would get along.. were we crazy having you two so close together.. but then I had you.... you had my heart completely from the moment I heard your little cry.. and all those silly fears just melted away..
Little girl.. you have a sweet spirit and an awesome sense of humor.. I am so blessed to be your Momma..you are a joy.
Happy Birthday my Aria..
I love you,
Momma

Treasures..

2011-05-25T09:38:00.000-04:00

There are some moments in the day that I want to remember forever... there are some moments I wish had never happen and they drive me to eat an entire tub of ice cream.. but that is an entirely different matter.. These moments are little treasures...

Dear Jackson,

8 o clock rolls around, the two oldest are in bed.. or just finishing up their bed time routine with Daddy.. It's just you and me.. I sit in the rocking chair in your room.. feeding you your bottle.. And you look at me with mischievous eyes. It is suppose to be time for you to calm down.. relax.. But instead you smile at me..the biggest smile, that reaches from one ear to the other.. Of course I have to smile back.. your precious smile is too contagious.. and then victorious, you start laughing.. a deep belly laugh.. kicking your legs.. and just like your smile, your laugh is contagious..and I start laughing.. In that moment everything is right.. everything is wonderful.. that moment is a treasure.. You my baby, are a treasure.

A conspiracy theory

2011-05-19T09:20:00.003-04:00

My wit has left me..
it has packed it's bags and probably moved down south..
Or perhaps it has formed an alliance with the laundry
and has gone on strike until I wash AND fold the 30 loads of laundry we have..
If that is the case..
it will be a long time coming until it returns..
so the blog world will be stuck with my random ramblings..
and my family will be stuck with using the sniff test before they wear something..
Does anyone win in this situation?
Probably not.
Definitely not the 4 people who wasted 2 minutes of their life reading this..
You're not getting that time back.

To add some sort of purpose to today's post I added a picture of my kids and I..

Yes the use of the word "purpose" today is a little bit of a stretch..

My prayer....

2011-05-17T08:03:00.001-04:00

Dear Gibson,Aria and Jackson

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,

the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Ephesians 3:14-19

Not mentioning any names...

2011-05-16T22:46:00.000-04:00

Some one had a party..
Some one couldn't stay away from the cake..
Some one may have kept sticking his fingers in the icing..
Some one might have said, when I asked him to clean up..
"What did you say, Momma? I can do whatever I want because it's my birthday?"
Some one is too quick for his own good..
And I love him..

Embrace the ride..

2011-05-11T10:19:00.001-04:00

Riding the roller coaster was one of my favorite moments with my little girl...
She had ridden the ride 2 times already with her Auntie..
While I was standing with Baby Jack,
She came running out..
Face so excited..
"Momma, come with me!"
So I went..
and as we RAN through the line..
She kept telling me what to expect..
How awesome it was..
That I HAD to raise my hands..

In that special moment..
where my little girl..
was so precious and sweet..
I also saw a grown up side to Ari..
One who was willing to take risk..
Wanting to do things on her one..
I saw her wonderful brave personality shine through..
And as much as I want her to stay little..
I saw a glimpse of big Aria..
And I realized..
I liked her very much..

side note: this was the only time my hands were up during the ride, they were wrapped around Ari the whole time.. partly because she is so little and partly because I am a chicken.. I am scared of a roller coaster that goes 3 feet off the ground..for real.

Major Oversight..

2011-05-11T08:25:00.001-04:00

This Mother's day was awesome..
(disclaimer the picture with the kids is NOT from Mother's day, I added a fake mom tattoo to fool you, but alas I am too honest.)

First was church..

which is the highlight of my week..

Then Court took me to a great restaurant..

which we haven't been to in awhile..

because of a horrible experience..

with a customer, not the restaurant..

They told me to put a muzzle on my child..

for LAUGHING..

Seriously,

I also was about 19 months pregnant with Aria and super emotional..

But still...
seriously.

Anyways,

back to the point...

My husband made reservations,

bought me an awesomely funny card..

Then drove me to the outlets..

so I could shop.

While he watched to kids..

Yes, I got to shop alone..

He is so cool.

The thing is..

I am already blessed beyond measure..

I have the 3 most amazing kids ever..

a husband who treats me so well..

A Saviour whose love is beyond measure..

So why do I ever complain?

If I am every around you and I complain..

~~slap me~~

Gently remind me of how BLESSED I am.

mmkay?

I had to change the whole slapping part, because if my brother ever read one word of my blog it would have been that one.. and every holiday would be slapsgiving..

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
Philippians 4:4

edit: The major oversight was that I didn't blog about mother's day until now... and it's an inside joke.. its a 2 for 1 kind of deal.

I am on a mission...

2011-05-10T11:00:00.001-04:00

When I was around 8..

I won poem writing contest..

for mother's day..

Impressed right?

OK here is the truth..

by win..

I mean tied for first..

and by poem writing contest..

I mean a contest with like 6 other kids at our church's mothers day banquet..

Still impressed aren't you?

With such prestige surrounding the poem..

surely you can see why almost 20 years later..

I still have it memorized...

A Mother's mission never ends..

In Fact it just begins..

Each day of a mother's life..

from cooking to cleaning to making the beds..

A Mother's mission isn't the easiest..

but perhaps it is the best..

Here is the thing 8 year old me didn't realize..
that my mission as a mommy..
has nothing to do with housekeeping and culinary skills..
My mission is to love on those kiddos..
(even though having a clean house and feeding them is loving them)

It's to find patience when I have none..
To be understanding when my lip gloss has been used to create a masterpiece on the wall..

To get on the floor and play with them..
when I have a sink full of dishes and rooms to clean..
because they are more important than tasks..

To always speak kindly of their Daddy...
To be on my knees lifting them up to the Father who loves them more than I can fathom...

That is my mission..
to raise kids to know the wonderful love of our Saviour..

So today..
there are many tasks to do..
But only one mission..
To Love God, love others
in everything that I do..
It is more important for me to have a loving house..
than a clean one..

Happy Birthday...

2011-05-07T19:08:00.001-04:00

Dear Gibson,
Today you are 4.. You might as well be turning 18, because here I am holding your pink blanket.. crying like you are going off to college.

You were the first.
The first one to have me wrapped around their tiny finger..
The first boo boo I every made better with a kiss..
The first little person who thought I could do anything..
The first one completely dependent on me..
The first one to take their first wobbly steps towards me..
The first who I woke up with in the middle of the night to change a diaper for.
The first one to call me Momma.....

I love being your Momma.. I love how sweet and caring you are.. How sensitive you are to others.
I love how you think so deeply.. I love your questions.. I love your silliness.. I love your gentle spirit..
I love you my firstborn, my little big man.

Happy Birthday, Gibson.

Love,
Your Momma

The sun will come out..

2011-05-03T19:05:00.000-04:00

Sometimes words spill out..

they flow over the key board..

My thoughts become clear.

as I type them..

moments I want to remember..

captured.

moments I want to forget..

learned from..

Circumstances that didn't go my way..

I try to find the joy..

Circumstances that did..

I get to be grateful..

Little ones..

who will grow up soon..

cherished.

That is why I blog..

because the words want to spill out..

But

when they don't

I can't force it..

It doesn't mean anything is wrong..

or I am upset..

It just means the words aren't ready..

yet...

Last week no words were coming..
This week
We will see.

Here is an adorable little picture of my Ari Belle..
And Gibby Dan...
because well,
they are adorable..
and I like to brag about them..
that's also why I blog
:)

5 things that made me smile today.. (and yesterday)

2011-04-27T10:03:00.003-04:00

1. Found the picture above on my phone.. my little girl loves her daddy.. and she should because he is wonderful.
2. Seeing my friend's new baby girl.. It doesn't matter that I have 3 kids I always forget how tiny newborns are..
3.Gibson telling Aria: "Makeup doesn't make you pretty, God made you pretty."
4.Today is going to be 75 degrees.. rainy but still I will take that.
5.This song....

And now that I have that stuck in your head :)
Have a good day!

Chillaxing.....

2011-04-25T21:42:00.001-04:00

This weekend was amazing...
But sometimes
amazing=exhausting..
It was well worth it though..
I love Easter..

The power of death swallowed up in the hope of our Savior
All fear overcome in the light of Him
All of our sin covered up in the love of our Savior
Set free by your grace made alive in Your righteousness

At the cross where You took my place..
In Your power..
You abandoned the Grave..
Your's is the Victory..
Your's alone..

But today..
we relaxed..
We got caught up on some chores..
Court did some laundry..
we went to go grocery shopping..
and then decided we were all too tired..
to grocery shop..
so we got hamburgers instead..
that was completely responsible, right?

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

side note: I love my church

Weekends are for random phone photos..

2011-04-22T06:46:00.001-04:00

My little baby boy..

is 7 months..

I actually hope my awful math skills are at work and I am wrong about..

how old he is..

but unfortunately my math is fine (this time)

He is growing up so fast...

I can't slow him down...

I can cherish every moment...

and by cherish every moment..

I mean take a ridiculous amount of

pictures of him

with the random app on my phone.

of course.

Happy Weekend!!

It's gonna be alright...and embrace the camera

2011-04-21T12:48:00.000-04:00

You know the saying..

When life gives you vomit..

don't make anything out of it because

that would be gross..

That's not a saying?
Good, because it's kind of disgusting..

Yesterday the kids and I
spent the day with Court at the church..
I thought we were well prepared for the day..
And then..
Jackson's diaper exploded..
it was all good..
the day was young and we were filled with optimism and caffeine.

Things seemed to be going fine..
it looked like we were going to make it through the rest of the day.
And then...
Jackson's diaper exploded..
even though the optimism and caffeine were wearing off a bit..
it was still all good..
after I dosed myself in hand sanitizer..
(because the explosion was vile)
I rummaged an outfit from the bottom of the diaper bag..
Technically the outfit was suppose to fit him..
but technically was no match for the chub that is his thighs.
I squished him in the outfit..
The onesie became a leotard..
and the sweat pants, leggings..
Now Jack can wear skinny jeans with the best of the emo babies..
but the Olivia Newton-John look
not so much.
I put a bib on him..
half because I was going to feed him..
half because it covered up the ridiculous amount of skin the too small onesie was showing..
scandalous.
Fed him his bottle..
burped him..
put him in his high chair to play..

And then..
oh yes the famous and then
Jackson exploded..
well actually he gagged himself..
and well..
his tummy full of formula...
you can guess what that means...

The caffeine and optimism..
gone..
The only thing I had to dress him in..
was a size 4 t shirt..
I put it on him..
but I was at that point..
you know the point
were either..
I huff and puff
deem the day
a terrible no good rotten day..
or
I accept that the day
was a good day with a few hiccups..

I was well on my way to huffing and puffing
when I realized what shirt I put him in.

It's gonna be alright..
because it is..
so I stopped moping..
decided that it was a good day after all..

and then my wonderful husband..
took me to my favorite restaurant..
because he knew I was tired..
(and probably also because I was being nice and not evil)
Yes we took
accident prone baby with no more spare clothes..
out to eat..
in public.
We like living on the edge.

So here is my embracing the camera..
even though I am not really embracing..
as much giving the camera a
"Hey what is up" nod that you give a stranger you see at the grocery store..
but..
it's a start..
and it's gonna be alright..

side-note: The t shirt is from the [R]project a non-profit my brother and his wife started in memory of their son, Nathaniel.

We need to pray just to make it through the day {insert MC Hammer dance here}

2011-04-21T05:57:00.001-04:00

It's like Murphy's law...

If something can go wrong it will..

wait..

wait.. is that even what murphy's law means?

Since I do not have the energy to google it..

for the sake of this post..

That is what it means.

Anyways back to the point..

Being in ministry..

every week is busy..

but the weeks around Christmas and Easter...

are insane..

and it seems like

whatever can go wrong, will..

family members will get sick..

basements will flood.

bats will be in your basement making

~~your wife to scared to go do laundry causing you to run out of clean clothes~~

things complicated.

So if you are in a church..

I urge you to lift your Pastor and Church staff up in prayer..

Pray for their health..

Pray for the struggles they will face..

Pray for their families.

Pray for physical strength..

Pray for spiritual strength..

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.

2 Thessalonians 3:1

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

James 5:16

A great way to prepare your heart for prayer is music
So..

Here is a playlist for Easter prayer time my husband made..

It doesn't have MC Hammer on it,

so obviously it wasn't approved by me

but

it will do :)

Best Friends FOREVA'

2011-04-20T15:43:00.002-04:00

It usually happens..

in those rare moments

when I just have Jackson...

A stranger will ooh and ahh over him..

then ask

the inevitable question..

"Is he your only one?"

I smile and say

"No, he is my third."

then as polite conversation goes

they ask the mandatory follow up question

"How old are the other two?"

And then it happens.

I tell them.

"2 and 3."

Their eyes bug a little out of their head..

and they say

"Wow, you must be busy."

I nod and smile.

And we move on to other important topics,

like the weather

the price of gas.

As true as

"you must be busy is"

I wish they could see the other moments..

like this one:

Aria gets a pack of gummies for going poop on the potty.

she shares them with Gibson.

A moment later

Gibson:Aria, I am still hungry.

Aria: Ok, Gibson, I will go poop again.

then she proceeds to sit on the potty for 45 minutes to get more gummies for them to eat.

I know, I know I should have just given them the gummies for being so stinkin cute..

but there is a principle, people.

I love how close they are..

I love how they are best friends..

So if we are ever

talking..

and you say

"Wow, you must be busy."

I will hear

"Wow, you are blessed."

and

I will smile and nod..

because I am.

Busy Busy days...

2011-04-19T12:19:00.000-04:00

These past few weeks have been..

filled with..

laundry... and more laundry stacking up because the bat in the basement is elusive. bat on the loose= me boycotting basement and laundry.
Creative clothing choices..as a result of limited clean clothes
A little girl who is potty trained....YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nights of prayer...at our church for Easter services and our community..
we have even managed to sneak in 2 date nights....
cleaning, meetings, grocery shopping, baby showers, getting settled from our trip, cooking, errands, church, crafts, school, busy.

Because of all this

today is a comfy day.

well probably mostly because the whole running out of clean clothes thing..

Oh Happy day..

2011-04-15T07:51:00.006-04:00

Gibson..
has decided 2 things
1. He no longer wants to be called Gibby Gibby Gum Drops....
:(
2. He wants to pick out his own clothes..
which results in the awesome combo of flannel and camo.
:)
One of those choices makes me sad.. the other smile..
But both show me my little boy is growing up..

Aria
has always wanted to pick her own clothes..
and by always..
I mean every since she could vocalize..
so basically always..
Today she got to pick out several outfits because..
well,
today was one of those potty training days..

Jackson
Well,
he can't pick out his clothes..
But he thinks his siblings are the best...
And I think so too.

Have a Happy Weekend!!

Catch up can wait...

2011-04-14T14:24:00.001-04:00

Monday was beautiful..

The sun was shining..

and weather was warm...

and where was I?

Inside..

cleaning a house

that seemed to be messier when I finished..

than when I started..

How does that even happen?

I am still playing catch up this week,

catch up on laundry..

catch up on cleaning..

catch up on dishes..

Catch up.

But there is one thing I can't catch up on..

spending time with my babies..

because

unlike the endless mountain of laundry..

once those moments are gone..

they are gone..

So today..

it was beautiful outside..

and frankly a disaster inside..

but

instead of playing catch up..

I just played..

we went outside..

enjoyed the warmth..

enjoyed our time together..

I read this post today..

and thought it was a wonderful idea..

I want my kids to have pictures of me..

to go along with their memories..

But unfortunately I am not too handy with the whole timer thing..

so here are my outtakes..

I managed to leave room..

for an entire other human being..

in the frame..

yet still managed to cut off my head..

What I take for granted...

2011-04-14T10:41:00.002-04:00

I remember when I was little..

My parent's saying the famous words

"There are children in another country who would be happy to have what you have."

As I thought to myself, I would be happy to ship my dinner to them..

Hey, I would even throw in some extra vegetables..

That would really make their day..

I didn't understand..

I had never gone with out..

I had never gone to bed with an empty belly..

I even remember thinking..

I will never say that to my children..

And then..

On a Mission's trip..

In the midst of gorgeous beaches..

and beautiful resorts...

There are people who are so excited over receiving bags of rice..

and toothbrushes..

I saw first hand that there are people..

who would be happy to have..

what we so often waste...

What we take for granted...

But even more than that..

what they need more than a bag of rice..

is the knowledge of a Saviour..

who can heal brokenness..

restore homes...

give Hope..

How often do I take that precious knowledge for granted.

That people
would be happy to have
mercy.love,forgiveness,hope, SALVATION
what I have..

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4-7

The balloon identity....

2011-04-13T10:36:00.002-04:00

I am like Jason Bourne..

If, of course,

instead of being awesome..

he made unrecognizable balloon animals..

I had no idea I had the ability..

until we were at a park during the Missions trip..

with a bag of balloons..

and a crowd of children..

and no one around who knew how to make balloon animals..

I took a balloon..

and voila..

I made something that I call a dog..

Who knew I had such mad skills?

Certainly not the little boy..

who when I handed him a balloon dog

said

"What is this suppose to be?"

Yep,

that's right..

Mad skills.

5 things that made me smile today..

2011-04-11T10:14:00.001-04:00

Being home with my family..
Being home with my family..
Being home with my family..
Being home with my family..
and you guessed it... coffee

Had a great week..

But I am so happy to be back with my babies..

and a little tired..

as you can tell from the awful picture of me..

just keeping it real people..

keeping it real.

It's been quiet.....

2011-04-11T07:41:00.003-04:00

Because last week..

Court and I were on a Mission's trip..

I was planning on blogging from the trip..

But it didn't work out that way..

It was an amazing experience..

And there are lots of things to share..

But right now it's time to

make breakfast..

cuddle babies...

do laundry..

cuddle babies some more..

and get a bat out of our basement..

(the flying, scary animal kind)

You know..

back to reality...

which means...

2011-03-29T19:07:00.004-04:00

jack is sick..

which means..

i am holding him right now...

which means

one handed typing..

which means..

a shocking lack of capitals..

it also means..

my hair is being pulled so hard

by my little dude..

my eyes are tearing up..

which means i cant see

the computer screen..

so i should stop typing..

because its getting dangerous.

Monday oh Monday

2011-03-28T10:00:00.006-04:00

Yep,

that pretty much sums up my morning right now..

But no matter what the circumstances are..

I still have a choice..

I can choose to curl up in a ball and cry..

I could choose joy..

Since curling up in a ball and crying..

does nothing except boost

my numbers on the crazy scale..

I choose Joy.

Psalm 100:2

Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs

The happiness dilemma...

2011-03-25T11:45:00.005-04:00

One of my greatest joys..

as a mommy..

is making my kids happy..

I love the way their eyes light up...

I love how they scrunch their little faces up..

twist them into a smile..

and exclaim..

while jumping up and down..

"You are the best Mommy ever!!"

Which is usually followed by

my legs being hugged so so tight..

I love making my kids happy..

A few weeks ago..

We were at church late..

And they had more sugar in their tiny bodies..

then it is safe for an adult to consume..

And Gibby..

came running to me..

eyes bright..

face full of expectations..

"Mommy, can I have a cookie?Puh-please"

I knew what could make him happy..

I knew in the next second..

I could have a little boy

jumping up and down..

exclaiming my awesomeness..

goofy smile plastered across his face.

It was in my power..

and that very minute..

to make him happy.

I also knew..

eating more sweets..

would make him sick..

Or keep him up..

Eating that cookie was not the wisest choice..

In that moment..

I had the power to make him

either extremely

happy..

sad..

I said no to the cookie..

and my heart ached a little

as his crestfallen face

said "Yes, Ma'am."

and ask he walked back and told the person..

"Momma said no."

He would be sad for a moment..

But it was what was best..

Sometimes as a parent..

we exchange momentary happiness..

for what is best.

Often times..

I find myself knowing what will make me happy..

I pray fervently..

knowing if God answers this one prayer..

It would make all the difference..

And then when it doesn't happen..

I feel sad..

I wonder why God wouldn't allow something "good" in my life..

I have a distorted view of God in that moment..

That He doesn't care about my happiness..

That He doesn't delight in me..

But that is wrong..

We have a heavenly Father..

who loves His creation..

Who holds our tears..

Counts the hairs on our heads..

Fearfully and Wonderfully made us..

Who delights in us..

Delights in our happiness..

But also sometimes chooses..

to forfeit momentary happiness..

for what is best.

For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Do what I say.. don't say what I say..

2011-03-23T08:23:00.000-04:00

I find my self hearing a similar phrase to this:

"Mom so and so took back their toy!!!!"

To which my standard reply is:

"They let you play with it. That was nice of them wasn't it? BUT it's theirs."

Which is usually met with a sigh.

If they had enough coordination to roll their eyes..

they would.

it's good for them that they can't roll their eyes,

because I have an equaling annoying spiel about eye rolling.

Yesterday I was taught how absolutely frustrating it is to hear.

Me: Oh Ari, you found my clip.

Aria: No, Momma it's mine.

Me: Well, actually Aria, Memaw gave it to me.

Aria: That was nice of her wasn't it? BUT now it's mine.

I rolled my eyes.

Because I can.

I say annoying things.

We're going to Party like its your half birfday...

2011-03-22T15:38:00.000-04:00

Jack Jack is 6 months..

Wow.

The time is flying.

We are so blessed to have this little man in our family...

Even at 6 months his little personality is so full of joy..

I love our little Jack.

5 things that made me smile.

2011-03-18T22:40:00.003-04:00

1. It was warm enough for non boot foot coverings.. aka regular no socks shoes

2. Jackson wearing his sister's sun glasses, made me smile not only because of the sheer cuteness.. but also he is still too young to complain about me putting him in his sister's sun glasses.

3. This verse... I can not comprehend the love and care that the Creator has for us.

4. Ice coffee season is here!! (at least for today)

5. Moments like those....

Have a Happy Weekend!!!!

Day 27: Encourage

2011-03-16T17:48:00.000-04:00

I innocently watched Sweetpea Beauty with my kids..

not expected that I would cry at the end..

Seriously,it's a animated show with talking vegetables..

(and technically Bob is a fruit)

But this song made me cry like an idiot..

a blubbering..

mascara running down my face..

idiot.

Mommy daughter date..

2011-03-16T12:47:00.006-04:00

Gibson is with my sister today..

So Ari and I had a mommy daughter date..

which consisted of:

tu tu's

(she is disappointed I don't have one. So am I actually)

Angelina Ballerina

and Swiss Cake rolls..

What can I say she is a girl after my own heart

This little man woke up..

from his nap..

I use the term nap loosely..

30 minutes dude?

So we got to hang out with his cuteness too.

See how my cuties turn into little Zombies when the TV is on?

Yuck.

The Curious Case of Jackson Levi

2011-03-15T10:15:00.004-04:00

(of course he will fall asleep when he isn't expected to)

He doesn't like to sleep..

Which is baffling to me..

I love sleep.

Sleep is my friend....

It is wonderful...

amazing even..

magnificent.

Beautiful

(can you tell I didn't get much last night)

I really shouldn't be blogging right now..

I can barely function..

This morning I wanted to check my email..

so I typed into google

"my email"

Then realizing how dumb that was

I put

"check my email"

Yeah, Kara that should clear things up.

Speaking of Google,

I have a major dependence on it..

Surely there are others out there

who google things like

"how long is defrosted chicken good for in the fridge"

"who sings that song about the bass"

"the verse in the Bible about patience"

"Is the duggars son named Jackson Levi?"

Yes, those are real google searches I have done this week..

And yes, Google has come through for me..

I didn't eat the chicken..

Found the song..

didn't download it because of explicit lyrics

(which I googled to check, of course)

And remembered there are tons of verses in the Bible about patience..

So I should try it sometime.

Discovered the Duggars do have a son named Jackson Levi,

But no, we did not name our son after them..

In case you were about to google that.

Jack Jack is up from his 20 minute nap..

And I used the time so wisely.

Day 29: Day in the life

2011-03-14T07:40:00.001-04:00

Here is a day in the life of the Holloways...

It's going to be

Legend..

wait for it..

Dary .

Legendary.

It's all fun and games until someone projectile vomits..

2011-03-11T06:38:00.001-05:00

Jack Jack and I had a rare moment of quiet..

The 2 older ones were taking a nap..

Let me savor that a moment..

A NAP

(they have had a no nap policy as of late)

It was wonderful...

Talking to my littlest man..

Giving him kisses..

My mommy heart was full..

Gibson came down..

crawled into the bed with us..

He read a book..

I read a book..

Jack Jack just laid there..

smiling so big..

so peaceful..

so serene..

I had the goofiest smile plastered on my face..

Until..

Jack must have gotten sick..

from my hallmark card view of the moment..

Jack Jack spewed..

PROJECTILE

vomited

all over

Gibson

The Cat..

The bed..

Himself..

If I had ever seen the Exorcist, I am pretty sure it was like that..

But I would never see that..

can you say "sleeping with the lights on for the rest of my life"

Everyone

including the cat..

started shrieking..

Really, it's not a complete day

without some gross bodily function..

and a little shrieking..

Have a Vomit free Weekend!!!

LOL and other non real things..

2011-03-10T08:49:00.000-05:00

I just said

BTW and for realz

in the same sentence..

TO MY CHILDREN.

I blame facebook..

The actually conversation went like this

Me: "BTW we are going to your Auntie's today, for realz."

Gibson: "Wow, that's awesome Momma!"

Notice that my 3 year son has a better grasp of the English language than me.

While I am on the topic..

of things the Internet has made us say..

Here us my philosophy on LOL

Ok philosophy aka Pet Peeve..

The phrase is over used..

You see a picture of a cat wearing a cowboy hat and really you laugh out loud?

I am not buying it..

(don't get me started on my philosophy on cat's wearing cowboy hats)

aka Pet Peeve

Perhaps the use of SATCJN

which means

smiled at the computer just now.

is a better fit.

I mean it could catch on, right?

I just made you SATCJN.

Or not.

P.S.

I am pretty sure I just made my spell check cry with all the made up words I used..

Poor spell check.

Dentist appointment today

2011-03-09T08:55:00.000-05:00

My last dentist appointment..

I was sooo nervous..

They couldn't even get an xray..

without giving me laughing gas..

I was actually kind of excited about the laughing gas..

and told Court to have his camera ready..

in case I said anything Youtube worthy...

Unfortunately,

I didn't say anything

about unicorns or double rainbows..

sigh..

I did,

however..

cry uncontrollably..

and in my laughing gas state

think my dentist was yelling at me..

I also read the motivational poster

on the ceiling..

3,000 times..

Sing in the shower..

Tell someone you appreciate them..

Wave at a school bus..

Not that I can be absolutely confident there even was a motivational poster..

crazy laughing gas..

I have a dentist appointment today..

and Have been psyching myself up listening to this song.

Day 22: Needs in my community

2011-03-09T07:35:00.000-05:00

source

Our Pastor has a saying..

"We are blessed to be a blessing"

I am so thankful he doesn't just say this..

but leads our church to follow this..

We are continually being pushed out of our comfort zone..

To be the hands and feet of Jesus..

I love our church..

And I am not just saying that because my husband is the executive pastor..

Through the church we have been able to participate in

a food drive..

shoe drive..

toy drive..

we are exposed to pregnancy care centers..

shelters..

feeding centers..

But even with all of that..

I know we don't do enough..

This is something that has been on my heart..

I want to live out these verses:

I was hungry and you fed me,

I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

I was homeless and you gave me a room,

I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

I was sick and you stopped to visit,

I was in prison and you came to me.’

“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say,

‘Master, what are you talking about?

When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink?

And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’

Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth:

Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored,

that was me—you did it to me.

Matthew 25:35-40

COMPLETE SIDE NOTE

Dear Court, do you realize when I post a print that not only can you usually buy it on etsy.. but it also usually matches our house? Hmm... interesting.

Day 24: What is Jesus teaching me

2011-03-07T22:38:00.007-05:00

source

I am learning..

to unlearn..

things I once thought..

I am learning that we will never go without..

no matter how tight things seem..

I am learning financial peace

comes from trusting God..

Not from having money sitting in an account to trust.

And that money is a tool to be used by God..

just a tool..

I am learning

That God will provide..

Daily..

And I am learning..

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of Godtabove all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Matthew 6:31-33

Our Church is doing a series called the BLESSED life..

You can listen to the sermons here.

Day 21: letter to Court

2011-03-07T22:08:00.002-05:00

Dear Court,

Sometimes I don't act the way I should.. Words fly out of my mouth that don't lift you up the way they should... Sometimes I speak before thinking.. and sometimes I over think before I speak.. both can be destructive.

But you are always quick to forgive me, you always quick to encourage me. You are the most encouraging person I have ever meet. And for every one time you correct me, you have spoken a 100 words of encouragement to me.. (Yes I am aware I have overused the word encourage)

I love you, and if you didn't know this already.. You are BY FAR my favorite.

Love you,

Kara

Random Wednesday.. but I am posting it on a Sunday because I just found it in my drafts

2011-03-06T15:06:00.001-05:00

When I am stressed..

I like to write list.

That may make sense..

listing helps prioritize..

see what you have to do..

help you get a handle on it..

Yes, that would make sense,

if my list where actually lists of anything useful..

But usually

they are list of

favorite movies,

books I would like to read,

random factoids,

perfectly useless lists,

Weird, I know,

But it is therapeutic..

(I like how almost anything can be justified by saying but it's therapeutic)

So here is a very random list

thoughts going on in my head right now.

1. Sometimes my washing machine sounds like it is about to explode...or like it's about to blast into orbit.

2. Speaking of washing machines, laundry is evil.

3.Why is "Party in the USA" stuck in my head.

4. More importantly why am I considering downloading it.

5. I don't feel like cooking, can I get away with serving popcorn for dinner?

6.I.HATE.LAUNDRY.

Thank you for indulging me,

Any one else have any random thoughts?

It's OK

list them.

It's therapeutic.

to go along with this random post.. here is a random but adorable pictures of Jack Jack.. with a random but cool photo effect..

UPDATE:This post has been sitting in my drafts for a long time..

My washing machine actually stopped working..

the belt broke..

so that explains the awful sound..

Moral of the story,

if an appliance sounds weird..

don't blog about it, check it out...

and then blog about it.

No winter blues here...

2011-02-25T16:53:00.003-05:00

We are all done with winter over here..

The only problem the weather isn't.

So even though

this weekend will be cold..

and some

white, cold stuff will be falling from the sky..

We are going to put on shades on..

and pretend it's sunny with a high of 75.

HAPPY WEEKEND!!!!!

Teenage Gibson..

2011-02-23T13:41:00.002-05:00

Gibson: Momma, do you know some kids get to watch TV EVERYDAY?!?!

Me: Really?

Gibson: And video games?!?!? EVERYDAY not just for Special.

Court: Buddy, the less video games you playand TV you watch, the more special it is.

{Big Ole Gibson sigh}

Gibson: I just want to play video games. Can you just let me do that, please?

Seriously,

at 3 years old he is giving us the

"You are ruining my life"

speech?

Warning this post contains a really bad joke..

2011-02-22T12:20:00.002-05:00

Both our shed and I had a really rough week last week,

We both were under the weather..

Get it?

Yes, it was a bad joke,

but you were fairly warned.

Anyways, I basically lost an entire week..

Went to bed friday night..

and really didn't get out of bed again until Thursday..

Court refers to it as

my vacation

But now I am back..

and even though apparently..

the sickness messed with my

"what is funny"

judgment skills..

I feel 100% better...

My husband is a rock star and took such good care of the kids and I..

Thank you Court!!!!

I haven't forgotten about Project 31..

I will be continuing it soon..

P.S.

Can you even tell in that picture that our shed's roof collapsed?

Because if not it goes from being a lame joke

well, a lame joke no one gets..

I guess it's kind of a lose lose.

Happy Valentines Day!!

2011-02-14T12:48:00.009-05:00

We do homemade presents for valentines..

it all started when we were dating and I presented Court with

a poorly crafted..

something a child would make..

and then not admit to making..

because they are embarrassed by it..

scrapbook..

Since then my presents usually consist of..

CD mixes I make for him.

(8Th grade much?..)

But this year I mixed things up and made a video..

The quality isn't awesome because a lot of the footage is from

my computer's web camera..

Because sometimes dance parties just happen.

And I wouldn't want to make something too nice,

I have a tradition of poorly constructed but thoughtful gift giving to keep up with..

So enjoy!

I have set your expectation level so low.

I am pretty sure no one will even muster up the energy to watch..

Happy Valentines Day!

oh yeah, Court's present to me is a homemade fondue dinner.

Why is he always awesomer than me?

I am just lucky I guess;)

Day 20: My Job

2011-02-10T08:21:00.000-05:00

I have the best job ever.

I am not exaggerating.

Everyday..

I get to snuggle..

love on..

play with..

read to..

tickle..

color with..

give baths to..

feed..

and

feed again..

These adorable little people.

I am blessed to have a husband..

who understood how much I wanted to stay home with them..

and made that possible..

There is one negative thing about my job..

LAUNDRY.

Can someone please make it go away?

Playing catch up: Project 31

2011-02-10T06:11:00.001-05:00

Ok instead of the sporadic postings

Lets catch up..

Day 9: Virtues I value in myself

AND

Day 15: A letter to encourage.

Dear friend,

There are times when you here the word virtuous..

And you get overwhelmed.

There is so much associated with that word..

so much pressure..

so many feelings of being not good enough.

why can't I be like that..

Why am I like this..

Here is the thing

We don't have to be perfect..

We don't have to have it all together.

Weakness..

can be just as beautiful as strength..

when it is given to God..

for His glory..

So I am trying to give it all to Him..

The good, the bad.

ALL.

Day 17: 3 things that make me happy..

My Family...

My yellow kitchen..

Reading a good book..

Day 18: Personality

I am a bit of a nerd...

OK a big nerd..

I struggle with my attitude..

I can be a tad bit irrational..

I am competitive...

I sometimes make poor decisions..

I sometimes make good ones..

Now I am on to day 20..

Day 11: Recipe

2011-02-09T20:13:00.000-05:00

I know..

I am completely out of order

in this project 31..

I am confusing myself.

I was at a lost for what to post for a recipe.

Then it came to me tonight..

So I thought I would share.

2 things you must know.

1. If Court is not home I do not cook.

It's pointless to play the

you just have to try it.

3 bites because you are 3.

No dessert if you don't try your dinner..

it's really yummy..

I will let you eat it with ketchup.

game.

Otherwise known as dinner, every night at our house.

Solo.

2.I have only been camping once.

and I slept in a camper.

Had access to a real shower.

so I am not sure that even counts.

I came across the idea of making dinner..

wrapped in aluminum foil.

Known as a hobo dinner..

The other day.

So today when Court was gone.

I made one for myself..

Apparently it's not that special.

If you go camping you probably had it tons of times.

But I felt like I was one of the Boxcar children...

cough..Iamlame..cough

Pretty simple.

I cut 1 potato up in fine slices.

Put a little bit of olive oil.

I seasoned with Lawry's seasoning salt..

And minced Garlic.

Put in Aluminum foil.

Bake at 400 for 30 to 35 minutes.

Then I added.

1 piece of Tilapia.

Seasoned with a Lemon pepper seasoning.

(you could use real lemon and pepper, I would if I had it)

More minced garlic.

(because I am obsessed)

Wrap back in foil.

Put in oven for 10 to 15 minutes..

And voila.

Delicious.

I am sure if you don't like fish you could add put chicken instead.

actually I am not sure, I am just guessing.

I post 1 recipe and I try to go all Rachael Ray on you guys.

Sorry.

5 things that made me smile today..

2011-02-09T09:29:00.000-05:00

1. Gibson saying "Mommy!!Don't put on makeup, you are beautiful already."

2.I found the cardigan I have been missing.(put away in a drawer of all places!)

3. My Jack Jack is a healthy 17 pound 4 month old.

4. Listening to Ari sing a song she made up.. the chorus being "I like MMMMandMMM's"

5.Court getting me a D&D coffee and it's not even the weekend...

Day 19: Comfort food.

2011-02-08T09:34:00.000-05:00

I have a problem.

I have a lot of comfort foods..

There are some foods that invoke memories..

Like my Mom's meatloaf..

Dad's Shepherd's pie..

Pinto Beans and Cornbread

Poutine (it's this)

Foods that are so bad for me it's delicious

Hamburgers

FRENCH FRIES

Poutines

Foods that I craved when I was pregnant.

Apple Pie.

Poutines.

Foods you want when you are sick..

Chicken Soup..

Beef Stew..

and you guessed it

Poutine..

Comfort food is warm and hearty..

It makes whatever negative emotion you feel fade..

at least for that moment you are savoring the taste of that food..

Whatever you are going through..

Comfort food

reminds you of someone or someplace you love..

It reminds you of home

This is one of my favorite verses

It's kind of like Comfort food for the soul..

(someone should title a book that.. oh wait.. Chicken Soup for the Soul.. darn)

Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

Philippians 4:11-13

(the message)

Old tableclothes..

2011-02-07T09:11:00.000-05:00

Old Tablecloths make the Best Fort/Tent/Boxcar/Spaceship

The Best Playtime.

Day 16: letter to Ari

2011-02-05T05:56:00.000-05:00

Dear Ari,

The world is going to try to tell you what beauty is.

What shape,

color,

size

Beauty comes in.

It's going to say beauty is about how you look.

Or even beauty is all about loving yourself.

As much as I want you to love who God made you.

That's not what beauty is.

Beauty comes from a selfless love.

A love that chooses to believe the good when surrounded by the bad.

A love that loves though no one else will.

A love that stands for justice, even when it's standing alone.

A love that hopes against hope.

A love that chooses to follow Christ and love like He loved.

Beauty is so much more precious than so many make it out to be...

Love God, Love others.

That's beauty, sweet girl.

Party Like it's 2009..

2011-02-04T08:31:00.000-05:00

It's the weekend

and I plan on enjoying it..

We haven't left the house all week..

because of Snowmaggedon 2011..

And I am hoping to convince Court to get me some Dunkins.

(I have decided the best part of waking up is NOT folgers in your cup..)

So Party (or Potty, depending on what better suits your age bracket)

Like a Rockstar..

This weekend!!!!

(Sunday is suppose to be 37 degrees, break out the shorts!!!!!)

(Seriously, last weekend when it was 35 degrees Gibson insisted he didn't need his coat because it was too hot)

(Such a New Englander)

Day 14: Outfit Post

2011-02-03T19:53:00.000-05:00

You might have noticed my dates for Project 31..

are a bit messed up..

You might have felt bad for me..

thinking I couldn't count..

But I can..

I fell behind and am posting some of the ones I missed..

If you do want to feel bad for me though..

Here is a reason to.

I.CAN'T.TAKE.A.PICTURE.OF.MYSELF

WITHOUT.LOOKING.INCREDIBLY.AWKWARD.

Feel sad..

Feel very sad.

But here is someone..

who really has style..

and looks cute in every photo..

Day 13: Something you would like to change about yourself for the better.

2011-02-03T07:40:00.001-05:00

Aria is (almost) fearless..

She is the one who tries to drive her tricycle down the stairs...

Not Gibby,

even though I am pretty sure she is the test pilot

to see if these things are dangerous..

and then he jumps on the bandwagon if it is safe..

which usually it isn't.

She is the one who believes..

that you really can be a Princess and an Astronaut..

as a career choice...

but yet she is afraid of the dark..

Afraid that she just might get sucked down the bathtub drain..

I remember when I was like that..

When I thought anything was possible..

Then you grow up

and reality sets in..

It tells you the dark is nothing to be afraid of..

but it also tells you dreams are out of reach..

And fears become more realistic

fear of failure..

rejection..

I want to get back to Ari's kind of

fearless..

I want to get back that attitude of

"it is possible"

That's what I want to change..

the fear that stops me from trying..

The fear that makes me OVER THINK..

every decision.

The fear that makes dreams out of reach..

UPDATE: Court said something that really describes what I want to be like..

Faith filled instead of fearful..