It is mine :)

Oh my.  That sums up my day pretty good.  Cici has a double ear infection and is a beast.  I am also playing single parent right now.  I really feel for the parents that do this all the time.  I don't think i could survive this for very long.  Today wasn't all bad, ended it on a bad note so out of pure exhaustion all i can think about is the bad!  This morning we made bath paint.  The girls took a LONG bath so i got alot done.  I worked this morning so the time was much appreciated.

Please look past the horribly gross looking muffin pan.  The paint looks pretty though right?

My oldest daughter had a birthday party this afternoon and since we live 20 miles from the town the party was in I needed to waste 2 hours so that i didn't have to drive there and back 4 times.  Since Cici isn't feeling the greatest and has been pure cranky it wasn't an easy thing.  We had many tantrums... the kind where the child is on the floor and you just leave them to do their thing.  I do not feed into her when she does this.  It really just makes me want to laugh... and cry.  Then we went to visit my brother who is still in town.  Cici did great from then until we got home... then it was all down hill again.  But now as she is laying next to me asleep I am able to look at her and see my precious little baby again. Slowly the stress is going away.

So remember that child's masterpiece board i was talking about before??  Well I called the next day and they were able to hold it for me :) Yay!  We picked it up today.  So glad i got it.  I think i will spotlight a different child each week to keep the peace.

Now that i have had some time to myself i am feeling SO much more at ease.  I told the older kids that i just needed a little mommy break.  But now i think we all need to SLEEP.  Ahhhhh... sounds so good!

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Spring please... :)

Chasley came running in the house on Tuesday very excited to announce that tulips were peaking out of the ground.  I was so excited I ran out of the front door in the rain (with white socks on which is a huge pet peeve of mine... and I am always scolding the kids for this... shame on myself!) to see our little sprouts!  I was so excited that i decided to break out my spring wreath... well not really a wreath, it is a big paper flower.  Only to find a very sad surprise when we woke up the next morning to horrendous wind and wet snow/sleet.  I guess i was a little premature in my excitement for spring.  A girl can dream right??   I didn't let the snow stop me though.  I broke out some more spring decor today.  The sun did show it's sweet little face today, even if only for a few brief moments here and there, it made me feel like there is still hope.

I worked in the office today and went over to our gift shop today during a break and spotted a very cute display board for kids artwork.  I am only 5'1 and it was on the top shelf so i couldn't see the price.  I decided not to worry about.  But now it is all I can think about!  I have been scouring the internet for it but cannot find it anywhere!  It will drive me crazy until I find out if I can get one somewhere else or find out if they will get anymore in.  They only had one so I am sure it will be gone the next time I go in.  I would attempt to make one but it was perfect and I know I wouldn't be satisfied.  Maybe I will just call in the morning.  That would eliminate all this dumb worry right?  So I will stop talking about it now.

I haven't been on here for a while...  not because I haven't wanted to, I have just been so busy catering to my sick kids.  Seriously how many viral infections are going to go through our house??  Another reason I am ready for spring.  Let's open up these windows and get the germs out!  We like to share at our house :)  HOWEVER, I do not do that good on a couple hours of sleep.  What kind of infection makes it so you can't sleep and have a fever but no other symptoms??

Hmmm... what else have I been up to?  Well I constructed a pinewood derby car (all by myself).  We definitely didn't win, or come close.  But I can say that I have made one.  You could tell that all the other cars had some manly influence, but ours was decked out with cute swirly girly designs... I have never been much of tomboy.  I don't know how to do "boyish" so much, but I probably could have tried a little harder. The kids surprisingly didn't want much to do with it.  So it was all me.  And my better half was out of town.  Next time for Syler's sake i will try harder to make it look like a race car.  He was sick so he didn't really get to enjoy the whole experience.  Next year ya'll better watch out cause we will be stepping up our game!  That's right!!

My baby brother (well the oldest of my "babies") is in town.  He is working at a national wrestling tourny.  I was able to stop by (with some much enjoyed Starbucks) and see him for a while.  I seriously LOVE my family and wish that I could see them more often.

I think I have rambled enough for one sitting... now off to bed with a horribly cranky soon to be 2 year old.  I just adore getting to share a bed with someone who kicks me all night and pushes me off the side of the bed.  She likes her feet on her dad and her head on me.  Often changing positions and slapping, pushing and crying throughout the night.  It is going to be one enjoyable night of sleep :"(

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Yummo

We had an AMAZING weekend.  Really sad to see it come to an end.  Yesterday we all put on our coats and spent the afternoon outside.  Living next to the church we have a great playground at the church to play at.  We spent the afternoon riding bikes, swinging and my husband giving rides to the kids on his motorcycle.  Another perk to living next door to the church we have a nice size parking lot that is attached to our driveway for him to give rides on.

Today we had church then went with my husband to an assisted living center where he was going to preach.  I love to go with him and bring the kids.  The residents love children and my kids love interacting with them.  Cici was all  smiles and waves.  Then we stopped by one of the church members apartments at the living center where the kids got get some candy and see pics of her grandchildren.  Such amazing people!  We planned a picnic hopefully in the near future with her.

I stopped at the store on the way home today and while i was walking down the aisle out of the corner of my eye a pink box caught my attention and i did one of those stop and reverse maneuvers.  This is a normal thing for me at the store.  I definitely fall for impulse buy tricks.  My husband always tells me "you know they put those on the end of the isle like for people like you"  They get me everytime!!  But this was well worth it!  I recommend trying these.

I am usually a control freak and have a hard time just letting the kids make things without me interfering... but today i let them do this all on their own.  We only had one eggshell in the batter.  They made cupcakes and i am struggling to keep from eating them all!

Now laying in bed with the girls watching Dora... not by choice of the older girls.   The boys are watching walking dead, not my thing so i guess i will browse pinterest for a while... darn!    The kids don't have school tomorrow so no bedtime tonight.  I love nights like this, amazing how exhausting the whole bedtime routine can be!

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Photography fun

I had the chance to take some pictures of a sweet little girl.  We had a lot of fun trying to get her to hold still just for one sec.  She was very busy!  We used to live down the street from this family and miss them terribly!  Here is a little peak of this cutie!

I have been terrible about posting this week!  We finally got over the sickness... and have been playing catch up.  It took alot out of us!  On Sunday my husband's sermon was centered on love (in light of valentines day) and apparently talked about his love for me... however, i had to leave before he gave his sermon because we had a sick child!  That is parenthood!

But now we are back in action!  I got to go see my friends new house last night and I helped paint for a while.  Today i have nothing on the agenda!!  I love Saturday like this.  We will see what this day brings!

Happy Saturday!

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weekend business

We had a very nice relaxing weekend.  Made a cardboard post office with the kids on friday.  It wasn't pretty but it kept them entertained all evening.  We made one of those large blue mail box's and Syler made some PO box's. Elena was the post master.  She made her own desk out of a box.  And Chasley was a mailroom clerk.  Amazing how far some cardboard and using their imagination can go!

On Saturday i spent the day with my good friend celebrating her birthday.  I tried sushi for the first time and then we did some shopping.  I actually enjoyed the sushi.  But i wasn't adventurous enough to try any with raw fish.  We went to some really fun home decor shops and antique/2nd hand (one we referred to more like "5th hand"... they didn't filter the stuff that came in very well.  Why people would donate underwear with stains really baffles me, EWWWWW!)  We had a ton of fun going through all the stuff.  Here are some of my purchases.

I also bought a cute feed sack that i didn't get a pic of.  Planning on turning it into curtains.

I also acquired a stash of pallets that i have been having fun with. But i am taking my time and spacing out my projects.  I made some shelves for my living room.  (will upload pics once i get all of my photo frames and nick knacks added)  And i made this headboard for my son.

His room is still a work in progress.  But getting closer to getting it done.  He loves anything to do with cars and racing.  He got his first dirt bike for Christmas.  His dream is to race.  We have a family friend that he got to go see race his dirt bike and he really looks up to him.  He has got a great mentor.  Just makes momma a bit nervous :/

Now it's time for some "cuddle time" with my Lena Bena.  She always reminds me and the hubs if we haven't gotten our "cuddle time" for the day.  She just walked in the door from 4-H.  Then it's off to bed for this girl!  Night all!

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A good investment...

I have the privilege to meet with some amazing women at our church every wednesday night.  I love the time that we spend together.  Last night the question was raised "are there areas in your life where you are asking God to reveal what He has for you?".  I was like of course!  I struggle everyday with not feeling like i am doing anything with my life.   I haven't gone to college yet and do not have the career i thought i would.  So i often busy myself with things that make me feel like i have accomplished something, like fixing up the house.  But then i take a step back and realize that maybe this is where i am supposed to be and if there something else God has planned for me he will reveal it to me when it is time.  Don't get me wrong though.  I LOVE being a mom, but often short the people in my life because I am such a busy person by nature.  I hate to be still.  I feel like I have to constantly be doing something.  It is not an excuse.  I need to prioritize my life.   I do spend time with my children but there is always room for improvement.  As i was sitting here working this morning.  I thought what do i want in life???  I want a great relationship with God my family and friends.  Relationships will always be there as all these earthly things come and go.  I want to invest my time in the people that are important to me.  So my goal is to invest more time in my relationships than doing things that make me feel like i am accomplishing something.  I think back to the days of when me and my husband first got married.  Which was only 8 years ago.  When we had no money and not many distractions.  My highlights were playing outside with my daughter and step son whom i absolutely did everything with.  Spending time with family and friends was what i looked forward to.

It is time to make the best investment i can.  This doesn't mean that I am not going to do things that i enjoy.  But i just don't want to regret not being the wife, mom and friend that i need to be.

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Blah!

I woke up this morning sick.  Feeling horrible!  I lost 2lbs this morning.  Not the way i want to lose weight.  I have such a sweet daughter.  While she was at school today she made me a get well card and presented it to me as soon as she walked in the door.  It didn't make me physically feel any better but it was such a great lift in my spirits!  Brought tears to my eyes.... so BLESSED!!

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