Belated birthday wishes

Happy 9th birthday Noah!!!

All this boy has asked for since before Christmas, is a football birthday party with all his friends. For the past several years, we have combined Noah's party with Sam & Mack for logistical purposes. Big brother was trying to be sensitive when he tried to explain that 9 year olds don't have the same interests as 6 year olds! I said I understood, (but was secretly really bummed that the combined party thing was over). So, we purchased football parte' necessities in the Target dollar section during the Superbowl & I was obligated to make this happen.

I even purchased a San Francisco 49'ers t-shirt at Old Navy for .97 cents, since I actually knew one of their players. Wait... has Steve Young retired? Whatever! San Fransisco's pretty, so if I were a football fan, I'd definitely root for them. Not to diverge, but man, my butt looks ginormous in this photo- I can't believe I'm publishing it! Motivation baby!!!

Okay, back to the party... We got the idea from my neighbor to do a tail gate dinner. It was so fun!

It was complete with lots of disgusting processed food; like hot dogs, chili & cheese, chips, root beer & candy. The kids loved every bite!

Of course, we also had cake & ice cream. There was much debate about who liked the Packers & who didn't, but when it came down to it, everyone ate!

The nicest guy at Home Depot helped me make this football goal post. Hopefully it will last all summer for the kids to play in the yard! The party kids had a blast playing flag football & confused punter (blindfolded & dizzy)!

The gods were smiling down on us that day because the weather was beautiful & Len showed up to help :) Hallelujah!!! Now, 2 days later, there is a few inches of snow on the grass... and did I mention Len showed up? Pheww.

Don't they look like grown men all discussing the coolness of each gift, while sporting a can of root beer in their hands?!

Noah has such nice friends & we all had a blast :) I just can't believe how fast the past year has gone by. It seems like Noah getting baptized & turning 8 was just yesterday. He's getting so big & is still such a great example to his little siblings. Yes, he also can be the main provoker of all chaos at times, but generally Noah is a great kid. We love our big boy & feel so lucky.

Happy Birthday my luvs

You were both so tiny & cute...we loved you both immediately.

You became as different as black & white....but we still love your different personalities.

No matter how different, you are always best friends & we love watching you together!

Now, you're both 6 & have your own friends, likes, needs, desires & talents.

You are simply Mack. The boy who has does not understand happy medium, who gets rosy cheeks when he runs, who'd live on his bike if it were possible & never passes anyone in the hall without stopping to give them a hug. We love you.

You are Sam & you've always told us so, even before you heard Dr. Seuss! You are a sweet boy with an irresistible smile, a contagious personality, who makes friends with everyone, even the adults & asks for a "kissing hand" whenever he has to be alone. We love you.

Happy Birthday big boys!!!

Copycat

Words to live by for sure.

Thanks Melanie, you're a genius for posting this! Oh, Einstein you know I love you too :)

Top dog & little smokie

It's just us 3 today, Bella, Noah & I. The twins slept over at Grandma's & Dad's at work. I came home at 6:30 last night with pizza to a trashed house & lots of chaos, but that's how it gets around here sometimes. I think Daddy had a rough day & it was all he could handle watching everyone. So, I feel like I should clean, clean, clean today...but I am tempted to ignore it & just play, play,play with these cuties! It's rare to have 1x1 or 1x2 time with the kids & it's so precious when we do get the chance.

Bella loves Noah & follows him around like a puppy dog. Noah doesn't seem to mind at all. He'll get on the floor & play with her, carry her around, take her for walks, whatever she wants to do. It's so cute or " so tute," as Bella would say! She also says "O-tay?" after EVERYTHING & it's so adorable. She can be crying & trying to tell you what happened & all you can catch is a sad "O-tay Mom, O-tay?" It breaks your heart! She's the tutest bubba in the world!

I think we'll go play the piano & sing while the laundry is washing. You should hear them sing...

Hunka hunka burnin' love

My sister in law, Amy, my great friend, Jill, & I ran for love this weekend! :) It was a 5k to raise money for a cute young family that has an amazing adoption story. Click here to read it.

As I posted earlier, my family & I have been going through a rough spell. I don't want to be one of those bummer people that complains all the time & isn't any fun to be around. I didn't realize how forgetful I had become about the importance of simple things, like smiling, laughing & consciously choosing to have fun, until a prayer was answered in a curious way several months ago. It was a chance meeting of someone who did all of the above & it made a strong impression on me. I forgot how fun it is to laugh until your face hurts :) There have been many prayers answered lately & most of all of them have been through simple gestures by friends, family & strangers. It was all a good reminder to me that, even through the hard times, it is important to keep doing things that bring you joy & it's a conscious choice. I think I was born with a happy gene, but I wasn't using it! Because of so many wonderful people helping me remember & lifting me up, I have made some lifestyle changes.

I had to ponder about what really brought me joy that I wasn't doing anymore. One of them was sports. I started running, biking & playing again every morning. Being athletic has always been part of me & I really love the feeling I get when I play sports. I also love the feeling of giving to others. With my own family to take care of, plus working full time, I was not able to spend time on service like I had previously. So, I am multi-tasking by doing 1 organized charity/sport event each month (like the 5k above). It's not personal service, but it's what I can do right now & it still feels really good to be helping. My calling is another great way to give service, and I'm trying to work out my schedule to continue with scouts. I am also trying to dive into the scriptures again, which is something very important & helpful to me.

The most important thing I can do to bring myself joy is being with my family. We are so short on time with each other now, that we have to get creative, make it count & let everything else go when it's family time. It has actually been a good thing. I still miss running Bella down the hall every 15 minutes to go potty, leisurely walking the boys to school, and setting up play dates in the middle of the day....but it's ok. We are getting on a schedule & enjoying our new routine.

Teaching school is fun & the little boys get to go to work with me! They love it & are meeting so many new friends. Bella is warming up to her new babysitter & seems very happy when I come home on my lunch break to cuddle her. No more tears :) Noah isn't really affected by our new schedule, since he's in school all day & Len gets home by 4:00. Len's work is still yucky, but he's hanging in there & vigorously looking for a better opportunity.

I thought that John Lennon was just a great singer & a dreamer. I guess he was right though...sometimes all you need is love!

Happy Valentines Day. I love you!

Big girl!

Bella is SOOOO excited to have her own big girl bed! We were planning on keeping her in her crib as long as possible, and she never tried to climb out, so we thought we were good until at least 3. She's just so impossible to resist when she says "Peeessse Otay"? When she says that we are totally at her mercy & she can pretty much get whatever she wants! She always lays in the boys' beds & pulls the covers up & pretends to sleep. She loves sleeping with the boys & would point to their beds with her puppy dog eyes & start in with "peeessse bed. Otay?"
Lucky for us, Target had a toddler bed on sale this week for a really good deal. We couldn't imagine putting her tiny body in a twin bed! She is thrilled & is sleeping well :) Unlike her brothers though, she does get out when she wakes up & runs down the hall or comes into our room. The boys all called us from their beds at first, like they did when they were in a crib!

The boys like her tiny big girl bed too! They all try to smoosh into it & read!

New year, new approach

So, I haven't been good about keeping up on my blog because I really didn't know what to say. I'm personally sick of faking it, but "Happy New Year to you. Our year kinda sucked & I don't have high hopes for 2011" just didn't seem appropriate! Oh, well- I said it! That's truly how I felt at the beginning of this year, but things are heading in a nice, new direction already.

I KNOW it sounds totally & completely self-centered & it very well may be, but like my hero Sting says, "don't judge me, this could be you in another life, in another set of circumstances." It's impossible not to feel like a jerk for being frustrated when people are starving, homeless, living in oppression, etc.... It was hard to come to the conclusion that it's okay to be frustrated, because we all have been given different trials (as long as I don't dwell or not progress, that is).

True, most people don't blog or talk about their true feelings or problems, but that's not me. It used to be me & I found it very stressful & heavy to be hiding the truth all the time. I'm pretty sure if I were to go to a typical counselor, they'd tell me I'm going through a typical mid-life crisis. I mean, I am about to turn 37 & the average life span in the US for a woman is 74. Doesn't get any more mid-life than that! Whatever it is, it's been fairly miserable, but very enlightening. Really, I feel lighter lately. I truly have learned & have a strong testimony now that without the bitter, we would not appreciate the sweet. I have a glorious life & have many, many blessings that I recognize & am grateful for everyday. That said, it really was still a stinky, hard year!

Let's make some light of the matter, & forget the bitter. Here's some sweet...

Uh huh, this is a picture of my toilet. Actually, it's the boys' toilet & discovering these handy deodorizers has significantly cut down on the amount of dry heaving as I enter their bathroom. They work much better than a wallflower or any spray. It doesn't seem to matter how often or how much I sweat while scrubbing this bathroom, there is always a lingering odor that is unique to little boys & their toys. I consider this a sweet find!

Re-introducing a "toy room" to our house, was another sweet thing that happened in 2010. We used to have one, but after our family size exploded a few years ago, we had to get rid of it to make space. We gave Noah our big guest bed & put away my dusty art desk & poof! a new play room was born. The sweetest part is the 2 little siblings watching "Blue's Clues" together while sharing a snack. Ahhh! :)

One thing that I decided several months ago, in my fragile state (haha), was to start taking care of myself- not just everyone else. This goal is all inclusive. I'm not talking just exercising & eating my veggies. That, plus buying boots that you want to kiss & dance in, clothes that you didn't have in your closet in high school, hanging out with people that give you perma grin, laughing until you have to run to the bathroom for fear of peeing your pants & finding ways to make everyday stuff more enjoyable. I'm going to be my true self, which includes a nice pair of s#it-kickers in my closet :)

It's sad, but this little item has made me so happy this year! It's a cheap hanging rack from the local big box store & I love it. Laundry has always felt like something Satan stirred up to break me down, but this hanging rack & an inexpensive steamer has made it much more tolerable. I still have loads & loads of clothes to wash, but my ironing board is now not a table for all the clothes waiting their turn to be ironed. Now, I hang everything that needs ironing & steam them on Saturday night, along with our Sunday clothes. It's quick, easy & organized- all my favorite things :) I also have room for our scout shirts & the kids dreaded snow clothes. Yeah! Sweet!

Maybe this sweet thing is really an unhealthy addiction, but it's still sweet! It's called Kid 2 Kid & it makes me feel like a rock star. All of these adorable girly dresses were only $1. I look there every time I need something for my kids & usually find what I'm looking for, at a great price. I'm starting to do the same for my clothes, but at the big girl consignment stores!

The sweetest of all sweets.... our 4 adorable, wonderful, crazy & delicious children. We toasted in the New Year with non-alcoholic sparkling juice in mini IKEA cups. Bella's in her big girl panties, Sam has toothpicks taped to his knuckles, Mack is dressed & ready to go at 7:00 am & big brother Noah's taking charge. It's the perfect image of each personality that graces our house everyday. Without these little people, Len & I's life would be totally different. We love them so much & they are our world. When things are hard, they can still make us smile & laugh. Every decision takes their well being into consideration. They teach us & help us be better people.

They are sunshine, milk chocolate, lazy days by the pool, a good book, a warm bath, a funny movie & the best cuddles you've ever had.

I'm trying to take more time to have fun with the kids. We went sledding & Noah still talks about how funny it was when Jill & I flew off the sled when we hit a bump! We will probably never forget this day, even though we have many more coming. Like I said before, things were hard this year, but I have learned so much about myself. I have the best friends & family in the world & I treasure the times I get to talk with them. Walking in the mornings & working in the garage for hours with friends equaled some seriously great therapy! I can call several friends, even if we haven't talked for months & know I can vent & get great advice without worry of being judged. I hope I can be as great of a friend back. There are even a few people that I feel God put in my path to teach & help me. People I don't really even know well. I learned from one of them that disappointment is not bad, it let's you know where you want to go. It's true!

Len probably had it the hardest last year, and yet you find him complaining. He's been in a crappy job, trying to come back to church, struggling with school & he's always gone. The best thing that has happened so far this year, is how hard Len is working to change things. He has a bigger cross to bear than most people realize & he's really motivated to get his legs underneath him this year. It's not going to be easy, but it will be worth it. Go Len! I feel lucky to have such a great guy.

Now, just for fun:

Christmas morning was extra fun this year with Bella. She was old enough
to really get it & was so adorable!

Sam, aka Bobo Fet! (Notice it's still dark outside as we're opening presents)

Mack with his coveted double light saber!

Paper Jamz all day long!