Vacation Update

We are having a glorious vacation at my moms right now. It has really been the perfect mixture of time with time with extended family, time with our little family and alone time for Joseph and I.

Yesterday the boys spent the day with their Gigi (my step-mom) and she kept them overnight. Joseph and I were alone with just the girls and it was...different. The girls loved the attention and we were amazed at how much quieter and easier it is to have just two of our four Darlings. With that said, it didn't feel "right" until we picked up the boys this evening. There was a piece missing that was put back in place with the arrival of the boys.

This vacation has been a little different this time. My mom and step-dad are out of town, so we have their house to ourselves. While we miss my mom and can't wait for her to come home tomorrow I am glad that we have had this time together, by ourselves, but away from home. For me vacations have to be away from my house. I'm too much of a "do'er" to sit and relax at my house.

Another really odd change is that Love didn't bring 1 single book to study!! This is most certainly a change. I don't remember the last time that we went on vacation and he wasn't studying every spare moment he had. That has been quite special! And that amazing man is doing all the work - changing diapers, cleaning dishes, giving baths, bedtime and even letting me sleep-in in the mornings! He really is giving me a much needed reprieve, which is probably a good thing considering what I will be shouldering for the next month.

Well, that's all I have for now. Joseph is off getting some Panera for dinner, the kids are all in bed and the house is quiet! All is glorious!!

(Silly Lily Kate with her eyes close. I was having a hard time getting one of just her where her eyes were open!)

(Luke is really a great big brother to his little sisters. He loves on them, kisses them, keeps them out of trouble and even gives them his "special toys" to play with.)
(Ella looking like a little puppy!)
Aren't these little twinkies getting big?!

You know you're a Gym Rat...

...when they call to check on you because they haven't see you all week.

Anyone?

Have y'all missed me? Or did you even notice I was missing? Well, I'm back - for now anyway - and here is an update on what has kept me away from my little 'ole blog.

I had my Mother's of Multiples sale over the weekend and it wore me out. Oh, mercy did it wear me out. I participate with their semi annual sale because it's really the only time that I do anything with the club and it's nice to make a little extra money while getting rid of things we don't need anymore. I tell you what though, after each sale I always think to myself - I'm not doing that madness again, that is until the check comes in the mail. For some reason that nice check is the only thing that I remember when it is time to sign up again!

Here is a picture of my fully loaded van before I left for the sale:

I got rid of almost all of it! Whooo-hoooo!

Speaking of the van, another semi-annual event happened when I cleaned it out. I had had it! The final straw was the milk cup that leaked out all over the floor. That, combined with the raw egg that had spilled all over the carpet, pushed me over the edge. Uh, yeah, it was gross! It's starting to get warm here, so the smell was really getting bad. Okay I'll stop, I'm sure you've got the picture.

Joseph just wanted to have it professionally detailed, but when am I going to have time to do that with the kids?! So we took the seats out and I pulled out my handy-dandy steam cleaner and did it myself. What we found when we took out the seats was ridiculous! Seriously we could have fed a small village in Africa. Embarrassing for someone who is obsessed with clean!

Before

After

In other news, the twins are keeping me b-u-s-y!! Oh, they are a handful. But so stinkin' cute I can't even stand it!! And so much fun. Which is a very good thing for them because their naughtiness is reaching an all time high these days. Here is one of their favorite activities that makes me crazy:

Here they are sitting looking cute with food ALL OVER THE FLOOR!!

Then with no shame or remorse, they throw food on the floor right in front of me!

Absolutely no shame! And they know that this is not okay. It drives me crazy how easy I am on them. They are just so cute though. And perhaps if I would have gotten them out of their seats 15 min earlier when they told me they were "all done" they wouldn't have had to resort to this to get my attention. But I kid you not, when I have this duo confined I am on the move trying to get things done! And it usually involves cleaning up whatever they destructed when they were loose.

I have been sick since Monday, lost my voice on Tuesday and am still not feeling any better today. The big bummer in all of this is that I was supposed to run today for the first time in 6 weeks!! But I feel too crummy. You know I'm sick when I haven't been to the gym in 6 days. I tried to go yesterday and lifted a little before I just felt awful and came home.

What makes this even worse is that it is going to be a while before I will be back in the gym since we are going to my moms for Spring Break! The Spring Break part is exciting and much needed after a month like we just had and the month that we are getting ready to have. Joseph leaves next month and the kids and I are on our own. So, yeah, this break is going to be awesome and much needed!

Alrighty, that's enough from me. I'm off to feed my children!

Update

I absolutely DO NOT have time to blog, nor have I given myself permission to blog. So, this isn't a blog post. It's an update in bullet points:

• The casserole was yummy, thanks for asking MC. But how can you go wrong with Southern Living? Especially if you are a southern girl? I did have 1 mishap. I didn't have the casserole finished, so took it to church unfinished and cooked it in their oven. So, while my girls didn't get to eat right away, they did get a piping hot breakfast!
• The no-sweets-for-Lent is going strong. And let me tell you it has not been easy. I do pretty good until the evening. Then the cravings begin. I'm told the first week is the hardest. I do hope so!
• I am really excited that February is almost over. This month has been crazy, busy.
• My Mother's of Multiples semi-annual sale is this weekend and I have been in a tagging frenzy over the past couple of weeks since yesterday. And am no where near done.
• It has been hot here lately. Ridiculously hot for February.
• We started a new bible study this week and it is called, Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed by (are you ready for this!) Priscilla Shirer (Tony Evans daughter), Beth Moore and Kay Arthur. Hello. It is amazing! But how couldn't it be with those 3 amazing, Godly women leading?!?!? I'm so excited about this study and the group of women I'm studying with!!

Okay, I have to run... Oh, but before I go I have to share with you something I read this morning: "How many times have I fed on ashes, instead of feasting on the Word?" Oh, how that spoke to my heart today!

New things

Alrighty, I only have a few moments to blog because I need to get ready for bible study this morning. Have I mentioned recently that I LOVE MY BIBLE STUDY? It has been a long time since I have met with a group of women with such depth and authenticity. And we know how I love and crave depth and authenticity! I'm super blessed by this group of ladies and can't wait to meet with them today!

It's my turn to bring a dish for breakfast and I am trying a new recipe. I have a recipe for breakfast casserole that I haven't loved the last couple of times that I have made it. Let's pause here to mention that Joseph thinks I'm c-r-a-z-y for trying new recipes out on other people. In his world it only makes sense to try something new at home where if we hate it we go out to eat, not on poor folks that are stuck eating what I made. It really drives him crazy when we have people over for dinner and I try out new recipes on them. Probably because I stress out the whole time I'm cooking! Totally ridiculous to him and wouldn't happen on his world. Oh, what it would be like to live in his world...

I am doing something today that I have never done before. (drum roll please...) I am giving up something for Lent. And while I am nervous about doing this, I am also super excited. Here is what has propelled me to think about this: I have this amazing woman who loves Jesus in my life and she recently did a 3 day fast. She invited me to join. Um, uh, um, um... I politely declined. In all seriousness, while I would love to do a 3 day fast at some point in the future, I'm not sure that now is that time. But, I do love the idea of self-sacrifice, prayer, opening new avenues to hearing God and experiencing -somewhat- what Jesus did in the wilderness. So since I am not at a time in my life to do a long fast, I decided why not give up (deep, deep breath) sweets for Lent. (deep breath)

Sweets is going to be a big one for me. BIG. Because every day - and I mean every day - I have at least 2 of these babies in the afternoon and at least 2 of these babies in the evening. Oh, is that why I'm not losing weight?

Yeah, so that is the plan. There really is bigger, deeper meaning to all this, but I don't have time to go into all that. I have a casserole to get in the oven. A new casserole. I hope it's okay. Oh, now I'm getting nervous...

Sweet words to a tired mama's ears!

"Today is your day off" are the words that I woke up to this morning. Followed by, "What would you like me to bring you for breakfast?" And no, those words were definitely not spoken to me by my gorgeous little Darlings. It was my man. Isn't he delicious?

What makes those words even sweeter is that they were spoken to me despite my two major meltdowns that I have had over the last 3 days. Yesterdays completely irrational meltdown even included the words, "I'm getting a job." That my friends is just plain crazy talk. Reality is that I have no plans on ever working, outside this home, again.

So in spite of my lunatic talk (and behavior) my husband, as usual, has risen above my drama and is selflessly meeting my needs.

There is a special place for him in heaven. Very special. And knowing him, he'll share with me!

Silly Lily Kate...where are you?!

Little Bow Ella

What can I say? This girl likes bows in her hair!

Oh, how I love this little face!!

The wonderful world of twins!

Every day at nap time, for the first 30 min and the last 30 min, the girls have a par-tay in their room. I wish we had a video camera so that I could watch the madness and see what all the giggling and shouts of glee are all about.

Here are some pictures I caught of them doing their favorite naptime activity:

JUMPING in their beds! Look at that wild hair!! That is their second favorite activity: pulling their pigtails or ponytail out - you know, the ones that Mommy had to chase them down to put in!

And then they love it when I do this:
Put them in the same crib!! It's hard to imagine, but they used to sleep together in this very crib. Do you remember this:

YUMMY!! Oh, in some ways that seems like just yesterday and in other ways that seems like 1000 years ago! I often look at these little girlies and wonder what in the world it would be like to have a twin sister? A best friend you've known your whole life? I just can't imagine and I am so jealous!!

What I do know is that while they love each other and laugh like c-r-a-z-y, there are the days that at the end of their laughing/crazy/wild/joyful time, someone will start crying, a mad cry. And before I go in there I already know what happened - one sister took the other sisters blanket or lovey and won't give it back. Guaranteed that's what happened! Luckily it's never the same sister that is the meanie, instigator! They take turns...something that they have learned from day 1 - taking turns!

Valentines and Lazarus

Over the past couple of weeks I have tried to blog, but can't seem to be able to nail down my very incohesive thoughts into written words. This is the first time in all my years of blogging that I am having a hard time with what to say. And I'm not sure why.

Perhaps it's because I'm so tired at the end of my day that it borders on ridiculous. Joseph's schedule has been nutty and the poor man has been working non-stop over the past couple of weeks. That's hard.

My poor Valentine. He hasn't had a day off in more than 3 weeks and when he is home he is so tired that he might as well not be here because he is too tired to think. He is in bed by 9pm, up at 4am, at the hospital by 5am, and home...whenever he gets here. It's been hard. On all of us. Have I mentioned that yet?

Thankfully, my mama came on Friday night to give me some help. And let me tell you her plane didn't arrive a moment too soon because as I was circling the airport, on the phone with her while she was waiting on the tarmac, I was melting down. And she did what moms do: stepped in and took care of all of us. She let me nap, held babies, played with kids, told stories, made up games, made me laugh, sent me away for time by myself and fed us good! When she left, I felt refreshed. I'm not afraid to admit that I still need my mom. Thanks mama for being such a blessing to me!

Love was on-call on V-Day, which in hindsight wasn't so bad (especially since my mama was here). He actually got off good celebrating the day after. Flowers and cards are 50% off and it is way less crowded. It was a low key celebration since he was post-call, but it was good to spend some time -away from the kids- with my best friend and catch up.

Life has been busy around here for the past couple of months. I feel like I am on this merry-go-round that is moving fast, but I have good grip and am hanging on. Hanging on until that next ______ happens and then life will slow down. Fill the blank in with parties, Thanksgiving, parties, Christmas, birthdays, baby showers, newsletters, socials, Mother's of Multiples sales...whatever. I find myself always saying, "As soon as ____ is over life will calm down." But the truth is something else swoops in and takes its place.

And while part of me is exhausted by it all, another part of me is exhilarated. I thrive on a full plate. With that said, though, I am at a place where I want to slow down -just a little- and breathe and enjoy the scenery of my amazing life. I don't want to miss out on the small things because I love to hurry. And I don't think I am.

Caleb and I had this amazing discussion the other day. We were laying on the couch talking and he said, "Do you know why I was kinda sad today?"

"No, why?" I asked.

"Because my teacher told me the story of the rich man and Lazarus. And Lazarus begged on the side of the road for food and dogs would lick his sores. And Lazarus friends took him to the rich mans house where he asked him for the scraps off his table and the rich man was mean and selfish and told him no. Then Lazarus died and went to heaven and the rich man died and went to hell."

"And what did you think about that story?" I asked.

"I thought it made me sad and I almost cried at school."

"What made you sad?"

"It made me sad that there are people who don't have food. And that the dogs licked Lazarus sores. And that there are children who go to bed hungry." Then he asked, "Will you pray for them?"

Oh, my little love.

So we both cried and prayed for those kids that don't have moms and dads and those children that go to bed hungry. It was a moment I'll cherish forever. My boy is becoming more compassionate and able to look outside of his own world. My prayers are being answered.

My prayer for today is that while I am on this merry-go-round of life, that I don't miss those moments. Those are the moments that keep me fueled, give me hope and remind me of my purpose. Raising Oaks of Righteousness...

Uh-Oh SpaghettiO's

And this is one (or two) reason(s) why my house is such a mess:

Ella looking like a mess! And Lily Kate looking like Princess Lea!

Ella: "Do you think you could put the camera down and help a girl out?!"

Financial Freedom Works for Me!

When Joseph and I got married, I was a slave. Not literally, but it sure felt like it.

Back track 6 years: I had just turned 18 years old and was on a Spring Break trip with my friends in Florida. A certain credit card company (to which I will NOT, even to this day, own a credit card from!) was giving out cool t-shirts. All you had to do is fill out an application for their credit card. I was 18, didn't think I had any credit, had no instruction on financial management, and was -quite frankly- dumb. I filled out the application, got my cool t-shirt and had fun on the rest of my trip.

A month or so later, my new credit card arrived in the mail. All shiny and new. I thought I won the lottery. And had no idea what I had gotten myself into.

Fast forward 6 years, $10,000 and nothing to show for it - and that is how Joseph met me. Shortly after we got engaged, he paid off the debt. He wanted us to start fresh and have a clean slate when we gt married. (I didn't know then, but do now, the depth of wisdom that man has.) So, yeah he paid off my debt and has never once mentioned it or held it over my head. My man is most certainly a man after God's own heart.

So 1 day after returning from our honeymoon we move all that we own (which wasn't much) to Minot AFB in North Dakota. And shortly after we move in he sets us up with a budget and implements the "envelope system". I had no idea (once again) how wise this man was. I didn't know anything about saving or tithing, so Joseph taught me. He pulled out some envelopes and we labeled them. I don't remember all the labels that we had back then, but here are some that we have now:

• Groceries
• Date
• Diapers
• Eating Out
• Titan (our dog)
• Gas
• Household (toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, toiletries, ect.)
• MISC (gifts, clothes, babysitting, and any extra we go over on groceries)

He broke up our finances into the 70-20-10 method. 70% of our income goes to bills, 20% savings and 10% to tithe. And that is how we have done it for the past 7 1/2 years. When we run out of money in the envelopes...we're out of money. He can't make more, I can't make more, there is no blaming or arguing - it's just a fact. No money in envelope = no spending.

And I believe with every ounce of my soul that this, along with MANY blessings from God, have gotten us to where we are today. No credit card debt, no car payment, no student loans - just the house. While 87.6% of medical residents carry outstanding loans and the average debt of medical school graduates is $137,517 we have none. And have had 3 kids in medical school - twin GIRLS to boot!!

Now, we have been wise and very blessed along the way. But, we have also made more than our fair share of mistakes. Oh, have we made mistakes. Through it all, though, the one thing that has remained constant is the our tithe. It comes off the top and first. And that has been hard some months. There have been some months that we really could have used that tithe for groceries, but have seen blessings come our way for giving back to God. Oh, the stories I could tell...

I share all this not to brag, but to tell you how good it feels to be financially free! I have experienced both feelings, enslaved and free, and I'm telling you that if you don't already have it - the freedom is amazing. It may take time, learning to do without, not having the fanciest things, but it is SO worth it! If you haven't heard about the envelope system, check it out! You won't regret it.

And that is what Works for Me!

End Note: Years ago we used to pull cash out of the bank to fill the envelopes, but now we have an excel spreadsheet that keeps track of what "envelope" we are spending out of. The spreadsheet has also been a great way of having accountability of every penny spent.

A whole-lota nothing!

I have a whole lot of nothing to talk about today. Consider yourself warned..

Joseph hasn't had a day off in 3 weeks or so and we are all ready for a day off. So ready. The next 3 months are going to be tough. 2 of the rotations are crummy hours and the third is out of town (with crummy hours!) . *sigh* That's all I have to say about that. Well, that's not really all I have to say, but that's all I want t say.

I took the kids to their little friend, Rylie's birthday party. It was at Build a Bear and my boys were so excited! It was seriously my bribery tool all week long. (Listen, when your hubby is working all the time, you are NOT above bribery!) They had a blast and I survived thanks to my friends helping me out with my Darlings. Shout out to Rylie's dad, Toby, who did an awesome job blocking Lily Kate from getting into Macy's. I guess she heard there was free make-up! Girl after my own heart! Here they are with their Build a Bear loot (from Rylie's par-tay and from their trip to BaB at Christmas):

(Do you like the bows on Caleb's koala? Well, his daddy doesn't! For some reason all of Caleb's stuffed animals are females. He insists that they are all girls. I tried to console the Daddy - at least they are black bows, right? He wasn't buying.)

Are these boys handsome or what?!
BTW - people, Build a Bear is expensive when you factor in 4 kids! These stuffed animals get clothes, shoes, accessories... Luke's turtle has combat boots that cost more than the last pair of shoes I bought myself! Sweet Rebecca, Rylie's mama, was so generous and let all 4 kids make a bear for the party. I felt bad (after all, I am the only one with 4 kids!) but was thankful because Ella would have beat the boys up for their animals. Seriously.

3 weeks and 1 day until I can run again! I am so excited. I seriously dream about running...I know, crazy! This weekend was supposed to be the weekend that I ran my half marathon. *sigh* Yeah, we won't talk about that...

I have been hitting the gym hard and still love it. I've had to be more creative with my workouts because of the knee - spinning & yoga are my new favorites.

I have been trying to write a post about the twins, but it has been stuck in my head. They are so cute and so fun. Oh, and a ton of work...let's not forget to add that! They are starting to talk a lot more and their favorite thing to do is boss one another around. Check out this cuteness:

These little sisters bring such joy to our house!

Alright, gotta go...

If this isn't fun, I don't know what is!

What I Learned This Week

1. While doing yoga today, I had an epiphany that I could have seriously done without - my very cool yoga moves look WAY better in my head than they do in the mirrors. Way better. Translation: I'm cooler in my head than I am in reality!
2. Thanks to you all very nice, fancy, techy people I now know that if I ever erase LOST from our DVD before my man gets to see it, they have the episodes online! I don't know why I didn't think of that?!
3. Probably because my mind is so wrapped up in our vacation that is 3 months away, I'm having a hard time thinking of anything else. If you are planning a trip to the Riviera Maya, I could serve as your travel agent. Actually, don't call me. I am horrible at regurgitating information, am easily confused and have read so much that it has all become one jumbled paradise. Couple all that with the fact that I can no longer remember which hotels are topless, I could book a trip that may not be what you had in mind.
4. I learned this week that God sends really cool, wise, bold, loving new friends at a time when you need them the most.
5. And lastly, I learned that when you pray to Sar Shalom (Prince of Prince), you are praying to the One who is the source of all peace. And that to live in peace is to live in his presence. Isn't that cool? Shalom isn't the absence of conflict, it's to be continuously in his presence. I love that Sar Shalom is the only one who can give us a sense of wholeness and completion - not our kids, husbands, friends, money, jobs, vacations, nothing & no one. Except for The One. And that, my friends, is my favorite thing I have learned this week!

And what about you? What have you learned this week? Visit Musings of a Housewife to find out what others have learned this week.

I think I'm hooked on being LOST

Do I have at least 1 million better things to blog about other than LOST? YEP!
Do I have at least 1 million better things to do other than blog about LOST? YEP!
Am I still going to blog about LOST? YEP!

Here are my thoughts on LOST:

1. Okay, let me get my bragging moment out of the way - I knew that Jin was still alive!!! Knew it, knew it, knew it! And I told Joseph! I knew it!! (I seriously love being right, can you tell?)
2. I am so torn in my love triangle, I mean Kate's love triangle with Jack and Sawyer. This may be the one time where I may advocate polygamy...
3. I cannot understand why we are still trusting Ben? The man has done nothing but lie to us and break his promises, so why are we listening to him. We need to run the other direction when we see him. RUN!
4. The nosebleeds are becoming contagious and I will never think of nosebleeds the same.
5. My favorite moment of the night was during one of the flashbacks when Sawyer saw Kate delivering Claire's baby. He was looking at her with such love that my heart seriously almost melted. (sigh)
6. Locke, my least favorite character, had an very insightful moment tonight when he said, "I needed that pain to get to where I am now." Hmmm, thought provoking.
7. Poor Jin. Can you imagine waking up to what he has woken up to. It has been a bad couple of days for him. Or has it been years? This time thing has me confused!

Well, I think that is all for now. Oh, my gosh! I just did something really bad. If you don't hear from me again it is because my hubby has killed me! I just realized that I totally erased LOST on the DVR! Oh no! Love had to work tonight, so he didn't get to see it...this is so bad. So very, very bad. The man is patient with me and loves me, but really loves LOST. This is so bad.

I did it!

Do you like the updated pictures on my header?!? I did them all by myself!! Okay, perhaps a friend of mine did come over today and perhaps she did teach me a bit about html, but I'm the one that put the pictures in!

They aren't as well spaced as they were when my blog designer did it, but I'm happy (mostly) with good enough.

A little less LOST

This is your warning: STOP reading if you haven't already seen last nights episode of LOST....

LOST was on last night and it was so good! We seriously love this show. Love it! Joseph was studying last night (like he has been for the past 2 weeks straight for his big test that is, um, next week!) and let me tell you, my man doesn't just put his book down for nutin'! Laundry, dishes, kids - nope, but he tossed that book aside when he realized Lost was on last night! Priorities...

Anyway, here are a few of my highlighted moments from last nights show:

• Most revealing moment of the night: finding out that Charles Whitmore was once one of the "others"! Holy smokes, Joseph and I were excited about that! Things are coming together. That was big!!
• Best comment of the night was once again won by my main man Sawyer: "Do you want to stay here in crazy town or help me rescue the geek?" Sawyer crazks me up!
• Sweetest moment of the night: definitely when Desmond called his sweet (and stinkin' cute) little boy, "Charlie". (It took me until this am to realize that it wasn't after his grandfather.) Isn't that so sweet?

Things I feel like we are finally getting some resolution on:

• Why Chaz Whitmore is so interested in the Island.
• and... okay, maybe that was all my resolution, but it seems big since prior to this there has been nothing other than questions!

Here are some things that I am still confused about:

• Who in the heck is Jacob?
• Richard Alpert is becoming an even bigger enigma to me.
• Who is the girl pointing the gun and why do I think that she should mean something?
• Who is that vegetable lady? Was it the lady in the picture that Desmond found at Oxford?
• And who did Daniel hurt?
• And is Daniel good or bad? I really want him to be good, but I have a not so good feeling about that...

Notice that my list of questions are still longer than anything else?! Okay, those are my thoughts, what are yours?

Conversations with a man saving lives - Part 43

Here is an excerpt of a conversation I had with The Love today:

(ring-ring)

J: Yeah?

S: So, why don't you call me back when I call you? I think I may be dying.

J: (sigh) It's been a crazy day, what are you dying from?

S: Well, I noticed these bumps on my palms and...

J: (Interrupts) Do you have fever?

S: No, but these bumps are weird looking...

J: (Interrupts) Do you have them anywhere else?

S: No, but they are kinda weird looking...

J: (Interrupts) You're fine. I'll look at it when I get home.

S: Is there something I should be doing?

J: No.

S: Is there something I should take?

J: No.

S: Am I dying?

J: No.

S: Am I too sick to cook dinner?

J: No.

My poor, poor man. Just trying to make a living and put food on the table for his crazy wife. Yesterday he told me never to call again and, "tell me somethings wrong with the tv." Apparently the two times that I have done that this week, someone has died. I know, isn't that awful? I'm just not sure what would happen to me if I couldn't watch my DVR'd shows during nap time...

Be glad you can't hear me through the internet

"Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

So I am in the beginning stages of planning our next vacation. This is going to be a special vacation, because... it will be sans kids! Our first va-ca without our four Little Darlings!

"Laaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Sorry, I get so excited when I think about it that I break out in spontaneous song!!

We had been thinking about it for a while, but weren't sure we were going to be able to fit in a month long backpacking trip through Europe. And we can't. BUT we can fit in a little jaunt - somewhere together!

"Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Okay, pull it together Sab Mad, so here is where I need your help...where should we go??? I don't want to be gone any longer the 3 or 4 nights, so it can't be anywhere too far because of jet lag (have I mentioned 1000 times that I really want to stay in a bungalow, with a glass bottom, in Tahiti?) We are thinking maybe Mexico or the Caribbean?

"Laaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Yeah, so I'm looking for recommendations and suggestions. Anyone? Anyone? Please...anyone??

"Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

Better late than never

Here are some pictures from last month that I forgot to post of our trip back home. Too cute to forget about...

My dad thinks he's funny, the girls aren't too sure!
Funny secrets...
Sweet Ella
My big boy...is he photogenic or what?
Gigi and her Twinkies
Breakfast time at Nana's house.
Ella and Pingy. This is Ella's bestest friend and she loves dragging him all over town.
Sweet silly Lily Kate. I love that little nose crinkle!
Lily and Aunt Sarah
The Pigtail Ballerina's
Yummy!!
Nana and her babies
This is what happens when lunch isn't ready and the girlies aren't fed by 12:30 pm!

This picture cracks me up!

32 could be the best number yet!

So, I turned 32 yesterday. Really, it hard to believe that I'm already 32. I made a decision last year that I was going to celebrate my birthdays and not bemoan being a year older. And I have stuck with that decision.

A friend of mine was making fun of me because she didn't realize that I was 32 (apparently she wasn't looking close at me and missed the beginning stages of wrinkles and gray!). I told her in complete honesty that I am really proud of turning 32 and that this is going to be my best year yet.

I'm physically stronger and more fit than I was 5 years ago. I'm more laid back and easy going than I was 2 years ago and I have deeper relationships than last year. Life is just getting better and better. I'm excited to see what 32 holds!

So what does a mother of 4 do to celebrate her birthday? She starts off the day with quiet time with her oldest baby, goes to the gym, shops at the mothership (aka HOBBY LOBBY!), has lunch & deep conversation with an amazing woman, makes some very cool crafty gifts for her in-laws, enjoys a beautiful day outside with her kids, eats a yummy dinner her hubby made (the FIRST time in 7 years he made dinner for me!), has ice cream cake and opens presents with the family and end the great day with relaxing evening watching her DVR shows.

It was a great birthday!

If this is the "hope" that he's promising, I'm not interested

It has begun...

and I'm sick over it.

Ten Things Tuesday...or Thursday

Okay so, I'm a little late for my Ten Things Tuesday post, but it's my birthday WEEK and things have been a little busy! I have SOOO much to be thankful for and this birthday has reminded me of that. I had a night out with my best girls and here is my feeble attempt at verbalizing how thankful I am for them...

1. I am thankful for my friend Rebecca who is gorgeous, hilarious, thoughtful, generous, encouraging and all around one incredible lady. I absolutely love that you keep me laughing and make life so fun.
2. I am thankful for my friend Stacy! Thanks for being one of my "go-to" girls. I always seem to talk to you when there is d-r-a-m-a. You are sweet, kind, and definintely one of the funniest people that I know - you always crack me up!! I absolutely adore you and am so thankful for your friendship!
3. I am thankful for my friend Heidi. Heidi...you are so stinkin' smart and always so willing to go out of your way to help someone. I have seen you in so many situations reach out to take care of others and I really admire and love that about you.
4. I am thankful for my friend Lauren who has more style in her pinky, than I do in my whole body! Really. I love how easy going and soft spoken you are. You have a great sense of humor and are so fun to be around.
5. I am thankful for my friend Maggie who I admire in many ways. Maggie, you are an amazing mom, 1000x more laid back than I am and I so admire that you are still working out hard core while 36 weeks pregnant! I love your heart for the lost and find you to be one of the most sincere people I have ever met.
6. I am thankful for my friend Jess! Jess, I find you amazing. Your inner strength and independence are my favorite things about you. I can't imagine how hard it must be to have a husband that works twice as much as mine, and you do it with such grace and love. My other favorite thing about you is how adorable you are and don't even know it!
7. I am thankful for my friend Karen who is the most organized person I have ever come into contact with! I love that you are always so on top of things for us. I also love that you have such a humble heart and are so willing to serve.
8. I am thankful for my friend Julie. Julie you are just as gorgeous inside as you are out! My favorite things about you are that you are encouraging, thoughtful, strong, humble and very cute pregnant. Thank you for always being there for me in my MANY times of need.
9. And last, but certainly not least, I am thankful for my friend Kellie! Kellie, I love that you are always there for me when I am having crisis. You are funny, kind, generous, loving, good at math and you always laugh at my antics. Oh, and I love that when you make fun of me it makes me laugh! You really are the "go-to" girl when I am feeling lazy and we want to eat out!

God has been so generous in providing these friends at this time in my life. We are all near the same age, with young children and husbands in residency. We understand each others lives and there is nothing more comforting than someone who understands you. Ladies, I love you and am thank God for you all the time!!

Seriously people, I have the greatest friends in the world. And if I didn't name you, it's not because I don't love you...it's because you didn't take me out to dinner and a movie the other night!!

HURRY - GO!!

Quick note:

I got FREE cosmetics today at Nordstroms, Neiman's, Saks, Macy's and Dillards. There is some class action law suit and if you bought make up there anytime during May 1994 & July 2003 you can get free make up! (Back in the day PRE marriage/kids, I used to shop at the department stores for make-up. Now I shop at Wally's! How things change with kids...)

And in case you are wondering, I will be smelling like Chanel No. 5 tonight at my Girl's Night Out! Now, I gotta go get ready...

It's an exciting week!!!

What an amazing week it is...

Oh, is there an inauguration? Yeah, that's exciting and all, but that isn't what's making my so giddy!

The excitement for me is that it is my birthday week (yep, you read correctly, I did say WEEK!) AND (I'm about to pee my pants with excitement!!) the season premiere of LOST!!!! The best show e-v-e-r! I have missed all my friends - Kate, Sawyer, Jack, Hurley, okay and even you Locke! But I will get to immerse myself back into your world in 2 days! I can't wait!

And then on Tuesday night I'm going out with my bestest girls for a Girls Night Out!! Whoo-hoo! We're going out to dinner and then (possibly) going to see Bride Wars.

On my Birthday Eve (also known as Wednesday night to some of you) we have our menu and drinks picked out for THE BIG NIGHT.

And then Thursday...I turn 32! Is that really possible?...

It's gonna be a great week!

100 things

I saw this little meme on a blog and wanted to play along. The only directions are to bold any things that you have done. Easy huh!? Let me know if you end up playing along too...





1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars. In Colorado - beautiful!
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii. On my honeymoon. Oahu & Maui
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland. Once as a kid & once with Joseph!
8. Climbed a mountain. 14'er
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo. Not a good ending!
11. Bungee jumped. Another reason why not to let your kids go on Spring Break!
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight. Has anyone not?
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you're not sick. I was a terrible teen.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping. No comment.
27. Run a marathon. I'M TRYING!
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise. Dinner cruise...does that count?
33. Seen Niagra Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen and Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language. Does Pig Latin count?
37. Had enough money to truly be satisfied. Working on this...
38. Seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing. Many times.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sung karaoke. Never well.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served in a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason. Often, I have an awesome hubby!
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Been to the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the paper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. Um.. ewww.
88. Had Chicken pox.
89. Saved someone's life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby. Or FOUR!
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

You never know, he could be the next Picasso!

The above picture is a little something that Caleb drew the other day...isn't it amazing? Neither one of my boys has shown much interest in drawing or coloring until this past year. They are both outdoor, rough, physical kids, and sitting down to color or draw hasn't had much appeal. So when Caleb draws pictures like this or Luke colors detailed color pages, I'm always impressed. (The baby sisters on the other hand, LOVE markers, crayons and pens. And one of their favorite activities at the gym is to sit at a little table they have and color.)

The other reason why I am so impressed with the above drawing is because I have no artistic ability whatsoever. When I draw something for the boys it is always met with a look that says, "Really, what is that supposed to be?" Luke flat out rejects my drawings, while Caleb musters up some tact and will say, "That's nice Mommy, where is Daddy?" Daddy is definitely has better artistic skills.

Confessions

I have a secret to tell you.

I don't read blogs. Well, that's not entirely true. There are about 25 blogs in my blog reader and they are mostly blogs of friends of mine. So I rarely read blogs of people that I don't know. I just don't have time to read blogs and I am terrible at commenting (although I am trying to change that!) even though I love comments. I know, hypocritical.

With that said, the other day I was surfing the net and happened to just start linking from blog to blog. I must have spent an hour or so reading random blogs of people I don't even know. And when I was done I really felt terrible. Just terrible - about myself!

I was reading all these cool blogs of really amazing mommies of all walks of life. Some had careers that they juggled, another home schooled 7 kids, others were into knitting, crafts, design, some ate and fed their kids only organic, some lived on farms while others lived in big cities and had cool looking houses. Some blogs had tons of readers, really cool graphics and witty names. There are some really fascinating mommy bloggers out there with incredible writing skills.

And I walked away feeling completely inadequate. And had a pity party about what a terrible mom I am. I don't knit, feed my kids organic, have skills in interior design all while homeschooling 7 kids and running a corporation...on a farm...with chickens...and lamas. I felt like a total l-o-s-e-r.

But isn't that what we do as moms? We compare ourselves to other moms. We take what we like about all the moms we know, patchwork work it into one very amazing mom and compare ourselves to her. And inevitable come up short. Every time. And then beat ourselves up about it. Does that sound familiar? Okay, maybe I'm the only one who does this...

In any case, what makes me laugh most about my neurosis in doing this is that what I usually like about other moms is unique to them and something that I'm not really interested in. I have no interest in organics, knitting, interior design nor do I even want to live on a farm. While I think these things are amazing, there not for me. So why am I judging myself based on them?

Furthermore why do I judge myself based on snapshots of someone's life? When reading someone else's blog I am only seeing/reading what they are willing to share. Most people don't air their dirty laundry on a daily basis. I know I don't.

Which brings me to my final point, if you read my blog and think I have it all together - please, please don't. I am a work in progress and nowhere near completion. I am just like every other mom trying to figure out how to do this with many mistakes made by me and lots of grace given to me. And I put my underwear on one leg at a time just like everyone else. Sometime I even lose balance and fall over - compare yourself to that! You'll feel better!

I'm going to try hard to stop comparing. Starting now. Ready..set..go!

I'm still here...

I have a couple of minutes so I thought that I would quickly recap the past couple of days that I have been absent. Here are the highlights:

Monday: Cleaned my own house! My cleaners called an cancelled and I seriously couldn't wait a second longer so went to the store, bought some cleaning supplies (I didn't have anything other than Clorox wipes) and cleaned my little heart out. Since I don't heavy cleaning very often it was fun! But I was reminded at the end of the day why we have cleaners. And we aren't getting rid of them anytime soon!!

Tuesday: Did more laundry than any human should ever do in one day. Make that one week.

Wednesday: Went to a new ladies bible study!! I have been really wanting to join a study and have been looking for one that had a good mix of women from all walks of life, had childcare and met at a time that would work to get Luke to school...and God provided!! I'm super excited about the ladies and the topic is prayer. I have high hopes for this study! After the study, Love and I went on a lunch date!

Thursday: Well, so far I went to yoga and on my way home I noticed that I missed a call from my sister. So I called the girl back and she informed me that she is coming here this afternoon for a long weekend!

And that sums up what has been happening around here lately.

In other news, I am really struggling with some decisions that have to be made in the next couple of months. It's time to evaluate the school situations for Caleb and Luke. There are things that I have loved about Caleb's school and things that I haven't liked...at all. Since we are paying a chunk of change to send him to his school, I need to decide whether those things I don't like outweigh the things I do like. I always want to keep options open for schooling the kids - public, private and even homeschool. I am praying about it and would love it if you would pray with me. It really is causing some anxiety.

Another thing that is causing anxiety is my knee. 31 days until my half marathon and the ortho doc said to lay off running for 2 weeks. It has 7 days since I last ran and my knee is still hurting even when I walk. To say that I am bummed is an understatement. I know it sounds so petty, but it really is something that is hard for me right now.

Well, I'm off to make my grocery list.... Thanks for taking the time to listen to me!

Double Trouble

So, this is what happens when I'm on the phone and take my eyes off the twins for five, count them five, minutes...

Busted!

And look what Lily Kate does when I tell them to pick up their mess...falls on the floor in dramatics!

Ella continues to clean the mess while sister picks up one bow and looks at it.

Ella says, "Um, do you think you could put down the camera and ask that girl to help me out?"

Nana and her babies

(Still catching up on Christmas pictures)

My mom cracks me up...she got polar bear jammies for the kids and...for her too! Here are some the attempts to get 5 kids to all look at the camera and smile. FYI - The happy cooperative twin in all the pictures is Lily Kate. Ella wasn't in the mood to have pictures taken.

Lily Kate loves her Nana!

I don't remember this in my job description

Six and a half years of being a mommy and tonight I did something that I never even imagined I would have to do, much less actually do.

I plunged a bathtub. Yep, the b-a-t-h-t-u-b.

Ugh, so gross!

Lovey is working, so after I took the kids out to dinner with some friends I came home and started bath time. The boys were running around the house naked and unable to use their bathroom (a whole other story) so were waiting patiently wildly for the girls to finish in my bathroom.

I got Little Kate out and was dressing her when I heard Ella saying, "Uh-oh...uh-oh...uh-oh" over and over again. I very hurriedly finished dressing Lily and went to see what Ella was up to. She had pooped in the tub and was pointing at it saying, "uh-oh."

"Uh-oh" is right.