YUMMY!!!

This is my new favorite food. SOOOOOOOO good!!!! I love it. There are other flavors too. I've tried the meatball one and it is just as yummy!!!

Last full day of school

The big girls have gifts for their teachers today that they were so excited to pick out and wrap. They also wrote letters to their teachers. I had to post Maddie's letters because they were so cute. Marky wrote in her letter that she was "smhappy" (sad, mad, and happy) about the end of school. Summer, here we come!!!

Nothing like a new do!!!

Maddie has been talking about getting her hair cut shorter for a few days. Her teacher came back from maternity leave with shorter hair, and so Maddie wanted to copy her. So, last night, we went down to the salon and Maddie just sat right down and we gave her a cute new do. Took about 7 minutes, she was so thrilled and happy!! ON THE OTHER HAND... ONE HOUR LATER... 2 phone calls to cousin Ashley (who just got bangs cut)/Aunt Lisa and best friend Cassidy, consultation with sisters and daddy Patrick and mommy, MANY TEARS, and much anxiety, Marky got BANGS. Whew - it was quite the experience for her. Today she loves them - I'm not sure that she slept at all last night.

A week in pictures

Its been such a busy, busy week. I hate living like that, but I don't think it will ever go away. I suppose it is how I handle the busyness that matters. And busy doesn't mean bad - we actually had a great week! Some of the highlights were Daddy being home, no soccer practice, less homework, new tattoo!, antibiotics for Michael, haircut, time with friends, conversations with family, sunny weather, rainy weather, safety from tornadoes, Meredith learning how to PUMP on the swing, clean white laundry, pretty garden all finished, time to sit and read in the midst of being busy. I love my home and family and I am so thankful every day for all the God has blessed me with. Even in the difficult times, I know that love is the foundation of our family. We may have bad days, busy days, scary days, but we all know that we can trust in our Lord and rely on one another. I don't think I could ask for anything more.

Thank God it's Saturday

We must have looked like idiots... well, maybe not the 2 little toddlers standing on the front yard waiting for Daddy's truck to drive around the corner... but CERTAINLY the 35 year old mama, waiting out on the grass, probably more excited than the 2 wee ones (for other reasons!!) looked like an idiot. Truthfully, I couldn't care less what I looked like. I was SO thrilled to see Patrick's truck pull into our driveway. The end of another long week. A good week. But today is Saturday, Daddy's home, and I am so thankful.

I thought that I would blog sooner!

All week long, I've thought "Oh! I could blog about that!" and then the day passed me by. Hubby has been gone all week and the minutes go by quickly, then slowly, then quickly, then slowly... The kids and I have had fun times together, but there's also been those times when I've just wanted to scream. Sometimes I don't want it to all fall on my shoulders!! I don't want to discipline, I don't want to correct, I don't want to teach, I'm tired of picking up the toys and the dishes and hushing the tears and the whining. Some days I want to be the one to walk through the door and have the whole house erupt in celebration or have the phone ring and hear the excitement pulsate the room at the sound of my voice on the line. Perspective... that's what I keep telling myself. It's all about perspective. There's no pulsating or celebration when I'm around. BUT... I get to experience the ordinary, everyday life that is not in and of itself anything to go wild about, but is sprinkled throughout with moment's of precious words, funny expressions, eternal investments, evidence of hearts that are being trained to know the difference between right and wrong. This morning, I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.

However... ask me at 6:00 tonight and I might be tempted to trade it all in for 5 minutes of peace and quiet!

The Sweetest Words I know...

"I love you, Mommy". I heard those a lot yesterday. They were music to my ears. Thank you, Lord, for making me a Mommy. The blessings overflow.

Sweet "at home" time.

Family fun in our jammies!!!

I am so proud of Marky! Her artwork was up at the mall last week. She was so cute trying to find it mixed in with all of the other pieces.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

I am giving a gift to myself for Mothers Day. The gift... A blog!!! Why not??? I think it will be a fun adventure to see what I am inspired to write about and what makes it "onto" the blog. Wish me luck!!!