How is it April already?!

April.  We've celebrated 3 kiddo birthdays already this year with Claire left in May.  And she's going to be 13.  How is that even possible?

The other thing that is crazy is my continual lack of blogging.  I really, really want to blog more, but that Instagram...it's just so easy.  But it's also kind of lacking wordiness.  And I can definitely be a wordy kind of a girl.

I was looking over my 2015 and 2016 (thus far) posts just thinking about how thin my blog book will be for those years.  I can probably just combine them with 2017-2020 and make it semi-worthwhile. :)

Okay, so we've had some major excitement around here since I last posted.  We have a new member of the family...gasp!!!  It's another girl...

Ahhhhh...isn't she precious?!  She certainly is when she's sleeping!  Welcome Ruby!!  Long story short...Josh's brother (who is a dog breeder...along with 46 other professions) was out of town for a couple of months on a special assignment, so we had his pregnant dog.  She had 6 adorable black lab puppies, and we kept one.  We absolutely love her, even though she's totally a puppy and wants to chew on all socks and shoes and slippers and legos and every other thing that isn't hers.

We've had her in the house with us for almost two months.  She's doing great overall, but I'm looking forward to getting past the puppy stage...in two or three years. :)

For anyone who isn't friends with me in real life, you will be shocked and surprised (and hopefully just as thrilled as we are) to find out that we're also having another baby!   

That photo was taken just prior to 20 weeks.  I'm over 26 weeks at this point and twice that big.  Maybe I'll talk Josh into taking a photo with my real camera sometime in the near future.  Okay, so the even more shocking news...

I know, right?!!  Shocking.  I still don't think I've wrapped my brain around it, nor do I think I will before he arrives in July.  And probably not even then, either.  It's going to take us a while to get used to snakes and snails and puppy dog tails (though, we're doing pretty well with the puppy dog tails right now).  

So, this is kind of how this baby thing went down:  I have kind of wanted baby #5 for a while.  I've been thinking about it for a couple of years, but I knew Josh probably wasn't going to be on board.  He was perfectly content with four kiddos.  I would hint around from time to time to get a feel for his interest level or lack thereof.  He was at like a 10% baby, 90% no baby level.  Not very promising.  I was really 50/50.  

So, then one evening last spring, we had a pretty major discussion about it.  It wasn't sounding promising (at all) for another baby.  So, I prayed for contentment.  And maybe I prayed for a surprise pregnancy as well...but definitely was praying more for contentment.  Then, in August, I had just decided that I was so okay with not having another baby.

Josh had been throwing out the thought of getting a dog in the house since Tucker was sick and didn't have much time remaining.  I wasn't sure I wanted another body in the house, but I warmed to the idea.  So, one night in September, Josh was sitting at the computer working, and I came up to him and said, "I think we should get a puppy."  His response: "I think we should have a baby."  

I.was.speechless.  Literally.speechless.  

I think my jaw dropped and my mouth was hanging open for who knows how long.  Then, I had to completely check my emotions to decide if I really wanted a baby #5.  Well, regardless, I decided that we just better hurry up and get pregnant before either of us changed our minds.  So, we did.  And here we are.  And the Lord is so kind.  We feel beyond blessed to be welcoming this precious baby into our lives, and our girls are beyond thrilled.  I fear that I'm going to have to fight for baby holding time. :) 

So, those are the two big adjustments in our world.  We have seven weeks of school remaining!!  Seven!!  So excited about that.  We've had a fun birthday stretch, and I make no promises, but I would love to post about birthdays and kiddos.  I actually do drag out my nice camera to take birthday pictures.  That will at least force me to upload photos, and I might even have one or two others that I could post.  That would be something, wouldn't it?

Thanksgiving, Christmas, House and More

We had an absolutely lovely Thanksgiving with our families despite me being sick with a horrid cold all week.  My mom had a great idea this year, and brought gingerbread houses for each of the girls to decorate as our post-Thanksgiving dinner activity.  The girls loved decorating while Dads and Grandpa slept and watched football.

We usually decorate gingerbread houses at some point during the Christmas season, but this worked out perfectly.  I have a feeling that this will become a new tradition!

Our Christmas season has been fairly low-key.  My mom took all of the grandgirls to see Mary Poppins on stage.  It was a fun day for sure!  Claire and Meredith have been running all of the Advent activities in our house this year.  It's been a nice break for me, and they have been enjoying being in charge.  They are getting so competent in so many ways.  I just love it!

This week has brought on a bought of sickness from a couple of kiddos in our house, but what's new?  This is the week each and every year that someone tosses their cookies in my house.  We always host a large Christmas party for our friends on the Friday before Christmas, and each year someone is puking.  I fear those germs every year, but our friends continue to come back!  They must not be getting too sick from being here. :)

In other exciting news, my new refrigerator arrived yesterday!  Our old one has not been able to hold an appropriate temperature in the freezer or refrigerator for months (consistently 5-10 degrees warmer than it should be).  It has an unacceptable amount of moisture in it always, and despite cleaning it over and over again, I can't get the mold to stay away.  It truly disgusts me beyond what you can imagine.  The old one is a side by side and barely has room to put anything like a cookie sheet or a casserole dish.  I have hated it for years and have often wished that I could have back my old refrigerator from our other house that we purchased at a garage sale for $35.  It was old and ugly, but it worked beautifully.

I wanted to hug the delivery guys yesterday morning when they arrived.  I loaded it with our food and am amazed at the additional amount of space that I have a available.  Our new fridge has the french style doors at the top with the freezer at the bottom.  I have an entire shelf in the middle that has nothing on it!!  The usable space is lovely.  Feeling so blessed today as I get ready to eat my cereal with COLD milk. :)

In house news, the drywallers are finishing up this week in our addition!  So excited about that.  Josh is taking the week off between Christmas and the New Year to work on getting some things completed.  Our new driveway is completely done, and things are definitely moving in the right direction.  We are getting so close to parking in the garage!!  I am giddy.

I'm sure there is more, but that's all I've got for now.  I hope all of you are having a nice Christmas season! Hugs to everyone!

the summer of 2015

I wish I could just skip this post altogether, but I can't.  I'll apologize in advance for the lengthiness.  But it needs to be recorded, and I'll start with the heavy.

April/May/June

The story of this summer has been a sad one.

Most of you know that we buried one of our best friends.  He was a childhood friend of Josh's.  He and Josh were hunting buddies.  He and Josh have hunting stories galore.  He married my cousin.  He was in our wedding.  We went to church together for the last 15 years.  Our kids have grown up together.  

He went into the hospital in early April and was diagnosed with cancer shortly thereafter.  He came home in hospice care in June and died a few weeks later.  

Throughout the ordeal, Josh and I looked at each other time and time again and said, "Is this really happening?  Is Rob really dying?"  It was surreal to write his obituary and to attend his viewing and funeral.  

What was beautiful to see through the depths of great sorrow was the way our church family stood with Rob and Jen throughout Rob's battle.  And not only them, they stood with us as well.  Josh and I spent countless hours with Rob and Jen during those months.  Friends and family were watching our kids and cooking meals for us so that we could spend as much time with Rob and Jen as possible.  It is something that would have never crossed my mind in the past.  It will be at the top of my list in the future to love and bless those in supporting roles.  It was humbling and a blessing to say the least.  

What a joy it was to know Rob and call him our friend.  He will be forever missed.

July

July brought some nicer weather and some much appreciated rest at the lake.  It also gave Josh some time to work on our house.  He has worked steadily since July and has accomplished much.

He passed a couple of necessary inspections and has a date in October marked on the calendar where things need to be "livable" per our government.  He doesn't want to pay to renew our permits, so he's working as hard as he can to get things to the "livable" point.  I, for one, am thankful for the deadline.  He works well with a goal in mind. :)

July also brought some sad news.  Our dog, Tucker (he'll be 12 in November), has a tumor in his mouth.  While we know that he won't live much longer, it doesn't seem to be bothering him.  He drools much more than before, and Josh has to doctor his food so that it is softer.  He continues to be playful and has been enjoying all of the extra, extra walks with the girls.  We even had a photo shoot with him yesterday which consisted of him lying on his back time and time again as I tried to take pictures of him with the girls.  He just wanted to play, and the girls were getting a big kick out of it. 

On a positive note, volleyball started in July!  This has been the highlight of the summer for the girls.  Claire tried out for the volleyball team in May, and she found out on her birthday that she made it.  Poor Meredith really wanted to try out, but she'll need to wait until next year. :)  She is on the 4-6 grade training team, and that is whetting her appetite for now.  

August

With the unexpected schedule through April, May, and June, I wasn't quite as ready for school in August as I would have liked to have been.  The last couple of years, I have ordered all of our curriculum right after the end of school.  I would put away the old, organize the new, and be ready to plan in August.  Not this year.  We started a week ago today, and I still didn't feel as prepared as I would have liked.

Claire and Meredith actually both started some of their subjects without me during the two weeks before I was ready to begin.  You know it's bad when the students are more ready to start than the teacher.  They kind of kicked my rear end into gear. :)  I feel like I keep them accountable most of the time, but maybe the tables are beginning to turn.  

Volleyball games started this month which have forced me to be o.r.g.a.n.i.z.e.d. and prepped for meals.  I saw a fabulous idea on facebook to help with lunch prep, and we've been using that for the days when we have volleyball games.  It has worked nicely, and I've decided to serve our big meal for lunch on early volleyball game days instead of dinner.  So far, so good.  We'll see what September brings.  

August has also brought an unexpected desire for me to eat healthier, exercise regularly, go to bed earlier, and get up earlier.  I'm not sure I'm succeeding on all accounts, but I've definitely made some positive changes.  Unfortunately, I love cookies a little too much.  I know we've discussed this before.  Thankfully, my good friend, Deanna, makes these awesome healthy cookies.  She assures me that I can eat a lot of them, and I take comfort in that.  I don't argue.  I just eat the cookies and trust her words.  Pass me another healthy cookie, friend...  

We also FINALLY got internet back in our house.  Our phone and internet have been out all summer.  I kid you not...all.summer.long...since like May.  It's been a little weird and kind of nice, and I've become an expert at doing everything (but blogging) on my phone.  Blessing and a curse, I tell you.  We still don't have our phone in working order.  Maybe someday.  

September

September is going to be a busy volleyball month.  (Can you tell I'm totally turning into a volleyball mom?  Sorry that you're going to have to hear about it for the next 15 years if all of my girls decide to play.)  

Our co-op also starts in September, and I agreed to be in charge this year.  Sometimes I question my sanity, but I just had to take the reins.  My friend, Cari, was formerly in charge, and her husband had cancer a few years ago.  And she was donating a kidney this summer.  And she has six kids.  I told myself, "Your husband does not have cancer, you're not donating a kidney, you don't have a baby, you're not pregnant, and your youngest child is four.  What is your excuse?!!"  I had none.  I knew I could handle it.  And Deanna promised to help.  Thankfully, she's been a super-awesome assistant, and she's done almost all of the grunt work.  She makes me look good!

I hope September is treating all of you well.  I'm sorry if I don't tell you enough that I'm thankful to have you as my friends.  And if you were all here, I'd give you a hug...so instead, a virtual hug, right here.  Maybe I'll get caught up on reading blogs, but let's be honest and realistic...I probably won't.  I'll just pick up bits and pieces where I can.  If anything major has happened, just tell me.  Happy September to you, my friends!

on mothers day without photos

As I scrolled through my facebook feed, I saw photo after photo of my friends with their kiddos celebrating Mothers Day.  They were truly beautiful.  I, on the other hand, posted no photos of my children today.  I didn't have any.

I'll admit that I had good intentions to take my camera along with me today to snap a shot or two of my girls with their grandmas and maybe even one with me.  I mean, I had to speak in front of church this morning for a few minutes.  This means that I definitely wore make up, had my hair just right, and even wore a nice spring-y shirt.  In theory, it would have made for a nice photo.

But I dropped the ball.  My good intentions were put on the back burner as I remembered my print-out for church, the strawberry shortcake for dessert at my in-laws, and my church bag.  We were on time to church, and I didn't forget any of the essentials.  Phew!  That's really a major accomplishment in and of itself.

So, to all of you moms out there that didn't post photos of your kiddos today...consider this your pass.  You're a mom.  I know you had a million other things that consumed your mind today.  Whatever the case may be, it's okay.  You're good.  I didn't do it either.

And tomorrow, let's all band together and buy t-shirts that read: World's Okayest Mom

Who's with me?

Happy Mother's Day to the most okayest moms I know.  I love you all to pieces.

thanks, but no thanks

I just saw a sponsored ad in my Yahoo news feed: Two Easy Steps to Look 22 Years Younger

Let me think about this for a moment.  If I were to look 22 years younger, that would take me back in time to 1992.  I was 13.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I pray I never have to look like my 13 year old self again.

Can I get an amen?!

the half marathon: the race

"Of course it's hard.

It's supposed to be hard. 

If it were easy, 

everybody would do it.

Hard is what makes it great."

--A League of Their Own

The race.

Want to know the greatest source of anxiety that I had ahead of the race?  Where am I going to park when I get there?

Seriously.

I was completely worried about it!  Thankfully, my sister knew someone who runs it every year, and she offered to drive me there and be my source of reason.  She's also a psychologist.  Some therapy was in order on the way down.  I don't think I talked too, too much. :)

I was staying with my sister the night before the race since her house is closer than mine.  I never go to bed early, but I was exhausted from the long day of preparing.  I went to bed early around 9:30ish.  I was supposed to wake up the following morning around 5:00, but I woke up around 4:30 and knew I wouldn't go back to sleep.  I got around easily and headed out the door.

Once we arrived, I realized that I had brought the wrong bag to store my things.  For those of you who don't know, there are nice people that will hold your things for you while you run your race.  Unfortunately, they had given us TWO bags in our packet.  I debated and debated about which one to pack...I thought about taking both, and for some crazy reason, I didn't throw the other one in my bag.  (Seriously, how much space would it have taken??  What's wrong with me?!)  They could have at least told us which color to use.  Although, it seemed as though everyone around me had chosen the correct color.  Thankfully there were some extras near the drop-off area for the newbies who didn't know which bag was correct. :)

I didn't know what to expect when I got there.  I always have to go to the bathroom 527 times before I run, so I was happy to see a line of 3,000 port-a-potties in a row.

On a side note, the funniest thing about the port-a-potties was that there were lines of people at the first 5 port-a-potties, and no lines of people at the other 2,995 port-a-potties.  My first thought was this:  these people can run 13.1 miles in this race, but they can't walk 20 yards to find an empty port-a-potty?  My second thought was along the lines of...the more people that use a port-a-potty, the grosser it is.  It was really a win-win to walk the extra few paces.

Anyway, so I found my corral, and I ate my banana (which I left on the ground outside the port-a-potty...it's sad when you feel like the sidewalk is a clean place to set your food), and I tried to act like the other runners around me...so I did some stretches, but I refused to do the warm-up jog like some people...that's just pure craziness...I wasn't going to waste any of my steps on the warm-up...I had 13.1 miles to go!  I listened to the slow songs on my ipod to keep me calm.  I said a lot of prayers.

Then, the race began.

From our corral to the start line was a bit of a walk, and people were running before we even got the start line.  But not me...or the guy next to me.  He looked at me and said, "We haven't crossed the start line yet, have we?!"  I said, "Nope...it's up there!"  Him: "Why is everyone running?!!  I only want to run 13.1!"  Me too...we stayed strong until we got to the start line.

Then, I ran.  I ran for 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 50 seconds.  Straight.

The first 8 miles were were great.  The next couple were okay.  The last 3 were pretty rough.

I had loaded over two hours of music on my ipod, and I listened to a lot of it during my run.  During the first several miles, I could have listened to just about anything.  The last few miles?  I needed some major motivation.  I listened to Mandisa's "Overcomer" over and over and over during those last few miles.

I knew that I wouldn't walk.  That was my main goal from the beginning, but goodness did I want to stop running!  I think mile marker 11-12 was the hardest.  I knew I still had two miles left, and I knew that once I saw the 12 that I only had one mile remaining.  It seemed like forever until I saw the 12!!

And then I got to 12, and I couldn't see the finish line.  Where was that thing??  Through the entire race, there were people all around me running.  It seemed like there were a ton of people close together after mile 10 or 11...more than before.  And then, all of a sudden during my last mile, there was a big space between me and the people in front of me.  It was only for a minute or so, but it was a weird feeling!

Crossing the finish line was such a great feeling.  When I ran my 10K a couple of years ago, I thought I was going to puke...I was dry heaving near the mascot at the finish line.  Thankfully, I didn't puke on him.  And I didn't feel like that at all at the end of this race.  My legs felt weird, and I could tell already that my calves were going to be majorly sore in the very near future!

I picked up my medal, snacks, water, and the like.  (The cookies were not impressive...I'm such a cookie snob.)  And I went to pick up my bag of stored items to find my phone to call Josh.  I literally hobbled up and down the curbs of the sidewalk to get my bag.  Those calves would hurt for days!

As soon as I had my phone in my hand to call Josh, I started getting emotional.  He picked up the phone and asked how my race was.  I couldn't even answer.  I was bawling.  I just couldn't believe that I had actually just ran a HALF MARATHON...thirteen point freaking one miles!

How in the world did I do that?!

When I crossed the finish line, I was eager to know my time.  I knew I had run about 10 minute miles through the race because there were clocks at every mile.  What I didn't know was the time on the initial clock when I started.  Josh was receiving text updates each time I would pass one of their checkpoints, so he told me that he would text me right after the race with my final time.  But, he didn't know.  The last text hadn't come through when I crossed the finish line.

I was almost in a panic that it didn't record my time.  Josh assured me that they would know my time.  I found my sister, and while we were on our way to breakfast, Josh called me with my official time.  My goal was to run about 10 minute miles, and I averaged just under that.  So fabulous.

Jill and I went to breakfast where I hobbled in and out of the restaurant, in and out of the bathroom, to and fro the car.  The worst part was that I drove our little crap car, and it's a stick.  Who didn't think of that ahead of time?!  My poor legs.

Anyway, while I was running the race, I was thinking that this was definitely the only half marathon I would ever run.  Then, later that day (and many times since), I decided that I would certainly put it on my list of things to do again in the future. :)

My calves were extremely sore that day.  They were worse the next.  It took me a good 3 minutes of walking on Sunday each time I stood before I didn't look like I was shuffling.  My calves were sore each morning until Friday.

This race/run will rank extremely high on my list of great accomplishments for quite some time.

In the words of C.S. Lewis, "You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream."

You know all those things you've been wanting to do?  You should go do them!

b.i.f. twenty-six

The dinosaur has left the building.

Josh and I haven't ever been "techie" people.  Seriously, between the two of us, I think we had one old television when we got married (even older than the one in the picture!).  Nothing else.  At the time, someone gave us an old VCR, and we used some wedding money to purchase a surround sound system which served us well until a few months ago (it will be replaced in the near future).

Josh has been itching to get a flat screen for several years, but he just couldn't bring himself to spend the money. The dinosaur was beginning to act up to the point where we had to smack it on the side to make Tinker Bell show up correctly.  We're classy like that.  It was definitely time to make the transition to the flat screen, and it has been a good one.  We're never turning back...good riddance.

just breathing

Well, here were are.  It's summertime.

We pushed our way through the last couple of weeks of school, and we survived.  We finished May 17, and it was such a great feeling!!

As a homeschool mom, I absolutely love summer.  It is such a blessing to not have to keep everyone on task.

We're playing games.  We're playing outside.  We're playing with water balloons.  We're playing in the garden.  We're playing with the garden hose.  We're playing at the park.

We're staying up late.  We're sleeping in.  We're eating lunches outside.

Oh, and we're potty training.  Overall, it's going well...more on this later!

If I haven't commented on your blog recently, it's because I haven't been reading it!  Sorry.  I'll catch up eventually.

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

{keepin' it real}

I've been thinking about this post for a long time.  And by a long time, I think it’s been at least a couple of years, if not more.

We have a lot of fun in this family.  We work hard, and we play hard.  Josh and I work hard to make memories for our children and each other.  

I say it on this blog, I say it on facebook, and I say it in real life over and over and over again.  We are so blessed…and we are blessed beyond measure!  God is good…all the time.

People often tell me how much they love to read my blog and my facebook status updates, and they also enjoy seeing the beautiful pictures of my girls that I post.  I love all of those things, too!  I wouldn't post them if I didn't like them. 

My continued fear, though, is that people will think that we live a perfect little life.  I sure hope that you know that we don't.  Hence, the reason for this post.

Let me start by sharing some self-imposed guidelines for my facebook page and my blog:

-You will never see me speaking poorly of my husband.  It is not becoming of any wife.  I will not do it.  {On a side note, Josh does have his faults.  However, I speak about them privately to him, my bff Deanna, or his family.  These are people who are discerning and will not take my side undeservedly.}

-I will put a positive spin on almost any situation...or at minimum find a little humor in it.  This is who I am, forever the optimist.  I might grumble about something today, but by next week, I'm sure I'll be doing my best to find a positive side to the story.  Whatever the case we'll be making the best of our current situation.  How else will we endure it?  

-I will encourage others and share what works for us.  This is one of my constant goals in life.  I realize that what works for us may not work for other families, but I crave knowing other people's routines and tricks because that's where I get all of my ideas.  I steal almost all of them.  Rare is the idea that was mine first.

-I will write about memories that I don't want to forget.  This is especially true for our blog.  You will see our highlights and bloopers because those are the memories that I treasure.  This is our highlight reel.  These are the parts that would make the scrapbook if I had one.

And here is some imperfect, kinda grimy, non-supermom reality for your reading pleasure:

-On days when we don't have to go anywhere, I often stay in my pajamas all day.

-If I don't dress Olivia during her first diaper change of the day, you can bet that she stays in her pajamas all day, too.  On a positive note, she has spent less time in her jammies than any of my other children.

-We use paper plates for lunch almost every day.  For $2 a month, my sanity is saved.  Well worth the money spent.

-Sometimes, I let my kids watch t.v. just so that I can get stuff done.  {You might not think this is a big deal at all, but I have issues with the t.v.  This one is a big one for me.}

-My pots and pans accumulate on the stove because I hate washing them.

-Sometimes I lose it and yell at my kids.

-As soon as I clean a room, someone messes it up again.

-My kids truly do enjoy being together, but they also know how to push each other's buttons. One or two of them are awfully good button pushers.

-My house looks clean and picked up when you come over because I knew you were coming.  Stop by on a Tuesday morning, unannounced, and you'll get the real deal.

The organizational side of me that you see has been born out of necessity.  I am not naturally an organized person.  I have good intentions, I know how to organize, and I can probably even tell you how to organize some parts of your own life.

Personally, I struggle with disciplining myself to use my systems.  They are in place, but my motivation and energy often seem to be in short supply.  Still, it is extremely beneficial to know where to start and how to go about it when I find time, motivation, and energy.  Again, I would lose my sanity if I didn't at least have a plan.

Now about our stuff.  {Another fear of mine is that people will think that we have a lot of money because we have nice stuff.}

I will be the first to say that we do indeed have a lot of nice stuff.  Josh works really hard to provide for our family so that we can have and do a lot of things.  He is also an extremely skilled do-it-yourselfer, and this man can find a bargain like no other.  We have saved thousands and thousands of dollars because of these skills.  {We have certainly not saved any time because of these skills...just money...lots and lots of money.}

Our finances are a huge priority to us.  We are awfully disciplined when it comes to our money.  I'll be the first to say it:  we are cheapskates!  We have a whiskey appetite and a beer budget.  Actually, I think our biggest problem is that we have a top shelf whiskey appetite and a cheap beer budget. :)

We aren't big spenders on a daily basis.  A lot of the nice things we have were birthday or Christmas gifts from our families or each other, or we've saved and saved to make a purchase.  We are not extravagant.  When we do shop, we often shop at resales/resale shops, garage sales, or get hand-me-downs from friends.  We are frugal, and it works for us.

My birthday dinner the other night?  That once-every-few-years extravagance cost us almost 2 months worth of our eating out/babysitter budget.  Trust me when I say that I enjoyed every single minute of it.  My commitment to cook dinner each and every night of the month has served me well this year.

Our priorities do not include "keeping up with the Jones'".  I certainly struggle with this from time to time.  I think we all do, but we need to remember that the Jones family is probably in debt up to their ears and miserable because of it.  We will not be that family.  We will not fall into that trap.  We will be thankful for all that we have, knowing that we've been given more than we need and certainly more than we deserve.

I will do my best not to play the comparison game.  It is my hope that I am real enough that you actually do see some of our struggles and challenges...we certainly have them.  I want you to be encouraged and to enjoy watching our family make memories and grow.

What you see is what you get.  This really is us...just remember that a lot of it is the best of us.  It's the favorite-edited-photo side, the we-cleaned-the-house-before-you-came side, and we-probably-baked-some-chocolate-chip-cookies-too, side.  This is our best foot forward.  Please remember that sometimes we trip and fall flat on our faces just like the rest of the world.

I pray that you see our family continually loving each other, continually forgiving each other, and continually falling at the feet of our Heavenly Father in thankfulness and humility for all we have be given.

Thank you for being faithful followers of us.  We love having you share in our memories.  

the.contents

Contents of a purse carried by a 3 year old:

1 pair of sunglasses {they're all the rage for preschoolers these days...daahhhrling}
1 dead/old cell phone {for calling her pretend peeps...she loves to pick it up and say "Yo!"...just like Daddy}
"My A Rhyme" book made at co-op {of course she's keeping the letter A}
"Happy Birthday" cut out {you never know when it's going to be someone's birthday and you've completely dropped the "card" ball...at least she'll have something to give}
1 random apple shape from a Sunday school lesson {Amelia, why do you have the apple in your purse? "Um, I don't know." Hence the term random.}

it's a small world after all

Here are the facts:

I wanted a double jogging stroller.
I've been watching Craigslist.
I can't find one around here that fits my price range.
I decide to look near my sister's house (a couple of hours away...she can pick it up, right?!).
I find one.
It's available.
I call my sister to see if she can pick it up, and she asks the lady's name.
The lady goes to the church where Jill works.
Not kidding.

"It's a world of laughter, a world of tears, it's a world of joy and a world of fears. There's so much that we share that it's time we're aware, it's a small world after all."

Everybody now....

"It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all...."

Oh, and I have the best sister EVER for going to pick it up for me...just sayin'.

grocery.store.Josh

***Note:  I wrote this about a week before I had Olivia, and that will explain some of the story which might might be a bit dated at this point! :)

What a treat we have in store today!  I've really wanted to document Josh's trip to the grocery store last month, but I just haven't gotten around to it.  Well today, readers, is your lucky day! :)

I just didn't think my body could handle doing a month's worth of shopping this month.  So, I asked Josh if he would go to the store for me if I made him a list.  He willingly agreed.

So, I made the list...I even worked on a new printed, ordered list for the Aldi aisles (since I hadn't had one in the past).  He had two stores to go to, and I assumed he could get it done all in one night...just like I do. 

Then he called me around 8:30.  "Hi Honey.  Uh, you didn't tell me that Aldi closes at 8:00."  I had left home at 6:15, and I assumed he was leaving right away.  One should never assume.  He did actually leave right away, but he had to drop our computer off at a friend's house since it had gotten a virus that evening.  He stayed a little longer than he had planned.  (I could make some comment about how he talks too much and is more sociable than he should be, but I'm always guilty of the exact same thing, so I'll keep my yapper under wraps!)

So, he had to go to grocery store #2 that night and go back to Aldi the following night.  One night of grocery shopping now became two.  It's a learning process, you know!

He gets home, and I do believe that he had purchased everything on the list.  Yay!  And some kipper snacks.  Ick!  Do you know what those are?  They're like little fish...absolutely disgusting.  I hope he eats them while I'm in the hospital just so that I don't have to smell them. 

He did complain about how slowly the cashier rang up the groceries, the fact that he had to bag them himself, the person in the frozen food aisle that didn't even attempt to move when he needed something out of the case that the guy was in front of, and the oblivious people in one aisle that were blocking the entire width of the aisle.  (I assume that I've just become numb to these things because I know I experience them too.)
My favorite part?  After evening number 2 of shopping, he came home from Aldi and said, "I know you say this all the time, but man...Aldi has such great deals!  My whole cart was full, and it was only $70!  Milk was on sale for $1.49!!"  I thought it was amusing because every time I come home from Aldi, I really do go on and on about what great prices they have.  I keep wondering how long I'm going to be amazed! 

Needless to say, Josh did a great job!  I would definitely trust him to do it again...although he has zero desire!  I'm thinking maybe we could trade off every other month...or at least play Paper, Rock, Scissors to see who should go.  Seems fair to me.

aldi.love

Aldi.  Can I tell you how much I'm in love with Aldi?  It's my newest favorite place to shop.  I've been doing a lot of Aldi talk lately, and I couldn't be more impressed with their business model and products on the whole. 

My main reason for loving Aldi is their prices.  They are so much cheaper than even the big box stores.  Why?  They don't carry everything...just the basics.  No frills.  We are extremely fortunate to have a brand new Aldi near our shopping area, and I believe it was my friend, Stacy, that turned me onto it.  Thank you!!

Like I said, there is nothing fancy about Aldi.  Here are some things that you need to be prepared for when you shop:
1.  Bring a quarter for your shopping cart.  (You'll get it back when you return it, but they don't pay anyone to collect carts in the parking lot.
2.  Bring your own bags.  (I think you can buy them there for 5 cents each if you forget your own.)
3.  You will bag your own groceries.  (This is actually something that I love.  I can't believe how horribly they bag my groceries at the regular grocery store.)
4.  A super-low grocery bill.  (You will be in complete shock when you fill your cart and spend $100 or less.)

Here are some of my favorite things to buy at Aldi (along with a few prices that I can remember...or come close to...off the top of my head):

• nuts
• tortilla chips ($1.19)
• pretzels
• oyster crackers
• graham crackers
• animal crackers ($0.99)
• granola bars ($1.29)
• trail mix bars ($1.59)
• peanut butter (I'm not a fan of the Aldi brand, but my kids don't mind...AND I use it for baking.)
• honey
• cereal (most $1.99 a box or less)
• flour ($1.19 for 5 lbs.)
• sugar
• oil
• brown sugar
• powdered sugar
• chocolate chips
• marshmallows
• raisins
• canned fruit
• apple juice
• canned tomatoes/sauce/paste
• canned veggies
• string cheese
• shredded cheese
• bar cheese
• cream of chicken/mushroom
• sour cream
• cream cheese
• milk ($1.89 per gallon...it was on sale last week for $1.49!  Wow.)
• eggs
• garlic toast
• produce (not the best selection, but they usually have whole Del Monte or Dole pineapples for around $2 each!!)

There are a few things that I've decided that I don't like (tortillas, spaghetti sauce, and their Fit and Active brand (their "healthy" brand) come to mind immediately).  However, I think their products are worth a try, especially if you aren't particular about a certain brand. 

I seriously feel like they're not charging me enough every time I check out!  I try to guess (based on the amount of groceries in my cart) what my final bill will be.  I even try to guess low, and I'm still usually about $10-$20 too high. 

So, when I go grocery shopping, I go to Aldi first.  Then, I hit the other store.  It's brought our grocery bill down immensely.  I think I'm easily saving $0.50 per item (if not more).  I haven't done an actual comparison, but I really would love to (if I had the time and energy). 

Basically, what I'm trying to say is this:  If you haven't at least tried Aldi, please do!!  And report back to me, and we'll be giddy together.  :)

interesting.thought

I was on my way to the grocery store to do my shopping last night.  I was returning a phone call to my mom on the way.  She said, "What are you up to?"  I said, "I'm on my way to the grocery store."  She says, "It's freezing outside!!"  I said, "The kids still eat...even when it's cold!" :)  Funny isn't it?

Then we went on to discuss the idea that if the temperature dropped below a certain point, the kids wouldn't be hungry and wouldn't have to eat. 

I definitely decided I would be much more of a fan of the long winter months if this was the case.  Wouldn't you agree?! :)

Welcome winter!

croaked

Lesson of the day: if you're a little frog who can jump through the crack of a door while it's open, you need to move quickly...extremely quickly.

Because more than likely, the man of the house (who doesn't like to keep the doors open any longer than necessary) will shut the door much faster than his three lovely daughters.

And this, my dear amphibian friend, will result in your death.

The lady of the house will find you (because she's extremely observant). She'll think you're pretty disgusting. She'll take a picture. She'll post you on her blog.

Next time, just stay out. Please.

ideas.ideas

So, Christmas is just around the corner. I'm going to be starting my shopping within the next month, and I'm looking for ideas from all of you!

I have some ideas already, but I'm always looking for more. I'm really trying to not bring more STUFF into our house. I'm fully aware that this is not even remotely possible, and we're going to be doing some things to combat the STUFF.

So here's what I'm looking to know:

1. What are you putting on your kids' Christmas wish lists?

2. Do you have any ideas to share that won't put more (or at least a lot more!) STUFF in my house?

3. Are you making any homemade gifts for your kids/family members/co-workers/etc.?

4. If so, what are you making? Please share any links if you have them.

***UPDATE***
Everyone is sharing such great ideas, and I wanted to share ours too!
-movie/popcorn/pop package for all of the kids.  We do movie night here almost every Friday night.  The girls rarely get to drink pop, so I thought it would be extremely fun for them to each get their own 12 pack of mini-pops, a big box of popcorn, and a movie.  (One of my friends suggested this to me last year, and I loved the idea!)
-My mom and I just discussed the girls taking some cooking classes at our local candy shop. 
-I told Josh that this year we're going to make pumpkin rolls for his adminitrative assistant and his boss.  I'll post this recipe one of these days soon...yum-o. 

Thanks everyone! :)

he.loves.me

My husband loves me. Do you know how I know? Cause he writes it in the food that I cook. My favorite part about these onions? He says, "Did you see the onions?" I said, "Yep...thanks for cutting them up." He says, "Did you look at them?" Me, "I see them from over here." I was trying to figure out what was so stinkin' special about the onions!!

...and I love him too....because then I have fun blog posts. :)

not.very.festive

I was baking some muffins the other day. I pulled out my baking cups and noticed that these weren't just any baking cups....no, no, no sir. These were "Festive" Baking Cups...(white).

Festive? That's stretching it a bit, don't you think?

new.poll

I think after Myah's last comment, we're going to have to start a new discussion about who irons clothes for their husbands!  Myah...Josh emailed me from work to highlight your comment!  He was so excited.  He especially enjoyed the part that you capitalized!!! :)

Let it be known that I got up and ironed Josh's shirt today because he was running late for work.  I always iron his shirts when he's running late for work (which is only about once a month).  I do it because I love him.

I'm loving this. :)

laundry.laundry

It's my laundry day.  I've been thinking about laundry.  I've been talking about laundry.

This question came to mind:  Do you put your hubby's laundry away? 

I'd love to hear some discussion about this, but if you don't want to contribute, at least vote in my poll!!