Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Out to dinner

Today was decent. As in real good friends. Lots of good news. And in a season of my life that is demanding, stressful, and chaotic. These good news days are truly golden. After an exhausting day of running errands with a four year old and a baby I was spent. As in all emotional energy gone. Turns out even happy news can be overwhelming. So we decided to bribe a babysitter and take the big girls out to dinner.
It was good. For about 20 min. It was a glimpse of the future. I have to keep telling myself that someday we will be able to go out to eat as a family. Dreams people. Dreams. It was Olive garden. It was meh... but the 20 min of fun made it all worth it.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

You know what I love

Eating dinner alone. I know this sounds strange. I also know that there are so many hurting lonely people out there, who wish they had someone to eat dinner with. But for me, the amount of noise that goes on inside my house and inside my brain on a daily basis is insane. I feel like I never get the chance to fully comprehend a thought. Yet alone a sentence. One of my favorite gifts ever is the gift of time. Time with my lap top and a hot cup of coffee. Time with a good book. Time to text a friend.

I am up late tonight. I am curled up in my favorite red chair with my lap top. I am patiently anxiously awaiting the software update to Mountain Lion. I think this probably puts me in the nerd hall of fame. But its ok.

and spotify is on in the background. If I could keep my eyes open a little better this would be my idea of Heaven. Blogging, music, Beyonce to be exact, and my thoughts.

Thoughts about how much I love my kids. But how hard being a mama really is. How at 18 having a baby was way easier then being 30 and having a 12 year old. How I remember having all the same feelings she is having. And how much I wish I could make it all better.

I am thinking a lot about teaching our children. I mean really teaching. I am feeling a heaviness on my heart that Christians are lacking classes for our young people that really teach them about serving. Serving others and our families. I know the main responsibility is on the family, but the saying that it takes a village to raise a child is so true. And sometimes I feel like my village is pretty small.

What programs does your church offer? How big is your village? 

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

one

My baby is one. One year ago today I was holding the sweetest little baby in my arms. My hand was sore and swollen from a poorly placed IV and I was beyond exhausted. But I was happy, oh so happy, Happy to not be pregnant, happy to finally be able to say I had a son.

His big party is on Sunday. We gave him a cupcake yesterday so he could have sweets on his actual birthday. He choked on it. Then he pooped all over.

Good times.

I need pictures. maybe I will get some done this week. We will see. I am super excited for his party. My sweet friend Katie from sweet Rose studios made some adorable printables for Isaiah. I can't believe this is the last first birthday I will ever be planning.

This pic is from Friday. Isaiah had a tear duct issue we needed to clear up. The waiting room had this little car and man did he love that thing. The surgery went great, Still waiting to see if it cleared it up. Sometimes I look at his eye and think it worked and other times it still seems goopy.

But he is still the cutest one year old I know!





Wednesday, July 18, 2012

my new goal

 My new goal.
I will start running.
I will learn how to ROCK my off camera flash.
I will write more.


What are you trying this week?

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

life lately and coffee

Good afternoon! Just popping in to link up with Amy for coffee Tuesday. Myka is at preschool and Lexi is babysitting for a friend of mine. Lexi is babysitting!! So huge! She is almost 12 and she is honestly pretty awesome. Hormones are no joke at this age, but there are also a lot of wonderful things about kids growing up.
It's been raining and cooler here this past week. I love it!! Every afternoon I turn my eyes to the sky and scan for clouds. Monsoon season is crazy like that. The sky will be a perfect shade of blue and the BAM dark skies and pouring rain. The bummer part about a monsoon is it only lasts about 15 min or so. But we had a system move through this past week that left us with rain for days. In fact, last Saturday I was shooting a wedding in Sedona, Arizona and it rained for hours and hours. This was probably the one circumstance where I was very ungrateful for rain, but when I am home, tucked in with my sweet family, its probably my favorite thing ever.

My two middle girls have been very sweet lately. Having my oldest girl become a preteen has really made me appreciate the sweetness of little girls. I love how obsessed they are with Monster high dolls lately. They will do unthinkable amounts of chores to earn money for dolls. Ashlynn has always been a huge doll fan. Thats why when I got an e mail earlier this week from mom select that i was chosen to host a party for Hearts for hearts girls dolls. It will be right around Ashlynn's ninth birthday. What a fun idea for a party!! I will post all about it.

what Sedona looks like without buckets of rain!

Happy Tuesday! Link up with Amy here!!

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Camping


I just have a quick minute to pop in. But I want to post some camping pictures. I used my "real" camera a handful of times this last week. I need to do that more. My iphone is just so darn handy.
We had a great trip. It amazes me that a place like Pinetop, Arizona exists in the same state that we reside in. Its so hot outside right now. I feel better in cooler weather. But if you have read this blog for any amount of time I am sure you know my love/hate for Arizona. Love the people, and hate just about everything else. But this last week. I was pretty happy with it. Kids running around barefoot in the grass and a light sprinkle sprinkle while we waited for fireworks.

Perfect.





















Monday, July 2, 2012

Remember the day you jumped in the pool with all your clothes on....

Yes, This happened to me. I don't want to talk about then other then we are all fine. Super funny... maybe someday, it might be. This has been a rough week. Things are changing and I'm not sure I like it. One part of me is totally ok with the rhythm of life. The changes of the seasons. Bt the other half fights to hold on. To blow back at the winds when they threaten to blow in a new season of my life.

My baby boy is one at the end of the month. I am so happy about this. He is my last baby and I am so ok with that. I have drank in every ounce of his sweet babiness. The way his head smells after a bath. His big blue eyes, The way he giggles when I blow on his tummy. But I am ok with saying goodbye to sleepless nights, lugging a 25 pound diaper bag with me everywhere I go, and heavy strollers hogging all the trunk room in my car. ok, so I know some of thesse things I am not giving up because he is one, but we are one year closer.

Then next month my girls have birthdays. Lexi will be 12! 12... Such a great age. So many things changing. Struggling to be a kid and a young adult. I love this kid so much. This kid changed my life. She made me a mom. Even though lately I am pretty sure she hates me. I keep telling myself its normal, but its hard.

Ashlynn will be 9! This is a fantastic age I have decided. She is definitely still a kid. She spends hours playing with Monster high dolls and her new BFF Piper. Her imagination is fantastic and her computer skills are better then mine I think 9 is an age I want to bottle up and keep forever.

Myka will be 4! This is an age I cant wait to see on her. cause honestly this kid does nothing half way. She is going to be four in full effect. She is a princess, pop star, karate master , and soccer player all rolled into one. She also thinks she can swim. I assure you she can not. See my title....

I am feeling a little emo tonight. I am loving my kids and my family. We are going camping tomorrow and words can not express how excited I am to leave behind the scalding Arizona heat for a few days of relief.

Will check in later this week from the cool Mountains of Arizona.