Thoughts on Thursday

• I am 31 and for the first time in my life I am not scared of melting in the rain. I don't like it, but I will go out in it now and deal. My friend and I walked tonight in the cold, dark, wind and rain and it was super therapeutic. 
• Today I asked Adelle to babysit Emmett and Gage for 15 minutes so that I could respond to a couple pressing emails and type up a recipe for my other blog. She gladly did it, and did it well and I gave her a quarter for it. I wish I could have captured the look on her face when I presented her with her earnings. Pure delight. It was really sweet.
• Gage is sleeping all night, every night, for about the last 2 months and it's nothing short of wonderful. He isn't very consistent with his naps during the day but I am not complaining. I can hold him all day if he wants as long as he keeps giving me my nights!
• Jeff and I have a date scheduled for tomorrow night with old friends who we haven't seen in forever. I told Jeff I didn't even care where we went or what we ate I am just really excited to see my special friend.
• I love the ladies in my life. I am surrounded by women who I absolutely love. We play with our kids, we do each other favors, we eat lunch, we go together to yoga, we swap recipes, we drop off homemade goodness to each other, we walk and talk...  it's so refreshing and beautiful. 
• Adelle to me today, "Mom, Braxton says that you have to be big to be a woman. So you are a woman, but I am not. I am a girl."
• Emmett is way into dress up lately. He dressed up for my nephews birthday party last weekend and he dressed up when we went to a friends to play this week. He is very stoic and hilarious. Reminds me so much of Braxton at this age.
• Gage is rolling over like crazy! He is also cutting his two bottom teeth, still.
• Being mean is easier than being nice. Why is this?? I have been making a huge effort to be the latter, even when it's really hard and not fair. It's working. I am happier.
• We lost a chicken to illness. It was sad. I take it personal but Jeff says I can't do that. Apparently, "it just happens." 
• So far I think boys are easier than girls. I know they are different, obviously, and my kids are still really young, but man... boys so far are easy! Way less drama. I am not talking about Adelle, but girls of school age who I interact with at Braxton's school and the things I hear from friends about the girls that their daughters are having to deal with. I don't want to! 
• I love to sit and hold Gage and talk to him. He talks back and smiles and it's the most peaceful, loving, conversation. He is so sweet. Sometimes I have to remind myself to hold him because I want to. So often I hold him because he wants me to. You know? It's so nice when I give myself that time to just be with him, because he's mine and I love him. 
• Is it bad that today I considered skyping my mother-in-law and having her "watch" Adelle on the computer while I ran across the street to get Braxton from school? Seriously, I would have had my phone and my MIL could have easily called me if there was an emergency. The boys were asleep and I had to wake them up and then it was pouring down rain and we had to all go.... Honestly, would the skype thing work? Or should I just suck it up?!
• We had breakfast for dinner. It was so stick to your gut good! Sausage, potato and egg breakfast casserole with homemade biscuits and honey. Delicious!
• I told my kids they were the luckiest kids in the whole world as they were loving their biscuits with local honey and Adelle says, "yeah because Auntie Melissa is coming to babysit tomorrow and we get to watch a movie!!" That wasn't what I was meaning, but I am thankful they love their auntie and that we get to go out.
• Mom's get the shaft sometimes. It's true. How do you ever repay your mom? I want too.
• Braxton and I are enjoying a book he checked out from the library at school. He also started taking books to bed with a flashlight. He's getting big, fast.
• I signed myself up to coach Adelle's soccer team. We are both excited. Good thing I now know I won't melt in the rain.
• I haven't read a book yet this month. My book list keeps growing and I haven't found the time to do it. I am trying not to let it stress me out.
• Where did February go? I don't want to take my Valentine's Day decorations down, but I told the kids I would when it's March. Dang. That's tomorrow.
• We have spring fever around here, big time!
• I read an article about genetically engineered salmon. Really people?? 
• The whole four kids thing is fantastic. I know some pregnant people right now and I couldn't be more happy/excited for them!
• I led the music at a meeting at church the other night. It was huge for me. I am not a confident music leader and I rarely lead music anywhere other than in my own home when I am trying to teach my kids. I practiced all day and even at the stop sign while I was driving there. It went well, better than I anticipated. Mind you they were primary songs, and I was leading to a very small group :)
• Braxton is turning 8 this year and preparing for baptism. He is such a wonderful young boy. So kind to everyone and so in love with life.
• Last night I made chicken enchillada's, Jeff's favorite meal, and he said it was the best part of his day. Smile.
• It's getting late. There is a certain time of day that when I get there I either need to eat ice-cream, or go to bed. 99 % of the time I don't let myself get to this time. I am too tired. But tonight I am flirting with the idea of just a spoon full of ice cream and I can't tell Jeff because he will totally convince me to do it! "You know you want to," he would say, and I do. Ice cream is so good. I don't ever have any other cravings except for ice cream.  I think I will long for ice cream for the rest of my long life. I can't even mention this to Jeff because he would be up and out to the freezer in an instant. Then after I had one bite he would keep eating his and then mine would just sit there, melting and ruining itself, because I wouldn't want him to have to make 2 trips out to the cold garage to put it back in the freezer, and I certainly wouldn't want to go out there, so then I would keep eating mine, to keep up with him and keep it from wasting away to a melted mess... But ice cream makes me all gross and mucusy and I would be all stuffed up tomorrow but... I only buy the really good ice cream. Always Ben & Jerry's. It's not that bad either and it's so good and real ingredients...
• Did I tell you that my dad created this amazing dairy free ice cream cake for me for my birthday this year? It was delicious, ask Lane, he loved it too! My dad did this all on his own, chocolate chip gluten free crust, coconut milk ice cream, topped with banana's and drizzled with chocolate sauce. So good and so thoughtful. It's a tradition. Growing up my dad always made me an ice cream cake, duh, I love ice cream, and this years did not dissapoint. 
• I'm rambling, goodnight.

a nice little reminder

I loved this video enough to share. So simple. So true.

Pudding for breakfast!

Does anyone still look at my Healthy Homemaker Blog?? I know I have been lousy at keeping it up but I posted a really yummy pudding recipe there this morning.
Check it out here!
Happy Monday to you,  from the fun folks over here!!

Here one minute, Gone the next

This last weekend we were able to disappear to Oregon to visit some of our besties. 

The trip started with us hauling this Beast of a boat down to OSU. That was an adventure in itself. Jeff was hired by a friend to deliver the boat. When he heard the destination of the boat he asked if I could join him. The boat was going to Corvallis, OR, the exact city that my friend lives in. Coincidence... I think not!

So, if I go, Gage goes.  And if Gage goes... well lets just say we filled our extended cab with all our little chicks and hit the road Friday morning, boat in tow.

  

The weekend was the perfect change of scenery that we all needed. It was a beautiful weekend. We got to meet Shelby's fiance' that we have all heard wonders about, all of which were true! His name is also Jeffery, spelled the same way as my Jeffery. Coincidence again? Maybe. 

They live at the end of a cultesac which allowed the kids plenty of time to be outside riding their bikes. Shelby's Jeff built a jump for Braxton to ride over on his bike and we all had fun doing our own versions of the jump. 

Emmett was a happy camper strolling along on his motorcycle and attempted the jump multiple times as well.   

Of course the Jeff's (as Adelle referred to them the whole weekend) had to try out the jump too!

Boys will be boys.   

Adelle was officially invited to be a flower girl in Shelby and Jeff's wedding which she is of course super excited about. We spent one day at the dress shop where both Adelle and I got to dress up fancy.

I just love this picture... Mr. Emmett looking all serious.

Besides family I don't think I would bring my whole clan to anyone's house for a whole long weekend. But, it was totally perfect and we were so welcomed and felt so at home. 

Shelby and I would grocery shop and cook together. She taught me how to make corn pancakes and I taught her how to poach eggs and make roasted sweet potatoes. Jeff bar-b-q'd up some amazing steaks that we feasted on one night with some deer meat that he had caught. Yummy!

Shelby's Jeff is a handy-man as well. He has a ton of scrap wood so he built the boys whatever they asked for. Braxton requested a treasure chest. Here Emmett is helping screw on the hinges.   

Jeff hit it off with their dog, Gunner.

Gage and Shelby's Jeff hit it off too. 

Auntie Shelby and baby Gager.

Then on day 2 Shelby's Jeff introduced my kids to their Wii. Good thing it wasn't any sooner, that's all they wanted to do from there on out ;) Not really. It was fun bowling and playing baseball. Not going to brag but I destroyed Jeff (my Jeff :) at tennis. It was a total fluke I guess because Shelby's Jeff then destroyed me.

It was a wonderful long weekend. Shelby is my friend from middle school/high school. We don't see each other much anymore since she lives in Oregon and I live here. Life is funny sometimes. Here I am, married almost 10 years, there she is engaged to be married, and we are still just as close as we ever have been. I love this lady! I love how close we still are and how close our families are.  The whole drive home Jeff and I talked about starting a yearly tradition of visiting Jeff and Shelby or meeting somewhere in the middle for camping trips. 

Some people were just meant to be friends, that's us!

Happy Heart Day!

love this special day!

little/big

The other night I went and crawled in bed with Braxton before he fell asleep. I needed some time with just him and it seemed like the only chance I had. We talked about school and his friends and what he does at recess. That day in particular he played chase outside with his friends. He and his little buddy were the dogs and two little girls were the cats and the dogs chased the cats around the playground. Isn't that the cutest, most innocent thing you've ever heard!?

I love this boy who I've noticed has gone un-blogged lately. He is growing up really fast and yet, still such a little boy. I love this picture of him because to me he looks like a teenager. Sometimes the things he says just knock my socks off and he can make me laugh so hard. He has so much whit and charm and I love to be around him. Like for example sometimes when Adelle says something silly, which is often, Braxton will look at her and go, "Oye," and shrug and it's the funniest thing to me.

Today after school as he is walking home, with his whole parade of a family, this little girl (whose name gets brought up often in our home) yelled, "bye Braxton," to which he smoothly turned around and said, "bye." It made me smile. Here he is. The oldest. Walking home with his sister who is dressed like a clown and his little brother who can't quite keep up and his mother who has spit up down the front of her shirt from the baby in the front pack and he's totally happy, totally cool, totally chill.

That's Braxton. He is just awesome.

The other week when he was home sick I told him that I liked having him home and I asked him if I could homeschool him. Adelle chimed in too and was chanting, "yeah, please Brax!!" We all love to have him around. He responded really thoughtfully with a, "mom, that's a really hard choice because I just love home and I love school."

It seems like when I do listen to the radio or read the paper or catch a news headline (which isn't very often) I get anxious and I worry about my children, and the world they are growing up in. I wonder what new words they are learning at school or what all they are being exposed to. I sure there is some that I wouldn't necessarily approve of.  But in reality, after stomping on my fearful thoughts and engaging with this young lad I am so comforted to know who he is and what he is about. He is so young still, so little, so innocent. And yet, when I look at this picture or hear his sarcasm he is so not little.

Do you get it?

lovey feet

A couple weeks ago during a diaper change I was loving on Gage’s sweet little feet and I had an awe-ha moment. Take those cute little feetsies, paint them red, and make hearts for Valentines Day!!
So that’s what I did, with the help and cooperation of Jeff and Gage. And the moral support and audience of Adelle and Emmett.
So here I am thinking, “wow I am on the ball it’s not even February yet and I have all my Valentines taken care of. All I have to do now is cut the paper out and paste it on another piece of paper…”
Well then yesterday (Feb. 11) after they were all made and addressed I took them and dropped them into the mail box….. WITHOUT STAMPS!
argh! Frustrating!
I did catch myself halfway through, so half of you out there have Valentines that will probably never get to you… But the other half of you are in for a cute little lovey feet heart.
And my front room, yeah it’s looked like that since Sunday. I like to call it taking festive to the next level. There is glitter everywhere! Love is in the air ;)

Good morning 31

I have spent 30 years fretting about what to wear. Curling my hair, blah, blah, blah. Sacrificing comfort for cuteness over and over.

It’s time to be real.

Stop by at your own risk!

We’re goin’ for comfort now, baby.

Little Miss Cheer

 

Adelle was the cutest little cheer leader last week at the Meridian High School basketball game. So fun. My mom signed her up since we often go to the games out there (my brother is the JV coach). Adelle loved it. She was instantly the favorite of a couple of the cheerleaders that she worked with and that of course made it even more fun.

The night of the game was pretty exciting. My dad insisted Adelle get her favorite meal before the game of chicken and fries. We all ate together and then went to the high school where we watched the JV game. My brothers team did awesome, tying the score in the last minute and then taking the win in overtime. Adelle took Kate and Emmett down to the big girl cheerleaders to “hang out” before the Varsity game started. Her confidence is really something when it comes to older kids. She basically thinks she is one.

The performance at half time was super cute. I loved just watching Adelle’s face. She was grinning from ear to ear the whole time.

Braxton’s comment at the end, “I can’t believe Adelle was the littlest one and she did so good!!”

So fun! Go Adelle!