I dropped by Amber Shimer's house. She has 4 children and that day as we stood in her entryway and talked I was amazed at what went down in the 10 minutes we chatted. One of the girls wet her undies and it was on the floor. The older daughter ran downstairs to tell mom, and accidentally knocked one of the beautiful plates off the wall in the process. Shattered glass everywhere. Then the doorbell rang. It was the exterminator dropping off a racoon trap. WOW I thought, so this is what life with 4 little ones looks like. I got back in my car and drove to the office without a care in the world.
Fast forward to today. After Moose went number two in his undies and it fell on the floor I sent him to the bathroom to clean up. Little Darlin' was eating so we headed into the bathroom to help Moose (LD is still eating) (I'm trying to multi-task because I have to). Get that cleaned up.
1:10pm-Nat calls and invites us to go with them in 20 min to get all the boys haircuts. I hang up and call to get my boys appts.
1:11pm- I realize that there is no possible way I can get all four of us dressed, loaded and across town to make the appt I just scheduled for 1:30. Plus we haven't even had lunch yet because we've been in the bathroom for the last 30 minutes.
1:12- call to cancel our appt.
1:15- I'm getting turkey and cheese out for sandwiches when the beautiful light from heaven begins to shine down and the Hallelujah chorus begins to play...I see BBQ leftovers I forgot about from Smokehouse on Saturday!!!! Thank you Jesus for good leftovers!!!
1:20- we are all seated to eat and Little Darlin' wakes up! Hey, I'm not picky, I can hold a crying baby and eat at the same time!
It is amazing how one day can be a well oiled machine-Tidy house, sun shining in, order...and the next day can be a bit more like today. In my little insanity lapse when I really wanted to hurry to load us up and get haircuts (because they are badly needed right now!) I remembered what God taught me a last year.
"God is not a God of disorder but of peace" I Cor 14:33
"The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways..." Prov 14:8
I am the queen of going and doing, lots of times it has been at the expense of my family. I'll want to go to Target and rush us to get there, yada yada yada. It was freeing to see those verses and apply them to my everyday life decisions. And to remember that it is the little choices I make everyday that add up to the tone I set for our home. So, sometimes I let go of my whims and don't get everything done that I wanted. It's a good thing.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Night Night
Ahhh. The boys are in bed.
The dishwasher is running.
The floor is drying because I just finished the dishes and mopped.
Tommorow we are having a yard sale to downsize more.
We had Nacho Salad and Chocolate Chip Cookies for dinner.
We had friends from church over for dinner and got to know them more. Very fun.
The air is cranked down really low.
The sheets on the bed are clean.
Shane fixed our dining room table chairs and Old English'ed them so they are nice and clean.
I have a pitcher of Michelle's Mexican Punch in the fridge (Hawaiian Punch & Pineapple Juice).
Life is good.
The dishwasher is running.
The floor is drying because I just finished the dishes and mopped.
Tommorow we are having a yard sale to downsize more.
We had Nacho Salad and Chocolate Chip Cookies for dinner.
We had friends from church over for dinner and got to know them more. Very fun.
The air is cranked down really low.
The sheets on the bed are clean.
Shane fixed our dining room table chairs and Old English'ed them so they are nice and clean.
I have a pitcher of Michelle's Mexican Punch in the fridge (Hawaiian Punch & Pineapple Juice).
Life is good.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Slow Down & Experience the Joy
this is an entry from flylady my mom sent me and it's really good. my friend amanda told me about a book called, "making room for life" by randy frazee that i'm wanting to read really bad. it sounds like it is along the same lines as this entry. love, anna
Tue Jun 3, 2008 11:41 am (PDT)
Dear Friends,Today at the gym we were all talking about what we were doing to save on gas. One of the guys said he was driving slower and leaving earlier so he wasn't rushed. The conversation then took a turn (pardon the driving pun) to living with less stress and he remarked how much more relaxed he's been since using these new driving habits. If you think about it, that's the way we should all drive anyway—it's safer and less stressful.
Think about it a little more: adopting a slower paced existence as a sort of plumb line for living can impact every area of life. Let's talk about these components: going slower and not being rushed and how this all relates back to food (you knew that was coming,didn't you?). This is how success in the kitchen begins and how it ends too, with a good, healthy meal.
Going slower at home means you have the time to actually MAKE your dinner, as opposed to going out,driving thru or making some kind of icky, just add water, convenience food. Not being rushed means you can have quality time at the family dinner table, eat your food at normal pace instead of bolting it down and heading out the door; actually chewing instead of inhaling! The average time spent at the family dinner table anymore is only about 20 minutes compared to the days of yesteryear of more than 1/2hour.
It's interesting to note that the difference too, was that everyone was expected to show up at the family dinner table and it was taken for granted that it was a regular practice. Today it is all but impossible with everyone's schedules requiring a Blackberry to track,including the baby's! Let's slow down, okay?
It's really, really okay if your child doesn't have a class, sport, enrichment activity or what have you most days of the week. It doesn't mean you're less of a parent if you're not keeping up with the rest of the world and their fast paced lifestyle.
CHOOSE to slow it down and hone in the heart of your home; the family dinner table. Cook together, serve the food together, eat, talk, discuss and listen to those precious people sitting around your table. You are a privileged woman—you've been given so much—give it back as you lovingly prepare a meal for them. Use this opportunity to show your beloved children how to clean up a kitchen, doing it with them. I've had the most incredible discussions with my children over the kitchen sink than any other place in my house. By the time my kids were both 10 years old, they were quite proficient at clean up! Keeping our eyes on the prize (our families) will help us to rise above the treachery of a frantic life. Slowing it down is the secret to experience the joy that is there if we're not rushing past it. Love,Leanne
*****Kelly here - as Leanne as told us in the past, we are filling souls not holes at the dinner table. If you need some help in a menu plan that will save you time and money plus help you prepare meals to spend time together as a family please go look at the menu plans that Leanne has available at www.SavingDinner. com From the freezer menus, the vegetarian, heart healthy and more - take a look today
Tue Jun 3, 2008 11:41 am (PDT)
Dear Friends,Today at the gym we were all talking about what we were doing to save on gas. One of the guys said he was driving slower and leaving earlier so he wasn't rushed. The conversation then took a turn (pardon the driving pun) to living with less stress and he remarked how much more relaxed he's been since using these new driving habits. If you think about it, that's the way we should all drive anyway—it's safer and less stressful.
Think about it a little more: adopting a slower paced existence as a sort of plumb line for living can impact every area of life. Let's talk about these components: going slower and not being rushed and how this all relates back to food (you knew that was coming,didn't you?). This is how success in the kitchen begins and how it ends too, with a good, healthy meal.
Going slower at home means you have the time to actually MAKE your dinner, as opposed to going out,driving thru or making some kind of icky, just add water, convenience food. Not being rushed means you can have quality time at the family dinner table, eat your food at normal pace instead of bolting it down and heading out the door; actually chewing instead of inhaling! The average time spent at the family dinner table anymore is only about 20 minutes compared to the days of yesteryear of more than 1/2hour.
It's interesting to note that the difference too, was that everyone was expected to show up at the family dinner table and it was taken for granted that it was a regular practice. Today it is all but impossible with everyone's schedules requiring a Blackberry to track,including the baby's! Let's slow down, okay?
It's really, really okay if your child doesn't have a class, sport, enrichment activity or what have you most days of the week. It doesn't mean you're less of a parent if you're not keeping up with the rest of the world and their fast paced lifestyle.
CHOOSE to slow it down and hone in the heart of your home; the family dinner table. Cook together, serve the food together, eat, talk, discuss and listen to those precious people sitting around your table. You are a privileged woman—you've been given so much—give it back as you lovingly prepare a meal for them. Use this opportunity to show your beloved children how to clean up a kitchen, doing it with them. I've had the most incredible discussions with my children over the kitchen sink than any other place in my house. By the time my kids were both 10 years old, they were quite proficient at clean up! Keeping our eyes on the prize (our families) will help us to rise above the treachery of a frantic life. Slowing it down is the secret to experience the joy that is there if we're not rushing past it. Love,Leanne
*****Kelly here - as Leanne as told us in the past, we are filling souls not holes at the dinner table. If you need some help in a menu plan that will save you time and money plus help you prepare meals to spend time together as a family please go look at the menu plans that Leanne has available at www.SavingDinner. com From the freezer menus, the vegetarian, heart healthy and more - take a look today
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECKE'!!!
OH NOOOOOOOOO. I just read your blog and realized that I MISSED YOUR BIRTHDAY yesterday. One of my best friends in the world and I missed your birthday.
I am thankful for your sweet friendship.
I am thankful that we have great conversations about things that matter. You know. How to have deeper faith. Where to find shallots at Kroger. Fashion tips like buy the shoes first and the outfit second.
I am thankful that our boys have fun playing together!
I am thankful that even though I am completely unorganized and can't remember an important date to save my life that you still love me. You do still love me don't you? :)
You are a fun person to be friends with and you are so stinkin' cute. You are one of the most compassionate and thoughtful people I know. You are faithful to pray for people. You are always searching and asking God to show you more of Him. You are an encourager. And, You make 31 look good! :)
I am thankful for your sweet friendship.
I am thankful that we have great conversations about things that matter. You know. How to have deeper faith. Where to find shallots at Kroger. Fashion tips like buy the shoes first and the outfit second.
I am thankful that our boys have fun playing together!
I am thankful that even though I am completely unorganized and can't remember an important date to save my life that you still love me. You do still love me don't you? :)
You are a fun person to be friends with and you are so stinkin' cute. You are one of the most compassionate and thoughtful people I know. You are faithful to pray for people. You are always searching and asking God to show you more of Him. You are an encourager. And, You make 31 look good! :)
S.O.S.
this has been a hard morning. maybe i shouldn't post about it but i'm about being real with people. i woke up in a very tired & bad mood. the house feels dirty and cluttered. i worked very hard all day yesterday on my business which means LD was not on any kind of routine. that filtered into last night when he was up a lot.
shane left for work and 3 of the 4 of us left behind were crying. i had a box of tissue in one hand boo-hooing and a crying baby in the other. stinky pete was happy as usual, but the rest of us were a mess. the beds are unmade. did i mention the dust? the table and chairs are sticky. it all feels overwhelming.
ld is in his crib. he cried for 8 minutes before he dozed off to sleep. felt like 30 minutes poor thing. he is very content to sleep when he is in my arms, and i am content with that too. it is a good thing though that i'm teaching him how to go to sleep (at least some of the times) on his own.
i stopped and asked God to please give us a few things around here today.
joy.
peace.
laughter.
contentment.
thankfulness.
you know what? it worked too. he has taken my focus off the little piddly things that felt like the biggest problems in the world. the bottom line is i love this time in our life with a newborn. i am thankful like crazy for our family. i am trying to look past the dishes, beds, and sticky fingerprints.
i'm off to do a modified 15 minute flylady. i'm allready showered and dressed to pj's. i should put shoes on becasue then my chipped nailpolish might not drive me as crazy, but nah... i'm going to make the beds. get the dishes put up. make some coffee and spend some time with the boys. we found a cool elmo book yesterday where you play i spy and hunt for the yo-yo's, ducks, and things like that.
**change of plans. the baby woke up after i posted this. i held him, read your funny blogs, decided to forego the dishes and beds and just have coffee and read with the boys.
shane left for work and 3 of the 4 of us left behind were crying. i had a box of tissue in one hand boo-hooing and a crying baby in the other. stinky pete was happy as usual, but the rest of us were a mess. the beds are unmade. did i mention the dust? the table and chairs are sticky. it all feels overwhelming.
ld is in his crib. he cried for 8 minutes before he dozed off to sleep. felt like 30 minutes poor thing. he is very content to sleep when he is in my arms, and i am content with that too. it is a good thing though that i'm teaching him how to go to sleep (at least some of the times) on his own.
i stopped and asked God to please give us a few things around here today.
joy.
peace.
laughter.
contentment.
thankfulness.
you know what? it worked too. he has taken my focus off the little piddly things that felt like the biggest problems in the world. the bottom line is i love this time in our life with a newborn. i am thankful like crazy for our family. i am trying to look past the dishes, beds, and sticky fingerprints.
i'm off to do a modified 15 minute flylady. i'm allready showered and dressed to pj's. i should put shoes on becasue then my chipped nailpolish might not drive me as crazy, but nah... i'm going to make the beds. get the dishes put up. make some coffee and spend some time with the boys. we found a cool elmo book yesterday where you play i spy and hunt for the yo-yo's, ducks, and things like that.
**change of plans. the baby woke up after i posted this. i held him, read your funny blogs, decided to forego the dishes and beds and just have coffee and read with the boys.
Monday, June 2, 2008
1 MONTH ALLREADY!
Little Darlin' weighs 10lbs 7 oz!! He is 65% percentile for height & weight.
This is LD's after dinner stretch process. These are my favorite faces!
This is the pouty face.
This is the proud daddy and happy baby face.
This is LD's after dinner stretch process. These are my favorite faces!
This is the pouty face.
This is the proud daddy and happy baby face.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
I SCARED myself!
**preface: shane just proofed this post outloud in a bill clinton voice and it added a really nice twist, you may want to try it too**
Yesterday morning when I woke up I scared myself when I looked in the mirror. Seriously. I looked in the mirror, gasped out loud, and jumped a little. My hair was CRAZY looking! Crazier looking than usual. Like I was amazed at the sheer horror of it. Knowing that a picture is worth a million words, and that you would not believe how crazy I'm talking about, I thought I'd humor you and post a picture.
Needless to say, a pot of coffee was called into order...
The boys even needed a cup after seeing Mommyzilla emerge from the room...
After a good restful afternoon, we went to Chili's for dinner and cashed in on a giftcard.
We came home and Shane mowed while the boys played outside. We have the best neighbors. One of our favorite things is to sit in the drivway on these nice nights while our kiddies play! After playing hard and baths, the boys snuggled in for bed.
p.s. this will be a good post to remind my hubby that it is a good thing that I have to make special trips to Little Rock just for my MAC eyeshadow and eyeliner.
Yesterday morning when I woke up I scared myself when I looked in the mirror. Seriously. I looked in the mirror, gasped out loud, and jumped a little. My hair was CRAZY looking! Crazier looking than usual. Like I was amazed at the sheer horror of it. Knowing that a picture is worth a million words, and that you would not believe how crazy I'm talking about, I thought I'd humor you and post a picture.
Needless to say, a pot of coffee was called into order...
The boys even needed a cup after seeing Mommyzilla emerge from the room...
After a good restful afternoon, we went to Chili's for dinner and cashed in on a giftcard.
We came home and Shane mowed while the boys played outside. We have the best neighbors. One of our favorite things is to sit in the drivway on these nice nights while our kiddies play! After playing hard and baths, the boys snuggled in for bed.
p.s. this will be a good post to remind my hubby that it is a good thing that I have to make special trips to Little Rock just for my MAC eyeshadow and eyeliner.
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