Around the House

One thing that you quickly find out when you have kids- life is never dull!!

Yesterday afternoon while Maggie and Eli slept, Trinity came to the basement with me to help wrap Christmas gifts. She ran upstairs for something and came back downstairs...with Maggie in her arms! My heart hit the floor! My oldest daughter of 5, had just gotten my youngest daughter or 8 months out of her crib and carried her down stairs!! I lifted a prayer of thanksgiving to God for protecting both of them!! I think the girls' angels were carrying them!

Last night we had a date night with Aaron's brother Shayne and his wife Christina. (Date nights around here for us usually always consist of dinner and a trip to Wal-Mart with NO kids!! It's so nice to actually take time and browse and not have to constantly be saying, "Please don't touch that; leave your sister alone; do not stick your fingers in your mouth; no, you don't need that;, etc.) Anyway, Aaron grabbed some cotton candy as a treat for the kids, which they ate for a snack this morning. Eli had it ALL over him! He was a sticky mess- pink hands, fingers, mouth, chin, and nose! It was very funny! Aaron said to himself, "Oh, bad choice, Dad!" I thought it was a great choice- the kids loved it and they got to get messy- what fun!

Special Time of Year

One more week until Christmas break from school! I love this time of year for so many reasons...everyone seems to be in a good mood all of the time, we get to see our family and spend time with them, I can't help but smile at the Christmas lights around town (the kids and I are still trying to convince Aaron we need them up outside our house, too!), everyone's homes feel so welcoming and cozy, and of course the most important reason of all- celebrating the birth of Christ! It is extremely humbling to know that God sent His son to earth to save me from my sins, to save my husband, my children, my family, my friends, you, from sin so that we may live in Heaven with Him for eternity! What an amazing time of year this is- a great time to celebrate the birth of our Savior!

Miss Maggie

It always amazes me how quickly kids grow and change! Maggie has a very happy personality- always ready with a huge smile as soon as she sees someone she knows...and many times even when she doesn't know them! She is just full of joy!

Everyday Life

A little glimpse into everyday life for us- the kids having to pose for a picture upon Mom's request, Trinity and Maggie playing together, Trinity and Eli playing outside, and Eli hauling things in his trailer...how God blesses each and every day of our lives!

Weekend at Mimi and Papa's

Trinity adores her cousin Natalie- they both like to dress up and feel like princesses- or divas!

We of course went outside and played some football and ran around the yard...here it was time to tackle Uncle Jerid!

Mommy and Me

Our Maggiedoodle...always smiling! She captured our hearts even before she was born!

More Baking with Mimi

Eli may be a chef when he grows up! Anytime Mimi is baking something, he stops playing and comes to help her.

Carefree Days

Taken back to the days of my youth...my sister-in-law and I took the kids down to a creek by my grandparents' old home...something we did many times growing up- just playing in creeks- the mud, the sand, the water- a lot of fun! The kids had such a good time looking for minnos and getting dirty...such carefree days!

New Bangs

At Mimi and Papa's Trinity gave herself a new hairstyle- cut her own bangs! The other kids blamed it on Papa- said he was the one who left the scissors in the crayon box!

Mimi and Papa's Visit

Mimi and Papa came out at the beginning of October. We were so thankful they were able to come out for the weekend!

Eli really enjoys helping Mimi bake...I think his favorite part is the tasting!

Maggie found a new snuggle partner in Papa!

Another favorite picture of mine...the kids with Mom and Dad!

Newton Trip

At the end of September all of our family traveled to Newton to cheer our niece Danica on as she played volleyball. It was a great weekend filled with family time!

Eli and Addi had a wonderful time playing together...I see those two getting into trouble together the older they get!

Ooopps- turn your head to see this one! Daddy and his baby girl!

One of my favorite pictures- Grandma and Grandpa with all of their grandkids!

Turn your head again...Happy 3rd Birthday Elijah Ray!

Our baby boy isn't a baby anymore...he's a biggie boy of 3 years old! Can't believe how quickly
they grow and change! He is such a sweet boy- loves to shower his Mommy with kisses....and tackle Daddy! He's all boy...likes to collect rocks and dig in the dirt. How we treasure our little boy!

Miss Maggie

Trinity and Eli heard Maggie awake before I got in to pick her up. They kindly started getting her dressed for me!

Our smiley, smiley girl...

...and full of giggles, too!

Mommy and Maggie

More summer fun

The kids 'tricked' Papa and pushed him into the pool! They thought it was hilarious!

Daddy and his girls!

Danica stopped by to give the kids hugs and kisses before heading back to college! Trinity sure does miss her! Eli calls Aunt Shelly 'Danica'- must be his way of missing her, too!

Mimi and Maggie relaxing by the pool!

One of my very best friends, Belinda, came to visit for a weekend- the kids introduced her to Fancy Nancy books and she was hooked! (That's a fancy way of saying she liked them!)

Just wanted one picture with everyone looking at the camera...better luck next time, I guess!

Our niece Audrey stayed with us for several days- here in front of a quilt shop- Mimi needed a little retail therapy!

Playtime at the park!

Picture Overload!

Finally getting some pics uploaded for the month of August!! These are from the fair when Mom, Jessica, and the kids came out!

Yes, that's Mom riding with Eli and Zach!! What a grandma!

Trinity and Abbey before the bullet...the after picture (which I forgot to take because Jessica and I were laughing so hard) would have been a picture with terrified faces!

Teacher Tidbits

Most days in teaching, there are moments that make you giggle or laugh outloud...following are a couple of those moments- not from my room, but from a couple of my fellow teachers- both teach younger elementary.

In one classroom, the students were working on something and a little boy said outloud, "Last night my daddy came to lay with me and I told him, "If you fart in my bed, you are done laying with me...no farting in my bed!"

In another classroom students were working on writing. One little girl wrote: "We went to the lake. My dad lost his ring. MY MOM WAS MAD. We went to Wal-Mart and bought him a new one."

The moral of this post- remember that your kids are open books at school- they share a lot of information about parents- which usually have teachers laughing out loud!

Joys of Teaching

As a teacher, there are times when you shake your head and wonder if you're making a difference at all, times when your heartbreaks for students, times of joy when a student has worked hard and finally understands a concept, and times when you just laugh out loud- today held that kind of moment.

We were eating lunch (at the school I work at we eat lunch with our students) and I mentioned to one of my students that I put a coffee mug on her desk that someone had left in my box- it was her dad's. The rest of the conversation went like this:

Student: I like it when my parents find their coffee cups.
Me: You do, huh?
S: Yes, because they get crabby when they don't have their coffee.
M: (Smiling)
S: Not so much my dad- he's okay if he doesn't have his, but my mom- she HAS to have her cup of coffee or watch out!
M: (Laughing out loud!)

You find out so many things about parents from the mouths of their babes! What made this even funnier to me is that I know this family very well and the mom would probably be blushing if she had heard her daughter!!

Oh, the joys of teaching!

Back to School

School started last Friday for us...normally, I absolutely love going back to school- I have always enjoyed school and the beginning of the year is just full of excitement and promise! Ever since having children, though, it's been a bittersweet time; I still enjoy the excitement of school, but leaving the kids is always tough on me- especially those first few days. Usually, I have to drop them off and then start thinking immediately about something else, or start praying for them- and myself- or I'll start crying! It's way harder on me than them- they love their babysitter and as soon as we get there, they're off and playing! We feel very blessed to have such a wonderful, loving babysitter!

A few people asked me how the first day of school was- it was exciting, fun, full of laughter, and absolutely exhausting! A good kind of exhausting! During one point during the day I looked around and came to an understanding of another way God blesses my life- I may drop off my three children in the morning, but He fills my heart each year with love for my students...when they enter my room, I consider them my 'kids'. They may not have been born from me, but I care for them the same- I want what is absolutely best for them- I want to hear their laughter, see them reach their goals, push them when I know they can go a little further, challange them, help them grow, and see a joyful light in their eyes! I pray God works through me to touch the lives of each student in my room- that in our classroom, His glory will reign! And, in that moment of realization, I smiled and thanked God for where He has placed me! Plus, the people I work with are absolutely amazing- some of my dearest friends!

So, school is off- fast, furious, and joyfully!

The Little Things

I truly believe it's the little things in life that truly make living special and worthwhile- the things that cost nothing, yet are priceless. Examples in the last few days for me include:
- cooking and baking with my mom;
- 'shed sitting' with my parents and husband- talking and listening to the crickets chirp;
- watching the kids snuggle up with their daddy during a movie;
- napping with the kids;
- singing praise and worship songs at church;
- giggling with my sister;
- laughing with my nieces;
- watching my children and their cousins running around together laughing;

Add your own...

Fair Time!

We are currently at Mom and Dad's in Danville and it's Fair Weekend! And, I forgot my camera! Bummer! We went this evening- the kids petted many animals and even rode their cousin Abby's horse. It was fun to watch the kids run around and play together. I ran into a couple of old friends from high school...it seems kind of weird that we all have little miniture "us's" following us and hanging on our legs! But, we are in our 30's now- wow!

We decided that Miss Maggie got Grand Champion of the fair for the night. Papa proudly carried his youngest granddaughter around and was getting stopped every so often so people could 'oohhh' and 'aaahhh' over all of her hair and her constant smiling! So, in my ever so humble opinion, Maggie won Grand Champion for the 2011 County Fair!

Children's Imaginations

The kids and I were swimming in Grandma's pool the other day. Before I had gotten in with them I overheard them talking about crocodiles in the pool. When I got in I swam down to the deep end and shouted, "Aaahhh, crocodiles!" and quickly swam back towards the kids. Trinity started to get out and then saw the smile on my face and realized I was just playing; Eli didn't hesitate at all, he said, "I'll save you, Mommy!" As soon as I got close enough to him, he jumped into my arms, waved his magic wand, said a few magic words, and cast the crocodiles away from me.

How I love the imaginations of children, and being a mom...it keeps me young and childlike!

The Sounds of Blessings

So, last week my mom, sister, Jessica, and her kids descended upon our humble home for two nights for our county fair. The first night they were here was absolute chaos...a fun, joyful, laughing chaos consisting of cousins who haven't seen each other in a while running around the yard, in the house, giggling and laughing- it was music of the best kind! That same night my oldest brother, Jerid, his wife, Karen, and their daughter, Audrey, also stopped through that night on their way to Colorado. Our home was full of life- my heart was so full and happy just looking around and listening! My nephew Zach asked if they could build a house here! What a great idea, Zach!

My sister and her kids left and my mom has been here for the past week helping me- watching the kids for me so I could work in my classroom getting ready for school to start; she's helped cooked, folded laundry, played, loved, & hugged on the kids- it has been a true absolute joy having her here! I keep trying to convince her to move to Weskan...it hasn't worked yet, but I can be persistent! It's nice to be an adult and have a deeper relationship with Mom- she is an amazing, big-hearted woman!

My daddy came Thursday to stay for the weekend and take Mom and Audrey back home. Plus, to top off my already piled high cake of blessings, one of my very best friends, Belinda, came too!! We have talked and talked and worked on catching up...but, with her, no matter how long it has been since we've seen each other, it's not really catching up- it's picking up right where we left off. It has been an incredible time this past week- spending so much time with family and friends.

I think God was reminding me how much He loves me...not that I've forgotten, but it's nice to be reminded! Being surrounded by family and friends who know me so well...a blessing that is hard to be described adequately in words...it's been the sounds of blessings that I've heart...the sound of my son giggling in the pool when Papa is twirling him around; the whispers of plans being made by two cousins; the sound of stirring as Mom makes her mouth-watering zucchini cake; the gentle breaths of four kids exhausted from a day's play; the laughter of lifelong friends; the conversation between mother and daughter...

and tomorrow morning they leave...yet the blessings will remain in my heart.

Other Happenings

Eli had to have hernia surgery...he wasn't too excited about it...

Heading home after surgery- Eli did great and was snuggling with his new animal, Spotty!

Sweet nieces- all dressed up for the wedding! (Danica, Blakely, Jordyn, Brylee)

Aaron and several friends have been working on pouring a patio for us...Eli sat and watched them work for a long time.

Rainy-day Play!

Gabe & Jenna's Wedding

Our nephew, Gabe, got married to a wonderful young woman, Jenna, the first weekend in June. Trinity was the flower girl.

Daddy & Eli all dressed up!
yummy- cake!

Finally- the dancing started! Brennan and Trinity danced and danced together!

And Addi and Eli shook their booties together!