Desperately Seeking Shelly

2012-01-31T16:43:00.000-08:00

Maeve and I started lessons on the letter B today-and she really surprised me about how much she already knew! We worked on number order 1-20, no problem, alphabet upper case/lower case identification, no problem, letter tracing, no problem, sounding out words, no problem and coloring, HUGE problem. Maeve is the worst color-er ever. Ha.

I feel like she could have some small motor-issues that hopefully we can work through in the time she has before kindergarten. She is a VERY willing and excited student and it was a ton of fun to work with her.

A few pictures of our morning--

letter tracing

Maeve's favorite activity--number clothespin matching

Ezra is a bit letter obsessed and worked on his favorite puzzle.

Cheese! =) Love it--even though it's blurry! =)

We are working on this cute B is for Ballerina pack.

After a few hours of work she didn't want to stop! Luckily we were invited to spend time with our friends and that distracted her from wanting more projects.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day and after school we walked to the park and played for a bit.
This is the best January ever!!!
Not much else is new-just looking forward to next week and much more time with my husband!! =)

2012-01-30T16:14:00.000-08:00

It always seems a whirlwind when my husband is away working a lot and I am home with my precious ones. They are always good and a lot of fun but it wears. me. out. to be the one that is *on* all day. They really do keep me laughing though--so thankful for my children!

Anyways--a few tidbits from today--

*I read this article and it was the singly most convicting, discouraging, encouraging thing I've ever read. Oh, and for an example of column A, I just need to look in the mirror, To a T. I'm such a works-based-perfectionist it makes me sick. I need to make more room for grace and MUCH less room for pride in my heart.

* I've decided to structure our days a little more...again...I decide this frequently and fall off the wagon. Let's see if it sticks this time--Maeve and I are going to work though this easy-peasey-fun curriculum . I think Ezra will enjoy many of these activities too--it will be fun and different. Maybe I'll take pictures. =)

* Downton Abbey last night?! Can't even talk about it. The show is beautiful--if you aren't watching you should--so much emotion--so little said--seriously---LOVE. Watch it here.

*My husband has just gotten home and helped me tuck the wee ones in bed so I'm going to hop off. Phew, just a few more days of madness till he's back home again at night!!!

2012-01-25T15:19:00.000-08:00

We are still chugging along here--more long nights with no Daddy--luckily the kiddos have been precious. =)

I spent the afternoon catching up on my Beth Moore Study (the last week of When Godly People Do Ungodly Things). The reading this week is geared towards people who have made mistakes/fallen into sinful patterns and encourages us to embrace the freedom of forgiveness.

My favorite portion today,

"A guilty conscience that precedes sincere repentance is the conviction of the Holy Spirit. A guilty conscience following sincere repentance is condemnation and that is not coming from God."

It's so easy to fall back into bad patterns of behavior because we (I) feel defeated. But in forgiveness we have victory because HIS forgiveness is Complete. We can't earn our way into God's good graces--His grace is enough.

More than enough.

John 8:36

"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

It was a timely message for me today--so thankful for the Word.

*****

In other news, it's still unseasonably warm here and I was able to enjoy a run today (YAY!) and we had some outdoor playtime as well. Ezra was a little sad and quiet (he misses Daddy =( ) but we still had fun.

Some pictures of my favorites:

2012-01-24T16:38:00.000-08:00

Life lately has been equal parts

lovely

and

lonely

and

exhausting.

My husband is extremely busy and I've been a bit overwhelmed as the amount of time I'm on my own far outweighs togetherness-time.

*frowny face*

We have spent some lovely mornings with friends and that has been a great encouragement--and today--it was bright and warm out and so I took the littles on a very long walk and felt much better for all the fresh air and sunshine.

And now, it's quiet.

The kiddos all fell instantly asleep.

And so, I think I'll treat myself to a new book (kindle = love) and a cozy night on the couch.

It's lovely--even though it's a bit lonely.

Window(s) Shopping: The Children's Place

2012-01-23T05:20:00.000-08:00

I <3 spring dresses!

This Week...

2012-01-19T16:19:00.000-08:00

Our backyard was invaded by hundreds of scary screeching black birds:

I found a recipe for homemade Thin Mints (baking now--woot!)

Worked furiously to catch up on our Bible study--

Decided I'm going to save up my Christmas gift cards (even though they are burning a hole in my pocket!!!) and combine it with my birthday coming up in a few weeks to get one of these:

We've also had playdates that I forgot to take pictures of....=)

And celebrated Maeve's last day of preschool for the semester--and especially celebrated not having to drag Ezra up and down 10 flights up steps kicking and screaming twice a week to get her there.

Woot. =)

Happy Thursday!

2012-01-17T04:39:00.000-08:00

My husband has been extremely (x 1,000,000) busy lately and so I've been a terrible blogger. He was out a few nights last week and THE ENTIRE LONG WEEKEND.

It was stupid.

I love him so much and am so thankful that he is such a hard worker AND that he has lots of extra work but it was killing me that we couldn't enjoy the long weekend together!

Thankfully, the kids were extremely well behaved.

I was not. =)

I'm so whiny.

I'll have a chance to practice my not-whining this week when he's out working late again.

Bah. Humbug! =)

In other news, I took the littles to Fridays yesterday because I NEEDED TO GET OUT. My long-suffering friend and her boy joined us and the kiddos surprised me by being perfect. It was a much needed time out and made the rest of the extremely longggggg day easier. We also went to Target on a gift-card-shopping spree. The kids made out better than me because the toys were 70% off. I got a pair of socks.

It seemed exciting at the time. =)

So....life will be crazy the next few weeks with my husband's new show coming up and I will try my best to stay level-headed and happy and thankful.

2012-01-11T06:09:00.000-08:00

Things are finally getting back to normal-ish around here! Ezra is off the steroids and acting MUCH more normal and happy. I forgot how much I liked him because the meds sure did make him CRAZY!! =) Poor guy! I'm thrilled he's feeling better! We even got out for a playdate with friends yesterday and I went to exercise class at night! It felt great to be getting back into the swing of things!

In other news, a series I LOVE on PBS just started back up on Sunday--Downton Abbey.

The cast = amazing

The story = engrossing

The costumes = fabulous

The acting = phenomenal

It is an absolutely stellar series and worth checking out! You can even stream episodes from PBS.org! Witty, clever, beautiful--everything a show should be. Hands down the most wonderful series on tv!

Anyways, =) Maeve is back to preschool today and I have yet to figure out how I'm going to entertain Ezra.

2012-01-10T05:17:00.000-08:00

My girls' favorite game of the moment?

Jumping Off The Couch!

Angsty

2012-01-09T05:15:00.000-08:00

My poor Ezra boy, although he's been feeling better, has not been himself. He's on steroids to improve his breathing/decrease asthma symptoms and he has been

off. the. wall.

5 days of INSANITY! =)

The first day was the worst--he just kept running around screaming/crying/hanging on me--it was sooo sad!

He was CRAZY! He progressively got better each day but is still VERY emotional--like a little baby manic-depressive. I'm so happy today is his last day of steroids! Hopefully he'll be more himself once they wear off. Poor guy! The other day he was playing with his blocks and everything was so tragic--I had to take pictures.

To sum it up:

SnowyDay

2012-01-06T05:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we woke up to our first snow! It's all fun and magical...for about 5 minutes...and then your gloves get wet and you. are. done. Well, at least that's *my* opinion of snow. Other than that snow is acceptable at the following times:

1. Christmas/Christmas Eve

2. When it produces a snow day

3. See 1 or 2

Otherwise I'm not a huge fan--although, any reason to stay home and hibernate does make me happy! =) Also, the snow was gone by lunch which was awesome. Here are the kiddos outside in it:

Window(s) Shopping: Valentine's Day

2012-01-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

Playing Catch Up

2012-01-05T06:05:00.000-08:00

On Christmas the kids caught another cold and so we were down and out most of last week and this week. And of course, because they are so thoughtful, they shared it with me! =) I ended up with just a mild case of the sniffles and a raging ear infection. Woot. I'm all medicated and feeling better now but Ezra's cold was just not letting go so he had to go in to the Doctors yesterday. He ended up with ear infection/sinus infection, and wheezy little asthma lungs. So he's on antibiotics and TWO kinds of steroids. Wow. Can you say *BABY 'Roid Rage?!* =) Oh well, so glad he's in good spirits though! In order to get Ezra to stay still for his inhaled breathing treatments (which can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes) we've been finding fun You Tube videos for him to watch. We started out with Old School Sesame Street but have progressed to some new kooky ones. The kids love dancing along to them (Maeve doing her blind girl dancing =)!

And for your listening pleasure--our favorite--the Letter Z Song:

I have a few more posts I'm working on--I still haven't even LOOKED at Christmas pictures no less edited them! AHHHH And we had our first snow today so the kiddos went out and played! AND we painted the toy room again (third time is a charm?!)....I'm so behind on blogging! =)

Le Sigh 2012! Le. Sigh.

2012-01-01T10:23:00.000-08:00

2011 went so quickly

(except for November and the 7weeksickness which shall forevermore be blotted from my mind Amen)

my baby finished Kindergarten and started 1st grade

my middle baby started preschool

my little baby started talking in sentences and became obsessed with all letters and numbers

my husband had many extra hours of piano lessons and extra opera-gigs in Philly

and i spent a lot of time maintaining the aforementioned people and their home =)

years never went so quickly before i had children

(yet, days never felt so long either =)

i am thankful for another year here

with them

supporting them on their adventures

and wondering when i might have one of my own. =)

Happy Birthday Amelie Rose!

2011-12-30T16:53:00.000-08:00

My sweet big girl is *7* today! I can't believe it! She's starting to get old enough that it feels less like we're counting up and more like we're counting down to her growing into an adult! She has changed so much over the year and has become so confident! She is a vastly proficient reader, loves math so much she does problems in her head when she is bored (must get that from her father!!=), is taking piano lessons, is the best big sister/helper ever and is super funny and fun. I love her and watching her grow up is like a present for me everyday! It's kind of amazing how awesome she is. =)

She had a big week this week--with Christmas, and on Monday a trip to see The Nutcracker in Philly with Granny and Pop (so special, so amazing! too bad she was coming down with a cold =( . On Wednesday she had a fun birthday party at Bounce U with her little friends! And tonight our family came over for some birthday celebrating! When it was all over she said, "Now there is nothing fun leftover and life is going to be plain." =) I think the trick to growing up is learning to appreciate all of the plain times, but that's a lesson that can be learned another day. I'm still failing at taking lots of pictures lately--but here's a couple I got today =)

Happy Happy Birthday Darling Girl!!

2011-12-25T05:31:00.000-08:00

Merrrrrryyyy Christmas!

2011-12-24T14:04:00.000-08:00

From our family to yours, God bless you on Christmas and everyday in the year to come!

2011-12-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

Today was our last full day before Christmas break! YAY!!!! Can't wait to have Amelie and my husband home for the next week! They just have a half day tomorrow! Maevey had a little friend over today and we had a very fun morning.We played play doh:

Had a tea party (note Ezra's bad manners!)

Ate a snack:

Made and Frosted Christmas Cookies:

And played toys:

It was a lot of fun!

Other than that, we had a peaceful afternoon and now my husband is up in the toy room with the kiddos and I am downstairs where it is quiet. =)

A Very Wonderful Christmas

2011-12-21T05:01:00.000-08:00

On Sunday (after the girls' super cute Christmas Program--Ezra refused to stand on stage and missed his moment of shining glory =) we had our Weber Family Christmas Gathering! We always look forward to spending time with our NJ family!! There was tons of food, tons of kids and presents from Santa! I didn't get pictures of everyone since it's always a little crazy keeping track of everyone! =) Here's a few that I did get--Santa-Pop!

Misc. children looking at presents. And my husband. =)

The cutest 10-pack of cousins ever!

The four brothers that strated it all--and yes, this is the *best* picture I could get of them! And yes, this photo says a lot about their personalities and yes-my husband is very well behaved. =)

Cousin-Recovery-Time watching Wonder Pets In Granny and Pop's bed. =)

Yay for family time!

Sunday School Christmas Program!

2011-12-18T09:44:00.000-08:00

BusyBusyDay

2011-12-17T15:53:00.000-08:00

Today is my precious husband's birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HIM!

It wasn't a very celebrate-y day....he had christmas cantata practice at church this morning followed by a night out in Philly playing piano for his most recent opera company production.

boo. that.

(although yay for extra work!)

I've missed him so much this week--he's been gone A LOT lately.

One more concert tomorrow and done for a few weeks. WOOT!

In other news, the kiddos and I spent the morning at Granny's, with the cousins, making Christmas cookies!

Here's the crew!

Maeve and Amelie's "candy cane cookies"

Cookie making is exhausting =)

So the little cousins spent some time relaxing in Granny and Pop's bed (watching a movie).

Thanks for a fun morning Granny!

2011-12-15T15:23:00.000-08:00

Not only was Ezra's 2yr well check scheduled late--so was Maeve's 4yo check! =) She's getting to be such a big girl I can hardly stand it--and with her going to pre-k next year I can't pretend she's a baby any more! Boo. That. Anyways she was 31 pounds (5th%) and 36 inches (5th%)--this is SMALLER than Amelie was at 3. Ahem. Comparing them is like apples and oranges even though they came from the same tree! HA! But still, I do compare them at times--I can't help it! I was concerned about Maeve's development beause

a) she is a toe walker

b) she holds a pencil very strangely

c)colors about as well as Ezra

I was worried that there was something wrong with her motor skills possibly so I brought it up with the doctor who said I was crazy and she was fine. That not being good enough, I also talked with my friends who told me their kiddos who are a little older than Maeve struggled with the pencil hold too so I felt MUCH better. I can't remember where Amelie was at this age-but I KNOW she held a pencil and colored better.

So..I started working with Maeve--tracing lines, and on her pencil hold and she has made a lot of progress in just a couple of weeks. She is much more confident with her writing and is even attempting her name which is wonderful! I don't expect her to be writing paragraphs--I just want her to be able to hold a pencil with confidence and be able to trace lines. We are getting there. Woot. Otherwise she is doing really well! The temper tantrums she was throwing last month have subsided and she is back to her normal fun loving silly self.

I love my little Maevey-girl! She's such a joy and the perfect little playmate for Amelie and Ezra.

Number Boy!

2011-12-13T14:52:00.000-08:00

So I'm *finally* taking a few pictures here and there--hooray! It's harder to get the camera out when it's chilly outside--luckily my kitchen has pretty good light so we've solved the cold problem! =)

My sweet baby E had his 2 yo well check (28 pounds 31 inches 30% height, 50% weight oy) last week (Mama was a little late scheduling his appointment =). He was TERRIFIED of the doctor's office (must remember his flu shot) until we got into the little room and he saw the letters painted all over the walls--then he felt right at home.

Because Ezra has an obsession.

Well, an obsession besides this one, he is OBSESSED with letters and numbers.

One day after he turned two Ezra picked out a book from the book box and brought it over to me. He opened it to the numbers page and started identifying all the numbers (in and out of order). He *knew* and correctly identified all the numbers 1-10 even though we had never quizzed him or shown him that page in that book before. It was weird and surprising and pretty cool! And then....

...the next night we were at Applebees (surprising! NOT!!) and he was coloring the children's menu when he started correctly identifying the letters on the front of the book! I couldn't believe it! I'm not a flash card/sit down and quiz the children type of mom so it REALLY took me by surprise. So now, whenever Maeve sits down to work on her writing skills (different story, different day) instead of coloring he yells at me until I write all of the alphabet/numbers on a sheet of paper so he can say them all to me!

I think he's pretty amazing.

Also handsome.

Also a baby genius.

Obviously. =) HA!

Weekend Concert Update

2011-12-12T05:39:00.000-08:00

'Tis the busy season at the Wonderful household! My husband always has 9,000,000 commitments and concerts and now Amelie and Maeve have concerts too! Friday night Amelie had her school concert and it was lovely! The kids did a great job singing and the songs were a lot of fun. Amelie is always right on top of the motions and kept her eyes on the director at all times. She loves singing!

I didn't take too many pictures (since we're going to buy the dvd =) but here's a shot of half of the elementary choir:

Saturday was a day full of errands and playing catch up. Sunday I kept the kids home from church because I am presently TERRIFIED OF ALL GERMS. Gah. I just need a week to not have sick kids or sick me. Hopefully. =)

Sunday night was Amelie and Maeve's Church Christmas program. Maeve was so excited for her concert and was pretty sure she was going to be able to sing her own original composition entitled: Cookies (I'm a little cookie, cooking in the dark, take a bite I'm yumm....etc). =) She was disappointed when she learned she could only sing the songs the choirs were singing. HA!

Gospel Bells (tune of jingle bells)

J*E*S*U*S* (tune of bingo)

Amelie was part of the big kids production and had lines to say and sung in two trios and had a big solo at the end. She did a great job and was very confident on stage.

Part of the kids choir:

It was so much fun to see how much fun Amelie had! I used to love performing in the kids choir at church--she came home and said--"I want to sing a solo every day!" HA! Out. Of. Control. At least I know we don't have to worry about stage fright with Amelie! HA! It was a great weekend with our little family! Thank goodness--because we have a longggggggg week ahead--my husband has two dress rehearsals in Philly for the show he is playing for and two concerts for school. I'm totally bummed because I'm pretty sure I won't be able to go to his high school concert, which is pretty much my favorite thing to do. Boo. Oh well--we will survive! =)

Happy Monday!

2011-12-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

I fully intended to write an Ezra-bloggy-2-year-old-guy update on Monday but the day came and went...and then Monday night brought with it another round (!!!!) of the sickies. So, Amelie was off to the doctor and we had her home yesterday and today. Gah. She is doing well and goes back to school tomorrow but my brain literally exploded when I realized she was sick. I can't take any more! Makes me want to pack up my kiddies and hibernate until SPRING!

Oh well! Hopefully we are really on the upswing this time as we have a lot of special fun stuff coming up! Amelie's Christmas Concert! Amelie's Church Christmas Concert! Etc! And so on!

I enjoyed having Amelie home--we had fun together even though she was upset about missing school!

So anyways, hopefully I'll get a chance to have an Ezra photo shoot so I can post a proper update! =)
Happy Wednesday!

2011-12-04T06:43:00.000-08:00

Well--it's been another eventful couple of days in the Wonderful household! Just as Mama is on the mend from 4 weeks of bronchitis Maeve came down with a fever thursday night--I thought it was due to the shots she rec. at her well-check this week (the doctor said to expect a little fever) but then...

the UNTHINKABLE happend.

Stomach. Virus.

WAHHHHHHH

Ezra and I soon followed suit and it was not good. Luckily the kids fared much better than me. Also, I know now for a fact that the stomach virus is preferable to not breathing. You know, just in case you were wondering.

Still horrible but not as scary. =)

The kids bounced back in just a few hours and then the UNTHINKABLE happened again.

Ezra woke up in the middle of the night BURNING up with fever. I hate that! There is nothing worse than a BBQ baby! So we put him in lighter layers and cooled his forehead with a wet cloth and gave him some tylenol. He's still fevery this morning but luckily that is his only symptom and he is happy and playing. Of course, he's sick right in time for his WELL-check tomorrow! =)

Anyways, that's us right now! I think a plague is upon us! =)

We are NEVER sick and have NEVER had this much sickness in such a short span of time. Usually one cold a year for each of my kiddos. I guess we're going for a record this year! HA!

In other news.... My Ezra guy has decided he is a grown up and doesn't want to sit booster seat anymore! So voila! Big Boy in a big boy high chair. He even prefers big boy cups without lids. Oh my. *tear*

I have to write a post about Ezra--he's kind of a baby-super-genius. Well, not super-genius but an extra-smart-guy. He's learned lots of new tricks in the months since turning 2!!

But fever-baby needs a hug so I'll write about him genius-ness later. =)

Happy Sunday!

2011-12-02T10:02:00.000-08:00

My lovely little Maeve always keeps me laughing and the other day she said something that *REALLY* had me rolling! She must be learning about size comparisons in school....

She help up 3 items of different sizes and said,

"Mommy--which one is Big, which one is Very Medium and which is Too Short To Ride The Rollercoaster?"

bwhahahhaha I think everyone should refer to small/smallest as too short to ride the rollercoaster! HA!

Wednesday Snippets

2011-11-30T14:34:00.000-08:00

Maeve had preschool today for the first time in WEEKS so I was excited for the chance to get a few errands done with just one kiddo around! =)

After we dropped her we headed to Picture People to pick up our family pictures (that we took on Friday) only to be told that their printers have been broken for over a week and our prints still weren't done (even though they were promised on Saturday). Gah. I ended up getting some free prints out of the deal but I would have liked to get my pictures! =)

Ezra was a little monster-y while we were out--he has started the full toddler melt down (scream, limp like a noodle) when he doesn't get his way. Maeve never really went through this phase so I'm a bit out of practice at scrapping children off the ground! Ha! Oh well.

They ended up being super tired and taking long/early/awesome naps (again, woot) so I rewarded myself by making this delicious-ness:

And just cause I like you so much--here's the recipe for super easy Chocolate Mousse:

1/4 c chocolate chips

1 tblsp milk

1/2 c heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 tblsp sugar

1 egg yolk (lightly beaten)

**mix chocolate chips/milk in heavy saucepan and melt on low

**once melted add a little to egg yolk and mix and then transfer back to the pot, cook for 2-ish minutes until a little thicker and combined

**when finished cool

**mix cream with sugar and vanilla into whipped cream and stir into cooled chocolate mixture

This was seriously amazing and delicious for 5 minutes worth of effort--and yes, it took that long with the cooling b/c I just stuck it in the freezer for a minute.

Anyways =) It's another Mr.Wonderful-is-working night so the kiddos and I are going to watch a movie. =)

Happy Wednesday!

Baby Gap Window(s) Shopping

2011-11-29T16:17:00.000-08:00

I was looking at Gap today---LOVE these and seriously, if they made these shoes/clothes in my sizes and not just kid size I would totally wear them! The shoes--seriously? TDF!

2011-11-29T16:16:00.000-08:00

I have been a big picture-taking-fail lately. I need to get my camera out and start snapping again--but honestly, I've been pretty content with the whole "being able to live like a normal person" again thing that pictures have fallen by the wayside. =)

Maeve had her 4yo check up today (better late than never!) and she is:

31 pounds

37.5 inches tall

=5th %

When Amelie was *3* she was 36 inches tall and 36 pounds--that makes me laugh! God makes each of us so different--even two sisters from the same family!

Maeve did well at the office but had a bit of a breakdown when she found out there was going to be shots. Poor lamb!

I took the littles to chick fil a for an impromptu reward lunch for suffering through the Drs and they had fun climbing and playing and wore themselves out and took great naps!! Woot!

I had enough time to

a) make cookies

b)nap

c)watch a tv show

WHAT?!?!

It. Was. Awesome.

I feel pretty good today too which is super exciting! Only a little lung weirdness and an almost normal energy level! Thank you Lord!!

The kids were super funny and sweet today--my heart feels warm and fuzzy---even warmer and fuzzier now that I've just tucked them into bed! =)

Hope your Tuesday was as happy as mine! =)

2011-11-28T15:08:00.000-08:00

Well--we're back to our normal routine and it wasn't as painful as I thought it would be! =)

We were lucky enough to have a playdate/lunch date with our buddies today--and I was surprised at how exhausted I felt/feel still! We had a wonderful time (even though Ezra has definitely hit some sort of terrible-twos-wall =) OH MY!!!) and are so thankful for the delightful company of our pals!!!

I tried to rest this afternoon (Maeve AND Ezra napped--that was epic, it never happens anymore). But I couldn't rest--stinkin' asthma meds hype me up and wipe me out at the same time.

I am breathing much easier but still having problems--if you think of it say a prayer for me! I'm back to the asthma specialist on Friday and hoping for improvement/answers/both.

In other news the weather was absolutely phenomonal today!! I had the windows open (Hello November 28?!?) and took the kids outside for a while after nap--heavenly! I wish winter stayed like this alllllll the time! =)

Not much else is new--Mr. Wonderful is back to his late-night-opera grind and the kiddos and I are hanging out. I moved the slide into the living room and that was a big hit! Thank goodness for fun toys! Happy Monday!

Like A Broken Record...

2011-11-25T04:40:00.000-08:00

...I keep talking about how sick I am/was/were but I can't help it!! =)

I couldn't do anything normal--like

laundry

or dishes

or pick up Ezra and Maeve

I didn't have strength to check email

or facebook

(then you KNOW it's serious =)

I couldn't carry the kids, or tuck them into bed b/c when I reached the top of the stairs I would be so exhausted that I had to immediately go to bed myself and lie down and catch my breath.

(even though I was RUNNING 10 miles a week just before a I got sick!)

So I sat on the couch and just watched my family-life go by and tried to focus on each new breath.

So...I wrote this because--

If you have the strength to do dishes--

PRAISE THE LORD!

If you have the energy to clean your bathroom and fold your laundry--

PRAISE THE LORD!

If you can pick up your sweet children and whisper into their ears and carry them up to bed and tuck them in--

PRAISE THE LORD!

also shout--

Hallelujah!!

Those things are gifts--the little kinds you don't think about--until you can't do them and you watch your Mama and your beloved husband and your precious MIL do them for you because you can't take care of your own family.

I am so thankful to be feeling mostly normal again, and that even when I wasn't, I had wonderful people to support me!

The end-
-and I'll try not to talk about it anymore. =)

Thankful

2011-11-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

So thankful today, and every day for the many blessings the Lord has placed in our lives! A list, for you, to name a few!

1. So thankful for our Jersey family and that we got to have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with them--what a blessing to have family near and far!

2. Thankful to be feeling better and breathing and walking and living again. Thank you Jesus!!!!

3. Thankful for kind doctors and good medicine!

4. For my husband who has done MORE than his share of house/family/child duties this week as I've been unable to do the most basic things. =( He has shown me Christ-like love in such a real way during our marriage. Love him.

5. For my Mom and MIL who have taken extraordinarily good care of me and my family this week. They are amazing!

6. For my dear friends who wrote me and texted me and encouraged me with their thoughts and prayers--I really needed you this week--thank you for being there for me!

7. For the beautiful, mild weather we've been having.

8. For my beautiful children--

9. And that Amelie got to enjoy the NY thanksgiving I had hoped to--she is such a wonderful girl, I miss her!!!

10. For my Maeve who is sunshine and silliness!

11. For my Ezra who is Mommy's little guy and the kindest little gentleman you ever met!

12. For my Dad and FIL who always support us.

13. And thankful for my NY family who I miss dearly--especially my little nephew who I wish I got to spend more time with!

14. For our home--which is safe and warm-ish, and comfortable and peaceful and lovely.

15. For the great big trees in our yard and the giant piles of yellow leaves for my children to jump into.

16. For our town & country--for freedom and peace!

17. For warm fuzzy socks, cardigans, knee-high socks, fur-lined boots, cozy blankets, chunky sweaters and fleece sweat pants. =)

18. For mocha-creamer and peanut butter straight out of the jar, and pixy sticks and pepsi. =)

19. For Salvation by Grace--that I don't have to do anything, or be good, or earn my eternity in Heaven--Jesus did ALL the work for me and has given me the gift of salvation freely even though I do not deserve it. Amazing. Even more amazing? He offers it to everyone and anyone and all you have to do is believe. Best. Gift. Ever.

20. For the promise of eternity in Heaven and a chance to see my precious babes who are there waiting for me, along with my brother and my Grandma who I miss all the time.

Thank you Lord for these blessing!!!

And happy thanksgiving to you all!

2011-11-23T07:29:00.000-08:00

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

Courtesy of lyricshall.com
'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

2011-11-23T06:54:00.000-08:00

I have had many quiet moments of waiting, and worrying and wondering over the past 2 weeks.

And I think these are the lessons the Lord is working on teaching me:

1. Rejoice Always. Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

2. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:5

3. Nothing reaches me or my life that hasn't been placed there by the Lord for a reason--For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer. 29:11

***

I find it "ironic" that I am struggling so desperately with health and being thankful the week of Thanksgiving--a friend posted a great article on having an attitude of Thanksgiving--my favorite paragraph came towards the end--in regards to what you ought to tell someone who is struggling--

"The world, Satan, and my own sinful heart are oriented away from thanksgiving.

The best way to help someone like me is to point me to Jesus.

Remind me who Jesus is and what he has done.

Remind me that he has taken care of my greatest problem,

which is my own sin, and that he is sovereign over everything else I could ever face."

***

So I am going to work on having a heart full of thanksgiving--even though this Thanksgiving week is FAR from what I had looked forward to/envisioned. And even though my sweet Amelie isn't home (well, she's home in NY just not with me) I still have A LOT to be thankful for and I choose to focus on that in the midst of this current storm.

***

My most important number 1 thanks that outshines all the other things I am thankful for?

Salvation. My hope, my future and my life are secure in Christ--He completed all the work necessary to save my soul and I can rest in Him and His promises.

***

Speaking of storms--

Ezra and Maeve outside playing in the rain this morning---poor Ezra wearing girl boots/coat. I guess what he doesn't know won't hurt him! =)

And also in the "storm" category--if you think of it, please pray for my Maeve--she is going through some"thing" and has been extraordinarily um....terrible? These two weeks. I'm sure she's reacting to the stress of my sickness and the turbulence of me being in and out of the house and at the doctors--her little heart is so full of disobedience it makes me sad. She usually is so lovely--poor lamb.

Anyways, that's it.

I am going to work on a heart full of Thanksgiving!

DoWnHiLl and Up Again--A Rambl-ey Update

2011-11-20T07:53:00.000-08:00

Last I wrote I was getting better--unfortunately my health took a turn for the worse on Thursday and I spent a few very long days hardly able to breathe.

I can't remember a time when I've been more scared.

I've had asthma all my life--but it only acts up if I get a really bad cold--every other year or so I get one and have a bad week of it--then nothing! I'm fairly certain my primary care doctor was trying to kill me--I've never been so under-treated/poorly-medicated in my life! I am beyond thankful that they got me in to see an Allergist/Asthma specialist or I would have wound up in the hospital this weekend.

Big. Sad. Face.

I can't describe how impossible it was to breathe and how scared and terrible I felt Thurs/Fri. I'm still not 100% and it's killing me that I probably won't be able to get home for Thanksmas this year. It's my favorite holiday tradition and the girls are SO excited about it.

I can't express how THANKFUL I am that my Mom came down to help me. I wouldn't have been able to make it through without her here--something about having your Mom makes everything better even if everything isn't better! I also had a ton of help from my precious in-laws and am so thankful for them--I am so blessed to have them so close by and SO willing to go above and beyond to help me and care for my family!

Hopefully each day will bring improvement in how I'm feeling.

Cause honestly...it's been pretty much the worst. thing. ever.

For those of you who prayed/are praying for me--I appreciate it more than you know!

2011-11-16T16:00:00.000-08:00

It's been another long week here--full of Doctor visits and unanswered questions and allergic reactions and lots of stress for me.

Boo that.

I woke up this morning starting to feel almost normal-yay! But am still having a lot breathing problems. An x-ray today cleared up a pneumonia scare and I am on a new meds. regimen that will hopefully clear my lungs up and get me back to normal!!!

Normal will be awesome.

I can't wait!!

Anyways, we've just been laying low--but I did get some pictures of my kiddos this weekend for our Christmas card! =) I love these kids--they are so stinkin' cute and still love their Mama even when she has the 'roid rage.

Window(s) Shopping--Gymboree's New Line = LOVE

2011-11-14T05:23:00.000-08:00

2011-11-12T15:45:00.000-08:00

what a long week

i'm so sick

sick

it's very draining to have the never-ending-coughing and the difficulty-breathing for days on end

i'm worn down and tired and this week ahead is an extremely busy one for my husband

if you think of it, say a prayer for me-

-i'm going to need all of the help i can get!

the longest week there ever was...

2011-11-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

i have been sick alllll week

and sicker every day than the day before

and finally sick and tired of being sick and tired so i went to the doctor

the verdict:

bronchitis.

i usually get sick once a winter and hopefully this is it for me!

so much coughing--my head and my ears and my brain and my throat and my sides and my shoulders and everything hurts from the coughing that never ends

mostly my weak-little-asthma-lungs just get angry and can't calm down and be normal

but now there is lots of medicine and that should help

i haven't slept more than a few hours in days.

my eyeballs hurt.

lucky for me, my darling husband stayed home and helped me as i was helpless.

i kept trying to convince maeve that i was sick and she would say, "well, mama--i don't have the right outfit to be a doctor for you so you're going to have to go find one."

my mother in law brought my favorite dinner tonight and helped put the kids to bed--what a blessing!

i bought a ginormous bag of pixy sticks at CVS when i filled my prescriptions (halloween candy =90% off! woot) and i can't stop eating them. i doubt this is helping me--but after the week i've had it can't be hurting that much. =)

i haven't run since saturday--this is the longest break from running i've had since i started over 6 months ago--i'm worried that it will be hard to start up again--but i really miss it so i will press on.

this was random--i know.

blame it on the meds. =)

good night!

Moody Monday Night

2011-11-07T16:49:00.000-08:00

i'm just sitting here...

listening to pandora (christmas music obvi)...

enjoying the quietness of children in bed

and twinkly lights wrapped around the faux wood i found in my basement for my faux fireplace

oh yes, and making a garland for said fireplace...

it's gonna be super cute

unlike the day i had

read: opposite of cute

(i.e. worst day ever)

me = sick, grumpy kids, stupid time change, cough, hack, wah and so on

but right now it's all behind me
and tomorrow will be a fresh start

2011-11-06T14:22:00.000-08:00

I had visions today of taking all three kids somewhere for a photo shoot for our Christmas cards--unfortunately the time change and Ezra's cough had other plans! My little guy was up at 4:30 (yawn) and only ended up taking a very short nap today. He was coughing a bit more so I took him to the doctor--they think he may have a sinus infection so he'll be medicated and hopefully 100% soon!!

I did get to take some pictures of my sweet girls before they headed out the door to church!

Hopefully we all get more sleep tonight! I need it!! Stupid time change. =) Happy Sunday!

2011-11-05T15:16:00.000-07:00

The heat is on...

The leaves are changing and falling.

I'm drinking hot chocolate with alarming frequency.

The air is chilly and refreshing...

(happy happy running weather!)

And my new fleece pants arrived from Old Navy:

(so cozy, so warm)

Happy. =)

Now I want a fleece hoody...

and a flannel shirt

to complete the warm-ness. =)

*****

In other news--Ezra caught a cold a bit over a week ago and the cold has gone, but since he has wheezing issues he has rattly little lungs.

Poor guy!!

He is playing and happy but has to have breathing treatments a few times a day--he just sits there like a big boy, reading a book and when it's over proclaims, "All done!"

I love him so!

Tonight the clocks fall back--I wonder if the children will be cooperative? We're keeping them up an hour in hopes that we'll get to sleep until a semi-normal time.

*fingers crossed*

Happy Saturday! =)

2011-11-02T15:29:00.000-07:00

We had a peaceful day--Maeve had preschool and Ezra and I just hung out--first we took a nice long walk around town.

1. I love our little town!

2. It was peaceful and lovely--the birds were singing and the leaves were gorgeous!

3. Ezra walks so sweetly--holding my hand and ooooo-ing and ahh-ing over everything he sees.

He was obsessed with his shadow today--I don't think he's ever noticed it before! He kept poking it and laughing. =) Here are our walking shadows!

One of our neighbors has a mini-excavator and that is Ezra's absolute favorite stop. He is in love with trucks and what-not.

We also spent some time outside--raking and playing in the leaves. =)

My husband is super busy this week and for the rest of forever. Boo. I'm so thankful that he is such a hard worker but I miss him and being able to watch his shows etc.

Le sigh.

My Amelie is wow-ing the littles with her Wii skills--time for me to cuddle them on the couch before bed!

Good night! =)

2011-11-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

My precious little guy turned two today.

I am still totally in denial and was so busy all day I haven't even had time to think about it.

(until now--SOB!)

He's so wonderful--and gets better every single day--I'm so thankful for my Ezra-boy!!

His little friends and their mamas came over to celebrate the big *2*!

The boys all played so nicely! It just blessed my heart to see such great little guys playing together--they were so funny--so much happy! Thanks for coming friends--it was perfect!!

Some of the little dudes eating cupcakes/pizza:

PJ + Cupcake = Match Made In Heaven =)

Ezra loved all of his birthday toys sooo much that he just had to sit in the middle of them. =)

I am so thankful for my son! He is just sweetness and joy (mostly =).

Love. Him.

Happy birthday my darling Ezra! You are my favorite little guy!!

2011-10-31T17:15:00.000-07:00

What a longgggg day!

Ezra was up for good at 3:30AM and so was I! Boo! He was actually very happy and played well but I was sooo tired. He took a good mid-day nap but Maeve was up and I was waiting for the electrician to come (no-show, of course) so I didn't get to rest!

Then we had the Halloween frenzy! Gah! I have decided Halloween on a school night is not my favorite! We still had fun with the cousins and the grandparents though!

Some quick pictures of the kiddos and then I'm going to bed! =)

My Favorite Cupcake Maeve!

My Handsome Monster Who WILL BE TWO TOMORROW!!!

My Beautiful Raggedy Ann-Amelie!

And yes, this *is* the best picture I got of the kids--after tons of candy, and a long day I'll take it. =)

Happy Halloween!

Sunday Seven

2011-10-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

1. It is cold and I am not used to it. It was common, in NY, to have very cold weather/snow in October--luckily we've been spared icky October weather while I've lived in NJ. I'm just not equipped to deal with it anymore. =)

2. My littles are completely addicted to Little Einsteins. Have you ever watched it? Super cute--they incorporate classical music and some art history into their program.

3. Can't wait to see my kiddos dressed up tomorrow for Halloween! Hopefully there will be picture-taking-cooperation!!

4. I've been on an organizing spree and I like it.

5. Ezra has one day left as a 1 year old. *moment of silence*

6. I took a bunch of pictures today and they were all horrible. Boo.
7. My husband had obligations/work every day (and some nights) this week. I'm trying to focus more on being thankful that he has work than on the fact that I miss him when he's gone. His busy season is just starting--guess I better buck up!
Happy Sunday!

2011-10-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

We woke up to wintry weather this morning! It was sooooo chilly! My poor husband had to supervise students doing outdoor service projects today and he froze.

At the same time Amelie participated in the school's walk-a-thon and had a wonderful day!

They walked laps (friends and family pledge money to support them/the school) and then got to celebrate with a fun lunch and outdoor games.

Maeve had an exciting day too--she got to trick or treat at preschool!

Isn't she the cutest cupcake ever? =)

And since there's never enough Amelie coverage on this blog--a video of her singing The B*I*B*L*E in spanish =)

I have extra layers on tonight--I'm trying to prolong the time until we turn on our heater because it's SOOOOO expensive to even keep our house slightly warm!

Stupid winter.

At least it's good baking weather! =)

Happy Friday!

2011-10-26T16:14:00.000-07:00

We were home all day waiting for a delivery--which, btw, was AWESOME. I got all domestic and made this delicious recipe from my new favorite website: Skinny Taste. I even used ricotta that I made myself (so easy, soooo yummy!!)

Behold:

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana

Anyways, that delivery I was talking about? Well, we are enrolled in a program for the state of NJ that helps with energy bills for low-income households. They came through our house and did an energy audit and out of the deal we get much needed insulation, some new windows/door, a new fridge and deep freeze at no cost! The appliances arrived today and the quality was just spectacular! This program has been an amazing blessing and encouragement to us!
Anyways, I can't believe the week is more than half way over! I'm looking forward to Bible study tomorrow and need to get crackin' on another night's homework for it! =)
Happy Wednesday!

2011-10-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

We spent a lovely morning with our friends

(thank goodness because we had a ROUGH night).

It's another gorgeous fall day--so beautiful outside! Soon we'll have our hands full with raking the 9 billion leaves that fall in our back yard--also, 9 billion is in fact an UNDERSTATEMENT! =)

***

I have been researching cake designs for Ezra's birthday--I think I've settled on a train cake of some sort--here are some finalists:

***

Not much else going on--but you know,

*no news is good news*!

I'm sooooo ready for bed tonight--after hours of children up and around and not sleeping last night we are all weary.

Happy Tuesday!

2011-10-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated Maeve's birthday with family! It was so nice to see everyone--we love them! Before the big party I took the girls to Sweet & Sassy for a fun "makeover." The place is run by a bunch of 12 year olds and took forever to get our appointment started but luckily our stylist was perfect. =) Also, that place makes me feel OLD.

Anyways, here are the girls after hair, nails, make up!

Maeve was very excited by her presents, Amelie was very traumatized that the presents weren't for her (even though she DID get two presents--lucky bum!) and Ezra had no idea what was going on. =) Here's a picture of Maeve's requested Ladybug Cake that I made:

Tickled to have the ladybug to herself--she ate only the eyes and lips =)

I didn't take enough pictures and the only one I got of Uncle Jon and Danielle they were eating. Sorry! HA! Love you guys!

Maeve loved her presents!!

Aunt Micayla, Uncle Ryan, Pop-pop laughing (love!), Granny, and Xander!

It was lovely and now it's over and I'm starting to accept that I have a 4 year old. =)

2011-10-22T18:08:00.000-07:00

After lunch today I told my husband,

"I just want one picture of all three kids."

So we posed and he chased and we corralled and I got nothin'. (Ezra is anti-picture at the moment). So the next best thing? Throwing them all in swings and telling them to smile. =)

I have a hard time getting pictures of Amelie because A) she's at school all the time B) she doesn't like to pose C)she'll only let me take one or two pictures at a time. Luckily today she let me take a few more. She started out silly:

Goofy:

Then I told her to look at Daddy and think about how much she loves him and she smiled sweetly. =)

And then the best of all:

Love my sweet girl!

Pictures of the Birthday Girl

2011-10-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

2011-10-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Maeve,

4 years ago we welcomed you into our family! You were such a sweet, quiet and simple baby. You never cried. You were very content to lay anywhere at anytime and you liked to sleep in bed right next to Mommy. I was extra excited to meet you because I lost two little babies the year before you were born--and though I mourn their loss--I am so thankful that God knew I had to wait for you (even though the waiting was so very painful). You came at just the right time for our family--and that's one of the most important things I hope you'll ever learn-

-that God does things in His time and His timing is perfect every time.
I am still learning this lesson!!
Sweet Maeve, you are loved and lovely. You have an amazing big sister who would do anything for you and a wonderful little brother who might be a little bit of a bother, but that will change with time--I pray that you will always cherish them. You are so outgoing and funny--so much like Daddy in so many good ways. Our love for you grows every single day! May the Lord bless you as you grow with a heart for Him, and with love and kindness for others.
Happy 4th Birthday my dear one!

Love, Mama

2011-10-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

It was rainy all day.

We stayed home.

I liked it.

Well, aside from Maeve's short trip out to preschool and back, that is. =)

I'm still preparing myself emotionally for Maeve's birthday tomorrow--I can't believe HOW QUICKLY this last year has gone. I can't even talk about a certain someone turning 2 in two weeks. GAH.

I took these pictures the other day of my little-big-girls--I love them so!

Maeve is so funny-what a diva! And Amelie is so grownup and lovely.

There is so much to be thankful for around here!

***
I heard this song while I was driving today--it's one of my new favorites.

Happy Wednesday! And take a minute to be thankful for all of the blessings in *your* life!

Interview with the cutest almost 4 year old in the land!

2011-10-17T05:01:00.000-07:00

What's your favorite color?

Pink & Purple, Green

What's your favorite toy?

Polly Pockets and Disney Stuff

Who's your best friend?

Leah

What's your favorite thing to do?

Go to McDonalds and see Granny and have Grand-girl days

What's your favorite movie?

Mickey Mouse

What's your favorite thing to eat?

Dinosaur Chicken

What's your favorite snack?

Whatever I eat at preschool.

What do you want to do for your birthday?

Open presents.

Who is your favorite person?

I love everybody and God and Jesus, His Son.

Is there anything else I should know?

Sometimes I like to play computer games and go on roller coasters.

The Good News * Bad News Edition

2011-10-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

The Good News:

Ezra has been sleeping like a champ all week!

The Bad News:

Until last night--when he woke up at 3:30 and never went back to sleep. He went down for a short nap at 9 (I missed church--boo), up at 10 and THAT WAS IT. Gah.

The Good News:

Amelie *loves* raking giant piles of leaves in the back yard:

The Bad News:

Maeve loves jumping in freshly raked piles of leaves. Poor Amelie. =)

The Good News:

My haircut came out great! It was cut and styled beautifully yesterday morning. And then I ran 2.7 miles (thankyouverymuch) and it was destroyed.

The Bad News:

Hair cut still cute--hair styling fail. Yesterday it looked perfectly piece-y and oomphy and today--well, eh. Must learn to blow dry while curling under with round brush. Will probably never happen.

And, our final item:

Good News:

I ran 2+miles 6 days this week.

Bad News:

I just learned how to replicate Little Ceasar's Cheesy Bread at home. I may never be the same!

Good night!

2011-10-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

Ezra has inherited a love...

or is it a compulsion?

It's a deep affinity for vacuuming.

Passed on from his Pop-pop, to his Daddy and to him.

Apparently it's a guy thing.

I wonder if he'll still love it as much when he's a teenager?

I'll have to save the pictures as proof! =)

2011-10-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

Mr. Wonderful is at the movies, the little ones are all soundly sleeping and I am studying pictures of hairstyles on Pintrest. =) I spent the last 2+ years growing my bangs out and I've decided now that they are long I want them short. Le. Sigh. I think I'm going to ask for a combination of these pictures--hopefully my rockin' hair dresser is up to the challenge!!! What do you think?

My girls both have awesome hair--I don't know where it came from. Maeve's is so pretty and straight and blond and Amelie's is so amazing and curly and perfectly-naturally-highlighted. Hopefully my haircut tomorrow is magical!!
In other news, there is no news. We had a lovely day--Ezra and I went for a run during Maeve's preschool and then our dear friends came over for lunch. Love them.
Tonight was family movie night--we ate takeout and watched The Little Mermaid. I have the movie memorized and couldn't help but recite some of the more familiar scenes which pretty much blew Amelie's mind because she has no idea that *I* was a kid when that came out. =) Isn't it funny that when you're a kid you just imagine that grownups were always grownups and that you'll always be young?
C'est Le Vie!
Happy Friday--yay for weekends!

2011-10-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

This week is flying by! We had Bible study at church--we are working on this Beth Moore Study:
It's really interesting so far--I'm excited to continue on. One verse in particular that stood out to me:

Jeremiah 17:14

Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed;
save me and I will be saved,
for you are the one I praise.

*****

For dinner tonight I made homemade chicken noodle soup & applesauce (with apples from NY) and bread (from Pampered Chef).

So. Yummy. Perfect rainy-fall-day food.

The kiddos are CA-Ra-Zy right now--they are watching Daddy play Wii and they love it. Everytime he wins they scream and hug and clap and everytime he loses a board they scream and cry. Either way, there is screaming, which, isn't very surprising. =)

***

Happy Thursday night!

2011-10-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

My little darling Maeve started preschool today! She has been looking forward to it for a long time. She had a great day and brought home a picture she drew of a roller coaster (or at least, that's what she called it =).

Speaking of my Maeve, tonight when I tucked her in, she said a prayer and at the end, I asked her if she could tell me who Jesus was. She proceeded to tell me that He is the Son of God and that He loves us! And all of the sudden, while telling me this, she stopped and exclaimed (loudly):
"BUT WAIT!!! Did He come back yet?! Did I miss it?!!"
Hi. larious.
I assured her she didn't miss His return and that there were no way it could happen without her noticing it. Ha!
I love my little grown-up-girl!

2011-10-12T05:52:00.000-07:00

When my Mom was here last week, we celebrated Maeve & Ezra's birthday early! Nothing wrong with an extra birthday celebration! =)

Last minute cupcakes!

CUPCAKEEEEE!!!

2011-10-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

A friend posted this short film on facebook and it really spoke to me--worth watching to the end and giving time to think about what you've seen.

(Warning: This isn't one to watch with the kiddos around as there are disturbing concentration camp images).

2011-10-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

*I'm so thankful to be able to stay home with my little ones! Today we baked apple pie together

(Ezra was helpful at tasting the apples that Maeve helped me peel on our apple peeler/corer thingy).

We worked on "school" (sorting for Ezra and coloring within the lines & shape recognition for Maeve) and took a walk. Usually I push them in the stroller but today I decided that they could do some of the work!

Maeve decided she didn't want to walk so she got her running shoes on and went for a run (Or at least, that's what she said!)! Ha!

She ran the entire two blocks and did a great job listening to and obeying directions.

Ezra held my hand and plodded along. He was very busy sight-seeing. =)

****

*Last night we were lucky enough to get to go out do dinner with friends (Cheesecake Factory! Their treat!!!). It was lovely and made extra lovely by the fact that Granny stayed with the babes and wrangled them into bed and we got to come home to a quiet house! =)

****

*I just finished reading: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children--it was unusual but good.

****

*I haven't been keeping up with Ezra's *month* posts....
but this guy right here is ------->

*23* Months Old.

How in the heck is that possible?!?!? I can believe it--because

he's acting like a big boy

and understands everything I say to him

and follows directions so well,

and laughs at all of the jokes his sisters laugh at

and has his own ideas

and throws *I'm almost 2* temper tantrums

and he is such a boy!

He can find dirt ANYWHERE

(even when the girls remain spotless he becomes filthy. =) )

And he loves his trains and cars and trucks and any type of ball.

He's so fun and lovely and says, "Mama Mama Mama!!" when I come downstairs in the morning

(Mr. Wonderful has been getting up with him at 5 or 5:30 or whatever 5-time Ezra decides to get up. Yawn. )

He is such a fantastic little guy--Love. Him.

Happy Tuesday!

2011-10-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

It's an absolutely gorgeous fall day--what a blessing! We had an abbreviated morning at church--we were able to enjoy seeing Amelie (and some of the BRS Elementary Choir) sing--before we had to leave to get Mr. Wonderful to a gig outside of Philly somewhere or other.

Amelie did a great job singing and doing all the motions--I loved watching her and her little friends!

Here are some pictures I snapped of my precious ones before church!

Friday Night Snippets

2011-10-07T16:35:00.000-07:00

* After a lovely week with my Mother here--she's gone! Boo! Back to New York--it was so nice to have you Mom--see you in November for Thanksmas!!

* I met my friends at the coffee shop today--so nice! I haven't been there in forever--I guess there are some good things about cooler/Fall weather! =)

*Ezra was up at 5 again today--Boo. Hiss.

* He took a 4 hour nap! Huzzah!!

*Maeve is obsessed with Polly Pocket--she keeps walking around telling me what a "special" toy Polly Pocket is/are. =)

* A friend of mine posted a link to this book on facebook:

I started reading through the comments about the book and got lost in a trail of research and was so excited about this!! I've thought for the longest time that there was something "wrong" with because I'm so introverted. I thought that eventually God would change me into a more extroverted person, because then I would really be able to serve Him better! I never thought that maybe He could use me in spite of myself

and that maybe He made me this way

ON PURPOSE!!

*light-bulb moment!!*

It was so nice to read that I'm not the only one who needs tons of down time to be recharged, that others feel drained in group settings and just. can't. speak.

That going to places with people can be so very difficult and that calling people/businesses can be monumentally overwhelming.

I can't wait to order this and read it!
I tried explaining my epiphany to my husband--he just smiled and gave me the "i know you're crazy but i love you anyways" look. =)

* My stinkin' phone didn't work all day. Now it's magically healed. Woot. I guess that's ok, since if it rang I most likely wouldn't have answered it anyways! =)

Good night!

2011-10-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

It was an absolutely glorious fall day!

My Mom is here for the week and we were planning on heading to the zoo--but I was feeling 90% agoraphobic today and so we just went to the park--which was really, just as lovely. It was empty and the kids had a great time playing. Then we headed to the store to pick up some crafting supplies. I brought my camera along but failed to take any pictures--so here are some more from our Pumpkin Extravaganza.

You're welcome. =)

2011-10-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

This morning I made some de-li-cious homemade applesauce with the apples we picked on Saturday! Amelie asked me to make pumpkin pie with the pumpkins we picked but I think that's beyond the realm of my ability. I like my pumpkin-pie-filling to come in a can. HA! =)

Here are some pictures of the kiddos picking their pumpkins! The only rule? You can only pick a pumpkin that you are strong enough to carry!

When Ezra first saw the pumpkins on the ground he kept repeating---OOooooooo! Ooooooo! =)

2011-10-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

I meant to post about the fantastic day we had yesterday but I was soooo tired I ended up going to bed before 9! =)

We went on our annual pumpkin/apple picking, hay-riding, petting-zooing, playground-playing, ice-cream-eating day with Granny, Pop, Aunt Micayla and the cousins!

It was a PERFECT fall-y day and we had a wonderful time! Thank you so much Granny and Pop!

What an awesome day!

Cider-Donuts!!

*Us* =)

Pop and Xander!

Getting ready for the corn maze!

Pretty Sunflower lined Pumpkin Field!

2011-09-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

I feel like I spent so much of the last few years in *survival* mode--always pregnant or breastfeeding or toting an infant or 2 young children or more....you get the picture.

I feel like I'm just starting to come out of it--my house is usually clean, I'm usually showered, I'm actually exercising (ran 2 miles today thankyouverymuch!) and I almost never feel crazy. =) HA!

So....I've decided to structure our days a little more--we've always had a regular schedule but it's time to mix it up! Maeve has started working on preschool-y things! I wasn't sure at first--but she's so eager to learn and it's very fun to work with her!

Today we started a number book--counting, gluing shapes, and learning to write her numbers. We also worked on spelling her name and some cutting! It was a little scary at first but she quickly developed more confidence with the scissors and with writing--I have underestimated the little blond one! =)

Here she is:

Ezra worked on emptying & filling a box of crayons/markers (which is why he is shirtless in the picture below =). And then they moved onto color sorting with Connect 4!

I couldn't believe how quickly Ezra picked up on just getting the yellow checker-things (technical term =) and sorting them into his box before placing them in the game!

And then we took a nice long walk in the stroller and they serenade me with *Firework*....I have GOT to teach those kids a new song!!!

Also, I pinned about 12,000 things on Pintrest because I can't stop myself. Love, love, LOVE!!!

Check it out!

Happy Thursday!

2011-09-29T05:06:00.000-07:00

In three weeks she will be 4.

How can this be?!

I asked her, "Maeve, won't you be my baby girl forever?"

And she replied, "No I'd rather be a big girl who does fun stuff every day but I will always love you."

I can't imagine life without my Maeve!

She is so delightful!

The years I waited for her were painful and full of loss--but the Lord certainly knew what He was doing when He placed her in our lives.

It's so amazing to think about the children He's given us--all for a reason, all part of His plan, unique in purpose, personality and in the joy they add to our family.

So. Thankful.

Window(s) Shopping: Christmas !!! Dresses

2011-09-28T15:04:00.001-07:00

2011-09-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

Today my Maeve had a grand-girl day so Ezra and I were on our own! While Maeve was busy playing with Granny and shopping for a new book--Ezra got to go on errands! Ha!
What he doesn't know won't hurt him! =)

He was up SUPER early again today and was SUPER grumpy so he went down for a SUPER early nap.

SU.PER.

Oh well--even if he's cranky he's still handsome!

In other news, there is no other news. It's raining and I got a huge stack of books out from the library (I went for one and came out with ten--how does that happen?!) so my plan is to sit and read them until it stops raining.

I saw online that fall-y weather is coming and I can't wait! We're going pumpkin picking this weekend! =)

Happy Wednesday!

2011-09-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

today i spent a lot of time being thankful

for my friends, family & church

today i spent a lot of time praying
for my friends, family & church

a passage that came to mind:

Psalm 103

¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul;

         And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
² Bless the LORD, O my soul,
         And forget not all His benefits:
³ Who forgives all your iniquities,
         Who heals all your diseases,
⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction,
         Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
         So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶ The LORD executes righteousness
         And justice for all who are oppressed.
⁷ He made known His ways to Moses,
         His acts to the children of Israel.
⁸ The LORD is merciful and gracious,
         Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
⁹ He will not always strive with us,
         Nor will He keep His anger forever.
¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
         Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth,
         So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
¹² As far as the east is from the west,
         So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
¹³ As a father pities his children,
         So the LORD pities those who fear Him.
¹⁴ For He knows our frame;
         He remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass;
         As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
¹⁶ For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
         And its place remembers it no more.^[a]
¹⁷ But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting
         On those who fear Him,
         And His righteousness to children’s children,
¹⁸ To such as keep His covenant,
         And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

¹⁹ The LORD has established His throne in heaven,
         And His kingdom rules over all.

²⁰ Bless the LORD, you His angels,
         Who excel in strength, who do His word,
         Heeding the voice of His word.
²¹ Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,
         You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
²² Bless the LORD, all His works,
         In all places of His dominion.

         Bless the LORD, O my soul!

2011-09-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

We were planning on heading to the shore today as a family for one last day of rides & games but the threat of rain kept us from going (and the worry that if it did rain the rides would close and we'd have very sad children, very far from home =).

So, Granny and Pop treated us and the cousins to the next best thing--Chuck E Cheese!

The kids had a blast--and I went across the street to shop at Old Navy--which was fun for me! =)

Ezra loved playing driving games with Daddy!

(Matching *Awesome* shirt with Daddy!)

Granny, Pop, Aunt Micayla and the littles.

A serious pose from Ryleigh-girl!

My beautiful nephew!

Two handed skee-ball!

Amelie concentrating!

Thanks for a great day Granny and Pop!

2011-09-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Maeve had a little friend over today and she was so happy!

They were so happy and giggly all day--they played together perfectly and were so sweet!

Some pictures of the little princesses:

Seriously, aren't they the cutest!?

And the little prince who just had to dress up to fit in! =)

Tuesday Pictures

2011-09-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

It was a dreary day-it rained lightly on and off all day and we laid low. I decided to tackle the toys in the playroom because we have a house-full of fall/winter birthdays and I wanted to weed out before we bring in new toys. =)

It was a HUGE job but I got rid of 2 garbage bags full (1 to donate, 1 to trash) and everything is neatly organized--for a few minutes anyways!

The kiddos were very good while I worked--they both played house--

Maeve played girl style--with princesses:

Ezra played boy style--with trains:

Maevey has been playing in her room during naptime instead of sleeping--which is fine because she's my low-maintenance child. =) Sometimes, she really is tired though! Today she was watching and playing with Gumby and fell asleep on the couch. So cute!

Ezra took a normal nap and was only marginally grumpy today--yay!

That's it! Off to list a few odds and ends on ebay and pack some stuff up to ship! Happy Tuesday!

2011-09-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

It was a long and weird and wonderful and hard and fun day.
Ezra has been off.
off schedule
off sleep patterns
off temper
off off off
ick.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's two year old molars coming through and not a case of the super early tiresome twos (I'd say terrible but everybody knows 2s are annoying-ish but 3s are the real horror story).
He was up at 5.
Gah.
And woke up the girls.
Double Gah.
And was pretty grumpy so I tried for a morning nap and it didn't take.
So we went on a long walk to the park and played and then to the lake to feed the fishes and the ducks--and that went well. Then a bit of fun playing/interspersed with screaming until THE WORLD's SHOREST NAP for Ezra and a non-existent nap for Maeve.
Yes. These details are mundane but WOW.
They felt important and MAJOR today.
So now...it's bedtime and everyone is pretty melty. =) Hopefully tomorrow brings a later wake-up call and a happier Ezra-boy! Honestly though, even on a difficult day there isn't anywhere I'd rather be than with my babies. I'm so thankful for our days together--it's really pretty wonderful, even when it's kind of terrible. =)

Before Church; Literally.

2011-09-18T06:31:00.001-07:00

2011-09-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

Today we had the most cool, clear, crisp and lovely fall weather!

Which, apparently for me, meant

THE WORLD'S WORST ALLERGY ATTACK.

Soooo....I took a Zyrtec and a long nap. =)

The girls had a fun grand-girl day with their grandparents and when they came back we put on warm, fuzzy, pj's and had a living-room picnic.

Warm Fuzzy Kiddos:

And that's all I have energy for. =) Goodnight!

Rainy Day Pictures

2011-09-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

It was kind of a dreary day--we were going to go to the park--but were scared off by the clouds

and then the SUN came out

and then it went away

and then it rained

rinse. repeat. =)

So we built trains:

Ezra's favorite! =)

Watched Tangled and had a Chick Fil A picnic.

Had a in-our-pjs-Dance Party!

And now--we're ready for bed! Or at least, Mama is! =)

2011-09-15T05:21:00.000-07:00

Last night I treated myself to a movie (at home =)--the new Jane Eyre.

I *loved* it!! It is such a romantic story and thoroughly enjoyable. My only complaint is that the actors in this didn't have nearly the chemistry (or the acting ability?) as in the previous version I watched (out in 2006, Masterpiece Theater). Definitely a must see for any lover of literature, period pieces and romance.

And to give you an idea of the range of my movie preferences, tonight I plan on watching Thor. HA! =)

Did you watch Up All Night (new comedy with Christina Applegate, Maya Rudolph and Will Arnett)? I was a little disappointed by the first episode but hopefully it improves with time. Also, there have been three tv shows in the last few years by the same exact name. I wonder how they get away with that? =)

Well, that's it for now--hoping for a peaceful day and drama-free children. Happy Thursday!

TuesdayWords

2011-09-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

*i finally figured out how to pin things on pintrest! YAY! can you say, *new addiction?* =)

*the cute little/affordable/orange ipod shuffle i ordered is here! i WILL be able to run again!

*my least favorite four letter word (and you would understand if your husband was a teacher at my husband's school) C*A*M*P

*the leaves on the tree out front are starting to look crunchy and fall-ish

*1 Samuel 16:7b

"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

*yes, this is underlined, bolded and italicized for a reason.

Legalism is hogwash.

It makes me ill.

*we had a lovely playdate with friends today and excellent naps--these days are so sweet--i wish they would last forever!

Goodnight!

2011-09-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

It's strange adjusting again to having 2 littles around instead of 3! Amelie acted as our activities director so I find myself adrift a little bit. Today I decided to start finding *projects* we can work on and it was a huge success!

We used beads!

Maeve started out popping them together and making necklaces but had just as much fun sorting and mixing them on a large sheet pan!

Ezra LOVED taking his large bead blocks and placing them in a new container and back and forth and back and forth. This kept him happy and busy for over an hour! So fun!

Isn't it funny that sometimes the simplest ideas have the biggest pay off? =)

2011-09-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

Why do the weekends fly by so quickly!?

We had a lovely one, at least! =)

I felt so refreshed after church today--it was a great message and some wonderful hymns/praise choruses that really lifted my spirits.

I'm so thankful for our church!

Today was promotion Sunday and Amelie moved up to the next grade level/Sunday School Class! She was so excited--she's such a big girl!

Some pictures of the kiddos before church

(Ezra wasn't into it! =)

In other news, usually I take Sundays off from exercise but it was so lovely and cool this afternoon I went out and 1 mile into my 2 mile run my ipod died.

Again.

It's been dying and coming back to life for two weeks now and it always quits right when I'm desperate for music to lift my spirits and my feet! Ha!

R.I.P. 2008-2011

I'm no running purist--I can not go further than a mile without my boyfriend Adam Levine and gal pal Adele along.

It simply can't be done.

Le sigh

and

C'est Le Vie!

Happy Sunday night!

2011-09-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

My husband and I went to a wedding today-

-the bride and groom were so lovely and young and excited-

-I couldn't help but think back to my wedding and the fact that wedding vows are wasted on the young.

All the things you pledge and promise sound so romantic but don't really mean a thing until you go through

the sickness

and the health

and the good times

and the bad times

and the really bad times

and the great times.

I said all of those things but I can remember thinking the entire time,

"I can't wait until we are just married and away from it all."

And here we are--10 years later, and I finally understand why people would renew their vows--because after a while--you really understand them and you totally mean it.

I'm so thankful for my husband and for God's provision of marriage and that HE put us together.

It's pretty much my favorite thing that's ever happened to me. =)

Mark 10

6“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’^a 7‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,^b 8and the two will become one flesh.’^c So they are no longer two, but one. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

disCOURAGEd

2011-09-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely day with friends (and my favorite kind of peaceful rainy day naptime) but I have a lot on my mind.

Doesn't it seem like upsetting situations always pop up in 2s or 3s or 4s?

All of them beyond my control, all of them discouraging in different ways but none of them beyond the encouragement of Scripture.

The verses I'm thinking about right now:

Isaiah 40:28-31

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 26:3-4

3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

************************************************************

And in unrelated items--pictures of two of my darlings because they always make me smile!

FirstDayFirstGrade

2011-09-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

My sweet baby girl went back to school today!!

I can't believe my little darling is a 1st grader! She was nervous about going back--I think it's hard to adjust from the schedule of summer (and always being home with Mommy) to getting back into the swing of things--but at the end of the day she was already very excited about her little friends and the year ahead!

I'm so proud of her--love that Amelie-Girl!

She wanted to pose with her backpack! =)

So grown up! *tear!

The traditional Daddy/Amelie pose:

LOVE =)

Maeve and Ezra beside themselves at seeing Amelie go! Ack! I almost didn't want to go back inside! We recovered nicely though and laid low today.

It'll take us some time to adjust--but we'll get there!
Eventually =)

Desperately Seeking Shelly

Window(s) Shopping: The Children's Place

This Week...

Angsty

SnowyDay

Window(s) Shopping: Valentine's Day

Playing Catch Up

Le Sigh 2012! Le. Sigh.

Happy Birthday Amelie Rose!

Merrrrrryyyy Christmas!

A Very Wonderful Christmas

Sunday School Christmas Program!

BusyBusyDay

Number Boy!

Weekend Concert Update

Wednesday Snippets

Baby Gap Window(s) Shopping

Like A Broken Record...

*Thankful*

DoWnHiLl and Up Again--A Rambl-ey Update

Window(s) Shopping--Gymboree's New Line = LOVE

the longest week there ever was...

Moody Monday Night

Sunday Seven

Behold:

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana

Pictures of the Birthday Girl

Interview with the cutest *almost 4* year old in the land!

The Good News * Bad News Edition

Jeremiah 17:14

Friday Night Snippets

Window(s) Shopping: Christmas !!! Dresses

Psalm 103

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul;

Tuesday Pictures

Before Church; Literally.

Rainy Day Pictures

TuesdayWords

disCOURAGEd

FirstDayFirstGrade

Thankful

Interview with the cutest almost 4 year old in the land!

¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul;