*hot water*

imagine my surprise
when i hopped in
eyes closed
water. cold.
ACK! EEK! GaSp! WOWza!

((an inconvenient truth
to find out at any time))

i walked 'round to investigate
a sink here a sink there
not hot water anywhere

noooooooooo i wailed and moaned and cried
the one day they are all asleep
and i had 30 minutes alone
to take
a shower!

text text text my husband
!!emergency!!
problemo! warning! help!
no. answer.

quietly he found some help
we set it right
that very night
a penny saved is a penny spent
but hot water is a necessity
(so i'll have to live with it)

sometimes things end unexpectedly
and it's upsetting
and expen$ive
but it makes you
more thankful for
granny's (who watch)
friends (who work)
and water (that's hot)

the end.

Shelly...

*believes that warm cupcakes with chocolate icing are the surest defense against rainy days and mondays.


*is thankful that her daughters have each other....it makes me feel like they will always have at least one deep friendship in their lives. and is thinking of my best friends today--past and present and what a joy and depth they have added to my life.


*speaking of friends....so glad I found *mymrwonderful* and that he fits the (albeit selfish) bill; "Give me one friend, just one, who meets The needs of all my varying moods." ~ Esther M. Clark


*wants to go outside and plant grass seed as our backyard is *nearly* ready to be planted!


*hasn't yet convinced her husband that we NEED to order a swingset rightnow!!!


*thinks her children are perfect just the way they are (no matter how they are different from others or each other)


*wishes her husband was home so I could put these cold hands on him.


*loves that w/coupons, sales and drugstores I can now afford to buy tide which smells heavenly. ah. it truly is the little things. my clothes smell so yummy you *almost* can't pick up the faint aroma of baby barf. almost.....=)


*isn't sure how to love some people. at all. but by golly I'm going to keep trying! (does the Bible say you have to *like* everyone? I haven't found it in there...=)


*mmmbaked chicken, creamcheesechedder mashed potatos, green beans, stuffing, cheesecake and strawberries for desert.


*hears Beacon singing *jinglebells* must be nap time is over!

Super Week...PlayDoh Face

This week flew by!!

It was warm and there was sun

and then it was cold and there wasn't.

There was pre-k, and parks, dance class and Granny-visits, Bible study and coffee with friends.

There was an ah-mazing deal, which involved dvds on, ironically, our tv-free week.

There were some excellent (2 hour) naps for me and three hour naps for *them.*

And then there was last night, with the waking baby every hour which was a rude awakening to the nervous system. I feel that it was probably my fault for interrupting every nap the little guy took yesterday....lesson learned.

And today there will be friend stuff and family stuff and cleaning stuff and eating stuff and heating stuff (can't believe it's so cold my heat is kicking on again. blarg).

And I am thankful for each moment we've been given.

What a blessing to have blog space devoted to the little joys of each day. To be healthy and surrounded by love and family and friends.

To have Bibles to study and homes to heat. To have three precious children and any small amount of sleep.

I pray my friends the same kind of week for you-

-where the little things add up to a big heap of blessings.

Also, since I *can't* leave you without a picture...I must leave you with the only one I haven't posted from this week.

Prepare yourself.

Tv-free week = hours of crafting and playing and creating.

BEHOLD:

PLAYDOH FACE!!!

Happy Weekend!

Shelly Just...

Got the best deal ever at Target on Toy Story movies!!! $3.98 for TWO dvd/blu ray combo packs AND two free movie tickets!!

Go here to see how I did it! Woot!

The other day we went to the zoo and....

it was heavenly!

We Went For Some Walks This Weekend

And it was so lovely.

Spring Rocks.

Also, Maeve is *still* on a picture strike. 

The nerd. 

=)

One Delicious Dude. Love Him!

Best $24 I Ever Spent

TV Free

The kids and I have been going *tv-free* (during the day) on and off for the past couple of weeks.

It's not easy.

'Cause we really like to watch tv.

And seriously, if Mr. Wonderful had never come along, I love tv sooo much that I probably would have married it and lived happily ever after for ever and ever amen.

((Also there's the thing about tv basically teaching Amelie the alphabet and number recognition and I only feel a little guilty about that....))

however, I just don't like it when I turn it on and my kids go all-robot-drone-zoned and sit there and soak it up. 

Not that we're watching anything *bad* 

(mostly just a whole lotta Dora, Praise Baby and the occasional Princess movie) 

but what's the point really?

I enjoy it when everyone is grumpy and sick and we turn on a show and chill but when everyone's happy and healthy and I'm not all pregnant and laying on the couch (whew, that was a looonngggg nine + months ezra!) I don't want it on. 

And it's hard not to turn it on because it's so easy to just do it.

And I hate that we have spent so much time watching so much of so little value. 

Life is bigger than that. 

(and I can't help but feel that God's plans for us are bigger than that)

I want to spend that time teaching my children about things that matter 

I don't want to be a drone. I don't need to anesthetize my children. Or myself.

(unless we're sick, tired, grumpy AND it's raining...then we will anesthetize away!!)

And I just wanted to write it down so you know what I'm thinking about.

And we can't give it up all the way anyways...because of my small Housewives of _______ addiction but mostly given up? Can't be a bad thing.

And one other thing....

Phillipians 4:8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Dear Amelie, Please Stop Growing Up. Love, Mommy

My Ezra

This handsome little guy:

1. is finally over his wheezing cold of death

2. had his 4 month check up

3. was referred to as "she" by the nurse.

4. again.

5. apparently it's the "a" at the end of his name

((6. more people need to read the Bible and poetry))

7. rec. 4 shots and 1 rotavirus drinkable vaccine (weird)

8. weighs 15 lbs 14 ounces (50%)

9. 25 inches tall (50%)

10. has one gigantic head (75%)

11. is a precious little thumb sucka

12. is completely in love with Mommy (and Daddy, as long as he's only looking at Daddy and not being held by him =)

13. has two sweet and loving sisters who love to hold him and sing to him

14. will be rocking one seriously awesome pair of skull board shorts from gymboree this summer =)

Weirdos Alternately Titled: Watching TV In The Dress Up Box. Just 'Cause.

T*hat* Girl

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

My three little ones wearing green in honor of my dear Irish Grandma Rose! I miss you Grandma! And yes, sometimes the three of them looking *mostly* content is the best we can do for pictures =)

Amelie Mc Weber!

St. Patrick's Day: FAIL

Saw This. Want It To Be Summer So I Can Dress My Girls In Cute Summer Stuff. The End.

Sometimes A Princess Is Just The Hardest Thing To Be

Long Overdue--Pictures From Mr. Wonderful's Disney Day

Prayer Request

Please pray for my sweet little nephew Ethan! He is two weeks older than Ezra and undergoing an operation on his kidneys tomorrow. My brother, sister-in-law, nephew (and my mother and sil's parents) are driving out to the hospital, which is a few hours away, in the morning. Please pray for them all and especially for the other sweet little e-boy in my life. Thank you!!