We Had A Great Day....

I can't get this Fresh Beat song out of my head!

At least it's appropriate for our day =)

We didn't do too much--Granny came over and watched the kidlets while I did a few clean-y/organize-y projects upstairs. 

We ate lunch with Granny and I put the kids down for some awesome naps!

Mr. Wonderful got home a little late but it's Friday so we lived! =)

I have a haircut tomorrow morning and I am sooooo excited! 

I just *need* one, you know?

Here's my theme song for the day! The quality is terrible but you'll get the idea =)

Sleeping Beauty

There's No Day Like A *SNOW* Day!

My husband and daughter were off from school today due to snow!

Woot!

I love a snow day!!!

(As long as we don't have too many because then they start to eat into Spring Break. Major Boo! Hiss!)

We celebrated by cleaning the house top to bottom

and sending the girls out in the snow

and NOT folding the laundry.

It was a happy break to have my whole family home for one gleaming little day!

I Can't Get No Satisfaction {On My *Own*}

When I was younger and dreamy and pining away for life and experiences in my little country home I would think....

"I'd be so happy.... "

*if I had a sister

*and a best friend

*who lived next door to me

*well, what if I went to the right college, lived in the right dorm, made the right friends (cool ones, obviously), dyed my hair the right color of red, picked the right major

*found a boyfriend (a cute, talented one, obvi)
*lived in the same state as my boyfriend!

*was engaged

*married!!

*if only I lived in the same state as my parents, and family, and everything I knew--then I would be happy!!

*at least I can decorate my apartment just right

*get an awesome job

*make a respectable amount of $$

*buy the *right* clothes* 

*if only I went to a church that met my "needs"

*maybe I should have children

*a daughter first, so she could be my best friend

*another girl of course, so that they could be *sisters*

*and then maybe a third

*owned a home

*finished all the projects I needed to make it *pretty*

*surely I'd be happy if I owned the *right* car (cough*van*cough)

*if only I had new counter tops...

*if only the electrician would come!

.......You get the idea, right? 

All of these things I so desperately wanted at one time...and as each *wish* of my heart was fulfilled there was always 
always
always 
always
something to add to the bottom of the list....

"I have that now....but I could really use *this* next!!"

It's shameful to state how empty I always felt (and DO feel, at times) even when my cup is so very obviously overflowing!!

Soul-quenching satisfaction does NOT come from things, people, places, great haircuts & pretty shoes or the perfect bowl of homemade mocha chocolate chocolate chip ice cream.
Soul quenching satisfaction comes from a life that pushes out the need
the want
the yearning
for 
THINGS
PEOPLE
PLACES
and replaces that need/want/yearning with a real, personal, quality relationship with God. 
This flies in the face of everything we see, watch, read about in the world every single day.
You may not believe me!
But I dare you...to buy 100 Hermes scarfs, a 3,000 square ft beach front home, to have 15 kids, 27 nannies, $1,000,000 in the bank and to feel satisfied. 
It's not possible.
The love of things fades and is replaced by new wants and desires but the one
the ONE that never changes, never wavers is the only possibility 
for peace
for joy
for rest
for quiet satisfaction.
Oh, and I'm not anywhere near there yet...but I've started the journey to get there! 
It's the whole reason *He* came---so that we may have abundant life.
And I am so thankful that He did!
John 10:10 (New Living Translation)

¹⁰ The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Snippy!

*Monday so soon? Sometimes I try to balance being thankful for each new day with my dread of Mondays. Sometimes I succeed and others I don't. Today was a very friendly Monday though! =)

*The children's museum with friends is always a treat! On a streak of very good timing, the children played very well, we avoided crowds for the most part and had some awesomely good/bad hot dogs at the snack shop.

*Maeve and Ezra are taking *amazing* naps right now. They usually sleep about 2 or 2.5 hours in the afternoon--we are going on 3 and counting! Woot!!

*I snuck a nap in too! =)

*A very yummy smelling pot roast and homemade bread are brewing in the kitchen and they are torturing me with their divine smell while I sit here and wait for my husband and Amelie to get home!!

*I restarted my Bible study today after taking too long of a break with Breaking Free.

*This blog post really spoke to me today!
*A very happy magazine renewal came in the mail today--my husband and I both really enjoy EntertainmentWeekly and they want to give me 52 issues for $3 muahahahahahaha. =)
*Hopefully the school bound will be home soon!
*That's it for now! 

Saturday, A Day Late And Usually A Dollar Short Too! =)

Saturday was one of my favorite kind of wintry days--the type where it's snowing hard enough that you don't feel at all guilty staying home in your pjs and sipping hot cocoa and watching movies and the like! =)

The girls went outside a few times to play and loved the snow! 

And *I* loved that they are big enough to send out to play without me going too!

My husband and I worked on clipping 8 million coupons so that we could get our shopping trips ready for today. I love that he helps me and was even trying to make his own deal matchups. 

*Cute* =)

We had another snowy day on Friday and I got alllll the cleaning done! Woo hoo!

I did ALL the floors, laundry (wash, fold, put away), dishes, bathroom top to bottom, made the beds, organized the pantry, dusted, and a partridge in a pear tree!

Oh, and to keep the littles entertained? 

I brought in our little slide/climbing set which they LOVED! And after they had climbed and slid to their hearts content they sat on it to watch tv! =)

And while Ezra naps I better get back to the laundry because there always is some!!

That's all for now!

 

Tinker-Baker-Bell

My darling, dearest, funny, happy, lovely, sweet, little Maevey girl!

What a joy to spend my days with her!

Mostly because, she's just like my *wonderful* husband and not much at all like me! =)

Window(s) Shopping: Valentine's Day Edition

Hurdles

*two* 

of them 

to be exact.

pottytrainyourthreeyearoldweanyouroneyearoldpottytrainyourthreeyearoldweanyouroneyearold

this is the one note symphony that plays in my head

even though i *know* there isn't a rush

per say

on either of these things

i feel 

*the pressure* 

to attend to them

and am at a loss as to how

and don't really *want* to do either

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

in other news

winter is dumb

i dislike being cold

and going places

and driving to things

and the coats and the carseats and the buckles 

((and the slippery sidewalk balancing act ))

and wish the world would come to me

and world, if you do come, i promise to make you coffee or hot chocolate 

and to feed you snacks

so that you stay awhile 

and so that i

don't have to go

so please!!!

do.

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

that's all really

aside from the nagging feeling that i am lonely and also never alone all at the same time

motherhood is weird like that

and so am i,

i suppose!

goodnight!

Sometimes Tuesdays Take You By Surprise

This morning found me paralyzed at my little desk.
Maeve and Ezra were just walking around being
...a tad....
emotional.
It took me by surprise and I sat there and thought...
"Well....they're crying. What now?"
And for a moment I felt a bit powerless.
And then the Mom in me took over and I dashed Ezra up for morning nap and sat with Maeve and read a book and they were normal again and everything was ok.
But isn't it funny?
How sometimes it's like...
*woah*
what. in. the. world.
?!?
You know?
And then our friends came over and fixed everything.
With donuts and coffee and conversation and laughter.
And it was a good day.
And I am so thankful for it!!

Ode To An E-Boy

There once was a boy named *E*

Lovely, happy and so full of *glee*

He spends his days smiling and laughing

Eating and dancing and playing and napping

but nighttime comes and it's another story

'Cause this little guy thinks sleeping through the night is soooo boring!

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

That's right--he still doesn't sleep through the night.

At 14 months.

Gah.

But I felt better when, the other day, I stuck a finger on his gums and found 4 randomly placed teeth poking through!

Poor guy! 

They are all over his mouth, topsy turvy, top and bottom asymmetrically placed little poky teeth!

Maybe someday he'll sleep through the night....

maybe I better count my lucky stars that he's only getting up once and it isn't until 5...which is *close* to sleeping through the night...

*technically*....

anyways...

=)

Shelly's New Year Snippets

I've been a hasty blogger lately. I really enjoy writing down the things we do and documenting our life but things have been sooo busy for the last month or so that I've felt behind most of the time! I'm so glad that we've had this last week to catch up (for the most part) and spend so much time together as a family! Over the last week or so we've:

*celebrated Christmas with my husband's parents

*had a big snow storm that kept us cozy and home for a couple of days

*sent the girls to see Tangled with Granny and Pop

*celebrated Amelie's birthday with a friend party on Wednesday and a family party on Friday

*had a visit from my parents!

*got caught up on some cleaning/organizing/shopping

*had a lovely visit from my favorite Amish family (no, not really Amish--they're just from Lancaster =) and got to squish their sweet baby boy. 

Ah! nothing quite makes the heard skip a beat like a beautiful newbornish baby and their smell and their cheeks and their everything! he is all kinds of wonderful! 

Amelie and Judah (don't be fooled by Judah's sad face =)

 Josh and Mr. Wonderful playing Kinect =)

 Maeve and Amelie playing while my favorite redhead, Asher and Cosmo chill =)

*aside from all of the partying I also got to watch lots of netflix movies including:

Cranford

I wasn't sure I was going to like this movie because i'm more of an *epic romance* kind of girl but it's soooo well done! The acting and cast are absolutely amazing and at times so funny and others so touching. I really love the scope of this production!

Little Dorrit

The reason I requested this movie can be summed up in two words:

Matthew Macfadyen.

A.K.A. *Mr. Darcy* from the newer version of Pride and Prejudice. This movie was looooonggggg and hard to get through but his shining moments of great acting helped me get through it! =)

Australia

This movie was sooo weird and sooo Baz Lurhman (mind behind Moulin Rouge, Romeo and Juliet, Simply Ballroom). It was also long.

Soooo long.

*3* hours.

Gah!

But it was saved by its amazing cinematography! 

And Nicole Kidman's blue eyes.

An Education 

My husband bought me this movie a while back and I never got around to watching it. 

The other day I pulled it out because I was eager to see a movie with Rosamund Pike (she's so beautiful!) and Carey Mulligan (both ladies from Pride and Prejudice).

Well, this movie was pretty good but it's also super creep.y. 

It centers around a 16 year old girl who gets swept off her feet by a man in his late 30s who shows her the world!

Only the creepster is married...you know, which she doesn't find out until after she is thoroughly seduced and engaged to him AND has dropped out of school. *shiver* 

* I also pulled out Pride and Prejudice and Emma to watch again--I can't watch them enough! LOVE!

* That's all I can think of for now!

Happy Sunday! I'm off to enjoy the fleeting time we have left before I send two of my loves back to work and school!

Happy New Year!

2010 was a very good year for us--

-we enjoyed our first full year in our new home

-i wasn't pregnant for any of it (woot)

-we were able to spend our time enjoying our three lovely children

-i learned about how awesome coupons are and started saving us (and making us) a boatload of money (well, maybe more like a toy boat than an actual boat =)

-my husband and i enjoyed another year of marriage and are heading towards the big *10*th anniversary in June

-we went on an awesome family vacation

-and my husband had his best summer job ever which afforded us for the first time to NOT have to worry about money AND to have a ton of extra days with him. it was really very lovely!

-my baby started kindergarten and LOVES it and is doing so well!

-my middle baby still isn't potty trained but still IS fabulous and funny 

-my actual baby learned how to eat and roll and walk  and wave and dance and give kisses and lots of other stuff this year. and he's perfect! seriously. perfect! (aside from the still not sleeping through the night thing =)

-my husband's music team placed 2nd in the nation in the international competition of a cappella (the same music competition that many of the groups from the tv show, The Sing Off participated in!)

-and he finished his *man room* which is probably his favorite accomplishment! =)

i'm sad to see 2010 go!

the good years always go too fast!

i'm excited to see what 2011 holds though!

God bless you all and Happy New Year!!

My Little Rosebud

Amelie-girl,

The night before you were born, I remember laying on the couch with Daddy, watching tv and thinking how very wonderful it was that I had a month off of work to prepare for your arrival.

And then...you came the next day, a month early, and nothing was ever the same again.

Those first months were so very difficult for me.

Much more difficult, and much much MUCH more lonely and stressful than I ever thought they could or would be! 

But, we made it through!!

I had such a hard time appreciating how wonderful you were then.

You would sit there and stare at me with your sweet little rosebud lips and big brown eyes and so many times I was just at a loss.

But God is good. 

And *time* is a teacher.

And we learned each others rhythms and eventually you slept in longer than 20 minute shifts....

eventually.

You, my Amelie, are the kindest, most sensitive, loving, helpful, over-achieving, perfectionist princess in the land

and 

I love

I love

I love

you.

And you've more than made up for those 6 sleepless months with the 4 hour naps you've taken almost everyday of your life until you started Kindergarten! =)

Darling Amelie--I pray that you will grow up knowing how much you are loved.

You are special

and 

lovely

and 

strong

and

amazing

and I'm privileged to be your Mama.

I love you always and forever and then some!

Mama

My Birthday Darling!

6

5

4

3

2

1

*6* Part 1

On Wednesday we celebrated Amelie's birthday with some of her little friends!

Granny of the East and Mr. Wonderful were on hand to do whatever needed to be done--they were sooooo helpful! Love them!

We decorated our own t-shirts, made many Princess crafts, ate pink AND purple cupcakes, played dress up and more!

The girls were so good and we had a lot of fun!

Here are some pictures of our party!

I started blogging on Amelie's 2nd birthday...

I can't believe *that* was 4 years ago tomorrow!!

Look at my sweet little curly-haired 2 year old girl---

now that's *Vintage Amelie*!!

Where oh where did the moments fly?!

Off to wrap the birthday presents!!

Up To My Eyeballs In *Princess*

I've been working all night

on piles of

Princess

*cupcakes

*decorations

*crafts

*presents

*balloons

for a very special birthday party 

for an even more special

almost

6 year old 

girl =)

**inserting random photos here to make this look like a very informative and exciting blog post**

**end random cute photos**

I had great intentions to accomplish many other things today

but didn't

*sigh

Oh well!

Here's to hoping that all of today's preparations make for a happy and memorable event tomorrow for my Amelie-girl!

The purple icing is calling me!

Goodnight!

I Never Knew I *Needed* You

Amelie asked for an ice cream maker for Christmas.

I thought that it was a strange request and wondered where she had even heard of having one at home before.

So I found this cute colorful one at Target

and then the strangest thing happened

I fell in love!

I'm not a huge ice cream person....well, I wasn't until "Amelie" got this cute little guy.

Fresh homemade ice cream in 8ish minutes?

Awesome!

But in addition to fresh homemade apple pie?

Stinkin' Priceless!!

Christmas Cuties!