31 THINGS | DAY FIFTEEN

9:15 am

It’s Thursday, the last day of May. I am at work.
I’m wearing my black flip-flops, my favorite jeans, tank top with a black t-shirt, a purple cardigan, my bracelet from Josh and my wedding ring. I didn’t really do anything with makeup or hair today. It’s a typical outfit for me, comfortable.

I’m listening to a book on my iPhone, The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks. He is a new author to me. This is the second book of his that I have read. I’m half way through and loving it. The office is quiet this morning.

I just turned on my Scentsy that I keep here at the office. I have ‘Eskimo Kiss’ melting. It’s one of my favorites. That also reminds me that I need to call my Scentsy girl and know when the next Bring Back My Bar is. it’s a small addiction that I have. They have such great smells though. BIG fan.

I’m sitting at my Cloroxed wiped desk, working at my computer with Geninne’s desktop art. I recently found this artist’s blog on CraftGawker. I LOVE her work. It just makes me smile.

I’m putting together a ticket for one of our technicians to work on. Making sure that I have all the details down that the customer gave us. I need to check in with all our technicians in about 15 minutes.

Outside is so dreary looking. We need the rain and a cool day, we’ve been in the upper 8os this week. It makes me miss my hubby and the boys though. It’s the perfect kind of day to cuddle up and sip hot chocolate. I love that kind of weather. It’s like being back home in Oregon.

MORE COFFEE IS NEEDED.

I find myself wondering what my husband and boys are all doing right now. Is Rian playing outside? Is Louis watching Word World with his Kindergarten class? Is Samual playing in the gym? I miss Josh. I won’t get to talk to him until lunch.

I have a flood of thoughts come in. I wish I would have packed a lunch because I want to snack on something. I need to make sure that I have the current shot records for the boys. When is the new book of JK Rollings coming out? Jared’s birthday is coming up. I need to make sure I get dog food on the way home. I have so much paperwork that I need to get caught up for the end of the month. This chair is very uncomfortable. How much longer can I wait before I really have to go to the bathroom?

The phone rings, the doctor’s office wants another biopsy done.

I pray.

31 THINGS | DAY NINE

Purchase

Josh and I are a young couple with three boys so finances can be tight. We started a family and are working at bettering our finances. We wouldn't change this; it's just the way it worked out :)

If we could spend money on anything...

-Josh would go to a sports store (hunting, fishing, and camping)

-Samual would go to the zoo

-Louis would go to Target

-Rian would go to Toys R Us

-I would go to a craft store.

. We use a few different ways of "budgeting". We always put a certain amount from out pay into savings. We pay our bills and what is left is either play money or money for next month. I do a lot of online banking. A great utility! The ability to check our account and transfer money is spectacular! We do get to splurge every now and then but for the most part we like to save for rainy days. Having the bills paid and trying to get ahead for the next month is something that we are always working on

Josh and I are trying to instill good financial habits in the boys, something that we all need a reminder about every now and then.

31 THINGS | DAY FOURTEEN

View

Every morning I watch three little boys stubble out of their beds. Sometimes they wake up with smiles because they have a special day ahead of them. Other days you feel like begging them to go back to bed. I wish that our mornings didn’t begin so early, but they do, and our boys don’t complain about that. No, sometimes they do, very rarely.

The view that I take in, are our three brave little men growing up each day. They learn new things each and every day. They can bring out every emotion in a person in one day. They are learning who they are. They are growing into them.

I see Samual learning how to tie his shoes. The joy his face shows in the accomplishment. He is learning how to help others. Samual is moving up to first grade and putting his kindergarten learning to work. His reading, math and science skills are really developing.

I see Louis learning how school works, the fear in new things but over coming them. Louis is learning how to play different sports and trying not to be distracted by playing in the dirt.

I see Rian learning how to put sentences together. He is learning to be gentle with babies and his friends, understanding that not all people want to wrestle. He is learning to use manners at the table, how to bless a meal.

The view of taking in our growing boys baffles me every day. There is not a day that goes by that this view that I am so blessed with, doesn’t surprise me. It is ever changing, every season, every holiday, every birthday the view is beautiful.

31 THINGS | DAY THIRTEEN

Chores

Cooper our five year old dog, Samual our 6yr old son, Louis our 5yr old son, Rian our 2yr old son, Josh and myself. On a normal day I sometimes feel out numbered. When it comes to cleaning and chores… let’s just say it’s like me against a whole football team.

The evenings are usually the best time to get any chores done. We constantly have a load of laundry going. The dish washer is runs every other day. The floor is always being swept. We are always finding things to pick up and put away. The best feeling is to wake up to a clean house.

For me everything has a place that it needs to be. When it’s not there I get very overwhelmed. Clutter causes anxiety attacks for me. I know that this is not something normal.

I know that I learned a lot of my cleaning habits from my Grandma and Gramps. The boys are at the age where they can learn to help do their part. Samual and Louis know how to fold and put away their clothes. Rian is learning how to put his toys away. Samual is learning how to do the dishes. I think the water is winning at this point though.

Even though we are picking up, doing laundry and the dishes throughout the week, there is always more to be done. This usually takes place on the weekends. Having all the chores done and caught up on Sunday, before the hustle of the week begins, is a must. It just makes the new week feel like it’s off to the right start.

Even though we have the cleaning under control a small part of me always wonders what it would be like to have someone come in to take care of all the clean-up. Josh and I work full time. To come home and to not have to worry about chores… I wonder what that would be like.

31 THINGS | DAY TWELVE

Watch

I watch TV with my husband and children. We all have a wide range of what we like to watch. Sometimes I like to just sit back and watch the expressions that they all have on their faces. It’s like a window into who they are. A common pick between them is Planet Earth, a tv show that takes you through the circle of life.

I watch my Nook and iPhone download new books. I love to use the Nook and read different types of books.

I watch Josh strive every day to be guided by our Heavenly Father.

I watch Samual learn how to read books.

I watch Louis learn how to write his name.

I watch Rian talk to his toys.

I watch our boys grow every day. Our parents really weren’t joking when they told us it goes by so fast.

I watch Cooper our dog put up with three little boys and their gentle hugs.

I watch baseball. Gramps was drafted to play for the St. Louis cardinals out of high school. Instead of playing ball he went into the Navy. Baseball is a very big part of our families’ life. I fell so close to home and family when I watch baseball even though I’m so very far away.

I watch the ocean as it cleanses my heart.

I watch the moon, the stars and the sun.

I watch the seasons and holidays roll by. The planning that is put into every holiday to make so special for the kids, all the little traditions that we pass along the generations.

I watch the end of one day and the beginning of another one.

31 THINGS | DAY ELEVEN

Nourish

1. I’m more of a snack eater than a meal eater. I love to snack on finger foods.


2. I am not a good make it up as I go cooker. I need a recipe and directions. If it sounds crazy complicated, I probably won’t try it.

3. I do not like to cook during the week. I feel like I need to hurry things along and then just get too frustrated to make a big meal. So yes we have sandwiches for dinner sometimes.

4. I love that we have to bribe our kids to eat pizza with salad.

“If you eat your pizza you can have some salad!”

5. Italian foods are my favorite. You know those Italian family old school pictures that are taken in Italy; I want to have a dinner like that someday, in Italy.

6. German, Irish meals are the only things that I really know how to cook.

7. I don’t like the way that buffets make me feel. I feel like when I go to a buffet everyone is watching what I get or if that was my first trip up there.

8. I very much so have a love hate relationship with food.

9. I wish I was a better cook so that I could cook with Josh.

10. COFFEE. I love coffee. We grew up always having a fresh pot of coffee brewing. It’s something that that my Grandparents and my Mom drank all day.

11. I wish that I would have paid more attention to my Mom and Grandma when they were showing me the different dishes that they made. One of the meals that they taught me to cook was Bubble and Squeak.

12. Crackers, Cheese, Summer Sausage. Thanks.

31 THINGS | DAY TEN

Evening

Getting the family home from work and school and hearing what everyone did can be very hectic at the end of the day. Typically we all sit down to dinner as a family to eat dinner. This is something that both Josh and my family did growing up, something that I hope our children continue with their families.

Many evenings we have some kind of activity after dinner. That can range from basketball, soccer, t-ball, Zumba, returning library books or a school activity. If we don’t have an activity going on we like to hang out as a family. You can find us snuggled up on the couch and relaxing or play board games. As the boys get older we will have to add in homework time to our evening schedule. Something that we have been working on in the evenings with the boys is reading. Our trips to the library have been more frequent.

The boys have to be in bed at 8pm. That means we have to start showers by 7:30 to get all three through and into PJs. Sam enjoys the showers. Louis enjoys bath/showers. Rian despises showers, so sometimes he will get in the shower with Samual. The days of all three boys in the bath are very few and far between. It can be a bit of a circus when they are all in there together.

Samual and Louis get to have pillow talk with Mom and Dad. We have one question that we ask them to answer to sort of wind down the day. Rian likes to tell us about why he should not have to go to sleep, while he rubs his eyes.

With the boys clean and in bed, Josh and I have the evening. Sometimes we are beat and fall asleep. Josh has started working on re-loading equipment in the evening. I have always loved reading so I try to get some in before bed. There is always house work to be done and this is something that often wins the evening, but we all know that if it doesn’t get done it’ll still be there in the morning for us to do.

Show and share

With three boys we are always looking for cool boy stuff to do. No pink here!

So it's summer time and outdoor fun is a must. This craft does involve the oven, but after that it would totally work outside! AND major plus, beautiful art work by the kiddos.

Hot Rocks

I've got so many crayons that are ready to go for this project!

Two for Twosday

Two for Twosday: two thoughts/ updates/ photos/ something that I don't want to forget or am flat out oober excited about.

1. WE WENT TO BUSCH STADIUM ANS SAW THE CARDINALS PLAY!!!

2. We had the best family vacation with Josh's family to St. Louis.

31 THINGS | DAY EIGHT

Transportation

Growing up my siblings and I learned how to drive… on different types of vehicles. We started out learning on a truck, cars, manual trucks, trucks with wagons, double decker buses, trucks with a caboose, trucks with hay trailers; the list goes on and on. We grew up in the country so it wasn’t uncommon for us to drive down the road to the river and practice driving.

I got my driver’s license when I was 16. This was more of a task than what I thought it was going to be. I had to take the written test THREE times. I’m not a good test taker. When I took the driving test they didn’t pass me because “I am too confident a driver”. When they told my Mom and I that we didn’t really know what that meant I needed to work on. On the second driving test I passed and had one of the worst pictures taken of me for my license.

My parents didn’t give me a car, Something I was dreadfully ashamed of then. Now, as a parent, I respect that decision. So I borrowed my Mom’s car, a Volvo. When I moved away to college all the transportation that I had was walking. It was the Oregon coast, no complaints. When I transferred to Hawaii Pacific University I bought my first truck. Ford F-150, cherry red, Mickey-T rims. It was beautiful! Someday I will get another one.

These days I drive a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee. For about a year we were a one car family, something that was a blessing and just so annoying all at the same time. The Jeep fits the whole family and is wonderful to drive. Hopefully we will have it around when the boys need a car to learn on.

31 THINGS | DAY SEVEN

Work

My fancy title, it goes a little something like this; Wife, Momma, Sister, Daughter, Niece, Auntie, Cousin, Friend. When I’m not using that title or wearing the shiny cape that comes with it I am an office manager at the largest co-location in the region.

I start work at 7:30 in the morning and am out the door at 4:30. Our office is in downtown Kansas City. The drive in isn’t so fun, nor is the drive home, I’m not a city person. The people that I work with are absolutely amazing. One of the perks is that I am able to work from home if I have to, something that has come in handy many times. One of the not so great things about my job is that the majority of the people that I work with are men. They have all become very dear friends but men none the less. I say that because I work all day with men and then come home to all men. I joke often that I am going to get a girl goldfish to even the odds out a little. I love learning about the new tech gadgets that are out there and my job defiantly exposes me to that on a daily basis.

This is not exactly the job that I grew up thinking that I would have as an adult. I planned on being a nurse. I went to college to be a nurse. Life happened so here I am. Someday I would like to go back to college. I’m not sure what it is that I want to be for sure when I grow up. My dream job, will always involve some kind of art.

Show and Share

With three boys we are always looking for cool boys stuff to do. No pink here!

We are sort of in this Superhero stage right now. Sam has typically always been a Spiderman fan, but all the boys are jumping on the Avengers/Superhero band wagon right now.

Peg Superheros

Side note: for those that have younger kiddos check out the Super Hero Squad show!

31 THINGS | DAY SIX

You

• Age: 27
• Favorite part of my day: is a toss-up. I love the time after dinner when the whole family gets to hang out. However! The time after the kids go to bed is SO relaxing! Don’t judge!
• Loving: Zebra print with pink trim, iPhone, Nook, Coffee, Baseball, Josh’s shoulder to lean on, Samual's art, Louis’ singing and Rian’s sentences.
• Longing for: For change. There is something inside of me that knows that it is time to take a leap.
• Inspired by: Nature, Color, Texture Country, simple, rustic charm, clean lines.
• Dreaming of: What our house will someday look like, Scrapbook pages that I want to put together and Down-time.
• Needing: A nice cold glass of wine.
• Navigating: Through being too hard on myself. I am my biggest critic.
• Struggling with: Being away from the ocean and the mountains and the forest, missing my family back home, Looking at the past and letting it shadow my present.
• Knowing: That this is my life and I want and need to live it to its fullest or I feel like I’m not accomplishing anything.

Two for Twosday

Two for Twosday: two thoughts/updates/photos/something that I don't want to forget or am flat out oober excited about

1. School days! Samual finished Kindergarten! Louis graduated from Pre-school! Both boys will be starting summer school in the next few days! Rian is moving up to pre-school classes!

2. Family vacation is coming up!!!

31 THINGS | DAY FIVE

Conversation

You know when you were in high school and you would get butterflies talking to that really cute boy. That’s me when I talk to my husband. Typically throughout the day the number one person that I talk to the most is my husband, Josh. This is one of the best things in the world! To have a spouse that you can talk to about anything and everything is truly a blessing. He is the first person I talk to in the morning and the last person I talk to at night, with so very many times in-between too. We talk in-person, on the phone, leaving ridiculously long voicemails, text messages, emails, notes, Skype, even leaving posts on Facebook. We have silly, serious, meaningful, loud, funny, sad, mean, loving, and quiet conversations.

I’m so blessed to have a husband that I can sit at the coffee shop with and talk for hours to and not run out of anything to say. I think we both do our fair share of talking and listening. I know that without a doubt that if I have something that is weighing on my shoulders all I have to do is talk to Josh about it. I also know that without a doubt Josh will be able to make me smile. Through hard conversations and easy ones Josh is always there.

One of the most special conversations that I have had with Josh was when we started dating. He took me for a drive in the country. The windows were down and the sun was out. Josh was nervous; you could tell that he had something so very important that he wanted to tell me. He lit his cigar, took his ball cap off and said “I love you Anna”.

Overheard

We were getting ready to go to birthday party. One of Louis’ BEST friends! He had finally picked out what he was going to wear when he went to his brother’s room and I heard this conversation.


Sam: Why are you wearing socks with sandals?

Louis: Cause I want to.

* Here is where I wanted to stomp into the bedroom and say take the socks off and wear the sandals or take the sandals off and wear some shoes.

Sam: People are going to laugh at you.

Louis: I like it when people laugh.

Sam: Yeah but they will laugh at you.

Louis: So what. I’ll laugh with them.

Sam: You mean you don’t care?

Louis: Why would I care if they don’t like my socks and sandals?

In that one conversation I realized that my son had grown up. He still has a long way to go, but he knows how to laugh at himself, something that some adults still can’t do. He has his own… own-ness and I am so proud of him for that.

After hearing this conversation I knew I couldn’t tell him to choose the socks or sandals, even though I was cringing on the inside. I was too excited for him. After heading downstairs and bubbling with Momma pride. I noticed that his sandals were on the wrong feet. He may have adult views but he is still five.

31 THINGS | DAY FOUR

Spirit

When I graduated high school I attended a non-denominational biblical college. It was one of the most refreshing years of my life. The college was located on the Oregon coast. I learned so very much in my studies. One of the things that I took with me to college was my graduation gift, a Bible. The Bible when I first got it had no markings in it. Now it’s showing some wear and tear and underlines of favorite passages. It’s not the fact that my Bible is all marked up that’s just something to look at on the outside. What makes me smile is that all those markings show a part of me. Or rather a part of what my life was like at one point or another. I might have underlined in my Bible because it was something that I needed to work on or it was something so very beautiful or it was something new or something old that I love to read about.
-My favorite passages is the parable of the Good Samaritan. In Luke 10:29-37, a Jewish traveler is beaten, robbed, and left half dead along the road. First a priest and then a Levite come by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a Samaritan comes by. Samaritans and Jews generally despised each other, but the Samaritan helps the injured man.
-My favorite verses is 1 Corinthians 13:13; There are three things that will endure- faith, hope and love- and the greatest of these is love.
Growing up our family was raised with the Christian word. My Grandparents didn’t attend church regularly but I’ve never meat two more sincere Christians. The best feeling was listening to my Grandma and Grandpa say the Lord’s Prayer.
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

31 THINGS | DAY THREE

Read

I struggled with learning how to read. I was one of those kids that had to go to a ‘special’ reading class. It was embarrassing, leaving class while everyone else was working on different projects. After a few years I didn’t have to go back. It was a small accomplishment, but that’s where I learned to love reading.

My Mom and Grandma read to me from an early age. They would take us to the library and let us pick out our own selection. Without fail the books that Mom picked out were always the best. One of the authors that she showed me was Laura Ingles-Wilder. Wilder started a long passion for the older days. Now I get to take my children to the library and watch their reading adventures begin.

It doesn’t really matter to me how I get my hands on a book.
- Josh and the boys got me a Nook for Christmas so a lot of my book purchases have been on there.
- Barnes and Noble has always been a second home. We may or may not have skipped school to see what new books were on the shelf.
- Our local library, Mid-Continent Library, is an amazing facility. It’s been so great to take the boys there and get them their own library cards. Their own cards!!!
- Audible is one of the other ways that I get my read on. They recently put together an app for the iPhone, so great to be able to download whatever book at any time.

31 THINGS | DAY TWO

Morning

The alarm rings at 5:30am depending on how early we got to bed the night before we either a) get up or b) hit the snooze three more times, generally we hit the snooze. So about 6:00 I clumsily get out of bed and head to the bathroom to start my daily routine. This consists of straightening my hair, putting on makeup, taking vitamins and brushing my teeth. Once that is done I wake Josh up so he can take a shower. I will check the weather on my iPhone. This is something that I think I learned from my Momma growing up. She ALWAYS had the radio on in the morning. We would hear about the morning news, traffic and weather. After I have found out what kind of weather we will be having I get my work clothes on. At about 6:30 I’ll head into Samual’s room hit the light and sing “A rise and shine and give God the glory, glory”. I head into Louis and Rian’s room and do the same thing. Suddenly there will be a mad rush for all the boys to use the upstairs restroom. They seem to always conveniently forget about our second bathroom. Samual will ask what kind of clothes to wear. I’ll tell him short sleeves and shorts or whatever it is that the weather calls for. He is old enough now to pick out his own outfits! Louis will ask the exact same question and go lay back down in bed. Rian and I will go change his pull-up, get his school clothes and then he goes to pester Dad while he gets ready. Samual will either be dressed in a completely inappropriate outfit (winter clothes in the summer) or just fine. Samual will take Cooper out to go potty. By this time Josh is dressed and headed downstairs with Rian. Josh will make the coffee and get Rian’s shoes on. I’ll have to lay out Louis’ clothes and he will get dressed. Then there is the shoe-show-down, “Mom have you seen my other shoe”. Without fail at least one child will not be able to find a matching pair of shoes. So the game starts looking under couches and beds until a pair is found. Samual will bring Cooper back inside and grab his back pack and start watching for the bus. The school bus usually comes around 6:58ish. I’ll give Samual his hugs and kisses and grab my work stuff, Louis and Rian and I head out to the car. Josh stays with Samual to make sure that he gets on the bus. I drop Rian off at daycare and Louis off at Pre-school. This process can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 20 minutes. Once I get back into the car I find my iPhone, open the Audible app and listen to my current book until I get to Kansas City. When I realize, I forgot my coffee at home.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

31 THINGS | DAY ONE

Jewelery

The Start…

I always wanted to be a girly jewelry wearing girl. I did try… I still do try. My Mom and Grandma never really wore any jewelry. I remember looking through Avon catalogs with both my Mom and Grandma thinking about how great that necklace or ring would look with this outfit or that shirt. The first time I got to order something out of the Avon book… It was like a rite of passage. I was in the BIG times now. I still have that ring. It’s silver with green crushed rocks on the side of a blue stone. I’m not going to lie I think I wore it only a handful of times. But that’s where it all started. I still try to wear jewelry. I mix it up every now and then. Usually though my jewelry wearing consists of my wedding ring, earrings and toe rings; anything more than that and you’ll know that I’m trying to be fancy.

Rings…
My wedding ring symbolizes so very much to me; the love that my husband has for me, the start of our new lives together, the hard work that went behind getting it and let’s face it, the absolute beauty of it as well. It’s something that my husband picked out by himself. He surprised me with it on my birthday. When I don’t have it on, I feel naked. I have other rings that I have gotten to remember special times. But my wedding ring, it’s a piece of me now.

Earrings…
I begged and pleaded with my Mom to have my ears pierced. I was 11 when she finally let me do it. Two shinny diamond studs. That’s what I still wear today. I have gotten a second piercing and I wear studs in them too. I change them for special occasions to dangly shiny earrings. Something that I thought I would never be able to do with kids. They are getting older now and know not to yank on them… most of the time.

Toe rings…
Three stackable toe rings. Yes. I said it, I have toe rings. Two of them are skinny bands. The third is a thicker band with ocean waves engraved. I got them when I lived in Hawaii and I love them. I wear them ALL the time.

Bracelet…
One of the sweetest Christmas gifts that my husband has gotten me is my charm bracelet. My husband picked three charms, one charm for each of our boys; a silver penguin for Samual, a silver car for Louis and a silver Buddha for Rian. The thought that he put into picking out just what one to get means so much to me. Over the holidays and years I have gotten more charms. Each time the boys ask me what each charm means it puts a smile on my face. Knowing that behind each charm is a story, a smile, and a laugh.

Necklaces…
On December 26, 1946 Pete, 27, gave 25 year old Wanita a strand of freshwater pearls. The clasp made of gold, the pearls nearest the clasp small but growing in size toward the middle of the necklace. The cream-golden colored, precious gem necklace was given to Wanita as a wedding gift from her soon to be husband on their wedding day.

Pete and Wanita were my Grandparents. They had one of the sweetest marriages I have EVER seen. They had the marriage that little girls dream about having one day. Grandpa was my Grandma’s prince charming. This is not to say that they didn’t have their ups and downs or hard times. They had each other though, one of the most pure things, just like that necklace that Gramps had given Grandma on their wedding day.

In 2005 my Grandma and Gramps gave me that necklace. It’s something that I treasure so very dearly. I take it out only for very special occasions. My Momma wore it to my wedding. When I do wear it, it makes me feel close to them. I know they are smiling down on all of our family. But in that brief second of taking it out of the silk pouch that it’s kept in, I remember when my Grandma put it in my hands, my Gramps smiling at me when I put it on. Sure I have other necklaces that I wear for this and that. Like my rings some are for very special times. This necklace from my Grandparents is a lasting memory that I will never forget.

Show and Share

So with three boys we are always looking for cool boys stuff to do. No pink here!
I came across this post and HAD to share:

Avengers Bookmarks

Check it out!!!
Also if you haven't seen the new movie, GO! We took the boyz and we all had a great time.

Two for Twosday

Two for Twosday: two thoughts/ updates/ photos/ something that I don't want to forget or am flat out oober excited about.

One. Soccer has come to an end for the season. We had an absolute blast at awards night for the kiddos.

Two. I start a class this week! It's called 31 Things. Ali Edwards is instructing! I'm so excite to learn!

That's my two : )

Happy Mother's Day

To all you gorgeous, smart, loving, wonderful, amazing, act like a kid when your child needs you to, part-time boo-boo fixers, storyteller, photographer, everyday super hero, toy repair women, stay up through the night when your baby needs you, devoted, ATM, cartoon specialist, chief, just a phone call away, caring, taxi driver, party planner, sideline cheerleader, doctor visiting hand holder, why explainer, shoulder to lean on, counselor, documenter, best bear hugging Momma's out there, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

April's photos

A photo a day

April roundup

What I'm eating/drinking: Carmel Macchiato
What I'm wearing: T-shirt and jeans
My last Nook/iTunes/Audible purchase: Heaven Is Here by Stephanie Nielson
What I need to do today: Take Louis to Kindergarten roundup
What the kids are doing: School/Daycare
How I'm feeling: Good!
What I'm listening to: The hum of the day
Words to describe April: WILD, busy, Sunny
Noteworthy:
Soccer, Easter, birthday, moving friends to a new home, library visits, New Baseball season, Hockey game, Take your son to work day, Camping

What reading/learning did I do this month?
An Echo In The Bone
The Quickening
The Hunger Games
The English American
The Lost Gate
How To Raise A Good Kid


What fun things did I do with my family and/or friends?
The fam went camping this month!!! Our weekends are so full with soccer that we only got to go out the one weekend. BUT we had a blast, defiantly going to make it a more than once a month thing.

What gifts did I give and/or receive?
I received some very sweet birthday cards this month. One of them Louis made for me at his school.

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
Okay, I am super excited to say this! I bought Becky Higgins page protectors!!! It’s the most amazing thing for busy Mom’s that want to keep a scrapbook! It’s called Project Life. I recommend it to EVERYONE!
What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
I think I will have to finally admit that I have really bad allergies. It’s the worst. Other than that the boys had their physical and ALL is well!!! Louis got his Kindergarten shots!


What were my highlights this month?
I got Josh REALLY good on April fool’s day!!! Yes I’m sure that I have just started a war BUT I did it. I put baby ora-gel in his toothbrush. I know, I’m bad.

What were my downers this month?
I think the hardest thing this month was seeing Moe lose her Dad. I never met him but it was very hard to see Moe go through the loss.

What new things did I try?
I tried a few new restaurants. Granite City, The Melting Pot and The Brick. All great places and spent time with GREAT friends.