Sun Sun Sun

Last Sunday was the most crazy February weather in Washington! We had beautiful sunny skies and it was really warm out... now not August warm but very warm. Makenna has been asking for weeks if we could get the little wading pool out and a week or two ago I gave in and hauled it out of the shed for her to play with water on the patio. So... when we got home from church last Sunday all she could do was run for her room and put on her swimsuit as fast as she could... the boys were hot on her tail. I have to admit is was really warm sitting in the sun and enjoying their "summer" squeals on that warm February day. Weather update... today (Wednesday Feb 24) it is cold out and drizzling. Yes - we are in Washington.

I love organizing and I love a good deal...

I love to reorganize... to purge and to live simply. Money is very tight for us these days but it doesn't stop me from rethinking and rearranging our home. Craigslist is my FAVORITE place to get a good deal and get rid of those things that we are finding we don't need anymore. My most recent find is a shelf /cubby organizer (new $199 @ IKEA but I got it for $65 on Craigslist!) that we are using for toy and book storage. We already owned one of these in a smaller size that is going to do duty in one of kid's closets now. All I had to was sell a couple of things ourselves and tada... new shelf paid for! I love that! It's a "green" purchase and I love that too! WIN WIN WIN!

Back a few days later to post photos of the finished product... One photo is the smaller shelf in the kid's closet and the other larger shelf is in our playroom! Yeah - all up and organized... now on to my pantry cupboard because my friend Melinda in AZ is inspiring me!

Mommy/Daughter Bonding

I never thought I would ever have a daughter... I had always pictured myself the Mommy of boys. The good news is God thought otherwise and I do have daughter... Makenna! From the moment she entered the world I have been a little stunned and blessed that we have her. She is a bundle of energy and sassyiness (sp) these days. We are trying to learn to parent this personality so pray for us! Oh how we love our girl! Today we had some bonding time. I did something with her that I used to do with my mom... we watched a Shirley Temple movie. Well at least part of one... Makenna didn't make it to the end. Her attention span for movies isn't what Wyatt's is for sure but she watch for a good while. The first thing she said after I pushed play was that she wanted to watch something else because "this movies had no colors on it". But then... something magical happened when Shirley crooned her first little tune... Makenna's eyes danced a little and she looked at me said... "Mommy ... I like that girl and this movie is fun." I actually got a little teared up... I don't have tons of memories of my mom but I do have some and watching that movie with Makenna today... well I felt for a second or two that my mom was there too. She loved Shirley Temple movies and always made sure my sisters & I saw and enjoyed them when we were young. Good wholesome entertainment. We watched "Stowaway"... can't wait to reserve some more from the Library and introduce Shirley Temple's other movies to Makenna over the years. Then it will be on to Anne of Green Gables, Little House, and so on and so on. I am so glad I got a girl. Thanks for thinking of it God.

A GREAT Daddy and so much more...

It is almost Valentine's Day... I have never really loved this holiday... back in my single days I used to kind of hate it. Now that I have been married for almost 10 years I still don't love it but do try to take advantage of making those close to me feel special. I try to do this everyday but V-day gives us a reason to do it on purpose right along with the rest of the world for 24 whole hours! I married a GREAT guy... I knew this when I said yes 10 years ago to the day on V-day when he asked me to be his wife... but I know this way more now. He loves us and takes care of us in ways that I never dreamed. Brian is a guy who puts everything in the right order... He loves God first and this is so evident, then he loves me, lucky me! Then there is Wyatt, Makenna, and Baby Luke... He loves them in ways I can't! He is constantly finding creative ways to "hang out" with them. Whether it is planting flowers and digging in the dirt with Makenna, building some kind of project or discussing space ships and why we can't build one ourselves with Wyatt or loving and hugging on Baby Luke... not to mention the changing of diapers which he willing volunteers for! He loves me through all of my compulsive housecleaning... my countless days that I wait until 6pm to even think about anything for dinner... my over talkativeness (is that a word?)... and so many more flaws that he wades through to love me! We are so blessed!

Cutting the curls off...

I took Luke (my baby of my babies) in for a real big boy haircut today. I forgot the camera (poor 3rd child). This photo is from a few weeks ago definately PRE haircut! He cried through most of it but was so happy when the hairstylist brought out the prize! A green dum dum sucker for a reward! Ahhh... to be satisfied with just that. So with big croc tears he licked his prize and looked up at me with a whole new look. His floppy head of curls was gone and this little boy looked up at me. Sad... I keep thinking everytime I look at all 3 of my small ones ... where did my babies go? I watched Makenna walk in line with her Preschool classmates the other day and wondered whose big girl is that? I helped Wyatt with his Kindergarten homework (yes they have homework in Kindergarten... this surprised me too) last night and he counted AND wrote his numbers 1 - 100! Wow! Harvard watch out! I am so proud of him! I am holding on tight knowing that everyday brings a little more independnce on all of their parts but those babies dissappear a little more too. How sad but good... defiantely a mixed blessing... but what a blessing they all are!!! Lucky me!