Thankful... grateful...

I am thinking a lot about this lately... grateful. I am grateful but my everyday actions don't always show it. I get caught up in the everyday stuff of life. The attitude of gratitude leaves me and I get selfish. I get mean. I am grouchy. I look at these two photos... one of my boys sleeping and one of Makenna - care free and twirling. Not a worry on their faces. Just peace and bliss. I want to learn from my little ones to always grab the moment and live it. Be thankful and let that pour over on those around me... especially those directly around me.

My younger 2...

I love these photos a friend from MOPS was able to catch of my younger 2 kids at the newer Train Station near where we live. As I looked over the GORGEOUS photos she took I realized I don't have a babyanymore... this is a little sad. There are new adventures ahead with KIDS... no more chubby legs and drooly kisses... onward... please wait while I grab my tissue.

Where I came from ...

I went to a reunion this past weekend with a lot of my mom's family that I have not seen a whole lot of in the past 20 or so years. I miss them and it was so good to just "be" with them. It was only a few hours... on a very warm day... at a park with all ages spread around. My mom died when I was 13... the anniversary was this weekend as well... 30 years ago. The picnic get together was by no means a way to honor that... it was just the weekend that worked out for most to attend. It has been a long time. I was introduced more than once at this picnic as "Beverly's daughter"... it has been a very long time since I have thought of myself as that. My husband's family gets together quite a bit... lots in fact. I have wondered sometimes at those gatherings what it would be like to have my mom around in this phase of my life... I wish my kids could experience how much fun she was and how much fun she liked to have.
We also went to Brian's 20 year high school reunion this weekend as well. As I watched the slideshow of long ago faces of people I didn't know a saying at the end of the slideshow struck me... "The older you get the more important is for you to stay connected with those who knew you when you were young"... I like that. Maybe that is one reason why I love my sisters and my brother and my extended family so much. They loved me then and they still love me now.

The photo is me and my 2 sisters (Heather & Pam) as well as one of my cousins (Lynda).

Laundry - I used to love it. Still do.

I love doing laundry! There is nothing like the smell of warm clothes and towels right out of the dryer ... oh and the EMPTY laundry basket. I have never had a "Laundry Day"... I just do it when I have a moment and usually it works out to a couple of loads every other day... sometimes more if I do towels and bedding. Maybe the reason I love doing laundry is the feeling of accomplishment when it is done... the orderly piles... delivering them throughout the house and seeing the filled shelves and drawers. It is the perfect thing for my insides when I feel like I haven't accomplished much in a day. I can always say... "I did a load of laundry!" When my 2nd child was born I recieved a wonderful gift as my "c section gift"... a BIG front loading washing machine. Wow!!!

Many times I have thought of the "old days" where the mom had to lean over a wash board in the stream... thank you God for washing machines and dryers... soap and dryer sheets... makes our jobs as moms much easier! The other reason I know I love doing the laundry... it is a way I can get that "Type A" personality a little pat on the back. Well done!

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY LUKE!

My baby is turning 2...

Luke just hours old... June 23, 2008

I can't believe that Luke will be 2 on Wednesday! It seems like just a few days ago i was holding this precious boy in the hospital ... and shocked he weighed over 9 pounds at birth! He was so beautiful and the 3rd child I never thought I would have! He was such a beautiful baby and now a gorgeous toddler! With a bursting personality! He is such a blessing to our family! We love you Lukie doo!

A new place to play..

One of our family pickets... (we have 3 ... this one, one that is not up yet that has all 3 kids first names on it (coming soon...) , and one that we had WARM BEACH MOPS put on.)

The one and only way in or out...

yeah!

Waiting to play...

I am envisioning future Birthday parties here...

Day 5 of the BUILD...

Day 4 of the BUILD...

Day 3 of the BUILD...

We helped do something this past week... my husband worked 3 full days and I helped babysit kids... and my kids well Wyatt got to paint a stone log and my younger two just got to be excited. We did sponsor a few pickets in the fence and I tried really hard to inspire others to get involved too. Our community has a brand new park and it was even on the news last night... I had nothing to do with the organizing or even the idea (although I have wished for such a park for this community). It was amazing to watch our community come together and make this a reality... whether it was money or time or both. Many of the folks that did all of this I have never met before now. But we all live here and call this area HOME. Thank you for a place to go that is safe and fun but most of all reminds us that community is caring and coming together for each other! Thanks from one happy mom!

A little T-ball action...

So many teachable moments... love it!

He is playing on a team with mostly 6 year olds... in fact about 90% of the team is in his Kindergarten class.

A little fishing day trip to Lynden... fun had by all!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was yesterday... below is a photo of my mommy, me, and my siblings. She had all 4 of us by the time she was 24... goodness no wonder she is sitting down! As a young child this is how I remember my mom... on floor playing with us and leaving the rest to just be.

I lost my mom at 13 ... so I don't have lots of memories over the years so to speak. I don't know what it would be like to navigate life as an adult and still have my Mother's influence. I miss that although I am not always sure what I am missing until I look at some of my friend's moms... or some of the key people that I have met and stuck with along the way.

I am so glad that I have people in my life to help me know how to mother my kids. I finally got around to posting the one of my kiddos and me... Happy Mother's Day!

Take me out to the Ballgame...

We got a great Christmas gift a few months ago... tickets from family to see the Mariner's TOGETHER with my sisters and thier families! It was lots of fun... a day filled with sunshine, hotdogs, IVARS (my fav at Safeco), cheering, moose hugging & high fiving, walking, cheesing for pics, swedish fish, cracker jacks, a little snoozing (by Luke) & wishing they had won! A successful day! It wasn't any our kids 1st trip to Safeco (we love the Mariners) but it was so much fun to be there with a ton of cousins and aunts & uncles who love them! yeah!

Simple things...

I love it when I can get my kids entertained with something simple. Away from videos and having TO BE entertained. Today... in our wonderful backyard (that I am thankful for everyday) I brought out the Wal Mart bubble wands. We saw these last weekend at a friend's wedding and made a mental note to get some soon! I saw them at Walmart and did you know that the Big one Wyatt has was only $2? I did splurge a little on Makenna's... I got her the Disney Princess one that was slightly more (it was her birthday this past week after all and i am a sucker for anything Disney)... but they have the basic ones for $1 and $2. you can't beat that. Now... I would recommend buying a big jug for quick refills. The wands don't work really well unless they are full. What fun... For over an hour they were running and chasing and stomping and squealing. No fights nothing! Pure Bliss. The last photo is of Luke napping (he missed out on the bubbles for now)... he LOVES the Goodnight Moon book... so much so that we had to buy another copy to keep in the diaper bag. He carries it and as you can see here ...sleeps with it. He loves it and so do I. Ahhh... the simple things.

Growing up...

My husband and I had a conversation tonight while the kids were still up... a short one but it did happen. We were talking about our nephew and how he will be in college in a year... and the decisions he is thinking about now that will affect him ... well for the rest of his life. Later I started thinking about my kids... we have had a lot of firsts this past year. A 1st Birthday (last June of my youngest), KINDERGARTEN, an organized sport (T-ball), saying goodbye to our dog (almost 12) because of lymphoma, and so much more.

Life... it just happens... it happens if you sit on the bench and watch it and it happens if you jump right into the deep end and try and keep up. I personally am much more the "jump into the deep end" kind of person instead of sitting on the bench. Sometimes sitting on the bench would be good for me. As I have aged I have chosen the bench more times then I did when I was younger... some of my friends are glad I am learning. Anyway - I know that my children are growing and changing everyday and soon they will be the ones choosing colleges, and "friends", and making those big LIFE decisions. I hope between now and then we can hold thier hands and help yto guide them to be able to make those decisions wisely. I always want to be that safe, soft place for them but to be a challenge to them as well. Grace and Prayer and bit of mercy mixed in should do it... I'll take the challenge day by day... now step back while I get ready for a cannonball into the deep end... here we go!

Photos freeze time...in a way

I was loading the photos from this weekend onto our computer and I was thinking about how a day can be filled with "drama and stuff" but when you view the photos they help your "selective' memory really only remember the "good" stuff. I like that... the other stuff isn't worth going over again anyway. We had a good day but there was a little drama... I am glad we have the photos. The look pretty angelic don't they?

The Zoo... just me and the kids

I packed up the kids by myself on Tuesday and drove down to Seattle to the Zoo. It was raining on the way down (a little). I didn't care... I NEEDED to be out of the house and we have a membership and I packed lunch. So besides the gas we were looking at a FREE day. (Okay so I did pay for a ride on the carousel). Turns out the rain had really stopped by the time we got there and the sun actually came out for most of the day. Some of my mommy friends think I am nuts for doing the outings I do with all 3 kids By MYSELF. I find it rather challenging and I get a lot of satisfaction out taking them and exposing them to the outside world. I love the zoo and the kids have been a lot. They love it. I love it. We saw lots of things... Elephants, a baby gorilla, and Orangatan swinging on a vine (you don't see that every time), Zebras, and so much more. I love my kids and I will deeply miss this stage when it is over... I like pushing a stroller, opening up cheese sticks, toting a diaper bag, and trying to cram 4 people into one bathroom stall. These are fun times.

My first baby is 6!

I can't believe my Wyatt is 6. His birthday was last Thursday! How in the world did that happen. It seems just yesterday I was laying there in the hospital (post an emergency c-section) holding my darling olive skin toned baby and completely head over heels for him. I am still head over heels for him but he isn't that baby anymore. I see this growing boy in front of me and I wonder the kind of man he'll be... the things he'll do... the people he will influence. For now though... he is 6... and in Kindergarten. He is just starting T-ball and after one practice I am thinking about his career with the Mariners already! He really is quite good! Anyway - my thoughts are of that baby that came to us in 2004 and how much he has changed in 6 short years... Wyatt means "Little Warrior". he really doesn't live up to the "LITTLE" part at all but Warrior... hmmm. Happy Birthday Wyatt!