Parenting....

I have to say that I think we are entering a new phase with our oldest daughter. She just turned 7 the other day and I feel like our problems of a messy bedroom and spilled lemonade have quickly turned into more serious and complicated issues. I am now feeling the constant urge to have to teach her things about life like how to be a good friend, the consequences of not telling the truth, and how to respect others around her. I now am seeing just a glimpse of what other parents have told me about.... as they get older the problems and lessons become bigger. I am trying to stay consistent. It is hard. I want her to grow up to be kind, caring, respectful and most of all devoted to the Lord. I think I am going to need a lot of prayer.................

words from a 3 year old

Last night while Joel and I were sitting outside eating dinner, Jesslyn started pulling her pajama top really hard and was stretching it out. I told her not to do that because it would ruin her pajamas and she said to me, "But Jesus loves me and wants me to do it." Joel and I just looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh. She said it so sweet and innocent while staring at us with her big blue eyes. The things kids say......

My Dad (or as Joel likes to call him.. my daddy)

Father's day... I am sure it has so many emotions for so many people. I am so blessed to say that my father is amazing. He is hardworking, funny, easy going, wise and Godly. I really have only seen him mad a few times in my 31 years of life. (only when he broke his watch, was lost on the endless road in California, and when the power went out on Hazel Dell... oh and when I puked on the porch.) Other than that, he is my Saturday morning phone call to discuss weather, politics and the new things going on in Longview. He can quote every episode from Seinfeld and can fall asleep in his chair at the drop of a hat. He can be a little quirky, like when he puts chocolate syrup on his raisin bran mixed with cheerios....... but that is what makes him unique. I am so fortunate to have such great parents. Happy Father's Day dad! You are the best! The first picture I posted was of my dad trying to figure out how my phone was taking a picture ( it still makes me laugh out loud..) and the second one was him hard at work at my Grandma's house.

Cous Cous Anyone?

Yesterday afternoon I let the girls watch a few cartoons while I was on the phone with a good friend from North Carolina. After I got off the phone, I headed to the kitchen to start making dinner and found little yellow things all over my floor. I couldn't figure out what it was until I found the Cous Cous box open and sitting on the shelf. My sweet little Jesslyn wanted a snack and decided that eating raw Cous Cous out of the box was a great idea. I guess it was a bit hard to get out of the box because Cous Cous was all over my floor.... so when I walked through the kitchen it would stick all over my feet. It was awful and took awhile to get it all swept up. What an interesting snack.

Love

Do you ever have moments in your life when you become completely overwhelmed by love for your children? I have many moments as a mother of frustration and irritation and quite frankly, a bit of anger. Those times when the kids are fighting, throwing fits, or being just plain mean can almost push me on the edge...... but then, even seconds later, I can think about them or look at them and be so completely filled with love for them. That is so amazing to me.

High Heels, Tie Dye, and Plaid?

My girls are constantly getting into my closet and putting on my shoes. They love wearing my high heels on our wood floor because of the clanking sounds. As I was sitting at the computer this afternoon, Jesslyn walked into the room with my very pointy high heel boots on.... and with the tie dye shirt and plaid pants, I couldn't resist snapping a shot with the camera. She was as proud as could be marching on the wood floors with my shoes. She really could hardly walk in them but was giving it her best shot. What an outfit!

Nevaeh Paige

My oldest daughter, Nevaeh, is going to be turning 7 on the 27th of this month. I can hardly believe she is going to be that old. I was thinking about it this morning.... as she is constantly reminding me about the party we need to start planning...... and I realized how much she has matured and become comfortable in her own skin. For many who know Nevaeh, she has had some struggles with self confidence... or as many would label it, she tends to be shy. I really hate that term but don't know what else to call it. She would never enter in to playing with others because of her lack of confidence in herself. She occasionally has those moments from time to time but for the most part, she is right in there with the rest of the kids. She has many friends and has started taking more risks in life than I ever imagined she would. I know it might not sound like that big of a deal but trust me, I have shed many tears over the past years. Watching your child sit out of things even though you know they want to be a part is hard to watch. I am so proud of her growth and am excited about the girl she is becoming.

On My Deck...

As I poured myself a cup of coffee this morning, I decided to join the girls on the deck. I love sitting out there in the morning. It seems so peaceful and the weather was already nice and warm. As I sat there, the warm weather was reminding me of all the vacations we took as a family to Sunriver. We started going when I was a baby and ended up going every summer at least once, sometimes twice. Sunriver is a a resort in Bend, OR. It is filled with condos, pools, bike trails, golf courses, and a river for rafting and canoeing. It is also a ski resort in the winter. I have not been the last two summers and I am missing it. It is such an amazing place to relax. Every morning starts out with a bike ride to the bakery, then a longer bike ride back to the condo. Then we head out to the pool for the majority of the day until it is time for a nap or dinner. Then dinner is followed by a bike ride to the ice cream shop. Then we play games at night and start the day over again. Now that is what I call a vacation. My sister and her family will be home from Africa in time for us to all take our summer vacation there together. I think I might already start the countdown! Do you have any vacation spot that you enjoyed a lot growing up or a place you would go regularly?

Sounds

Do you ever feel like you are extra sensitive to sounds.... today has been one of those days for me. I feel like every little sound is about to send me over the edge. My daughter was crunching on some chips and I thought I was going to scream. Is that weird?

My Perfect World

Now I know that this blog is going to be about completely vain and unimportant things... because there are many other things I could think of to make the world more perfect but these are my things in life that get on my nerves and bog me down.
In my perfect world there would be:
1. no dirty dishes.
2. a chef to come and cook us a healthy yet yummy dinner.
3. laundry would never pile up.
4. nothing spilled on the floor after just sweeping it.
5. no kids shouting no at me.. only yes mam.
6. no such thing as having to shop for swimming suits.
7. no bills to pay.
8. no arguing kids.
9. weekly date nights with my husband.
10. no dust and dog hair in my house.


AAAHHH. sounds great doesn't it?