A Long Day

It seems as though my time during the day flies. If I am not dressing, feeding, or driving one of the kids somewhere, I am on my cell phone talking to Dave, Becky, Lynda, or my mom. I really need a couple more hours in my day and I refuse to wake up any earlier than I have to in order to get more done.

Dave is organizing an Open House at the firehouse this weekend and somehow until yesterday the fact that I needed to attend did not sink in. It may be because my brain is overloaded and turning to mush but I have to drive the 45 minutes or so on a Saturday to a town that is located on the beach-ugh! Just thinking of the traffic and parking is already making me a little dizzy. I am super proud of him for organizing this event and I hope that it all helps the community recognize what a great job the firefighter/paramedics to but all I can see right now is me, 3 kids, a lot of strangers, and a husband who will be overly stressed about having everything be perfect.

Also starting this Sunday we have our family coming to visit one after another. I am very excited to be able to spend some time with them but they are a little OCD with the cleaning and I am so not. So, when I think something is clean (and it is by normal standards), I have to clean it again so that it is up to their standards. I don't really know if I am up to the challenge this week but I don't think I have a choice.

And I can not leave a post without a picture so...

My boy is the best

Ryan is the most hilarious 3 year old that I have ever had the opportunity to play with daily. He says some of the funniest things possible. The other day he told me , "Mommy, you are having a bad hair day". In my defense it was 7 a.m. when he said this. He loves to run around the house in his undies and shoot (spit on) everything in sight. Everyone says that Ryan is going to get forgotten in this house full of girls, but how could he be overlooked. Isn't he just the cutest boy you have ever seen?

Challenged

My heart has been so heavy for MckMama. I read he blog daily and feel as though I know her and her kids. She gave birth to Stellan on the day that I went into the hospital while pregnant with Alexis. During my stay in the hospital she gave me inspiration and also knowing another person who was trapped in the hospital helped me to not go too crazy during my stay. I keep asking Dave all these medical qustions and I think he has about had it with all of my questions but by the answers I keep getting from him, Stellans heart shouldn't be able to handle all of the stress it is under. In church this morning we sand a song and the verse said " you formed my heart before I was born" and Stellan came to my mind immediately. God knew Stellan from the moment he was formed and he still knows the plans he has for him.
I was so challenged today to be a "Pointer" to Christ through my life. Let me preface this by saying that I HAVE NOT BEEN A GOOD ONE, but I want to be. I really struggled with the choice to change churches. I need to grow in my faith and be challenged and I feel that is what I am getting at Woodland. I walked in to get Ashley from kids church today and they were singing Big House. She was in the front row, doing the motions, praising God and my heart soared and I knew that I had made the right decision for our family. Ryan is almost completely potty trained. Today was our first day going to church with no diaper on. I was so nervous to leave him without one but I realised I was going to have to do it someday, so why not today. Ms. Vicki said that he sat on the potty 4 times in 20 minutes, but he was dry when I picked him up and in the same clothes so I see this as major progress.
This week is Dave's final week of Lieutenant classes, I am so proud of him and also happy for me to finally have my husband home for more that 2 days in a month. Next month is a little crazy too but what else can i expect.

Rice Cereal anyone?

Yes, we use formula!

Mixin it UP!

Before

After

Yummy, all done!

4 months already

Time, needs to stop! I look at my kids and my husband and think- where does the time go. Ashley is almost done with kindergarten, Ryan will be going to preschool in the fall, and Lexi is 4 MONTHS OLD!!! I think of all the things that we haven't gotten around to doing and it makes me sad. I know that kids grow up but does it have to be so fast. It seems like I can't keep up sometimes. Here are the latest pics...more to come soon.

Ashley 5 1/2

Ryan 3

Alexis 4 months!

Oh how I love these blessings!!!

I don't want them to grow up

The next couple of weeks hold big milestones around our home. We have Dave's birthday, Valentines Day, and Ryan's Birthday all in the same week. It just might be one of the busiest weeks we have had in a long while. Ryan has already started talking about his birthday and he get extremely agitated when we talk about Dave's. Although Dave's is a week before Ryan's, I have learned this week not to mention that "daddy's comes first" -at least not if I do not want my almost 3 year old to scream like a girl and make a HUGE scene.

We had the worst trip that we have ever had to Target in forever. Let me start the story by saying that my actions may not have been what I would like others to see me do BUT I am human, a mom, and I do have a rough temper (sometimes). So... we were in Target and my dad has graciously come to watch the kids tonight so that Dave and I can go to dinner in Tampa for his birthday. My dad took Ash and Ry to look in the toy section while I shopped for everything else with Lexi. I had headed back to the Valentines section (ughhh-kindergarten valentines exchange) when Ashley informed me that they had the High School Musical 3 DVD out for sale. My first thought was that she was mistaken because that movie isn't being released until February 17. We have it marked on our calendar so that I can get it for her the day it comes out. So I asked if she was fibbing and she vehemently told me that they had it. I looked at her like most adults look at kids and gave her "the look" -you know the one, and we headed down the aisle to check out. We had to walk right past the toy section and what does my daughter hold up but a High School Musical 3 DVD. Now yes- I do know it isn't supposed to be out until the 17th but there was a large stack of them sitting there and my 5 year old is beside herself with glee so I said throw it in- we can get it. We then walk up to the check out counter and when the cashier rings it the screen says- CAN NOT SELL UNTIL FEBRUARY 17. I politely tell her that there is a large stack of the movies in the toy section and that it isn't my fault if someone there screwed up and put them out early. So , a manager comes over, takes the movie and just says I can't sell it to you and my temper erupted. I said, "I have a 5 year old who has been waiting for this movie for 3 months, you tell HER that we can't buy it!" It was childish of me but I live with Ashley and not this manager, well I don't think I mentioned it but Ryan was getting a movie too. When the manager said he couldn't sell us the movie, he didn't specify which one and my 3 year old starts wailing in the check out line because he now thinks he isn't getting a movie. Ahhhh... luckily I have a infant who just sat in her carrier and slept through it all, because I do NOT like this growing up stuff.

We have all had a rough day and this picture sums it up for us!

I am so excited- and I just can't hide it

I love taking pictures. In college I took photography 1 and 2 just for fun, but i didn't really pay attention or read the books or anthing like that. Well, about six months ago- my wonderful parents bought me this...

little did I know what I could actually do with it.

It is amazing what you can do once you (dum da da dum) read the manual. Since I do not have enough to do today I thought that I would have a little photo shoot with Lexi and of course I had to take some pictures of the world's most beautiful boy. Uh huh- yes I did just call my son beautiful (inside and out). He has the most amazing eyes that I have ever seen and no that isn't because they are my color. Little man got the color by mixing mine and dave's perfectly. God did know what he was doing when he gave the boy beautiful eyes. I can already see the line forming of girls coming to our house just to be be seen by my boy. Ok, so off topic but that is how my thoughts flow so...on to the photography study.

I have decided to take some time and play with it a little and I love the pictures that I got with it today of both of the kids I had home. I am sure that Asha will get some time with the camera when she gets home from school.

My largest problem is I am not creative. I have no idea how to set up shots that do not look just like every other shot that I take.

Any suggestions? oh and pictures to come soon

:)So love these kids :)