kindergarten and fifth...

school started a couple of weeks ago and we sent em off to fifth grade and ethan to kindergarten. 
we had every emotion going... fear, excitement, sadness, etc.  i was definitely the most emotional and so thankful that nick worked from home that day so i wouldn't be alone.  he took me to lunch and kept my mind off of the fact that our baby isn't so much a baby anymore and before we knew it 2:50 rolled around and it was pick up time!  what a great guy :)

happy day!
a

i'm here...

but i kind of wish i was still here...

tuesday ten

1. i'm a blog slacker

2. as of thursday at 12:50 i will have a 5th grader and an almost kindergarten-er.  i'm not pushing it, he's not a kindergaten-er until he starts school.

3. my personal trainer passed away last weekend. it is so sad and i don't know what happened to him, but he was only 23 and he was a very nice guy. pray for his family please, he has a sister that is graduating high school this year and my heart aches for them and for their loss.

4. i had lasik last thursday at lasik plus.  was blind as a bat (which bats aren't technically blind, but i like the saying) when i went in for the procedure and was 20/20 at my follow up the next morning.  the procedure was so quick, less than 10 minutes total and nick and ethan watched the whole thing.  i sat up and could see them through the window and started crying... incredible!

5. i'm thinking about what i'm going to fill my days with when my baby goes off to school?  most of the time i get caught on the fact that my baby is going to school... tear.

6. i haven't taken my camera out of the bag for over a week... that is so not me, but i'm just not in the mood lately.

7. i have a running bug.  the weather is ceasing to cooperate with my ambitions and i'm researching alternatives.

8. i'm thinking about incorporating some of my projects on the blog and turning it semi-crafty.  i don't have enough to say otherwise.  that might require pictures.  we'll see.

9. i think people need to remember to be kind, especially when they are dealing with the hearts of children.  particularly when you try to harden the heart of your own child towards others.  children are smart, they catch on and they will soon see the real "you" and you will begin to see that the only person you are hurting is your child and you are going to suffer for it when he is old enough to make his own choices.  just wait.

10. i am so excited for summer... swim team, summer movies, camping, family BBQs, week long trip to the beach with friends, vbs, evenings in the pool, watermelon, home made ice cream, and on and on.

happy tuesday.
a

happy thursday

wednesday

this song has been on my heart a lot lately.  with so many hurting people around me... broken from divorce, financial ruin, death, illness or many other struggles in their lives. regardless of the struggle this song applies to all of us.  we all search for answers, longing for more, when all God wants is for us to turn to Him and just believe in His promise.  this world was never meant to be all that we need, because He is.



Blessings by Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if the thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if the thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if the thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

happy wednesday.
a

Happy Easter!!!

i'm not a fan of all of the images, but the song is worth it!

Happy Easter!
a

tuesday ten

1.  i found a strange little creature in our backyard yesterday.  odd, we live in a very busy neighborhood.  we still can't figure out what it was... gopher, mole, ground squirrel.  it bit my dad.  he will now be current on his rabies and tetanus shots.

2.  i love tom brokaw's voice.  he' my favorite reporter to listen to.

3.  i have been on a dress kick lately.  i just got a bunch of great dresses for summer.

4.  i'm craving the pumpin pecan caramel cheesecake that i had from the super famous and fabulous magnolia bakery in nyc...

5.  we're running in pat's run this weekend.  the kids are doing the fun run as well... excited!

6.  i've heard that water for elephants is a wonderful book and want to read it before i see the movie.  any reviews?

7.  our family is anxiously awaiting the announcement of asu's new logo.  we're huge sparky fans, hoping that they don't do away with him.  we'll find out sometime today.

8.  i have some vintage rabbit decorations out now, i love seeing them every day.

9.  can't believe sweet maddie is one today... happy birthday precious girl!!


10.  i love the song firework... songs with a positive message are pretty great and it's a cool video, which i'll leave you with...


happy tuesday.
a

tgif

i'm completely aware that this post has nothing to do with tgif.

this is currently my favorite lunch.  i just came up with it one day when i was trying to decide what to have.  avocadoes are probably one of my most favorite foods of all time.  well, guacamole is, but we all know what that is made from.

anyway, back to lunch...

cubed avocado
halved grape tomatoes
light laughing cow cheese, cut up
garlic vinaigrette

mix and enjoy.  i love it alone, but it's good with tortilla chips too!

happy friday.
a

nine years

happy anniversary, my l♥ve.
a

wordless wednesday

happy wednesday.
a

tuesday ten

1.  my air conditioner has been running almost constantly for almost a week now.  meaning that i had to turn it on in march.  march people.

2.  my scrapbook room is almost completely empty.  my hallway, however, is lined with craft supplies that i have vowed to go through by july 1.  not really, but everytime i see it i want to run and hide.

3.  ethan saw snow for the first time when we went to the grand canyon.  this is how excited he was...

4.  i am really tired of hearing people complain, especially with the magnitude of things going on in other people's lives and the world around us.

5.  i planted a new round of flowers last week.  red, white and blue.  we feel and look quite patriotic around here.

6.  i've switched to all natural cleaning products and my house has been smelling quite a bit like grapefruit.  i love that i am blessed enough to have a house to clean and a family to enjoy it.

7.  we're planning our summer vacay.  thinking about a cruise.  i vote europe.  nick reminded me none of us have passports.  that adds something else to my to-do list.

8.  grey and yellow is my favorite color combo right now.

9.  proof that the grand canyon is beautiful no matter what the weather:

happy tuesday.
a

wordless wednesday

happy wednesday!

a

tuesday ten...

1. i have an unhealthy obsession with wreaths.  i make them for every holiday, big or small (st. patrick's day... check).

2. i read cookbooks cover to cover.

3. we have kindergarten roundup for ethan tonight.  it seems impossible.

4. emily turns ten tomorrow.  that also doesn't seem possible.

5. this is one of the best pastas i have ever had and it didn't even take me 15 minutes to make... yummy.

6. i made my own anthro knock off necklace the other day.  took me 30 minutes and everybody wanted to steal it.  so cute.  i'll post a picture soon.

7. i haven't eaten anything processed for over a week (with the exception of oregano's with amy & court, but oregano's doesn't count, oregano's is like eating in heaven).

8. court called me a hippie.  i eat mostly vegan, buy organic and talked about using cloth diapers if we had more kids.  i like conscious better than hippie.

9. i made this (below) and it was disgusting.  i won't even share the recipe link.  quinoa stuffed acorn squash.  fail.  big time.

10. i love this quote that i recently came across...

"the cure for anything is salt water.  tears, sweat or the sea."  isak dinesen

happy tuesday.

a 

ww

happy wednesday.
a

tuesday ten

1. it rained all weekend and i loved it.  rain is my favorite weather.

2. i have bieber fever and i think the kid is an absolute doll.  em and i saw his movie and he really seems like a great kid.  hopefully he doesn't go all typical teen star and make me wish i never went let my kid go gaga over him.

3. ethan has new furniture and it makes my heart go pitter patter.  maybe because my hubby made it perfect.

4. i am going to do a Bible study with some of my friends and i can't wait.

5. i am seriously thinking about being vegan-ish.  nick already gave up dairy months ago and i pretty much have, with the exception of greek yogurt and creamer.  animal protein does some nasty stuff to our bodies and i am having a hard time stomaching that.

6. my fingers are currently covered in spray paint.  you know what that means... yep... i spray painted :)

7. we are taking our kids to the grand canyon soon... can't wait, i love the gc.  i hiked it ya know, stayed overnight at the bottom and hiked out the next day.  amazing.  except for no running water due to a flood and getting pelted in the back of the head with a rock.

8. i've never been snow skiing or snowboarding.  i love to wakeboard... it's warmer.  i love the snow and all, but not actually being out in it.

9. i use ........ too much, but i'm ok with that.  i'm secure in my identity and am capable of admitting my puntuation abuse.

10. i'm planning on redecorating our master bedroom.  hopefully nick will read this post and will find out here... much easier than breaking the news in person.  l♥ve you babe.

happy tuesday.
a

girls scout cookies galore

this is what a distribution site looks like.  a high school parking lot with every single parking space filled with cookies.  the spots that are empty were already picked up.  amazing.

a couple of us crazy enough to get up to pick up the cookies.

and proof that i wear flip flops all year long-even in "winter"

em's portion.

i'm glad she's excited because now the work of delivery begins!!!

happy sunday.

a

tuesday ten

1. we had a mno (mom's night out) with our moms group on friday.  my girls got tailed through the outdoor mall by security and then kicked out.  did i mention we were all dressed in wedding, prom and hideous glitzy dresses?  and it's a church group.  we represent well.

2. whole wheat toast with pb and sliced strawberries is a fantastic little pick me up mid day.

3. my computer crashed last sunday and i was without technology for a week, aside from my phone which i'm not counting, although i really should.  and my hubby was out of town so i couldn't even use his.  i'm pathetically addicted to my computer.  he picked up my new one last night and i held back until this morning.  i wasn't going to spend the evening of l♥ve on the computer.  instead i fell asleep on the couch at 8:45.  romantic.

4. my weekly purchased tulips were duds and shriveled before they opened.

5. we were at the park yesterday and the tooth fairy came by.  ethan hid in the train.  he was cool when he thought she was just wearing a pretty dress with wings, until i mentioned that she was the tooth fairy (handing out toothbrushes, of course) and he didn't want a thing to do with her.

6. we had a massive purge day on saturday and we took about 250# of crapola to gw and i'm still on a roll.  the "scrapbook room" is under major scrutiny.

7. my life is happy.

8. i want to repaint the entire downstairs.  i think nick mentioned something about taking a poster to every paint store in the area that includes my picture and a  "do not sell paint to this girl" message.

9. my front room has been taken over by girl scout cookies, which for some might be a problem, but not for me, i don't eat them.  i still have 4 boxes from last year.

10. you should never go paint pottery with a group of girlfriends.  it's a well known fact that we never shut up and sometimes talking is a distraction.  i have a decorative plate on top of my cabinets that reads "happy everythiing"  it took me 3 months to notice the mistake.  my dad was here when i noticed it and he laughed at me, he saw it right away and felt bad so he didn't say anything.  he also wondered how long it would take for me to notice, but he just thought he would come over and it would be gone someday, he never dreamed he'd actually be here for the realization, which i'm sure was hilarious for him.  i left it up, it makes me smile.

happy tuesday.
a

pray for kate

i feel led to share this with you because there is no such thing as too much prayer.  there is a young girl named kate mcrae that lives just miles from us here.  many of my friends are close friends of her family.  even though i don't know them personally, i am very touched by their faith in Jesus.  my heart has been heavy for their family since the results of her mri on tuesday showed new spots on her brain that they believe to be cancer.

please visit their site and pray for kate and her family.

there is nothing that He can't do.

a

ww

happy wednesday.
a

tuesday ten

1. i was on the wallace and ladmo show twice when i was little.  once with girl scouts, once as a class field trip.  one of my friends was in a different class and i wanted to sit by her so i traded seats with the girl next to her.  the girl i traded with won the ladmo bag.

2. i can't stand to walk around my the house (anybodies) barefoot and i always have socks on, especially on the tile.

3. lunch with jb today was just what i needed.

4. i am the cfo of our family, handling every bit of our finances but investments.  i leave those to my very capable husband.  i don't pay any attention to his side.  i usually don't know what he does until i see a new "investment" line on our banking site, because he's cool like that and has every.single.account linked to our main bank account.  we have budget meetings though, for some reason he likes to see where his hard earned money goes.  i've tricked online banking into thinking that hobby lobby is a "household necessity" which instantly justifies multiple debit transactions.

5. we're going to dinner at bandera.  my mouth waters just thinking about their jalapeno cornbread.

6. i've been working with a personal trainer and i love it.  for some reason looking and feeling better outweighs the ridiculous workouts that he puts me through and i keep going back.

7. my little guy has been showering on his own for quite a while now and he's so proud of himself every time.  i miss bath time though and sometimes he'll let me talk him in to taking a bath just so i can sit and chat with him.

8. i love to craft and cook and clean and bake and decorate my house.  i'm one of those freaky people that loves to mop my floors.  except i don't use a mop, i use a shop towel under my feet, or i get down on my hands and knees.  i don't really think other methods of mopping are effective.  that's just me.  making my house clean and comfortable is something that brings me joy and i consider it a blessing.  both to have a house to clean and having a family that i love to do it for.

9. veggies and jalapeno hummus are my favorite meal at the moment.

10. i love dave ramsey's quote about getting out of debt... "if your broke friends are making fun of you, then you're right on track."

happy tuesday.
a

project life

i'm taking the easier approach to telling our story by using this.  i've come to terms with the fact that "scrapbooking" no longer interests me.  my scrapbook room needs a new name... a new purpose because i'm just over it.  no more buying tons of paper and never using it.  i'm actually going to get our story out of the computer and project life is the method that i chose.  i'll randomly share our project life pictures with you.  today i'm posting just some of our life this year... enjoy :)

 em and i had the dreaded stomach flu on 1.1 and 1.2

 the kids helped me make "pretzel-mint bark" as ethan named it

 basketball with my boy.  i realize that this isn't the best picture with my truck in the background, but it is what it is and i'm exchanging the perfect background for the story

 i bought these... for myself. they were amazing.

it's cookie time for our little girl scout!

 ethan helping put the choc chips on his pancakes

 we've been decorated for valentine's for about a week

my newest l♥ve from my greatest l♥ve

i dare you to visit their site and not fall head over heels. mine's the lola satchel in case you really like it! i have several of their bags and they are amazing quality! the diaper bag... even the duggers couldn't wear it out!

that's just a peek at what's been going on around here!

happy friday.

a

ww

my treasures.  san diego, 7.07

happy wednesday.
a

looking ahead...

the other day ethan and i were driving to the gym after dropping em off at school.  out of the blue he says "mom, sometimes i just get so very sad when i think about you being alone all day when i'm at school."  i started to say that he's going to love school and have so much fun when he interrupts me with "but you won't be alone, you'll have Jesus with you.  Jesus is always with you."

i also can't help but be sad when i think about him starting school next year.  and then i remember that he'll have Jesus with him.

happy tuesday.
a

put a little "happy" into the new year...

makes me smile.  we need it, we've battled a stomach bug around here since saturday morning :(
at least it makes for lots of snuggle time :)

happy monday!
a