Swiper No Swipping!

Have you ever seen Mr. Deeds? "Sneaky, sneaky....."

That's Davis. He's sneaky. He's Swiper from Dora. He's got a quick draw. One second there are cookies. Next second, they're missing. Anyone know why Davis has crumbs on his face? He's quick, he's fast, he's sneaky...

So the other day I made muffins for the kids. Lemon Poppy Seed with a bit of icing on them. There were 12. We ate 4 for breakfast. That gives us 8 (I'm so good at math, aren't I!?). I was on the phone for a bit. I should have known it was too quite. When I hung up the phone, the muffins somehow had walked all around the house. 2 here, 2 there. They looked strange though.....what was it? Strangely, somehow all the tops were missing from the muffins! LOL....sneaky, sneaky that swiper Davis!

I have a feeling that this is only the beginning.....

Hume Lake

This weekend some families from our Sunday School class went up to Hume Lake for a quick little getaway. We went last year and had a blast and couldn't wait to go again. Maddy & Davis had such a good time playing in the snow and Emma loved making silly faces when I was trying to take her picture! =)

5 Months!

Emma turned 5 months yesterday and she's definitely changing! Our usually quiet and happy girl has been an unhappy camper the last 2 weeks. =( We're trying to figure out what's wrong with her and will hopefully figure things out. And we're hoping it's not the case of being "high maintenance!" But when she is happy and smiling, she can light up a room!

Another Story for Moms

I remember when I was a new mom, so many emotions and changes come with it that are unexpected and talked little about. Maybe they aren't the norm, but I'm trying to learn how to speak out about how I feel, even if it means I'm the only one who feels that way or will be looked down on or, whatever....

I remember holding my sweet new little baby, knowing I was in the right place but, at the same time, feeling like I had no identity and that I...the "me" in Me...was somehow lost. It's hard to explain. Anyhow, I still occasionally feel it, but the liked the following story. It's kinda long but hopefully you can hang in there to read it.....

I'm Invisible

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the
way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and
ask to be taken to the store.

Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no
one can see if I'm on the phone,or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or
even standing on my head  in the corner,because no one can see me at
all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more:  Can you fix this?
Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a
clock to ask, 'What time is it?'

I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is theDisney Channel?' I'm
a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the
eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -
but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen
again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a
friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip,
and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting
there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was
hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my
out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could  find that was clean.
My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could
actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling  pretty pathetic, when
Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I
brought you this.'

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure
why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte ,
with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one
sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would
discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after
which I could pattern my work:

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of
their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would
never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of
God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny
bird on the inside of a beam.  He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why
are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be
covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.'

And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was
almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see
the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No
act of kindness you 've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake
you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are
building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will
become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction . But it is not a
disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my
own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As
one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see
finished, to work on something that their name will  never be on. The
writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be
built in our lifetime, because there are so few people willing to
sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend
he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4
in the morning and bakes homemadepies, and then she hand bastes a turkey
for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would
mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself.

I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything
more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're
doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will
marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been
added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM! 

Picture Updates

The ones that move the least get more pictures...... =)

the Dog Blog

Ok, so I have a lot to update on, sorta, not really, but a bit. On Jan 2nd, we had a litter of puppies. Cute! On Jan 5th, Emma turned 4 months...already! On Jan 10th, Maddy turned 4....holy cow! And this coming Friday John will be 29! But I'm sooo tired and tired of being on the computer, so I'll have to update the pictures another day. But I have a DOG BLOG! Check it out! More when I'm rested.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Twas the Night Before Christmas.....

Twas the night before Christmas,
when all thru the abode
Only one creature was stirring,
& she was cleaning the commode.

The children were finally sleeping,
all snug in their beds,
while visions of Nintendo 64 & Barbie,
flipped through their heads.

The dad was snoring
in front of the TV,
with a half-constructed bicycle
propped on his knee.

So only the mom heard
the reindeer hooves clatter,
which made her sigh,
"Now what is the matter?"

With toilet bowl brush
still clutched in her hand,
She descended the stairs,
& saw the old man.

He was covered with ashes & soot,
which fell with a shrug,
"Oh great," muttered the mom,
"Now I have to clean the rug."

"Ho Ho Ho!" cried Santa,
"I'm glad you're awake."
"your gift was especially
difficult to make."

"Thanks, Santa, but all I want
is some time alone."
"Exactly!" he chuckled,
"So, I've made you a clone."

"A clone?" she muttered,
"What good is that?"
"Run along, Santa,
I've no time for chit chat."

Then out walked the clone -
The mother's twin,
Same hair, same eyes,
same double chin.

"She'll cook, she'll dust,
she'll mop every mess.
You'll relax, take it easy,
watch The Young & The Restless."

"Fantastic!" the mom cheered.
"My dream has come true!"
"I'll shop, I'll read,
I'll sleep a night through!"

From the room above,
the youngest did fret.
"Mommy?! Come quickly,
I'm scared & I'm wet."

The clone replied,
"I'm coming, sweetheart."
"Hey," the mom smiled,
"She sure knows her part."

The clone changed the small one
& hummed her tune,
as she bundled the child
in a blanket cocoon.

"You're the best mommy ever.
I really love you."
The clone smiled & sighed,
"And I love you, too."

The mom frowned & said,
"Sorry, Santa, no deal."
That's my child's LOVE
she is trying to steal."

Smiling wisely Santa said,
"To me it is clear,
Only one loving mother
is needed here."

The mom kissed her child
& tucked her in bed.
"Thank You, Santa,
for clearing my head.

I sometimes forget,
it won't be very long,
when they'll be too old
for my cradle & song."

The clock on the mantle
began to chime.
Santa whispered to the clone,
"It works every time."

With the clone by his side
Santa said "Goodnight.
Merry Christmas, dear Mom,
You will be all right."

Silly

Here are a few silly pictures of the big brother and sister......




My sweet Emma girl is 3 months now and just the happiest baby ever. She smiles constantly and coos all the time. It's too cute! She can definitely make a bad day better with her smile. I've been trying to capture it on camera to share with you, but every time she sees the camera she just stops and stares! LOL...but I did catch a couple the other day.

In loving memory.....

In loving memory of my Grandma Q...

Tagged

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person’s blog who tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.
4. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.

I was tagged by Kristal..thanks. =)

* Seven random things about me...

1. I love, love flowers...from their delicate, intricate details to their smell... and would love to have a quaint little flower/candy/home story in a really cute little town.... And I would LOVE it if I could have fresh flowers in my house always. I would just love to have my yard overloaded with flowers and plats (think beautiful English garden), but I don't even know where to begin planting them to make it look nice! When I've tried planning it out, I overwhelm myself. Kinda silly I guess! Oh, but my very, very favorite is the Peony. LOVE 'em

2. Sometimes when I clean my ears with a q-tip, the back of my throat itches! LOL...

3. My gag reflexes are heightened when I'm pregnant. Just brushing my teeth gags me. (Are you sure Kristal that you want to know these random things!!)

4. Being a mom is the hardest, most frustrating and happy thing all at once. Kind of like marriage!

5. My very favorite Holiday is Christmas. I love everything about it and the memories it brings back to me from being a kid. I want everything to be so special for my family too and I really love traditions. But for some reason, I'm SO not into it this year. I have NO desire to decorate and am forcing myself to put some things out. But I'm already planning on when I can take it down. Kinda sad! Oh..and our Christmas tree has NO scent. Sad too.. =(

6. My sister had the choice of naming me or the cat. Thankfully she decided to name the cat because I don't think 'Grover' would fit me very well.

7. I didn't realize just HOW wonderful my husband was when I decided to marry him. I thought I knew then, but he's so much more than I imagined. =) (But I do wonder what his issue is with dirty laundry. We use to have an open laundry basket, and he would put his clothes right NEXT to the basket, not in it, if he decided to do anything with them at all. Then I got one with a lid and now he just sets the clothes on TOP of the basket. ARUGH! But usually he just leaves them right where he took them off. =) Love ya babe!)

Who I'm tagging:

DeAnne
Sarah
Laura
Renelle

In a previous post, I shared a couple pictures from my friends wedding, but I had to share these too. Chanel, the beaming bride, is just as gorgeous on the inside as she is on the outside!

Why?

Why is it that you can dress a baby in all pink, from head to toe, and covered in a pink blanket and you will STILL have someone say, "Oh....is it a boy??" (or vice versa). It happened to me yesterday with Emma (and happened with the other 2 when they were little) and a few snide comments came to mind but instead I just politely smiled and said, "No, she's a gril." I mean...are you kidding me?! LOL... I just don't get it.Emma turned 2 months old and had her 2 month check up yesterday. She's 10.5 pounds and is "average" on her height, weight and head size and is doing well. Last night she slept from 10pm-4am...awesome! She flashes me lots of smiles and coos and it can make the worst day so much better. I should also state the obvious b/c just about everyone asks us, but Emma has a bright pink/red mark under her eye that has been growing. It's a Hemangioma, which is a group of blood vessels that did not grow normally. The doctor said it can continue to grow until she's about one and then should slowly disappear on it's own. The only problem with Emma's is that it's right underneath her eye and could cause problems with her vision if it gets too large. So we'll just keep watching it and if it does grow too much we'll go to a specialists. She also has a tiny one on her tongue but it doesn't appear to be growing.

Harvest Festival

Halloween is obviously a least favorite holiday, but we have a great time at our church's harvest festival. They have a little concert, trunk or treating, face painting, a cake walk, free kettle corn and cotton candy, a box city, photo areas, jumpers, chili cook off and more. It's a great 2 hours and the kids have a blast. Originally Maddy was going to be Pipi or a princess and Davis a dinosaur, but as we were getting dressed, they saw their costumes from last year and decided to wear them again. Sounds good!

Things here are moving along. I still have people asking about the fires, but things have calmed down. We had friends staying with us who were evacuated from their home and then we were evacuated from our home the next day, but we were able to go home that evening.

Here are a few pictures for you Grandpa! Emma's 7 weeks and growing lots. On Sunday we took the kids to a pumpkin patch here in town. Part of it was closed due to damage from the fire, but it was open and busy nonetheless. We went with our friends and tried to get pictures of all the kids, but as John says, "It's like herding cats!"