Week-end-ing in Pictures

Eye appt this week... my right eye got better and left eye got worse. Let me tell you though, I have a very light prescription, so light that they don't make my contacts in that low of a prescription for my right side.
I'm happy to say I passed my background check, my reference check, my in-person interview and my orientation. ALL of this to be a volunteer in Children's Ministries at our church. They are/were in need of more volunteers to help in the 3 year old Sunday School Class... which is where our boy is.
Saturday the kids had a play date... or should I say I had one with Laura, one of my favorite people. I miss my girlfriends... anyway the kids had fun and us mom's did some much needed catching up. Took the kids to the library and another few errands after that, and then my mom showed up and we took off for the mall and dinner.

Sunday was Enchanted Forest and Sass Winery for Wine Tasting!

Guard dog. He loves to growl, woof, bark and protect us

The kids have to bring lunch at their new school (when Abby moves to the kindy location she will have a hot lunch option) so I purchased these lunchboxes. I admit they are pretty pricey but they are BPA free and have containers and custom ice pack thingy that all fits-plus I don't have to ruin the face of it with a sharpie to get their name on it and you can order custom 'face plates.'

Last but not least, thank you to all the Veteran's and those who continue to serve, sacrifice, protect and defend. We honor and remember those who have given their lives serving our Country.

Happy Memorial (Oreo) Day! Abby thinks it's called Oreo Day.

School Year

Abby is officially done wearing uniforms! Her teacher made these photo collages for each of the kids. What a great keepsake.

Been Busy so Reign Me In...and Reign In Me

Do you ever have days/weeks where you just feel disconnected? Can't keep up the pace? Head is in a fog? That's me...
I read Psalm 143 this morning and it made me feel better.

O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.
I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.

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Week-ending in pictures rain!

I worked every day, ran every day, cleaned house every day. I'm not complaining. Nope. It was all so I could sit in my jammies on Saturday and do nothing. Well, play Memory and make cookies with my babies. Cookies = Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies. Oh and laundry. Laundry is never ending. ever. ever. ever. And... dust blinds. Wood blinds are the worst (ahem... we have faux wood) we typically have no visitors but there comes a time when I can't take it anymore. I also got the rest of their pictures into their photo albums from the last 3 months.
I even took time to read my bad change your attitude book. I'm still in Chapter 1 as I've had to go back and re-visit what I've read, and with the kids, there is a lot of background noise. It's about complaining. I'm pretty sure it was written specifically with me in mind. "That very adversity that you so often complain about is the thing God wants to use to keep your heart close to His. In His grace, He grants adversity to bring us close to Him." We CHOOSE to complain. We CHOOSE our attitudes. Patterns of thinking over long periods of time and bam... it's like a bad habit. "Complaining releases negative emotional energy in a way that provides momentary relief from a situation or circumstance that may be frustrating to us. That is why we find it so hard to resist." I might be a little overly critical because I'm not a constant complainer but lately I've been "choosing" to have a wayward attitude. Work, coworkers, the unfinished projects at home yada yada ..."Complaining" that I cannot keep up this pace. I cannot fit it all in. whine whine whine. Moving on...
Something just clicked lately with Abby and she is reading more and more. It catches me by surprise when she tells me what something says. Aidan still carries his Me-Me and ni-night all over. The kids have only 3 weeks left at their school. It's hard leaving something that works so well and that they love. Aidan gets the Music Together program, Abby takes German and Spanish. Going to miss that, the great teachers, the comfortable routine and their little friends.
I will say to Rick, "Are we doing the right thing?" Even though we feel led to make the move, it's just me feeling discontent leaving something so good. Everytime I ask he assuredly says yes. Often rare for him...reminds me of when I was pregnant with Aidan and it was still early on, we were sitting in church and he leans over and whispers it's a boy. Some things he is just certain of. My worrying self needs to work on trust and faith.

Grace

"We will never be secure until we realize we are fully loved by God, no matter our failings"

Do you give yourself the same grace? Because I don't. I should, I know I'm supposed to but I don't. If I am disappointed in myself why isn't He?
I have regrets, I fail on a daily basis yet He doesn't love me any less.
Shouldn't have said that, shouldn't have thought that, shouldn't have done that... should have given more time, should a, would a, could a, if only...some days I want to scream please can I have a do over???

May is CRAZY

Everyone is feeling better. I'm still hacking up a lung and was proud to be the only antibiotic-free one until today. I caved. I can no longer stand myself.
There are approx 13 or 14 people around us with birthdays in May. Mother's Day on top of it. It's a circus.
Rick had Wed off which happened to be my birthday so I took it off. We went to breakfast, we got pedicures, we ran to Costco, Petsmart, back home so I could do payroll, then we went to Bridgeport and wandered around, ate some gelato and saw a movie. We picked up the kids, ran home and went back to Bridgeport to meet my mom for dinner. What a fun day!
Rick is up to running 4 miles when he goes. I had to tell myself over and over it's ok if I just get 9 miles in this week. I've been really tired, overwhelmed... did I say overwhelmed? When I get overwhelmed I become forgetful... like forgetting to tell my husband that I noticed our backyard water feature was about to overflow.
Saturday I took the kids to Papa's to help plant corn. Saturday night was dinner out with a few girlfriends for my bday and we saw a movie.
Today we surprised the kids and went to the zoo and also went to "Dozer Days" in Vancouver but it was more like Camas. We got a late start and the zoo took longer than we thought because of Aidan REALLY wanting to ride the train. Anyway, Jessica was in town and we completely missed her :-(
Back to work tomorrow. overwhelmed.

It's as if...

we never left... aside from my nice tan. I'm a list maker. Maker of lists. I had our meals planned and grocery list ready so that when we got home from vacation the next day I was prepared to get back in the groove. Same with work, lists, lists, and more lists. I can be an extreme over achiever and I can also be an extreme couch potato. There is rarely a middle ground. Which brings me to this week- working every day, a dentist appt, Mother's Day tea at Abby's school, cleaning house every single night after work so I don't have to spend this weekend doing it-meal planning, ironing, wrapping gifts, errands, groceries on a Friday night (alone because it's more efficient for me) and running 20 miles because... I don't know. Maybe it's a challenge to myself ...look how busy you are you can totally fit in 20 miles. Did I mention ironing? There was a lot of it. Sometimes I think God is shaking his head saying, 'one of these days she will figure it out.' Beacause what suffers? My relationship with Him. My family. I hurry to get the kids in bed, rushed because I have to dust, I have to finish cleaning the bathroom and I have to get in X amount miles. When all along... I don't have to do any of that. Except I do. or I don't. It's a constant mental argument.

Abby caught a cough/cold the night before we left Hawaii. She then passed to Aidan who has the worst of it because of his asthma. Aidan just wasn't turning the corner and stopped eating and drinking so I took him to urgent care yesterday. He's on meds for 10 days and they prescribed a teeny tiny bit of cough syrup to help him sleep. Oh how he needs it (sleep, not the cough syrup). Rick was next (I think he has a sinus infection but like most men, won't go to the dr unless it's a broken bone) and now of course I'm bringing up the rear. What else have I got... Cooper turns 10 months old next week. I also turn... ahem another year older. Mother's Day sermon at church ALWAYS makes me cry- they have all the Mother's stand up and they pray for us. This year I just couldn't listen, I know... horrible of me, but they did this Mother's Day video and I started to watch it and the lump in my throat grew to where I could have choked on it and my eyes welled up and then it just would have been UGLY crying. You know the kind I'm talking about. I kept singing songs in my head and saying dead kitty over and over. I'll go back to their website or facebook and re-watch it where I can ugly cry at home.

We started there, hit the Hillsdale Farmer's Market, came home for lunch, Rick mowed the lawn and then is going to his mom's during Aidan's nap time. Well... Abby decided to come down with a 101 temp. She's been sick now for 13 days so when he gets home he's taking her to urgent care. Mother's Day plans have deviated for me but it's ok, I'm with my favorite people and although presents are not what this day is about, I seemed to have collected quite a few. I wanted to hit Al's Garden Center today and go out for dinner but we can do it another day and just order in.

Updated: Rick and Abby both spent the afternoon at urgent care where he was seen too. Both have sinus infections. Everyone in the house except me is on antibiotics...
He's getting take out from Pastini and Mrs. Fields Cookies :-) I was able to do laundry and get our Hawaii pictures put in albums so at least it was a productive day!

Almost 10 month photo. Hopefully he's full grown now.

Flowers from Jessica

From my hubby- going on the back of the house

I actually requested this- and it's not for veggies. It's for FRENCH FRIES. yum. Actually sweet potato fries cause you know... healthy. OK yeah, I'll probably make some carrot sticks too.

Flowers from Ash forgot to photo the book she gave me

flowers from hubs

He surprised me with this book I've been wanting!!

Fever girl :-(