August Already????

How is that possible? It was just June.... finished Abby's school supply shopping this morning. Made 90 mini blueberry muffins. Yes 90. The Best Blueberry Muffins Ever. No joke- that is what the recipe is called and I have to agree. They have sour cream and oatmeal and you top them with that crystallized sugar that only comes out for Christmas cookies. Come on, blueberry's and oatmeal = healthy. Don't even think about the sour cream.
Jessica was in town last week- the kids were BEYOND excited. We wanted to take the train to Seattle to visit but we drug our feet and the train fare shot up to over $200 for the 4 of us... add in the hotel and food it was almost $500 just for one night. Abby talks about going there all the time. So we need to get on the stick and figure out another time. Too much time goes by between visits!

awww cute right?

No. He chewed my Pottery Barn table today. Ok it's just a table.... and the fact that it's Pottery Barn is not meant to sound like a snobby name-drop, we have truly been buying furniture at Ikea and Walmart because after having kids our furniture has been thrashed. i.e., stabbed with forks, rammed with plastic lawnmowers, vacuums, race cars, marked with sharpies, scratched with plastic, did I mention marked with sharpies? But this table is probably the ONE good piece of well-made furniture in the house so this one hurt a little. But...It's just a table.

Do you ever wonder....

what God would say to you if you sat down over lunch? or on the phone? I think he would say Julie... we just aren't on the same page. Kidding. sorta.

Anyhoo, onto my usual rambling. It's been a good week. Work. House cleaning. Running...the usual routine. I had a gift certificate from Christmas for a massage that Rick got me so I left work early today to use it. They were having a special for the month of July so I signed up for a 75 min massage. I go to pay and the man behind the desk tells me I cannot use the certificate because it can't be combined with the special or whatever. So I'm out $70 plus tip that I didn't plan on spending today. And let me tell you, I had to breathe like I was in labor on some of those knots in my shoulders.
Abby is ready to lose the training wheels. She gets so tipsy that she falls over. She had bike day at school this week and, "Mom, I only fell 3 times."
Weekend brings a library visit, blueberry muffin making, working in Aidan's Sunday School class, blueberry picking and hopefully a nap. I heart the weekend.

My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord
Isaiah 55:8


Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance
Proverbs 1:5

Big Sis Little Brother

Summer Fun

I have...

postpartum depression after having this child...

This is what he does when you aren't looking. He likes to lay on the hardwood floors downstairs because it's cooler- even with the air on. Apparently he is too lazy to actually get up to get his bone(s) to chew on so he uses our moulding.

Upstairs bathroom

Let's not forget the horrible puppy phase

Who me??????

I have no words. no comment.

Sunday Funday

This one was from Saturday. View Master. An actual moment of silence. ahhhhhh.

She wiggled her tooth all day on Saturday. Asked Daddy to pull it Saturday night when he got off work and he wouldn't- said it wasn't ready. She cried when she ate breakfast because it was bothering her so much so she took matters into her own hands and pulled it out on our way to church. In our driveway as we were leaving. The one next to it is loose as is her top right one.

We thought it would be fun to take MAX and see a Beaver game. We left after the 4th inning. So what does that tell you... they are still a little young. We could have just rode MAX all over the place because they liked that part the best.

Happy First Birthday to Cooper

A Day in the life....

I figured out what my problem is.... my inner turmoil with this frustration I've been carrying around. It's that every week, every day is like Groundhog's day for me. It's the same, we have a routine because that is how this house, this family, can function best. I am just on cruise control, automatic pilot and I long for more time. My biggest issue is about time-there's not enough time in the day. It's not complaining per se because I don't- I'm not grumbling... I'm just at this point where I feel like I am struggling??? or it's just a constant race, me against the clock to see who can win.
Today for example
5am- alarm goes off so I can run 3 miles
hit alarm off roll over and accidentally fall back asleep
6am- wake up and panic
shower, make bed, get dressed, get kids up at 6:40, make their beds, put clothes in dryer
brush their teeth, get them to potty, wash their hands, do abby's hair, get aidan dressed
7:01 downstairs feed kids, feed dog, make mine and Rick's lunches for the next day
poop dog, eat cereal, load dishwasher
7:20 finish my hair, load car, put ice things in kids lunches
7:45 leave house, drive to Costco to get gas, drop kids at daycare
8:09 get coffee, stop at winco for cibatta bread
8:37 LATE for work
4:05 pick kids up
home 4:25ish unload car, check mail, wash hands, give juice, take cooper outside, make kids lunches for next day, unload dishwasher, take cooper out again to poop, my mom comes over to visit, make dinner, wrap Coopers birthday presents (don't ask)
5:55 eat with kids, clean up kitchen, vacuum downstairs, mop downstairs bathroom and hardwood floors, pick up toys
7:03 upstairs unload dryer, kids in bath
7:34 kids out of bath, brush teeth, dry abby's hair, trim abby's bangs, put load in washer
7:50 read to kids, prayers, bed, fold and put away clothes, change into running clothes
8:07 run only 2 miles still full from dinner and want to barf
8:34 finish scrubbing downstairs floors
9:08 upstairs to pound out this rambling post
9:30 hopefully in bed reading scripture, watch a little tv or movie with hubs and nighty night by 10:15ish

And tomorrow it starts all over only I'll be running at 5am since Friday night is grocery shopping night and possibly some ironing needs to be done. Most nights I even do dinner prep for the following night's meal. And there is all the background noise in the my head saying, don't forget to write the note the for the kids that they are missing next Wed, and don't forget to mail the birthday card (to the wrong house ha ha), or take the so and so out of the freezer, or don't forget to re-paint your toenails (yeah weird like that).
I'm not trying to be indulgent. There are plenty of working mom's with more than 2 kids, and even single mothers who do it all alone. I have PLENTY of help, even as I'm running on the treadmill tonight my husband greets me with, "What can I do to help?" And on Wed, Thurs and Fri I don't even put in a full 8 hours at work. I used to read scripture in the morning, but Abby is an early riser, or I would do it when I was eating my cereal, but the kids were a distraction and again- race against the clock to get us out the door. So I feel like He gets my leftovers. As does my husband. Serve HIM first, serve your husband. I'm failing.... and flailing. I keep hubs fed-make his lunch, he comes home to dinner and a clean house at least and his clothes are ironed. We've talked about maybe selling this house and buying something smaller but what does that change? Less square footage to clean??? There will still be living to do and lunches to make. It all just reminds me of that commercial, where they say life comes at you fast. This is why I get emotional when the loose tooth comes, or a milestone is reached, because I am rushing... rushing through the day, to get to the next task and I don't want to miss a thing. I don't want to miss out and yet it's passing me by. I am content. That's a good thing. Frustrated sure.... tired definitely but we have our health, each other, we're employed, we're fed. HE MEETS OUR NEEDS.
I don't really have a complete thought from all of this other than it was just an ah-ha moment today. I've been really struggling for months now, trying to figure it out- even questioning if I was/am suffering from depression. But it's all just about being on auto-pilot. I feel like I've been doing that for so long that I forgot/am forgetting how to LIVE outside of this routine. Even to say, I feel like I lost my mind- not in just the forgetful things I do all the time, but just not having to use my brain. I miss my brain. Funny- I could have just wrote that one sentence. It says it all.

Back in Business

Washing machine works!

Five days I think we went without it. The whole family took a trip to the laundromat Monday night and we did six loads. This laundry sign is actually in our laundry room- it's from Uppercase Living.... a great way to change up the decor in your home...

Abby has her 2nd loose tooth! Not much else to yap about...

This is

the disaster that is was our house. I know one day I will miss it.

The washing machine lasted one load. My mom, bless her, worked all day Saturday at Urgent Care and came over and picked up our laundry, washed it and brought it back.

Oh... I did work in Aidan's Sunday School Class last week- and he "let" me. Whew! Rick golfed today in preparation for his annual work golf tourney. He also rented a mini pump to drain the rest of our pond. It was and still is in dire need of cleaning. As for me, I took some mini naps.

Washer repairman comes tomorrow!! CAN'T WAIT.

Bad Boy Jake and other randomness

A few months ago the kids were playing and kept talking about Bad Boy Jake.
Every now and then Bad Boy Jake comes up... I ask who he is and where is he from- is he from a book? TV? School? a movie? Abby says he is made up and he lives in the garbage can in his underwear. So our kids share an imaginary friend. At least I hope he's imaginary.

When we were watching fireworks on the 4th Aidan spotted these two kids playing with these glow-in-the-dark light saber swords. He asked what they were, we told him, to which he replied, I want one so I can whack someone. Nice. Boys are such... boys.

Good week sorta... loved the weather, the kids got pool time and bike riding in. Rick's been running 5 miles now when he goes so I went for 5 Tuesday morning. My legs are like jello...I'm not sure I could do 5 each time. Well duh, there is no way. I could only go 4 on Wednesday and could barely squeak out 3 yesterday. Kudos to him though.

Aidan says Grows for Girls. He will say No Grows Allowed...Or Abby's a Grow and I'm a Boy... Or I played with a Grow today at school Mama...

Our washing machine broke last night. I had a hard time falling asleep because I was fretting over it. The washing machine is like breathing. It's like food and water. I left work early to meet the repair man. He was able to get it to turn and told me I should be able to use it this weekend and he would be back with the part on Monday. Not cheap.

More Weekend

Fireworks at home with the annual ice cream treat

All I can say is poor Cooper

Giving Daddy love

Loves to practice tying on Daddy's shoes- proud of this one

My babies

At Tigard High School waiting for dark

Freezing cold