{Ahh..the little things}

Small town excitement

Tonight our All Star basketball team played the Bengals in a fundraiser type game. 

As you may remember, Kaden is a HUGE Bengals fan....so when his school called a few weeks back to let us know that he had been chosen as a ball boy, I thought he'd be OVERJOYED! 

Well, I think he was a little confused, because he says (when asked if he was excited) that he likes the Bengals FOOTBALL team, NOT the basketball team!  We were cracking up laughing as we explained that it would be the FOOTBALL players, they'd just be playing basketball in this game.  He still did not seem to care too much, but I was excited enough for all of us!

Well, they had us meet to take  pic to put in the paper & when the article comes out it says that these boys were chosen from each school for good citizenship and attendance!!  I thought for sure that the counselor that called had said that he had won a drawing...but I was SO proud when I knew that he was chosen.

Tonight was the game and he ended up having a GREAT time.  They sat right behind the players and they were all introduced individually at the beginning of the game.  They gave the players water & towels as needed, which I am sure was pretty exciting for the boys.  He was able to get some autographs during half-time, and I think he had alot of fun :)

I'll try to post some pics tomorrow after I upload them!

what I am

I'm a geek.  I really am, and I get worse as time passes.

I've always loved books & reading, but could always find a way to fit that into my "cool" way of life  (like reading various teen magazines).  Yes, I was that girl in HighSchool that had to be cool/popular/liked by everyone/etc. and I had no idea that deep inside her was the geek that I am today :)

Once I hit college, I realized even more about my love of reading.  I realized that I also really liked to learn new things.  I like to read real life stories.  I love to read about the trials that people overcome, I find it very inspiring.  I like to see that everyone is VERY different, and compare my rather small town/sheltered life to that of people who are different than I am.

I still really enjoy reading & learning, and the internet has become such a BIG part of my life because of this.  I google everything.  And I love  it.  I learn new things everyday, and that makes me happy...and geeky  :)  I am a wealth of knowledge about many topics these days.  I hear a word I do not know...  google.  A friend needs to know if the pans she bought are good quality...google.  A new song I heard and I like...google.  I missed a show...google.  Looking for a craft/recipe...google.  It gets crazy sometimes, but I just loooooooooooove it. 

My friend's SIL just had a baby Friday with alot of different birth defects, and I was curious (of course).  I googled it all in one search and came up with a few different options that I was certain would become his diagnosis (only shared with my best friend though...not the family).  Guess what??  I was right.  He has trisomy 13, and I read all about it and feel much better because I did.  I have to know all that I can about things, or I almost feel anxiety or something much like it.

Is this strange?  Am I OCD?

Or am I just a geek?? 

Maybe I'll go google it and see....

enjoying

the GORGEOUS weather

playing at the park

cooking out

watching flowers begin to peek through

a date night

tomorrow is MOPS "pamper me" day

sunshine

a sunburn today

dirty/happy kids

being with friends

dinner out with no kids

buying a new book

thinking about what to plant

seeing GREEN grass

taking walks

ice water & lemonade

worn out kids

an early bedtime tonight

watching American Idol

good things

There are still people in this world that do good things for others, and this makes me HAPPY  :)

Tonight we decided to take the kids out for dinner.  We knew that we could be in for quite an evening, but decided to go for it anyway.  Afterall, they will be here from now on (LOL) and we need to get adjusted to getting out with everyone more often. 

So, we get there & are seated.  The kids sat all together on one side of the table, and usually Harry or I would sit between them, but they just looked too cute lined up like that, so we let them go (again, knowing this could mean t-r-o-u-b-l-e).  We order our food and everyone colors & sits nicely waiting.  LOTS of people comment on them because we are sitting right by the entrance where EVERYONE passes by.  I forgot how having a new little one draws so much attention.

We ate our dinner (suprisingly rather uneventfully...is that even a word??) and we were getting ready to pack up and pay our bill when the manager came over to our table.  He squatted down between Harry & I and told us how an older couple sitting near us had taken care of our bill!!  He also said that they asked that we be blessed in the name of Jesus.

I was shocked, and I teared up & just thanked him over and over.  I remember some people behind us, and they stopped to comment on Ava and how beautiful our family was, and I have a feeling that it was them that paid.   I am overwhelmed by the kindness of these strangers,  and I KNOW why it happened when it did.  Read yesterday's post.  I was worried about our family & how things may end up.  I know that our Lord provides what is needed, I've just not ever seen such an obvious example in my life.

Genesis 50:21 (New International Version)

21 So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them

Thank you Lord for being so direct this time :)  I really needed to be reassurred, and I am.

praise & prayers & such

So, I know this is old news, but I am just getting around to blogging...so bear with me  :)  Praise for this http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070320/ap_on_re_us/missing_boy_scout    I am OVERJOYED about this, because I was very upset by the whole story.  Maybe it is the Mom in me, yes, I know it is the Mom in me.  I was questioning how this could happen when he should have been safe with adults.  The fact that he walked off is selfishly comforting to me, I am glad that no psycho stalker was watching the camp & stole him (yes, I was thinking this at one point....I guess watch too many episodes of cold case files ).  Thanks God he is safe at home with his parents now!!

Prayers for my extended family.  There are some personal situations happening, and a possible divorce in the works, and a family member is seeking some mental help throughout this &  needs our support through prayer.  Pray that God can be with them all through these tough times!

With the important stuff out of the way....now let me complain!!

I have a BIG family.  I realize it more everyday.  Life is hard - EVERYDAY right now.  Going to the park is hard, getting through the day is hard, taking a shower must be planned, I have four kids that still need ALOT from me.  Somedays I do not know how I do it, LOL!  I wonder about those families with lots of kids, you know the ones on TLC with 12-14.  How do they do it?  Am I not organized enough?  Are my kids not self-sufficient enough?  Do I agonize over non-important things (like matching clothes & brushed hair) too much?

My house is a mess EVERYDAY, I have BOTH sinks full of dishes,  laundry is piled up in the basment, folded in the living room, in the washer and in the dryer...but never finished.    Life is seriously out of control right now.

I am usually okay though, the kids are happy, Harry & I are too most days (LOL) and that is really all that should matter.  But today, as I went to the grocery and I had to buy TWO of many of our old favortites, I realized that things are just going to get MORE expensive/busy/messy/crazy as time goes on.  That scared the heck out of me!! 

And after the day I had yesterday...I feel like I am barely keeping my head above water.

But, just ook at these happy faces at the park yesterday :)  I bet they could not care less about the things I worry about.  They are well fed, played with, dressed & bathed, encouraged, supported, hugged & kissed, and most of all VERY LOVED!!

fun weekend

We had a great weekend :)  Lots of fun stuff going on, spending time with friends.

Friday was the crop...where do I begin??  It was one of the coolest things to spend time with other digital scrappers!  I have a few friends that scrap, but only ONE that I have "converted" to digital.  This was at her church, where it just so happens that Margie ( the owner of digitalscrapbookplace) attends too.  They have a couple of other people that were already doing it, but there were quite a few that were new to the whole concept.  SHe taught a few "classes" to get them involved & introduced.  She also had printers set up (even a 12x12) to print what you made.  It was really fun  :)  I loved sharing that passion with others & enjoyed being inspired to scrap again.  Good times!

Saturday was St Patrick's day, so we enjoyed a green lunch of course.  Complete with green mac-n-cheese, green jello, and green shamrock cookies.  The kids were all decked out int green to avoid "pinches" should a leprechaun just drop in , LOL.  They were too cute & had a fun day.  I wish I would have taken a picture of them during lunch, but I was trying to get myself ready too.

  I  also bought the kids green balloons to play with the sitter while I went to a Tastefully Simple party.  A always, it was yummy stuff & I bought entirely too much!  I can't live with out the garlic garlic seasoning  so that was one of the things I had to have.  Of course, with the new spring/summer line out...well,  you get the idea :)

The picture to the right is Ellie before school on Friday when they had green day too.  She also wore cute little shamrock socks & her necklace is a bubble necklace that we picked up for each of the kids.  Zander spilled his within minutes of opening them *sigh* but they still had a good time with them!

Sunday was my best friend's little girl's Baptism, so after the service we spent the day hanging out at their house with family and friends.  It was a great time.  The kids were all playing well together, and it was relaxing for the grown-ups too.   Of course, Ava fell asleep right before it was time to go, so her & Daddy stayed home...missing out on visiting & socializing.  They were supposed to come up after her nap, but she was fussy and Daddy was not sure if he should bring her like that.  After playing some phone tag trying to figure out why they were not there yet, I decided to come home, and she just wanted to nurse and hang out with her Momma. 

Truth be told, I probably missed her even more than she missed me  :) 

digi-crop

Last night I attended my first ever crop :) 

To make it even more fun, it was a DIGITAL crop ~ woohoo!  Come to find out, the owner of digital scrapbook place is from the next town over!  It is such a small world. 

Here are the pages I made...

I'll post more about the crop tomorrow,  I've got a headache & need to get some sleep, but it was a great time :)

we're outside

playing....*(just in case you were looking for us)*

It has been close to 80 for two days here, and we are taking full advantage of the weather.   

The park, picnic lunches, taking walks, etc

I am loooooooooving the weather change :)  I wish it was staying, but I've heard it will be in the 40's again this weekend!?!  But Spring is right around the corner & we are READY!!!

just for fun

I saw this on Gina's blog & decided to try it :)

Turned out to be true on most things...

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

A taste of Spring

We had a gorgeous, sunny, WARM weekend and it was a wonderful change.

We went to the park, walked on the bike path & took a walk to the "candy store".  The kids enjoyed being outside, and I think that I needed it just as much as they did.  Friday I took them alone after school and it was tough trying to juggle Ava (who was not happy in her sling) and get Zander up & down from all the ride-on toys, etc.  He wanted to swing, but I was able to side-track him and give myself a little break too, LOL. 

The other time we went, Harry came and it was MUCH nicer.  I was able to play with them more (we took turns with Ava) and it was alot of fun.  I know that people think I am crazy when I really get into playing with the kids, but they really enjoy it when Harry or I act silly with them.   Ellie , Zander and I were playing Dora, Boots & Swiper...complete with chasing each other, chanting "Swiper, no swiping" and an occasional  "awww, Man!"  Kaden was too busy running all over the place (but I am sure that he would not want to join in anyway... he's way too cool for that).

I did not get any good pictures because the sun was shining & they were aggravated that it was always in their eyes.  Oh well, there are plenty more park trips in our plans.  We spend nearly every afternoon there in the spring before it is warm enough to swim.

Ellie has KINDERGARTEN TESTING this week & I just can not accept it.  I know that I have said it before, but it is just hard to believe that she is that old already.  I've always been okay with Kaden growing up, but not her.  She is still 3 in my mind, a little girl that is no where near ready for Kindergarten.  I've been thinking about it alot, and I wonder if it because she is very backward still?  I worry that she will not be outgoing enough, or make her needs known.  She's been in preschool since she was 3, so I know that I need not worry so much, but she just started really talking at preschool this year!!!  She is the complete opposite of her outgoing talkative Momma, that is for sure.  I've promised that I will work with her & accept who she is instead of trying to change her though, tough as it is.  I want her to be as confident and assertive out in the world as she is here at home.  Okay, so maybe not AS assertive as she is at times...but you get the picture  :)  I worry about her & hope that she is ready.

Speaking of that, I was just talking about the fact that  this fall Zander will be able to go to preschool too (that is a whole other blog)...but if he goes, I will have two mornings a week with just Ava !!   It seems WONDERFUL to think about time with just her & I together  :)

Speaking of time with her, I need to wake her up to get her fed before it is time to get Ellie from preschool.  Have a GREAT day  :)