pinterest

ok... i know you all love pinterest just as much as i do.
and if you don't... well, you probably just haven't discovered it yet.
tell you haven't noticed this...
it seems like whenever i'm on, there are always multiple pictures of some hot toned body.

and right NEXT to that hot toned body, is a picture of an amazingly delicious dessert or delectable dish.

tell me, what is the fairness in that?!
can you have it all?
this?

and this?

(these two really were side by side)

this is usually more suited to me when i'm 'pinning'.

oh well... i'll keep pinning on my merrily little way!

8 is great

(at the hospital a few hours after birth)


motherhood is hard.

it's downright the hardest thing i've ever done.

however, it's also the most rewarding.

what a rollercoaster!

i was inaugurated into this profession by none other than my big k... my firstborn.

today is her birthday and i have a lot of emotions overcoming me.
every year on her birthday i reflect on the day she was born.
it was a long haul, her birth, i mean.
i was in labour, from the very first contraction to the end, for approximately 68 hours.
ha!
that sounds WAY worse than it was... but they were off and on for a few days before they picked up.
being a first timer, i geared up after the very first one.
hence... i felt like i was in real labour for days on end.
realistically... i only was in active labour about 18 hours 'til she was born.
but the long and short of it... she took her sweet time to arrive.

(in her first week at home)


she made me work for her presence.
which is funny because that's still her personality today.
she doesn't easily give her heart or love away.
she's not very affectionate...
she doesn't like to share her deepest feelings or darkest secrets...
let's face it, she's often awkward in situations that call for genuine thankfulness or showing of emotions.
you have to really pull things out of her.
she makes you work for it!
but when you get to see a sliver of her shining personality... it's magic.
she's magic!
my first born!

(2 weeks old)


she's instinctually a leader.
she's not the loud, boisterous kind... but just a gentle and quiet one that leads naturally.
don't get me wrong... this girl can be loud!
but only in situations where she feels extremely comfortable.
i'm sure her teachers laugh when i ask how she is at school, expecting and bracing myself for the worst.
at home she has an attitude (but what 8 year girl old doesn't?)...
but at school, she's always the picture of respect.

(about 7 months old)


i guess we must be doing something right.
that, or it's just a first born trait.
this girl would NEVER bend the rules.
i'm serious!
she is a rule follower, through and through.
she also has an amazing memory and an uncanny ability to remember the most minute details.
i think she inherits this from me.
we both can recall past events and situations that many people tend to forget.
i love that we have this ability together.
(although my ability is seriously lacking the older i get.)

(about 18 months old)


she has a multitude of friends and is friendly with everyone.
kids her own age are just drawn to her.
it's kind of strange because i don't think there's anything that stands out about her...
but it's something i love about her.
i was just talking to a teacher from her school the other day and she told me how she's observed that k is always playing with different groups of kids at recess time.
and she's having a blast with every one of them.
we had to seriously widdle down her birthday party list!
i hope this means she won't be cliquey when she's older... time will tell on that one.

(2.5 years old... a big sister!)


she has thirst for knowledge that is insatiable.
she always wants to research new stuff, wants to read about different countries, wants to watch shows on exotic animals, wants to see pictures of machines, and people and more.
it's exhausting... but exhilirating to see her learning and taking in her environment.

(2.5 years old... getting into momma's stuff... curious and apparently observant!)


she's very independant.
even though she is social, she absolutely loves to play on her own.
nothing is better than when she's holed up in her room, making cities and creating worlds for her tiny petshop animals and playmobil people.
she could spend hours in this type of creative play.
but she's also a fantastic big sister.
she's patient, especially with her littlest sister, and (mostly) accepting.
even though they quarrel, she loves her sisters very much and would do anything for them.

(3.5 years old... can you tell her little sister looks up to her?)


she's also a fantastic writer.
her teacher told us that she just writes and writes and writes.
her imagination is limitless and she fills pages and pages with her made up stories.
it's never a chore when you hand her a pencil and paper and tell her to write.
it's one of her greatest joys!

(4.5 years old)


even though she doesn't show it when we're there, she loves church.
she loves to be at sunday school and learn new bible stories.
she is not a singer and it's like pulling teeth trying to get her to sing, but she loves music.
and often we'll hear her humming and singing along to her own praise and worship music in our basement.

(5.5 years old and heading to kindergarten!)


she is just a joy...
and our first little miracle.
she came after our devastating miscarriage and showed us that having faith in God was the only thing that mattered.
and this is why we fittingly gave her the middle name, faith.

(5.5 years old and became a big sister yet again to another girl)


she changed our lives, for the better and she keeps changing it.
daily i'm thankful for her... even though daily we seem to fight.
i think it's because we're so similar.
we think the same way... we act a lot in the same way.
this leads to the butting of heads.
but i just love that girl so much it hurts.

(goofing off at 6.5 years)


she keeps breaking the mold i put her in (which is good) and she surprises me all the time.
she's the girl that we trial and error everything as parents.
she's the guinea pig.
but she handles all the pressure and expectations so well.
i usually don't give her enough credit.

(feeling uncomfortable in the spotlight on her 7th birthday)


she truly is a gem.
we pray that she'll put God number one in her life and from there... we feel everything else will fall into place.
we hope she'll have the courage to chase her dreams even knowing that we won't always be there to catch her when she falls.
we pray for her to stand up for those that can't... and yet be meek, humble and a willing servant.

(7.5 years old... and doing her job as biggest sister perfect as she can)


we have so much to be thankful for... and all we can do is praise Jesus for this little lady!
aw sweet pea... we love you so much!
happy 8th birthday!

(7.5 years old, in grade 2 and loving life!)

we can't wait to see where life takes you!

(8 years old, taken tonight... while eating her choice for dinner, sushi!)

just being silly

i'm usually that mom that's always bossing my kids around.
telling them, yet again to, "hurry up... brush your teeth... get ready... i'm gonna leave without you!!"
yup, that'd be me.
but i'm also the mom that has no problem being silly.
even silly to the point of embarrassing them.
ha!
it's payback time, ya'll!
remember all those time dad embarrassed us, sis?!?!
M and i actually revel in the times we can embarrass our kids, especially in front of their friends.
i know... diabolical, huh?
isn't that par for the course though?
so it's of no surprise to you that i'd take some pics like this with my oldest today...

pathetic pirate on the wee one, or what?

clearly this is the point where she's getting bored.

act like a monkey... just like mommy!!
that's the spirit!

c'mon... let me give you a BIG smooch!!!!
i LOVE you!!

more kissies from yer mama!!!
(i just can't help it!)

come back here... come back!!!

don't leave your mama all alone!

aw, now that's better!

be silly... be present.
i'm trying... i'm not perfect, but i'm trying.
have a great weekend, ya'll!

more

what the world needs more of...


raspberries in lime yogurt (you can thank me later)

girls doing cartwheels

ruffles, ruffles and more ruffles

starbucks coffee on a chilly drive (look at that temp reading people!!)

and more cute, mostly naked babies dancing on kitchen chairs for photobooth!!

cheap fix

i needed a change.
the weather is getting colder and i feel more and more housebound.
cabin fever, if you will.
when i have that feeling, i need to change stuff up.
nothing crazy (although i so badly want to PAINT) i switched up the paper in my living room frames.
you may remember it looking like this:

and here's what it looks like now...

 it's just a subtle difference, but i kept with my love for blue and yellow.
clearly.

isn't it amazing that something as cheap as scrapbook paper can have such an impact?
i love cheap retail therapy for the home.
it's my fav!

oh, and i forgot to share one of my fabulous antique mall finds from texas.
i couldn't leave it there... especially since it's my favorite shade of blue.
plus, it was only $18.
(which my husband thinks is $18 too much.  sigh... men!)

do you find it hard to believe that each girl in my home totes this little chair to where they need it?
i didn't think so.
it is already well loved.

as is this soft and cozy quilt i found at the local thrift store.
don't worry... i washed it on hot and dried it and it smells just like new.
i just couldn't resist it because of the perfect coloring.

ahhh... so nice how a simple change can bring so much contentment.

10 on the 11th... posted on the 12th!

ok, i saw so many great blogs last year with the whole 10 on the 10th thing going on.
if you've never seen it, you take 10 pictures, 1 every hour for 10 hours on the 10th day of the month.
seems easy?
but doesn't exactly work if you forget.
oops.
i only remembered late at night on the 10th.
so, i did it on the 11th, yesterday.
and i didn't have time to post the pics yesterday.
hence... they're up today.
better late than never, right?
(is that my motto or something?)
and... they're with my phone... so excuse the quality!
they start at 10:00am.
(just so you know... they're taken IN that hour, not necessarily right at the turn of the hour)


grocery shopping with my baby! 
(10am)

thrift store find.
yay or nay?
i didn't buy it... too big but i liked it! 
(11am)

lunch.
what can i say?
i'm very health conscious, clearly. 
(12pm)

wednesdays are dance days.
my middle honey pie LOVES ballet! 
(1pm)

here is what i bought at the thrift store - a cute quilt.
it is SO incredibly soft!
a good washing and it's good to go! 
(2pm)

relaxing on my friend's couch.
seriously... we had such a quiet and cozy afternoon.
babies napped... bigger kids were quiet.
it was lovely! 
(3pm)

convinced my fabulous sister in law she could do a cupcake bday party for my niece in her home instead of shelling out $ to a bakery.
she's a better baker anyway.
and i told her to buy these little cupcake holders for favors.
took a pic to send to her so she knew what i was talking about.
hello dollar store... you rule! 
(4pm)

dinner.
it was bitterly cold outside yesterday... soup was what the doctor ordered. 
(5pm)

apparently making little guys out of random items in the house is fun.
the girls thought this was pretty funny.
they laughed and giggled until they cried.
so did i... until i found the dirty shoes up on my counter. 
(6pm)

night time snuggles and kisses.
another busy day behind us. 
(7pm)