If you are one.

I think I super stink. Only two posts this whole month? Yikes. What a slacker. I do not have anything profound to say today either. Just felt like something should be put on here. The weather is sucking my brain out of my head. Enough with winter already. Sometimes I think I am odd. Well, I am fairly certain I am odd in a lot of ways. But I was thinking about this today... It is a Saturday. And being the Facebook addict I am, I read a lot of status updates. One friend had said she was going out tonight. You know, with adults. For a second I was envious. A night out with adults?!?!?! How stimulating! How fun! How exciting! Then it passed. And I realized that if I actually con someone into keeping all of my kids, I would rather go out to dinner alone with Mark. I am otherwise fairly content to be at home. I wonder if this makes me super odd. Do not misread me. I will leave the house. I am not a hermit and am not afraid of the public. It was just that for that one mo...

I am fully aware that is has been eons since I last posted. And one would think since it had been so long I would have something profound to say. That someone would be wrong. Twelve years ago today, Mark proposed. (I know, cheesy.) We had already discussed marriage. I mean, at the old age of 19 and 20 and after dating for a whopping four months, who has not discussed it? So Valentine's Day was just the "official" popping of the question. Funny what you remember...... We went to see Fools Rush In (love me some Salma) and had a late dinner at Macaroni Grill. Mark proposed on the Plaza. It was freezing cold outside. Twelve years ago....we celebrate our twelve year wedding anniversary in May. Yes, I can do the math. We dated for five months before getting engaged and then were engaged for just over three months before getting married. Making that eight months from start to finish. Is that not normal? Ah, well. So it goes. I would do it the same way all over aga...

Today is the day my oldest son turns five years old. I am not sure where the years went..... My Boogie, You bless me each and every day with your love of life. Your enthusiasm and your imagination never cease to amaze me. Your love of music and your ability to be reached through music is inspiring. Your energy is endless. Your love knows no bounds. You were given to me for a short time by our Heavenly Father. I was entrusted to care for you, love you, and guide you. I was given this honor and an honor it is. You touch people by your very existence. For the last five years you have graced me with your humor and your love. I am watching you grow into a young man. One who told me the other day that when he can drive, he will borrow my car and take me out on a date. I am holding you to that. One who loves with no end in sight. My Boogie, thank you. For being you and allowing me to be your mommy. I will love you until the end of time. And for always, you will be my baby, my Boogie, my son.

Today is the day. Today is the day that America will swear in the first African American President. Today brings hope for many, many people. I do not think my kids get what today means. Not in the short term and by far not in the long term. My kids are living history in the making and I do not think they quite get what that means. Emmaline was about a year and a half when 9/11 happened. She has no idea what that was, but she was with me as I watched those towers fall. And it is documented in one of her baby books as well. She was living history in a way that I never did. All three of my kids are here today. As the inauguration plays on the t.v., they wonder why mama is making them watch the news. (we never watch the news in this house) Today marks a change not only for us, not only for America, but for people all over the world. Today I am thankful for the change on the horizon. I am thankful for a sovereign God who knows all. I am thankful for the One above who has His hand in ALL thi...

This says it all for me right now. Thanks David Crowder Band for making the music you do... When clouds veil sun And disaster comes Oh, my soul Oh, my soul When waters rise And hope takes flight Oh, my soul Oh, my soul Oh, my soul Ever faithful Ever true You I know You never let go You never let go You never let go You never let go When clouds brought rain And disaster came Oh, my soul Oh, my soul When waters rose And hope had flown Oh, my soul Oh, my soul Oh, my soul Oh, my soul Overflows Oh, what love, oh, what love Oh, my soul Fills hope Perfect love that never lets go Oh, what love, oh, what love Oh, what love, oh, what love In joy and pain In sun and rain You’re the same Oh, You never let go Thank you Lord for never letting go.....

That I suck. Thanks Mimi for the reminder. (-; Um, too much to update? I guess I will give it the old college try. December was crazy. After about the 16th or so there was a lot of life to live. We made a trek for an out of town wedding. Emmaline played the role of flower girl so we had to be there for the rehearsal as well. Made for a long weekend vacation. The wedding was gorgeous (a cousin got married and now we have another chick in the family!) and Emma did her job well. The kids had fun staying in a hotel and it was nice to take a break from every day life. It was crazy, but fun! Emma also had to go get her hair done at the salon and she was not a fan. But she put on her big girl panties and did great. Emmaline's hair do The flower girl...isn't she gorgeous??? My monkey's Stay still... for one more. A family picture After that we ran right into Christmas and family celebrations. We had a lovely holiday with all the people that we love. Christmas Eve was ...

I have never really been a daddy's girl. I know there is a difference in the father's relationship with his daughter. Growing up I was mama's girl. My sister was older than me by five years and got married young. She moved far away, so by the age of 14 I was basically an only child. My mom and I spent a lot of time together. Our relationship was always closer than most, I imagine. But even though I was mama's girl, I knew there was something special and different about my daddy and me. Today, my kids and I called Papa, told him to get ready, we would be on our way soon. We were going to get him and take him with us to Bass Pro. Why? Why not. Daddy is an outdoor man. He knows his stuff. We had not been to the Bass Pro here yet and it seemed like a nice and fun thing to do. Little did I know.... As I watched my own father take each of my kids by the hand, or pick up my youngest child from his stroller, something came over me. This overwhelming feeling. That...

Lyrics - Baby It’s Cold Outside lyrics

This is what happens when Davis gets yogurt out of the fridge and sits it on the floor next to Xander. He tried the spoon... But his finger was far easier... Then he had to suck it off his finger... He realized that was taking too long.... Even the container tastes good. Boys......

Rock on Tank. I promise to get to more of your games in the future. I suck. I just got done watching one of the most awesome things I have ever had the honor of watching. A slide show of my nephew, aka Tank. The pictures told the story of him well. Kicking it on the soccer field. Pure awesomeness. Seriously. Pure awesomeness. While I did not get to many games (as stated above because I suck) I did get to the final game of the HIT tournament. In time to see Tank get a yellow card for taking down that silly kid. And to capture second place. Be sure and send me the schedule for the next session. I am going to print it, highlight it and come to more games. That way, when he is playing Pro ball, I can say, "I knew him when...."

I have often felt very blessed by the family I have. Both my family that I was born into and the family I married into. I know that what I have surrounding me is rare. It is the norm around here is go to my sister's house once a week, if possible. She has three older kids with lots of activities so it can be hard. But at the very least, it is once every other week. Not only is this great for our kids, it has been for us as well. I am not sure that I have ever felt as close to my sister as I do right now. She is undoubtedly my best friend. Not only that, but her kids are.....awesome. They just are. I love them as if they were my own kids. You just have to know these young people. I send them e-mails sometimes and the responses I get.....I read them over and over and wonder how I got so lucky to be their aunt. They are just that phenomenal. No joke. It is beyond words what those kids mean to me. It seriously warms my heart just to see them. To see my nieces and nephew...

One look is all it takes....pure sweetness.

Xander is busy. Not walking yet. Though he can push Elmo around in the doll stroller. No problems there. But he is not taking any steps yet. Aye. Just to give you an idea of what goes on around here with Xander, I give you a couple glimpses of the last two days... I is not doing nuffing mom.... Must. find. a. way. to. climb. the. fridge. Turkey....stood there FOREVER, steady as could be, eating his ice cream cone. But never took one step. How we know he is his father's son: love of ice cream and tongue issues. Ice cream so totally rocks!

Davis ate my xD card today. Luckily I managed to get Xander's birthday pictures off. The only thing that is missing are some pictures I took yesterday of Xander eating an ice cream cone. We will just have to feed him another cone today. I doubt he will be upset. I have pictures from Xan's party. I am too lazy to post many. I have yet another cold. What is it with this weather? Ah, yes. Winter is here. Yay. I can not get the pictures to behave...much like my children.

One year ago today I met someone for the very first time. I had no idea how profoundly he would change my life. Nor how he would change Emmaline. Or Davis. Or Mark. I had no idea what meeting him would mean for my family. What he would symbolize for years to come. I had no idea that my heart would grow even more. One year ago today, someone laid a tiny little being right up next to my face. And that is when I first laid eyes on Alexander Gabriel. It was a moment in time that I wished would last forever. You were born a big boy and you continued to grow with each passing day. We celebrated your first Thanksgiving and Christmas when you were only a few weeks old. Too tiny to know what we were doing. But a blessing to all of us none the less. Winter came and you smiled at us. You began to sit up. You took in the world around you. We watched your big eyes soak up life. You showed us that life was beautiful. Spring came breezing in. We had your first Easter. You got some ...

I am not going to get all political.... Just want to say: make your voice be heard. GO VOTE! It is a privilege to do so. I walked all three kids to the poll today to cast our vote. We all got our I Voted stickers and walked ourselves back home. Now, we wait.

I wonder..... Why do songs evoke emotions in us? Why do we remember song lyrics so easily yet can not recall a history fact? What causes songs to bring up a memory in a second? I love music. Always have. I remember lyrics to songs from the 80's. I remember nothing else. But a song? Can put me right back to that time and place. With the people and the feelings. I wonder what it is that does that to us. I am sure there is some scientific reason. Some study. Some research. I spent many nights listening to music as a teen. It was some sort of relief. If I hear one of those songs today, I can immediately go back to that awkward 13 year old again. I remember songs from being a small child (Free To Be anyone? Rainbow Connection?) I remember songs I sang with my girlfriends (Doin' The Butt, Mambo #5). I remember the last song played at my Senior Prom. But it is not the songs. It is the ability of those songs to bring back the emotions of the time in a sweeping flood....

I can only assume my oldest boy is......unique. This week he has managed to do two things that have made me stop and scratch my head. And almost break my butt. I love the boy.... Yesterday he squirted dish soap all over the bathroom floor. When I went in to use said bathroom I almost fell as the floor was slippery. The entire floor. Do you know how hard it is to clean dish soap off of linoleum? Near impossible as once it is wet, it just lathers up. Not only that but as it dries it leaves a nice film as well. Today he decided to glitter the computer room. I have nothing against glitter. I think is serves a purpose in society. But holy night. Not only did he manage to glitter everything, but then he had the pitcher of pink lemonade and manged to spill the. entire. pitcher. Think about it. Picture it with me now: glitter all over the floor with lemonade ON TOP OF THE GLITTER. Um, the lemonade acted as glue. Seriously. Do you know how hard it is to clean sticky glitter...

I get an idea in my head and well..... I have been thinking of Xan's first birthday party for some time. Knowing I would be making the cake and sugar cookies and trying to come up with a theme. At a year old, it is not like he is into anything. (We will not discuss what my big kids have come up with for their birthdays.) After looking, most of the First Year birthday stuff......is not to my liking. Then for Mother's Day my in-laws got me this awesome cupcake cake pan. Then the idea hit me: Xander's first birthday would be done in blues, brown and white, with polka dots and cupcakes. Awesome plan. Only.....do you know how hard it is to locate paper goods that fit the theme you made up in your head? Not only that but since I was stuck on that exact thing, I could not find anything that came close to the picture in my head. Sigh. I had to make the invitations myself. Complete with cutting out little cupcakes, in different paper, stamping and writing the details, and ...