Miss Independent

Did I let her dress herself today? Yes. Did I let her wear this outfit in public today? Yes. When she's older I'll probably intervene, but today I decided that she's only 3....and we had fun with it :)

Christmas 2011

Pillow pets! Ellie had been asking for one for months!

We had a lot of fun at the zoo lights...but it was super crowded! Adalyn enjoyed her cozy spot :)

Luke got Larry the Cucumber, Ellie got Sweet Pea Beauty and Adalyn got Bob the Tomato

With my most favorite kids in the world!

We had Adalyn all strapped into her carseat and ready to go when we realized that we hadn't gotten a family picture :)

That's Our Boy

I shared in an earlier post that Ellie loves to talk about her wedding. Well, tonight while I was tucking Luke and Ellie into bed, she once again wanted to talk about her yellow wedding dress, crown, rings, shoes, etc. Luke decided that he didn't want to be left out and he wanted to talk about his future wedding, too. The very first thing he said was, "I want to marry a shy girl, 'cause I want to do all the talking." HAHAHA!

I LOVE that boy!

Lessons at the Grocery Store

Today Dan graciously accompanied me to the grocery store with the kiddos in tow. We decided we'd make it special and go back to our old stomping grounds, Whole Foods. We love Whole Foods! The kids always get balloons and snacks and often get to play in their play area. And we all love their food. When I was working full-time, we would routinely get our groceries and then eat lunch there afterwards.

Today, both Luke and Ellie said they missed going to Whole Foods....I really miss it, too! I would be lying if I tried to deny thinking, "Well, if I work just one more day per week than maybe we could shop here again." Do I really want to work more? No! But the thought did cross my mind. I asked Luke if he'd want me to work more so that we could shop at Whole Foods and he immediately said no. That really blessed my spirit immensely. It was so nice to hear that he enjoys me being at home more.

Lately, contentment (or lack thereof) has been a repeated theme in my life. I think God might be trying to teach me something :)  Contentment is especially hard for me when I feel like I have a really justifiable reason to want more. Organic food is better for you. The kids need to be in sports and interact with other children. Staying active is important, so I need running shoes and clothes. We're going to need a twin bed for Adalyn soon. Every single one of my white shirts is stained...aren't white shirts a clothing staple? It is so easy to justify things!

I am thankful that God has not given up on me yet. I have been very sensitive to the word "need" for quite some time now. Choosing instead to say, "We could use..." or "...would be nice." In some areas, my thinking still needs to catch up with what I'm choosing to say. But not using the word "need" is a start.

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." Phil 4:11
"Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." 1 Tim 6:6-8

Zippity Doo Da

Adalyn was asleep, I was cleaning in the kitchen and Luke and Ellie were playing together in the foyer. I was just thinking to myself how sweet it is when Luke and Ellie play so well with one another when I hear Ellie say, "Luke, are you sure about this?" Hmm, I guess I should go look into what they're doing.

this boy is super creative!

Luke had designed his very own zipline! He ran a rope from the banister to the front door handle. He'd stand on the banister, hook the hanger (see his left hand) to the rope and zip down to the door. :) It was quite cute. Ellie was a bit more reserved and cautious, hence the, 'Are you sure about this?" question.

Just the other day Luke told me he's sooo tired of always having the TV off. Ha! Sorry buddy for your luck... you're too creative for the TV!

Sweet Dreams

We've tried several times over the last couple of years to let Luke and Ellie sleep together, and the end result is always, "Okay guys, valiant effort, but go back to your own beds." (Our tone is always gracious and never rarely threatening). Most days I wouldn't even consider letting them try to sleep together "just for fun" because, quite frankly, it wears me out. But lately I've been feeling like life is way too short, and these "little" moments together of whispering under the sheets and giggling when they say dirty words (poop and butt, just to name a couple) and mommy can't hear...these are the moments they'll remember and cherish for a long time.
I can't possibly be feeling more fun and free-spirited because Dan gave me this morning to be by myself and spend some time reading (quietly) and shopping (quickly). It's totally just because I'm a cool mom. Yup.

they had both wanted to put the tent on the bed for a long time

all snuggled in!



..........

I'd like to say that I was the epitome of grace and love toward Luke and Ellie when I found them like this, because after all, I knew this was going to happen right? Well, I was a bit frustrated, and probably won't let this situation happen again any time soon...but I think they thoroughly enjoyed themselves while it lasted. :)

a glimpse of Dan's future?

Ellie loves to talk about her wedding. Every day when I tuck her in for her nap she asks, "Mommy, can we talk about my wedding?" Most of the time I can't resist the cuteness, so I oblige. She has already determined many elements of her wedding, and these have never really changed in all the time she's been talking about it.
1. Her dress will be yellow "like Belle's"
2. Her flowers will be purple
3. She wants long hair that is down to the floor "like Rapunzel's"
4. She wants yellow shoes to match her yellow dress
5. Daddy will walk her down the aisle
6. She will wear a beautiful crown and pretty jewelry...A LOT of pretty jewelry
...and most importantly...
7. She is going to marry God

Good luck to her future groom...#7 gives him a lot to live up to! I'm glad she has such high standards!

Happy 5th Birthday Luke!

Yesterday, November 18th, was Luke's 5th birthday. He fills us with so much joy, and dare I say it, pride. He is so kind and gentle, fun and energetic, thoughtful and sensitive, smart and even spiritually minded. Every single week, either his Sunday school teacher or AWANA teacher heap praise on him for being so sweet- spirited and helpful. My heart swells when they share how much they enjoy having him in their class. My heart doesn't swell because I think Dan and I have done such a superb job, but truly because God has graciously given us this tender-hearted boy who has been an incredible blessing to us since the moment he entered our lives. Oh, how our cup overflows! And most importantly, numerous times over this past year Luke has told us that he trusts Jesus and believes that He died for His sins. Nothing gives Dan and me more joy than to know that our son trusts Jesus!
Happy Birthday Luke!

handsome boy

he had been hoping to get this suit for his birthday for months!

The Sweet Things in Life

unfortunate sideways pic still captures the moment :)

One very fond memory I have of my childhood was making chocolate chip cookies with my mom and then licking the bowl clean of the cookie dough. I almost enjoyed the dough more than the cookies. Well, I had to carry on the tradition. Luke and Ellie were the quietest they had been all day...until Luke got the last official lick and Ellie started crying. All in all, I think they enjoyed themselves. :)

I Walked Away for Only a Minute...

I walked into the kitchen to find Adalyn with a foam dart stuck to her head and Luke standing next to her with a big smile on his face. Thankfully, there was no gun in sight and he explained that he had simply slathered that sucker with slobber and stuck it to her vulnerable forehead. At least she seemed to enjoy it!

Artificial Intelligence

Today while I was making the kids' lunches, I received what was easily my 100th telemarketer (and automated nonetheless) phone call from the same company within the last 2 months. Most of the time I ignore the call, but occasionally I suffer a great lapse of judgment and I answer. Today was one of those days.

So basically I was standing at the counter talking (or was it venting?) to myself out loud, when Luke heard me and asked what I was upset about. I started explaining to him that I am SO SICK AND TIRED of getting automated phone calls. They are taking up my precious time, even asking me how I am today (one time I actually answered "terrible," to which the computer responded "I'm sorry to hear that" and then it continued on with it's sales pitch)...and I'm not even speaking to a real person! Seriously?! If their security system is so wonderful and they're so concerned about the safety and welfare of my family (not), then at the very least a real, living, breathing person, could call me! I explained all of this to Luke as if I was talking to Dan...as if he knew exactly what I was talking about, to which he responded,

"I know just what you're talking about! Every time I try to use Ellie's phone, I get the same thing!"
That's why he's my favorite son. He gets me.

Give Ellie Some Credit!

Two days ago I had to wake up the kiddos from their naps so that we could go somewhere. While I went into my room to finish getting ready, I sent Luke and Ellie downstairs to get their shoes on. Waking the kids up from their sweet dreams is often very challenging, to say the least. Actually, I hate to do it. They wake up grumpy and irritable with each other and this often results in timeouts and apologies.

Well, this day seemed to be no different. I could hear from upstairs that Ellie was arguing with Luke and gradually getting more and more upset. Here we go again, I think to myself. Ellie starts stomping her way upstairs whining the whole way about something Luke said. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate love whining?

Here it comes....Ellie procedes to tell me that she farted....a big one. Now why would this make a child, who loves to let loose, upset? Ellie was upset because Luke was sure that daddy must have been the one who farted because it was such a BIG fart. Ha! Seriously?! Ellie was very upset! She wanted credit! Yes, our children were fighting over who had farted! I reminded Luke that daddy wasn't even home, and instantly Luke had a look of pure shock on his face when he realized that it was indeed Ellie, who had farted. Oh my. I've never enjoyed an argument more!

'Cause 26.3 Would Be CRAZY!

we made it!

Deut 2:1-3

it's been a busy 6 months!

Dan and I completed 26.2 miles together yesterday! It was Dan's second marathon and my first. It was an incredible feeling to cross the finish line, having worked so hard for so many months. When I started running in early April, I could barely run two blocks before I had to take a walking break, so yesterday was a wonderful reward for the hard work I put in.
Dan did an incredible job. He hoped to break his previous time of 4:09, but training while raising 3 young children is quite a challenge, and when you add to that a sprained ankle yesterday at mile 6 (thank you very much pothole) and a bathroom break at mile 16, a time of 4:14:19 is quite impressive. I came in at 5:03:28. I secretly hoped to break 5 hours, but I'm thrilled that I didn't hit a "wall" and have to walk for miles and miles. No major problems along the course so that was great.
Dan's wonderful parents and brother brought Luke, Ellie and Adalyn to various points along the course to cheer us on. It was so great to see them. My mom and dad rode along side of us on their bikes. My parents were with me a lot and I really appreciated their company and encouragement.
It's been quite a journey, and I can't say whether or not I'll ever do the full again. I think the half-marathon is the perfect distance, but we'll see...



Pigeon Roost Farm

Yesterday the kids and I made our 3rd annual trip to Pigeon Roost Farm. This farm is so great, and we haven't even gotten to experience everything it has to offer yet...hopefully next year Dan will be able to join us. There are camels, goats, bunnies, slides, swingsets, corn mazes, piles of hay and corn to jump around in and tons of pumpkins. Luke and Ellie each picked out a pie pumpkin to bring home and Luke is currently begging to cut into his. Tomorrow Luke and Dan will bond as they carve to their heart's content, and hopefully we'll enjoy some pie shortly thereafter.

Puzzled With Joy

Luke put together his first 60-piece puzzle completely on his own. He sat down at the dining room table and didn't ask for help once--he was so proud! I love the look of pure joy on his face when he accomplishes something new. It's okay for a mama to have a little pride, right? :)

Happy 2/3 Birthday Adalyn!

she celebrated by staying in her pajamas all day (she is afterall, her mother's daughter ;)

a pro at sitting up now

Try Try Try ... Again

I'm starting to get a little deja vu, because I've attempted this before. Life is flying by at top speed and there are so many precious and hilarious moments that sadly, might be forgotten. Dan tells me quite often that I have a terrible memory. And I do. Terrible memory + wrangling raising 3 children in a sleepy fog = poor recapturing of this incredible phase of life we're in. 
I realize that probably no one will read this until my children are old enough to read and want a good laugh...but that's okay. That will be a great day :)


sleepy girls with their daddy



Luke in his homemade Power Rangers outfit