Love You Day

My love

I love any reason to celebrate, to decorate and to create for my family and friends!  So, Valentine's Day is no exception, even though I don't believe that I need a holiday to tell those that I love that I love them!  I hope they know and feel my love everyday!!

Valentines Day 2012 In Pictures

 

 

My little love bugs

Candy cane chocolate lollipop arrangements for Charlie's teacher and Principal

Customized hand sanitizer for Nurse Nickki

"You are a CUT above the rest" for the receptionist

Ribbon made for Charlie's teacher

bookmarks made from paint chips for my girls at MM, I put a scripture verse about God's love on the back

Made from a deck of cards, 52 reasons why we love Daddy, and Honey Trent.  I made one for both of them.  All the "girls" and their families contributed to Dads and the boys and I made Trent's.

Love You Day 2012
Heart shaped pasta for dinner
Valentine's all around
Love, hugs and kisses
I love my family!

The Day the Heaven's Shone

It has been cloudy and overcast for days, but today, Friday, February 17th the sun is shining brightly.  Heaven is rejoicing for today it has a new angel, our beloved Grandma Pam.

We celebrate that her suffering and pain has come to an end, but we grieve for the wonderful step-mom, mother-in-law, and grandma that she was.  From the moment I met her she dotted upon our little family.  Showering us with praise, encouragement, gifts, surprises, love.    She was considerate, loving, funny, strong willed, faithful, warm and one of the kindest people I have met.  You walked into her home and she pampered you, she was a beautiful hostess.  On birthdays and holidays she would call with requests from the kids, she was always thinking of what they enjoyed and what would make them happy.  Whether it was teaching them how to play golf in the backyard, treating them to a day at Chuck-e-Cheese, cuddling up on the couch watching a movie, showering them with love and treats, and making sure that they had warm soft blankets to sleep in,  she won their hearts immediately.

She won all of our hearts and today our hearts are breaking.  We are grateful for the knowledge and faith that we will see our sweet grandma again.
 

I have been too busy....

Taking the kids and cousins to see STAR WARS in the theater.. GOOD times!

I have been too busy having too much fun to really blog.  Life is at full speed again and I love it!  Today is the first day in what seems a.long.time. that I have one child who is napping and so our home is oddly quiet.  The boys are at school, honey is at work and the dog is outside.  Not sure where Sam is, probably sleeping on Charlie's bed, waiting for him to come home from school. He luvs his boy!

So here are the top 10 things that we have been up to lately:

1.  Penny is WALKING.  I might have mentioned that before, but now she is REALLY walking.  Actually, yesterday she tried to run after Tommy as he squealed with delight and laughed as she caught him.

2.  I organized a donation drive at Charlie's school for some seniors in our area.  Families brought in things like notebooks, kleenex, raisins, stationary, lotion etc.  Then we made Valentine's Day baskets and delivered them to 16 people.  Thankfully we had 2 sweet ladies that also helped with the deliveries!  It was an AWESOME experience!  By our last delivery Charlie really understood why we were doing this.  He commented on how lonely some of the people were and how he knew we made them happy.  He was SO right!  I explained to the boys how God tells us to take care of the widows/older people and how they were doing God's work.  It was a very special experience!

3. Projects, projects and more projects!! I have been bitten by the project/crafty bug and I can't stop!!  Our house has looked like a donation (senior baskets)/craft store for the last 6 weeks.  Perhaps with Valentine's Day over things will slow down.  Oh but wait!!! There is St. Patrick's day right around the corner, Lauren's bday party to make things for AND Tommy's party to plan.  Seriously though, it is my therapy and brings me such joy to be creative and use the gifts that God has given me, especially when they bless someone else!

4.  Travel, travel, travel.  See a theme here?  Trent travels, I have loads of time to craft.  Even though a lonely crafter is no fun :(  Yes, my man has been here, there and everywhere.  He is the man of the hour.  I know it is exhausting, but he is holding his own.  He is so smart and has such a strong work ethic, I just love that about him!

busy loving on each other

5. Teeth!  We seem to be losing teeth around here every time the tooth fairy turns around.  One just popped out yesterday in the car and Charlie calmly said "here momma, one of my teeth just fell out".  What!!! It wasn't even one of the teeth that I thought was loose and there are more coming!!  Have I mentioned that Charlie opts to keep his teeth?  And that the tooth fairy still brings him cold hard cash?  Yeah, she is good like that :)

6.  Cleaning house!  I am slowly getting all the crap out of this place.  Not that it is all crap, but just stuff that we don't need or don't use etc.  If we don't love it, then it needs to leave.  I kind of feel like that in many areas of my life right now.  I feel so smothered by all the "stuff" or "drama" that it clutters my vision on what is true and lovely and holy.  It distracts me and keeps me from doing all things for Him. So, I am cleaning house in more ways then one and I feel lighter then I have ever felt before!

7.  Loving on each other.  We have been staying pretty close as a family, not wondering too far from each other.  We have a loved one that does not have much time left on this planet and it only reconfirms to us how short life is, how often we take it for granted and each other for granted.  Family first, there is nothing more important!

8.  Most days I feel far younger then I really am. Me 36?! NO WAY!!!!  But alas it is true.  Whatever, it doesn't bother me it just amazes me.  So rarely do I have moments where I "feel" like an adult, you know, like a grown up.  I know that sounds crazy because I am married, have 3 kids, run a household, pay bills, etc, but it is true. But both Trent and I had a moment the other day when we felt like we had arrived into adulthood.  Do you know why?  Because we bought our first bed, a king size bed none the less.  Yes, it took a bed to make us feel like grown ups!  It was really a huge moment for us, that sounds silly, but it is true.  Our marriage bed had been my bed since I was like 19 years old or something crazy and GROSS like that!!  Thankfully, it was only a fleeting moment and we now feel back to our normal, young selves :)

9.  Bonding.  I have had the awesome opportunity to bond with a few lovely ladies from church.  They are the light in my day I tell you!!  I can shoot them an email and prayers are flying my way.  I can pick up the phone and chat for a few minutes and feel centered again.  Our relationships are based around God, not about competition, money, or whose kid is smarter etc.  It is SO refreshing and I just love these girls.  I love spending time with them each week, having craft nights together or hanging at their homes.  I feel so blessed to have them in my life and am so excited to see where God directs our friendships.

We have also been comforting a crying, sick, tutu wearing baby.

 10.  Grounded.  I am feeling grounded again, and so I think our family is a bit more grounded as well.  I feel like the "old, new me" is back and the panic attacks are no more.  I am so grateful to have gone through this trial and come out on the other side a better person for it.  I am thankful for a husband that has showered me with his love each day, held me in his arms, comforted me, protected me, and encouraged me.  He has also shared with me his feelings and opened his heart to me.  I just love him and that he has the ability to do that!! He is my rock!

So, that is a little of what we have been up too.

Regular blogging may resume :)

36

I turned 36 on Wednesday.  Yippee, yahoo! I could really care less about the number because honestly, sometimes I still feel like I am in my early 20's.  That could be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on what it is I am feeling ;)

This is what my birthday week looked like:
doctor's visits, double ear infections and anitibiotics
missed school, fevers over 102
Daddy out of town, and sick none the less
a boy having some problems with a friend, me not having the foggiest idea how to handle it
praying a lot for guidance
ER visit in the middle of the night with a baby that couldn't breathe because she was so congested
more doctor's visits, nebulizer sent home...thank you very much!  fevers over 102+ again
3 calls from my Dad, because he knew I needed it...I love you!
birthday cards from people that I love and even a few from a few people that I haven't talked to in a while
praying with a dear friend on the phone, if only I could bottle that feeling of peace and serenity!
missing my favorite outing of the week, but talking to so many of my MM friends, it was wonderful!
parent helping and watching Tommy just glow as he was the "leader for the day!
eating lunch with two of my favorite guys at school
feeling fear that people don't like me
pure utter happiness that Trent came home on my bday and bought me a steak dinner, roses and a candle!
relief that my buddy and his buddy seem to be working things out
praying that the baby gets well soon and that no more trips to the hospital will be needed
finished a bunch of projects, my therapy
counted food cans and was actually happily surprised at the numbers for our food drive
ate out 3 nights in a row
laid in bed with my honey while we both did work on the computers and watched some robot movie
grateful that i am forgiven for all the mistakes that i make
doing weekly family time with the kids when daddy was out of town
working with a boy on his handwriting only for him to bring home a star for his improvement!
happy that it is friday and that this week is over

36, i have a feeling you are going to be just like 35

May the Force be with you. Charlie turns 7.

The birthday boy on his birthday with his best buddy.

 We did A LOT of celebrating this year for Charlie's birthday.  We had 3 separate events and they were ALL so much fun!  Daddy was unfortunately out of town on Charlie's birthday but Nana came over for dinner, hot dogs per the boys request and cake from Casa Dolce...yum!

Then the following Saturday we went all out.  First we had a handful of school friends over for a mega STAR WARS party.  All boys and one very sweet little girl :)

I made her these cute little Leiah buns (thanks Christina for the idea!!)

Trent made the coolest jet packs out of 2 liter bottles and light sabers out of foam and colored duct tape.  They were a HUGE hit!

We started the party by building spaceships out of LEGOS which the kids were more then happy to do and probably would of kept at it for longer if I didn't have an agenda and time constraints.

Then we headed them downstairs to an obstacle course, ie Jedi Training.  They had to jump through hot lava,




and then climb over an galactic asteroid (2 chairs covered in a grey table cloth), and then crawl through the slimy green swap (crawl through a tunnel that was covered with a green table cloth).  The kids loved it!  Then they headed back upstairs to design their Jedi wrist bands.  I used an old roll of wrapping paper and cut it into bracelets.  I spray painted some old wooden blocks gold and cut out the lets JEDI in foam and made my own stamps.  The kids stamped with ink, JEDI on their wrist bands and then decorated them with stars.

Now they were true Jedi's and had to return to the basement and battle the Stormtroopers that had invaded our home. 

I drew Stormtrooper faces on white helium balloons and Trent taped them to the basement floor.  The kids went NUTS!!!

Even Daddy had a good time!

Then it was time for cake, presents and for all little Jedi's to go home.

We were awaken bright and early by Tommy who was dressed in his Sunday school clothes, v-neck sweater on backwards and all, which he insisted on wearing backwards the entire day.  When asked why he was so dressed up he simply said with his shy little grin, "I wanted to look good for the party".  Adorable, Thomas, you are adorable!!

Then came round 3!  That same afternoon, call us crazy, we had our family and family-like friends over for our traditional birthday party.

Darth Vader even showed up!  Tommy took one look at her and said "Nana!"....it was so funny!

We had a Darth Vader pinata

The kids made paper R2D2s and Galaxy Playdough (black homemade playdough and they added glitter to it)

And then we had to have cake AGAIN!

Light Saber cupcakes

C3PO Hydro-Oil

 Trent made a lot of really cool graphics for the party.  He made the water bottle covers, the signage for the center piece, Edible Ewoks that were used with gummie bears as a favor and a light saber sign for light saber favors that were pretzels dipped in red and blue chocolate.  He also made the invitation and the sign for our Yoda Soda, green sherbert and 7up.

I totally cheated on the cake this year.  With everything else that we did to prepare, I just wasn't into making a big cake.  So the night before the party I called the local market and went and bought an undecorated cake straight from their freezer.  They sold me a bucket of frosting and I was off.  Unfortunately, they didn't give me enough frosting to cover anything but the top.  Thankfully, I had left over grey frosting from the cupcakes and a can of chocolate ready made frosting in the pantry.  Tada!!! Charlie picked Anakin's Skywalkers flying machine to put on top, I threw miniature R2D2s and his friends around the cake and called it a day.

I think that Trent and I had a lot of fun putting all of this together for Charlie.  But the most important thing was that Charlie had a great birthday surrounded by old and new friends and people that love him.

I can not believe that our boy, our baby, is 7 years old!!

Dearest Charlie,

We love you beyond the moon and back.  You are the sweetest, funniest, most loving boy and we are blessed to have been chosen to be your family.

Happy Birthday Charlie Barley Bear!

Christmas Program at Tommy's school

Reading the Night Before Christmas

Anxiously waiting for Santa, ie hand in mouth because he is SO excited

When asked what they wanted for Christmas all the kids said a "surprise", I think they were nervous and just followed what the first kid said.  Tommy wasn't going to be a "follower" oh, no, he was going to make sure that Santa KNEW what he wanted the most....A Bobba Fett Costume :)

Penny wanted nothing to do with this Santa :)

For Grandpa

Dear Grandpa, 

If you think that you can keep me out of the "mix" of all you fellas for long, you are sadly mistaken.  I would like my own set of ear protection, in preferably pink or purple.  I suppose that black would do as well too.

And I am still waiting on that John Deere hat :)

Love,
Penny