random thursday

i've got so many random things to say...
lots and lots of random things to say...
but, i'll keep this short.

i have been cleaning, cleaning, cleaning for 2 days.
was my house a mess?
yes!
since Hubs left we've i've done all i can to keep the house in order.
i've failed.
miserably.
but, it's back on track now.
thank you alisha for watching my monkeys while i cleaned like a crazy woman.

this morning the bathrooms still needed to be cleaned.
this is, by far, my least favorite chore in the whole world.
i loathe cleaning toilets.
yuck!
but, bright and early me and mr bleach got to work.
and messed up a comfy pair of black lounge pants.
not cool.
this is why i have a love/hate relationship with bleach.
it cleans great.
it stains ruins clothes wonderfully.

kitchen clean.
bathrooms cleaned.
did i mention there are three.
that was the one thing that stuck out like a sore thumb when we found out the army had blessed us with a two story house.....it has THREE TOILETS.
living room clean.
dining room clean.
foyer clean.
the bedrooms?
well, i'll leave those for the kiddos!

so, this is the best part of my random thursday.
while i was cleaning this house i decided that it might be a good idea to clean out the diaper bag too.
i have no idea why i thought this....
but, i did it anyway.
i found a picture that my cousin found of me while she was cleaning at my grandma and grandpa's house.
wanna see???

i remember this day.
picture it.
it was a beautiful spring, maybe autumn, day in 1996.
did you get that?
1996!!!!
that was a stinkin' LOOOOOONG time ago.
ok, back to what i was sayin'.
it was a beautiful day to take cheer photos.
my hair was exceptionally large that day, as you can see,
after i put on my cheer uniform (blue bicycle shorts, culottes, and top...gotta love private school cheer uniforms!!!) i stood in the girls' bathroom, in front of a full-length mirror pulling the front part back into a little clippie.
it took so many tries to get it just right.
my arms hurt so badly after holding them up there for so long trying to get my huge hair to look perfect.
that could be why my arms look so great in this photo...
i'm so tiny here too.
if only i could look like that after having four kiddos.
hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!
never say never though, right???

so, that's it.
that's my random for the day.
it wasn't so random now that i think about it.
i stayed pretty on track of what i've done for the last two days.

did i mention i miss my hubs???
miss him terribly!
we've talked a few times though.
it's always great to hear his voice!
now, if only i could figure out how to reach through the phone and give him a smooch....

dear lexus,

does everything that can go wrong on this vehicle go wrong all at once?
is the life span of the LX470 a mere 11 years?
how about that check engine light?
can it get any brighter?
O2 sensor needs replacing?
huh?
acceloration is only a sporatic action at 100,000+ miles?
idoling?
check.
driving?
not happenin'.
driver door lock?
broken.
oil change?
needed.
tune-up?
needed.
spare tire unlocking doo-hicky?
broken.
timing belt?
nearing it's last "tick".


any buyers?
*trying to control my outloud laughter so the kids don't think i'm crazy to be laughing at the computer....ah, they've seen it before...i'll laugh on!!!*


the Hunky Hubs and I will be on the look out for a mini-van when he comes home.
wanna share why yours is your favorite?
don't tell me all the reasons you won't drive one...
ie; you're too cool...
we are so ok with being uncool if it means not unloading from this current truck like it's a clown car!
oh, you don't understand what i mean?
my two big boys climb out of the BACK HATCH!!!!
really?
that's just horrible!
and, well, this family seems to be ever growing.
there's only so many car seats you can fit into an SUV.

(no, i'm not pregnant....yet)

a little sunshine to brighten your day

the sun is finally starting to poke his little head out...
it's about time!
until he's out in full force i thought i'd go on a hunt for the next best thing to vitamin d...
retail therapy.
{that was for you Hubs. no, i didn't buy any of this wonderfully, sunshine-y goodness. relax.}

awjewelrydesigns


creativekismet


slidesideways


lakenandlila-McKinley MUST have this dress for the spring!!!


lauratrevey-one day i'm going to sit in this paradise with the Hunky Hubs!!!

what are some of your favorite finds on etsy these days??

what have i been doing this week??

a little bit of this...


and this...


a teeny bit of this...


annnnd this...


it's been a busy week!

********************
today was a beautiful day.
well, it didn't start out so beautiful...
jett got out of bed before anyone else.
he ventured downstairs to the fridge.
to the dinosaur eggs.
{aka the chicken eggs in my fridge}
woops!
he dropped one on the floor.
and left it for me to clean up.
YAY!
after that it was a cleaning day/birthday-party-at-a-friends-house day/work-on-unfinished-weekly-tasks day/enjoy-the-beginning-of-what-looks-like-spring day.












ooomph...it popped!
in jonah's eye.
ouch!




i'm the king of the world!!
or, at least my play place...


peek-a-boo, i see you!


what did you do today??

February 29, 2008

that's what day my camera says i took this shot.
was that a leap year?
i don't know.
and i'm not going to go google it.
ok, i will.
be back in a sec...
yes. it was a leap year.
2008
moving on.

i accepted the challenge to go into my folders and find a {february} photo from years past and tell a story.


goodness, i didn't think it would be this hard to remember only two years ago.
i think, if my aging mind serves me correctly, that this was after a recent trip to chuck e. cheese...
that place that the kiddos love to go and the parents loathe...
you know the one.
we ALWAYS get a bag of cotton candy before leaving.
well, i guess it has its upside...
and maybe i could change loathe to strongly dislike.
they do have cotton candy, afterall.

i snapped this photo of what i'm thinking is jake trying to be sweet to jett to get more candy candy and jett decides its safest to just shove it all in his mouth at once.
and hold tightly to what is in the other hand.
i could be wrong.
but, it looks like a very likely scenario.

might i also add that jake turned six the day before this photo.
SIX!
so, if this was photo was two years ago, he'll be eight way too soon.
EIGHT!
where the heck does time go?
huh?
take warning young mommas.
your children WILL grow up right before your eyes and MUCH too fast.
enjoy it!
go give them a great big hug now.
you can thank me later.

if you would like to participate in this assignment click here.

overheard in our home...

these are a few of the silly, and odd, things that you would have been able to overhear in our home over the last few days.

me: Jett, don't kick Mommy, be gentle.
Jett: i don't want to be turtle.

another day.

me: Jonah, what is your middle name?
Jonah: Bonah!
HA!!
poor thing will forever think his middle name is Bonah.
for the record, it's NOT!
well, his middle name is not NOT...
oh, nevermind.


another day.

Jake: go put that fish back in the fish tank.
Jett: no!
Jake: GO. PUT. IT. BACK.
Jett: no! ever!
Jake, while chasing Jett up the stairs: NO!! don't squeeze him {the fish}.

don't you want to come live with us???
:o)

...love

today is a day for lovers.
a day to spend with the one you love.
or think about them so much it hurts...

even though Hubs is halfway across the world he still somehow managed to surprise me.
first, with these...






then, the next day with these...






happy valentine's day Hubs!

love,
your girls

happy valentine's day

i'm such a great wife...
look what i made for my Hubs...
(Hubs, look away NOW!)



look at me gettin' all domestic.

(rice krispie treat drizzled with white chocolate then sprinkled with red sugar)

We Are The World 25

wow.
this video comes at such an amazing time.
in this day.
in my life.
in our country.
in our world.

i urge you to watch.
be touched.
be moved.
cry.
think.
it's truly amazing.



this We Are The World 25 video comes some 25 years after the late Michael Jackson and (still living) Lionel Richie wrote the original song.
this new video features artists of every genre, race, background....
i recognized a few
Lionel Richie
Kanye West
Snoop Dog
Randy Jackson
Celine Dion
Miley Cyrus
Pink
Barbra Striesand
Janet Jackson
Fergie
Josh Groben
Katherine McPhee
Jennifer Hudson
there are so many more...
i'm listening to it as i write this and i'm really in tears...
moved by the voices,
the words,
the accents,
the differences that each of these artists represent.

there have been mixed reviews about the remake of this song/video.
i think it's beautiful from beginning to end!!!
every word.

"we are all a part of God's great big family"

the view from here...

the drive to target the other night was beautiful.
i couldn't help but look at those clouds and feel God with me.

i know this post is short and sweet...
again, bare with me.
please.
i'm getting used to my new normal.

Colts vs. Saints

do you care who wins?
i don't.
do i care that there is a function for this event that allows me to get out of the house for a few hours and fellowship with other adults?
heck yeah!
i am SO there!
and, best part?
i have a great friend who is watching ALL of my kiddos so i can go.
that thoughtfulness and generosity warms my heart.
thank you aleshia!

may i mention that she is also an army wife?
a strong army wife.
who's hubs is also deployed with mine.
i'm not sure what my expectations were for this deployment.
did i expect to have a church family that has literally wrapped their arms around us to let us know they will be there?
did i expect to make some surely lasting friendships with a bunch of amazing women?
did i expect that, even though this is a tough, tough season of my life that i would be chugging along like the little engine that could?
i keep telling myself, "i think i can, i think i can."
none of the above.
but, it's all happening.
did *I* EXPECT?
no.
but, *God* KNEW.
He knew that i would be ok.
and {right now} i am.

are you having a happy sunday?
well, then, go!
go have a happy sunday!
this is the day that the Lord has made.
be glad in it!

{i love you Hubs!!! be safe!}

one little word.

i chose...
know.

be still and know that i am God. (psalms 46:10)

wanna see my everyday reminder?


it started as this...

and with a lot of inspiration and a super tutorial from Julie i made this...

i am lacking a staple gun.
Hubs told me we don't have one.
i just might go buy one soon so i can give this great, new piece of art of mine a more finished look.
but, in the meantime, i love it.
it's already hanging on the wall above my desk.

liquid, fragile, or potentially hazardous?

my week has been weird.
i'm going through it just kinda going through the motions.
it's been good though.
i don't want Hubs to read this and think i'm falling into some sort of depression.
i'm not.
the kiddos have done great.
they go to bed when told.
they have eaten every meal i've cooked.
without complaining.
they have bathed and brushed their teeth when told.
it's been great.
have tears been shed?
yes.
but, once prayers are said all is well in their little hearts.
until tomorrow.
then we say more prayers.

what have we done all week?

monday was D-Day. (deployment day)
the kids went to school and i sat around feeling feeling sorry for myself.
all day.
it's allowed in this situation...
i say so.
all the kiddos came home from school and it was just as it normally would be...
just without daddy.


tuesday wasn't any more exciting than monday.


wednesday was the first day of a near breakdown.
the first part of the day went well.
i sewed a bunch of tees.
i got the kids off the school bus.
we headed to the post office.
this is where it got bad.
ever been somewhere and seen BAD kids and thought to yourself "why is that mommy not paying attention to those kids and disciplining them?"
you know you have.
you may have had worse thoughts than that.
like what everyone behind me at the post office was probably thinking...
"why isn't that lady keeping an eye on her kids and why are they running all over the post office?"
well, they were great UNTIL it was my turn and my attention was then diverted to the postman taking my packages.
i had to deal with whether or not my packages were liquid, fragile, or potentially hazardous and if i would like insurance or delivery confirmation...
(i've been to the post office once or twice. can you tell?)
while i was dealing with him my kids were in every corner of the building.
it was a nightmare.
i could feel my face turning bright red.
i started to sweat.
i could feel the eyes of each of the 20 customers that were patiently waiting behind me burning into the back of my head.
i didn't want to turn around.
i wanted to let them all know that i was there by myself with unruly children in tow because the Hubs is deployed.
far away.
protecting them.
surely they would feel sorry for me and understand.
or not...but in my mind, at that moment, it sounded like a great excuse.
i wanted to run out of there and never go back.
nuts!
but, i will go back.
i will overcome this.
and i will surely overcome any other embaressing situation my children put me in.
i can be a single married mommy and get through each day.
i can.
i will.

after the post office we went straight to church.
well, he had chick-fil-a first.
then we went to church.
i needed it.
i needed to be preached to.
i needed to hear the prayer requests of others.
i needed to be told that i will NOT go at this alone.

thursday was a day filled with the company of a friend.
megan came over and sat with me all day.
all day.
it was so nice to have adult conversation.
we talked about the new season of army wives,
stinky sneakers,
trying to make babies,
having babies,
the new season of army wives,
wine,
the army,
girl stuff...
it was good conversation.


friday, today, was a good day too.
i didn't do anything.
well, i did the regular mommy stuff.
put the big boys on the school bus,
took jett to school,
went to buy diapers and pull-ups and wipes and all that baby/kid stuff,
took the trash cans to the road,
cleaned the livingroom...
it was a normal day.
except for the absence of the Hubs.
i miss you, Babe!

potty mouth

is stupid a bad word in your house?
it is in ours.
it's right up there with the other "S" word.

i'm listening to Jett in the other room call every animal stupid.
keep in mind he LOVES animals.
"stupid elephant."
"stupid doggie."
"stupid octopus."

and then he'll say, "shh...we don't say stupid it's not nice."
is he making fun of me there???

it's either a really fun word to say,
or, he has no idea what he's talking about.
maybe a little of both....

hard to believe such an ugly word is coming out of this sweet face...