I guess we're due...

We've had a very healthy winter.

And I've been so grateful for that.

But I guess we were due...

Tess got sick last Wednesday. She seemed better by Saturday.

Then Sunday night her fever came back...and her sore throat.

Sully's fever hit Sunday evening. It was high...103.8 at one point.

Very sore throat and headache.

They are pretty good as long as there is a steady drip of motrin & tylenol in their systems.

I'm pretty sure it would be impossible...but I am

REALLY hoping the baby can get through this unscathed.

Spring oh Spring where art thou?!

Thank you to my friend.

I've got to tell this little story.

I have to tell it so I don't forget, so that I can say thank you, and so I can praise God for His love...and for sending angels.

(Feel free to listen to or hum 'Angels Among Us' by Alabama as you read)

It was Friday night and it felt LATE. In reality it was only like 6 pm.

Tess was still sick, Torrance was being kind of fussy, Sullivan was being WILD, Avery was bored and Lauren was at my mom's for the night. Jordan and I were both just tired.

Then there was a knock at the door. I answered it and there was a friend. A friend with a girl in Lauren's grade. A friend who helps at the school.

She proceeded to hand me a bag full of wonderful homemade goodies and 2 letters.

Then she told me about my Lauren. She told me a story of Lauren's heart. A story about Lauren's patience and her goodness. About her soft spirit and her kindness. About how Lauren had touched the heart of a special student and in doing so had touched my friend's heart.

I was in tears. Welling with thankfulness for my girl, my friend and my good fortune at having been so blessed.

My friend, you didn't have to stop, you didnt have to bake, you didnt have to write the sweet words you wrote to both Lauren and myself.

But you did. You took the time.

And you were an angel to me on a cold Friday night.

Reminding me that I am not failing as a mother and that I have a heavenly Father who watches out for me and knows when I need a lift.

So yeah, 'I believe there are angels among us...sent down to us from somewhere up above...they come to you and me in our darkest hour...to show us how to live, to teach us how to give...and guide us with a light of love.' (love me some Alabama)

Thank you for your friendship.

(and on a side note...the chocolate cookies you brought were not nice...they were just plain mean...but oh so yummy!)

stolen...

I'm going to be taping this to my bathroom mirror...

“Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This day is all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on yesterdays.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

strange but true

* I accomplish much more on days that things are CRAZY than I do on low key days. What does this say about me?

* Torrance has taken two 4-hour naps today. She's been asleep a lot more than she's been awake. I think she is fighting some sickness too.

* I really enjoy helping Lauren with multiplication. I did not enjoy helping her with addition and subtraction.

* Sullivan went with me to take the little girls to the dr. today. I actually told him at one point if he didn't stop talking I was going to lock him in the little cupboard under the sink in the exam room. SERIOUSLY KID!

* Of all my kids, Avery requires the most help finding something to do. She detests playing without a sibling. And I'm pretty sure she got this from me. And I hope she has a husband that will understand that in her when she is older like mine has learned to understand in me!

* My husband recently admitted to me that he does not like my cooking. And I honestly didn't care. I never professed to be a chef. And he doesn't appear to be starving so I think we're ok.

* The hardest part about being a SAHM to me is that I no longer get to shop or run errands on my own. I miss leisurely shopping at Target and I truly couldn't tell you the last time I was in a mall. Thank goodness for online shopping.

* There are fewer things I love more right now than driving in my car...alone!

* I've had a large frame hanging empty on my living room wall for 2 years. Today I finally filled it. I am extremely proud of this. And rather embarrassed.

* I've had this 'little black dress' hanging in my closet for a few years. And I've been hoping to wear it to my brother's wedding this Spring. I tried it on tonight and I think I'm going to make it! pretty pumped about that. Made my day.

* And lastly. Because you cannot make this stuff up...I went to the Dollar Store tonight to get some Pedialyte for Tess. I walked in and said, "Do you carry Pedialyte?" The clerk looked quite confused and said, "I dont believe we carry that kind of alcohol."

HUH!?! And that made my WEEK.

good night!

poor poor baby

Even those with boundless energy can meet their limits.

This is Tess this morning with a temp of 103 and a very sore throat.

Trip to the dr. revealed nothing but 'possible influenza'.

Feel better sweetie.

4 months to the day

Charlee and Tori are 4 months to the day apart in age.

4 months.

So how is it that my peanut looks like a GIANT next to her?

And, no surprise, this picture has me really depressed.

Seriously is it even possible to grow that much in 4 months?

Charlette Louise

I took the little girls to visit 'Charlee Lou' (as I will call her).

We have this same pose only with Jason and Jordan holding their boys...so special.

And Charlee Lou is just the sweetest. She looks like an angel.

There is something about holding your best friend of 20 years' baby that gets a person worked up. Especially if that person is me.

Mel and I have seen each other through the absolute best and the absolute worst of life.

And now we can add 'raising daughters' to the list.

wordless wednesday...nap time edition

Its a good thing its Wordless Wednesday 'cause there are simply no words to describe how much I love this little girl who fell asleep with her socks on her hands.

Missed Photo Op!!!!

We met some friends at the library today and were surprised when this guy walked in!

We see him everyday on IPTV kids and my kids think he is hilarious.

He spent quite a bit of time talking with the kids and they all loved it.

You could tell they were kind of in awe of meeting a 'celebrity'!

And I was SO mad that my camera was not in the diaper bag!!!!!!

4 months old!

It's a new day!

And someone turned 4 months old!

And apparently didn't want her picture taken!

She really just loves this toy and didn't want me to take it away.

And check out her new blanket. So soft and sweet.

We have been so spoiled by all the wonderful gifts that Torrance has received.

At 4 months she is really just a lot of fun.

Very smiley and easy going.

She is on a great schedule.

We just love her.

And she is mostly excited because we are anxiously awaiting the news from the Kirkpatrick's if they are bringing a new girl or a new boy friend into the world for Torrance today!

Sullivan says if its a girl she will be Tori's friend and if its a boy it will be his.

cute.

Monday, Monday, Monday

Its icky outside. Snowy/Sleety

The kids are at school because today was a snow make up day.

Jordan is home from his trip to Tennessee last week...thank goodness. But he is at work today...and I wish he were home.

I haven't done laundry in over a week. I normally do laundry every single day. Its not good. I cant even get to the washing machine at this point.

Sullivan wants to play 'floam' and Tess wants to play with playdough. I forbid both in my house. However, they got it from sunday school. And it makes it hard for me to say no when they are standing in front of me with sad little eyes asking to play...

I think today would be a great day for a nap.

I will be back when I have something more positive to share!

Psalm Encouragement

Psalm 1:1-2

'Blessed is the one

who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

or sit in the company of mockers,

but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and

who meditates on his law day and night.'

Ok, so meditate on His word.

Meditate.

I'm doing so much better on this front the past couple weeks.

And I have a secret I'd like to share...wow, does it help!

Psalm 32:8

'I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel (guide) you with my loving eye on you.'

That verse makes me feel like a daughter of a King today.

He's watching me, loving me, guiding me.

And here's another secret...verses like that make the meditating part a lot easier.

We all love to read about being loved!

Say what?!

It's 'give that picture a caption' day!

And when did they become teenagers?

Rainbow Brite

Some weeks all I've got is words...

Other weeks (lucky for you) all I've got is pictures...

This week its pictures.

Oh sweet sweet baby.

I can't get enough.

Just look at that face!

And those eyes!

And those sweet little lips and nose!

Even cute in the 'extreme close-up'.

Whoopee cushion

Is it any wonder that Sullivan loves his uncles?

Uncle Jordan got him a whoopee cushion for his birthday.

It was a huge hit!

Just look at his face...oh little boys!

Sullivan

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

This one is.

This picture IS Sullivan.

I love the excitement in his eyes and smile.

I love that his smile is awful...I know someday I'll miss it.

I love that I can tell in this picture he could hardly sit still because

he was so excited for his party to start.

I love that he is always 'ON'.

I love that he lights up a room.

I love that he is loud.

I love you Sullivan!

Oh Miss Contessa!

I said, 'Everyone look at the baby'...she just grinned.

I love that girl.

Nothing says 'I love you' like watching your husband and your baby - so in love.

Happy Valentine's Day Jordan.

On this day I know you are way more than I deserve.

Thank you for being the perfect husband for me and the best dad I could have ever imagined.

I love you!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

All cute in red & pink!

I have never, and will never, understand people who don't like Valentine's Day!

I get my 'hopeless romantic' gene from my dad!

I know its commercialized and all that - well welcome to life in America people...do you remember Christmas?

So anyway, its Valentine's Day...take time to tell someone close to you that you love them.

Eat some sweet desserts together and watch a sappy movie.

Cuddle and kiss.

And thank God that your life is filled with people to love.

I know I will...

Sullivan at five.

At 5, Sully is such a mixture of joy and rage! :)

I thought girls were supposed to be dramatic?

Sully is very high...and very low.

He is laughing one second...bawling the next.

At five he is so ready for school. I thought I would be nervous about him entering kindergarten but I have no worries now except for my own heart.

Sullivan loves puzzles and games, stories and coloring.

He enjoys batman and race cars, running and jumping, hiding and seeking.

He excels at math. Loving to work on 'his pluses' (addition). He is amazing with it and honestly, I'm pretty sure he already surpasses my math ability. He causes us to drop our jaws on an almost daily basis with this skill. It is awesome. And so very fun to watch.

He is a really good eater. And the messiest I've ever seen. I think I will have to go to the school every day next year to wipe him up after lunch. I feel so bad for his teacher.

He is my best sleeper. Always has been.

He's a great snuggler when he's not too busy.

He loves to wear shirts that high light his favorite teams - the Bears, Cubs and Cyclones.

He loves to torment his uncles by wearing Cyclone gear.

He loves his uncles. He loves having guy time.

He loves his dad. They are close and I cannot wait to watch them as time goes on.

He is protective of his little sisters and his mom. I love that.

He picks on his big sisters and torments them to no end. I do not love that.

He loves to bake and play games with me whenever he has the chance.

He loves preschool and telling me all about his friends.

He loves Jesus and telling his friends all about how Jesus died for them.

He loves hard and I am sure his heart will be broken at some point in his life because of this...The best way to describe Sully is intense.

He loves hard, laughs hard, cries hard, plays hard and lives hard.

And never has a mommy been more in love!

Happy 5th Birthday, Sullivan Joseph!

Five.

He's FIVE!

Just writing that and looking in these blue eyes of his has me in tears.

I remember forbiding this.

Several times.

But somehow he went ahead and turned the big FIVE.

Five is a big birthday. Its like a big line they cross and become 'big'. Both in their eyes and in mine.

Its fun. And I hate it.

Like normal.

Sully you are my boy. You are the twinkle in my eye.

You are my answer to prayer. You are my joy.

Often you are my gray hairs, my wrinkles, my tears and my high blood pressure.

I love you for stretching me and for forcing me to give a little more when I think there is nothing left to give.

I prayed for you for the longest time before I even knew your name.

I imagined you before I knew what your blue blue eyes would look like.

And I heard you in my dreams before I ever heard your boisterous laugh.

You make me wnat to get out of bed every morning and you make me want to drop into bed every night.

I thank you for teaching me what having a son means.

I love you for being the only boy in this wild house of girls.

I pray for you as you grow up surrounded by your bossy sisters.

You are our Sullivan Joseph and we are so thankful.

All our love Sully on your fifth birthday...

all. our. love.

1:15 a.m.

Yesterday we were telling Sully about when he was born and that he was born in the middle of the night at 1:15.

So he has been obsessed with this ever since.

He tells everyone he was born in the middle of the night and that in the middle of the night tonight he will be 5. We went to visit Jordan at work today and he told every person he came in contact with all about it. It was fun to watch people's faces as they listened to him. I say this all the time but he really brings joy with him wherever he goes with his exuberant personality!

He wants us to get him up at the time he was born and start the party.

He is going to be so disappointed when I wake him up at the normal time tomorrow morning! :)

And on a very positive and happy note...

I just realized:

Its 4:55...and its still bright outside!

Darkness - good-bye!

Rescued

I've been feeling down. I think its a combination of the time of year, being a stay at home mom in the dead of winter and some lingering post-baby 'stuff'.

I have really high highs and really low lows. Somedays I am bawling cause I'm the luckiest woman in the world and the next I'm bawling because I am so overwhelmed.

I finally admitted to myself that I am 'off' last week.

Admitted that I've probably never really felt like this before.

When I say it out loud - or type it out loud - it sounds so dumb.

So I haven't said anything.

This really isn't me. I really do not get like this.

But then I started talking about it a little and turns out - I'm normal!

huh! Who would have thought?

And since I like to keep it 'real' on here.

I'm putting it out here.

I've been down.

There, I said it.

Then I had the little light bulb go on in my head...

And I thought hmm, how have my devotions been the past month?

uh, nonexistent?

So this week I got back into it. And it was like everything I was reading was written exactly for me.

Exactly when I needed.

And suddenly friends were sharing verses and stories with me that were

exactly what I needed and timed perfectly for me.

You see, God knows.

He knew a long time ago that I would get like this.

He knew my weaknesses could overtake me and leave me in a dark place for the enemy to attack.

But God was ready. Calling me back, just like he always does.

He must surely get tired of having to call me back. But He never seems to.

He's always ready to remind me that circumstances are always going to change.

But He is constant...all I have to do is focus on Him.

I have to relearn that frequently!

And He knows He's the answer.

So below I've listed some of the verses that He has led me to already in this week.

The verses He purposefully placed in my Inbox, my friends' hearts and my devotional books.

I have no doubt that He planted them there for such a time as this.

And somehow that makes me feel so little and so big at the same time.

He's not just some ghost like being.

He's real. living. working. reigning.

I typed in the word rescue into a bible site's search engine and was given this verse:

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

My sister-in-law gave me a devotional book last year that I had neglected.

I opened it back up on Tuesday night and I read two days worth. It was perfect.

The book is set up to feel like Jesus is talking to you and then there is scripture to back up what is written.

Here is a snippet from both days...

'I am with you and for you. You face nothing alone - nothing! When you feel anxious, know that you are focusing on the visible world and leaving Me out of the picture. The remedy is to Fix your eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen.'

'Bring Me your weakness, and receive My peace. Accept yourself and your circumstances just as they are, remembering that I am sovereign over everything. Do not wear yourself out with analyzing and planning. Instead, let thankfulness and trust be your guides through this day; they will keep you close to Me.

Here is the scripture that corresponds. SO powerful

Romans 8:31, II Cor. 4:18, Psalm 29:11 and 13:5, Numbers 6:22-26

And from my Inbox.

The reminder that my focus should be on Jesus, not my sin (inadequacies). And that His word has the answers and will draw me back.

Hebrews 4:12 'For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword. It penetrates even to diving soul and spirit, joint and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

So, I've been down.

Nothing too big - mostly annoying.

But I feel like I'm on the road to the upswing.

And all it will take is admitting I'm helpless without Him.

Every.

Single.

Day.

And needing Him like that...acknowledging it...makes me feel Rescued.

Ronnie and Nancy

I'm loving all these specials on Reagan to commemorate his would have been 100th birthday.

Gotta say...I am so in love with that couple.

Nothing could be sweeter.

Love them.

Preciousness.

Cabin Fever

I think for the first time in my life I have a real understanding of what Cabin Fever/Spring Fever feels like.

I NEED Spring. NEED.

And its like negative degrees here again so I'm thinking we might still be a ways off.

Monday

* awesome, wonderful, unbelievable weekend with my husband. The older I get - the more I need these weekends with him and the older I get the HARDER it is for me to be away from the kids.

*Rosanna and Isaiah are amazing. They kids had a ball. The house was clean. Sticker charts were started. Verses were posted all around my house. They are such a sweet ministry to my family. We love them.

* Our moms are pretty great too! They shared Torrance for the weekend. They all had lots of fun! Somehow they allowed her to grow so much that I had to get out the 3-6 month clothes today. I'm not sure they will be allowed to keep her again. :)

*Torrance is reaching out for toys now which is so fun and cute. And she's got that thumb sucking thing DOWN! Its still adorable.

* This week we have a very important birthday in our house this week. We are gearing up for it. And I cant seem to stop kissing my birthday boy who is so excited to finally be turning 5! (choke).

* So its Monday, Im grateful, happy, busy and excited for the things to come this week and very ready for spring. Oh, and I love my husband. Lots.

* 29 aint that bad.

Birthday!!!

Today is my birthday.

And nothing says Happy Birthday like taking your 2 year old to the dr. for stitches cause you dropped her on the floor in the library bathroom while you were trying to be silly with her after changing her diaper.

Nothing.

Besides that rather traumatic incident that thankfully ended with glue - not stitches - I had a wonderful day!

I heard from so many friends and family, had lunch with Mandy and the kids and have some R&R on tap with my husband this weekend.

I have amazing friends and family - simply amazing. I feel so loved.

And I really do love my birthday!

Oh Glorious Day!

I grew up singing this song in church...and watching my dad lead it in our Sunday evening worship services.

I love it. and I was so excited that Casting Crowns got hold of it.

And just look outside today...God's power is so evident. We are so very small. He is so very big. And yet...'He took the nails for me.'

Living He loved me

Dying He saved me

Buried He carried my sins far away

Rising He justified, freely forever.

One day He's coming...oh Glorious Day!

The Office

So Sully finds The Office highly entertaining and hilarious.

Dwight is his favorite character. He sees Dwight's face and he starts laughing.

And watching him crack up makes me crack up...

And yes its not always the most appropriate show...we do monitor the parts he sees.

Guess what?

So it snowed today.

And you know what else...?

Its gonna snow more tomorrow.

I hear we are in the blizzard of all all blizzards. Like the worst the country has ever seen.

But we live in Iowa so I'm not sure that really means much.

Foot after foot of snow is still foot after foot of snow!

No school today. None tomorrow.

Daddy had to walk to work.

I think he secretly love getting all bundled up and trouncing through the snow drifts!

We went to the library later in the morning figuring we wouldn't get out again till Thursday.

When we got home...

Sully spent his time doing this - legos - all day.

And the girls did this...dollhouse - all day.

Why do they keep the dollhouse bedroom so neat when theirs is so messy?! :)

This afternoon we went to my mom's for her famous 'snowday donuts'.

YUM!

Now we are snuggled in for the night...

Happy Blizzard 2011!