The Well Rounded Mama

Weekend Recap...

A really good weekend.  We worked all day Friday, and even though I can't say it was fun, it DID feel good to be really productive.  Our house had a lot of work to get done to get ready for the boys to return tomorrow.  We finished putting away Christmas, finished up washing all their bedding, and then Jason steam cleaned the whole house (including our private home). 

On Saturday we drove down to Hutchinson Island (about 2.5 hours from here) and hung out with Jen at her parents house.  It was a GORGEOUS day...85 degrees and sunny!  We went to the beach where Alaina monopolized all of Adam's time building animals in the sand.  We then rinsed off and went to the pool so Levi the fish could swim (he isn't too excited about the beach).  Then Jen was sweet and took some family pictures of us.  Then a quick dinner and back on the road.  It was good to get out for the day!

Our little antagonist :)

Yesterday was church and then a relaxing afternoon.  I spent a few hours with a friend talking and taking some maternity photos.  She is 36 weeks and anxiously awaiting the arrival of her first baby.   I had never taken any maternity shots so it was fun.  I made a few lighting mistakes but I also managed to get a few that I loved (and I hope she does too!)

Jason took Alaina and Caleb out for a Pirate Dinner show so I had the evening with just Levi...we hung out and then I got to spend some time editing photos and just enjoying QUIET.

Today is another work day (we have to work three days out of the two weeks).  I am hoping to finish up a few projects around the cottage, get all the boys' beds remade, etc.

No plans for tonight (I just now realized it was New Year's Eve -- LOL!) Maybe Jason and I will have a little date at home after the kids go to bed.  No partying hard here!

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I hope you had a great weekend!

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ETA:  I have now turned on the feature for moderating comments.  I got a few not-so-nice comments with inappropriate language (from the same person) so I now have to approve comments before they are posted.  So if you comment and don't see it right away, don't worry.  Once I approve it it will go up.  In the 2.5 years I have had this blog I have NEVER had any problems so I am hoping it was a one-time thing.  But I'll keep moderating for a bit and see if the pest goes away :)

 

It's hard to believe...

...that the year is almost over.  So much happens in a year.  So much changes.  So much to remember. A year ago right now we were in Michigan, getting ready to go back to Nebraska to move into yet another new place.  I was just about to experience six months of not working. 

Over the course of the year so much happened -- the kids all got older, Caleb finally started talking, I switched stores for my business, we were asked to consider a move to China to start a new boarding program, we traveled to Colorado, to Michigan, and then to Florida.  I was named a finalist for Creating Keepsakes Scrapbooker of the Year award. We started new jobs.  We found out we were expecting baby number four. We have spent lots of time at Disney :)  We've done SO much.  The year seems so full!

Our digi dare for this week was to scrap the best moment of 2007. As I thought about it, I realized there was no way that one moment, one event, could stand up against all the rest as the best. There were big moments, of course, but no one single event could be hailed as the best.

What I realized, though, is that something huge happened in 2007.  I learned what contentment and fulfillment felt like.  I learned how to enjoy the present.  I learned that dreams are wonderful as long as they don't make me miss what is going on NOW.  I learned what it felt like to love life.

So what was your best moment in 2007?

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I hope that you have a great Friday (and weekend!)  We work again today so we are hoping to finish up lots of stuff around the cottage.  Tomorrow we are heading to the beach to hang out with JEN CAPUTO and her family.  Jen and I first met a little over a year ago and then met up again at CHA in Chicago last July.  We have so much fun together.  I am excited for her to meet my whole family!

Have a great day!

{CHANGE}

Our pastor at church has been encouraging us to pray about a word for 2008.  He wants us to pray that God will speak to us and give us a word that will mean something to us in the coming year.  As I have been praying about it, the word that keeps coming to mind is

{CHANGE}

Now if you know me, you know I love change.  I always love new things, new places, new experiences. Change doesn't usually scare me like it does other people.  Move overseas with a newborn?  No problem!  Done that three times!  Move houses every summer?  No big deal...done that every year we have been married.  Change jobs?  Ah, done that too. No, change doesn't usually scare me.

However, as my heart hears the word {CHANGE} I feel like it is a different kind of change God is speaking to me.  It may not be the BIG things like I have done in the past.  Of course there WILL be big change (like the baby coming!) but I think God is speaking to me about other kinds of change.  Change in ways I can't imagine right now.  Changes in my heart.  Changes in my life.  Changes that will surprise me. Changes that a year from now will make me think how little I knew about life just twelve months ago.

I'm excited.  I still love change.  I even love hard change.  I am excited to see how God wants to work in my heart and life.  I am ready for the surprises and the not-so-surprises. It's going to be an exciting and fulfilling year. I can feel it.

So, do you have a word for this coming year?  Are you ready to embrace what comes your way?  Are you ready to see big (and little!) things happen? 

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And speaking of change, there are lots going on around here!   We drove home with a van full of furniture for our bedroom yesterday.  In eight years of marriage this is the first time we have OWNED our own bed. We are usually in housing that is provided for us (and so is most of our furniture).  But we decided that it was time for us to make a little haven of our own.  With {almost} four little ones, we need a place that is ours.  We have a long way to go, but we are on the way.

We also switched bedrooms with the kids last week so we are still in the process of settling all that.  Christmas needs to be put away.  Carpets need to be steam cleaned. Life needs to be reorganized.  Little changes that will make a BIG difference.

Today is officially a work day (as in I am am required to be working today) so I have a list of things to do for our cottage.  All the boys bedding needs to be washed.  Furniture needs to be rearranged.  Deep cleaning needs to be done. Lots to get ready as we await their return next week. 

So I am off -- fifteen minutes until "work" starts.  I hope that you have a great day today.

So out of 450 pictures...

How many do you want to see??  LOL!

Our "Christmas" was good...extremely busy, but good.  It feels good right now, though, to know that just as 99% of people are gearing up and running around like crazy, we are all done!  And, I am excited that now that the present/stocking/food part is done that we can concentrate on the real Reason for the season.  We have a candlelight church service tonight which should be gorgeous! We'll get up in the morning and do the Christmas story with the kids.  Then we may go deliver food for Meals on Wheels.  Good times.

Since I took sooooo many pictures, I'll just share a few.  We opened stockings and gifts in the morning and then in the evening we went to the VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS party at the Magic Kingdom.  We had the kids take naps late in the afternoon since they would be up WAY past their bedtime and they did so well we ended up staying the WHOLE time -- until MIDNIGHT!  I couldn't believe it (me, being the 7:30 bedtime, very few exceptions lady :)

Anyway, on to the pictures...

Levi helping himself to the popcorn tin :)

Out of about 20 pictures of the kids, this is the best one...oh well, I guess it is better that it is true to life rather than cheesy and fake :)

Alaina has a small obsession with taking pictures with my belly.  Probably reminiscing about a photo shoot we did a week or two before I had Levi.

Caleb with his Pat Pat Rocket...he LOVES this thing!

There are a ton more pictures from opening gifts, but you get the idea :)  And just to keep you informed, the kids favorite gifts:

Alaina -- Her Digital Artist Studio and her digital camera.  Makes a mama proud :)
Caleb -- His pat pat Rocket and his Smart Cycle.
Levi -- His Radio Flyer Inch Worm and a green punching balloon that grandma gave him :)

And on to the party at the Magic Kingdom...

One of Alaina's favorite parts of the party was the dance party.  She couldn't stay away from the music!

And Levi, the little ladies man that he is, loved the dance party too :)

The castle was absolutely GORGEOUS with the lights...all decked out like icicles.

And then we went to the fireworks show.  It was fantastic, of course, but my favorite part was all the different colors of the castle!

After fireworks was the parade...

 

After the parade Levi was letting his tiredness catch up with him....

And then the highlight of the evening...at least for Alaina.  We rode Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride and from way up in the air I spotted Aladdin and Jasmine. So, we decided to wait a few minutes to get a picture with them (we've never run into them before).  While we were waiting, they left!  However, the worker said that if we waited a few minutes the Genie and Abu would be coming.  A few minutes turned into a lot of minutes, but we finally got to see them.  Apparently they don't come out much so it was a treat to get to meet them.  After meeting them and getting pictures we left to go meet up with everyone else at another ride.  As we were leaving the worker ran up to us and told us that if we would wait ten minutes, Abu would like to ride the carpet ride with Alaina!  She was so excited and they all had a blast!

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The rest of the weekend was pretty laid back and low key (thankfully!)  On Saturday night Jason and I had our first real date in forever.  We went to see Cirque du Soleil ~ La Nouba in Downtown Disney.  It was different than I expected, but still amazing.  Afterwards we went out to dinner and enjoyed some alone time.

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Jason's family leaves this morning and then we have some time just as a family.  It's still almost 80 degrees here so we will most likely spend lots of time playing outside and just enjoying a slower pace.

I've also been creating lots of new templates that will come out in January...so excited to get to work with some of them.   I haven't scrapped in quite a while so hopefully they will get me moving!

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Time to call it a day!  Hope you have a WONDERFUL Christmas Eve!

Not much to say...

I will be brief today just for the fact that I feel like I really have nothing to share (that's a change!) Our boys left yesterday, family comes today, and I am looking forward to a change in schedule for the next two weeks. Little things like being able to wear jammies for a few hours in the morning instead of being up, dressed, and ready at 6:30 in the morning make me happy :)

Can't wait for "Christmas" tomorrow.  I feel so ahead of schedule (for me!) The gifts are all wrapped, the stocking stuff is separated and ready to be stuffed, the turkey is thawing, and the grocery shopping is all done. I picked up a few things last night -- a few things for Levi's stocking and a few last minute things for Jason.  I love giving to the people I love!

Well, time to sign out for the next few days.  I might pop in, you never know, but I make no promises. I haven't spent much time on the computer lately and I miss it -- both scrapping and my business so I am hoping to find time for that soon!

Hope you have a great couple of days!  And if you need a last minute gift idea, my CD album template set is in the DEAL OF THE DAY section at SBG!  I am loving this new little area of the store -- so fun to go through some of my older products!

The time is here...

The holidays are officially upon us.  Our dorm boys leave tonight.  Jason's family all arrives tomorrow.  We are celebrating Christmas on Thursday (which, uh, I guess means tomorrow is Christmas Eve for us...crazy thought!) Thursday night we are going to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom.  THEN...we breath.  Jason's family is here until Monday (the real Christmas Eve) and then we have another week before our boys come back.  We have to work three of those days but they are just a regular 8-4 day so we still have nights off and time to hang out together as a family.  I am actually glad to be getting all the craziness of Christmas done with so then the rest of the break is more relaxing.  Jason and I were laughing the other day that we never actually celebrate Christmas ON Christmas.  It has just been better for us to do it when it was convenient (which with our jobs/life situation isn't necessarily on the 25th).  Last year we did Christmas on the 10th of December!

Anyway, lots to do.  The house is still being put back together from the massive clean and move party this weekend.  I have groceries to buy, presents to wrap, stockings to stuff. I will probably check in tomorrow but my be absent on Thursday and Friday. We'll see!

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Our anniversary yesterday was nice.  There wasn't a whole lot of time to celebrate, but Jason has always been good about making the day special no matter what craziness comes our way.  We ended up having lunch with our kids and then at 1:30, when we had a babysitter, we decided to do some last minute shopping...without the kids.  I can't believe how much faster it is to run into stores without getting three kids in and out of car seats.  No chasing them around the store.  No explanations of WHY they don't need every toy they see.  No trips to the potty.  It was nice and we enjoyed spending some time together.

In the evening a local restaurant came and catered for our whole campus.  We had an amazing steak dinner (and I LOVE steak).  Jason was so sweet and brought me a vase of flowers and a candle to our table in the cafeteria.  Love that man!

The rest of the evening was spent with our boys -- having them take one evening and think about OTHER people.  We had them make cards for their teacher, their relief cottage parent, their case worker, and their parents.  It had never even occurred to them (in the midst of worrying about how many presents they would get) that they should think about GIVING for a bit :)  This is the big stuff of parenting these boys -- helping them learn to move beyond themselves and see the worth and value in others and to see how their actions affect the people they come into contact with.

Alrighty -- I've rambled on enough (I think I am procrastinating on other stuff).  Have a great Tuesday!

Eight years Ago...

This is what I was doing...

And this is what Jason was doing....

Funny how a wedding day is so much different for the bride and the groom.  I was coming off a night with very little sleep and spent the day getting my hair and makeup done, getting dressed, and basically being a nervous wreck!

Jason, on the other hand, spent the morning playing soccer with all his groomsmen and generally having a great time.  His time to get ready?  Oh, probably about ten minutes :)

Actually, it wasn't TOOOO bad.  Since we weren't getting married until 7pm we decided that we would have breakfast together in the morning. It was nice to get to see each other and chat a bit before the craziness began.

And here we are, eight years later, so much changed and yet so much the same.

I was telling Jason the other day that I think that the biggest thing that has changed is our FRIENDSHIP.  When we got married we were young and in love.  We knew that we had similar interests and that we got along.  But over the years he has become my very best friend.  He is the one that I want to go to when I have news to share.  He is the one who I want to watch a movie with.  He is the one I want to talk about the future with.  He is the one who I know I can talk to no matter what else is going on -- no worrying about whether it is a "good time" or whether he is in the "mood" to talk.  Isn't that what a best friend is?  Someone you know will follow you on any crazy whim you have?  The one who just knows you need a cup of coffee and brings it to you?  The one who loves you no matter how much you ramble on?  The one you don't have to wonder if while they are pretending to listen to you they are really just wondering why you put on that outfit?  Well, Jason is all that and so much more.  He truly has become my very best friend.  He is the one who knows me, who loves me, who doesn't judge me, who takes me just as I am and helps me if I want to be more.  I am so very blessed.

It has been a great eight years.  So full of so much. I can't even begin to list what we have gone through -- the good and the bad.  There is no one I would have rather gone through it with.  I can't wait for the rest...

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So excited...our boss heard it was our anniversary and asked if we wanted her to watch the kids so we could go out to lunch.  We haven't been out as just the two of us in SIX MONTHS.  I am almost in tears I am so excited.  Those of you who have lots of friends and family around who watch your kids for you -- be soooo thankful. I can't wait.

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Our weekend was beyond crazy -- I won't even BEGIN to try to explain it.  So crazy it was humorous...one of those times you think that God must need a good chuckle. But the end is in sight and I feel like things have been accomplished, even if they weren't the things on my list.

And BTW, Alaina does NOT have chicken pox!  Turns out she is severely allergic to flea bites.  So yea, the "operation-rid-the-house-of-fleas" is well underway.  And the cats are being given away.  And I am still working very hard to make Alaina more comfortable with her horrible looking and itchy legs.  You sure don't read about this part of parenting in "What to Expect When you are Expecting."  Seriously, other than the GIRLFRIEND'S GUIDES, no pregnancy or parenting books sheds ANY light on what to expect.  Flea bites, kids insisting on being called Diego, kids whose favorite part of getting a gift is that their siblings want it and will chase them for it, getting syrup out of hair and cat food out of mouths -- those are not the things you lovingly dream of when you wait for your children to be born.  But oh, it is so much better :)

Have a great Monday!

p.s.  I have a new DEAL OF THE DAY up at SBG!

Very, Very quick...

Have to be brief today...

I have a doctor's appointment
Alaina has a doctor's appointment
We need to bomb our house for fleas
Errands to run
etc...

I did want to give a shout out to the the new DEAL OF THE DAY at Scrapbook Graphics. The designers will be putting stuff in there for a day or two at very reduced prices.  Check back often because you never know what you might find!

Have a great day!

Saying Goodbye...

My grandmother passed away yesterday afternoon at the age of 99. 

We knew it was coming, but even so, it is still hard.  She was one of the most amazing women I have ever met.  She lived such a full and vibrant life.  If my life is half as full as hers was it will be time well spent.

I remember going to visit her a few years ago.  She was 93 at the time and her best friend of over 75 years was 92.  It was morning and the two of them were dressed in their gorgeous suits with hand towels slung over their shoulder.  They told me they were going to the fitness room.  When I inquired why two women, age 92 and 93, needed to go to the fitness room, one of them said, "Oh, I am just trying to lower my cholesterol."  The other one responded with, "I need to drop a few pounds."  Yea, in their size four little bodies.

So many stories I could tell of the life she lived.  So many ways that she was a strong woman.  So many ways I see that I am like her. 

When I was visiting her in October she said she wasn't ready to go yet.  That makes me sad.  When you live a life as full as hers and live the age of 99 you would think you would be ready.  But she loved life so much she wanted more of it.

I am really glad that our family came to Florida last November to visit her.  I wanted my kids to meet my grandmother so at least they could say they met her.  I wanted Jason to meet her and know the woman that was so special to me.  It was a good visit -- they got to see the strong vibrant woman that she was instead of the sickly woman she turned into just a year later.