Cupcakes

Someone starts a cupcake store called Sprinkles and in no time it becomes a franchise all over the country - serving yummy and overpriced cupcakes. Since their success small copycat shops have popped up all over the country and we had one open near us this winter. Ally got to go there this morning for a birthday party. It was fantastic.

Can we just chalk this up as idea #472 of things I could have become successful for if only I had tried to go public. Seriously?!! Don't even get me started on lady who started decorating her kids crocs and ended up making 20 million dollars last year (Jibbitz).

Oh well - I guess I have enough on my plate - but I sure wouldn't mind making 20 million dollars for something silly I do on a regular basis.

So here's to all the moms who get to "have their cupcake and eat it too" and to the rest of us who only get paid in hugs and kisses... all of us wealthy in the most important ways! :)

Presidential Presentations

Today was presentation day for our co-op. This month each of the kids had to present on one of the presidents. I should start by saying that I could not possibly love my co-op and each of the families in it any more than I already do. It is such a precious group of children and the moms are a tremendous blessing to me. I look forward to Thursdays every bit as much as my kids. And I look forward to our mom's nights like my kids look forward to Disney World!

Carson presented on Thomas Jefferson. Ally presented on John Quincy Adams. Here is Madison dressed as Dolley Madison to present on James Madison...

Colson chose James Garfield - but mostly because he was thinking about the cat - so we included that too.

One of the highlights was the game show the Lee kids did for their presentation called "Which President Am I?" Mitchell really got into his role as the game show host - I see a future for this boy!

I tell ya - there is nothing to make you feel more stupid then when you are teaching your kids things you didn't even know! When we do research for presentations or other school related things I am embarrassed at how much I do not know. I didn't know ANY of the details of the War of 1812 except that it started in 1812! Didn't know who it involved or what it was over or who won. But I guess, for me, that is one of the perks of homeschooling - I am learning so much!

Just so you know...

There is no clean laundry waiting to be folded and put away...

Or any dirty laundry waiting to be washed in my laundry room right now. WOO HOO!!!

A trip to the grocery store

If Disney Land is the most magical place on Earth - what would the opposite be? WalMart. Oh how I dread doing my weekly grocery shop at WalMart. I would go elsewhere but we just have to be getting the best prices - and they have them. I'd go every other week but now that I feed a small army every day trying to shop for two weeks at a time is even more unbearable to me. SO-off I go, week after week, always with a bad attitude (what a horrible example for my kids!).

Sometimes we all go together. That makes it a little more fun (and by all together I mean the kids AND Jason - if it's just me and all the kids it is definitely NOT more fun!). Fortunately my sweet Madi girl has become quite competent in the grocery store and so I always take her with me. She gets half of the list - the things at the back of the store - and I get the stuff from the front half and we meet in the middle. This is truly delightful and instead of complaining about the grocery shopping I guess I should be more thankful that I have such a sweet helper.

While Joby was here we all took off for Wal Mart together. I took pictures and a video and am doing this post not so much to show our trip but to instead show 1. the gross types of pork products that are available to the home cook and 2. to show how it looks like I have 3 families worth of children with me.

First of all - I was compelled to take pictures of these things that made me want to gag...

Seriously? I just want to get a ham for dinner and I have to look through butt ham?! Gag. And please don't comment on here and tell me how you use pork jowls and that they are so yummy - I'd just rather not know that about you.

SO, this is my video. it's really not very interesting and a little on the long side so don't feel like you have to watch it. I had finally let Piper out of the cart and she was so excited to walk around that I pulled out the camera. My favorite part is getting to see my kids sitting on the floor waiting for us to check out (yes, I make them all go sit down and wait for us) because it looks like I've got an entire stinkin' day care with me at the grocery store!!

Here are the guys loading the 2 carts full worth of groceries back into the carts...

Thanks for letting me put up entries where I can complain about Wal Mart and post videos that only my mom will really enjoy watching (thanks mom!).

Uncle Joby!!!

My brother, Joby came to visit for a few days. My kiddos love their Uncle Joby. He brings his dog, J.R, lets the boys play games on his iphone, plays with them in the backyard, and usually takes them to McDonald's or on a similar fun outing.

Over the weekend we all took the kids to a fun playground in neighborhood near by.

After the playground Joby treated to McDonald's. On the way there Ally said "This is weird, I have candy (Joby had brought them candy), we went to the playground, and NOW we're going to McDonald's?! Wow." Ah, my poor deprived children. That was super cute.

Another cute conversation I overheard regarding Joby was this:


Ally- "Uncle Joby here is here and it's not a holiday."
Madison - "yep, he just came for a visit"
Carson - "or to do his laundry"

:) funny the things they pick up.


I love my baby brother! I am so glad we live fairly close. We talk on the phone all the time, make sarcastic remarks on each other's facebook pages, and try to encourage each other in the places we are in life (which happen to be VERY different!). I wish Jack lived close too.
I didn't get the opportunity growing up to be very close to most of my uncles and aunts (and I have A LOT! And they are fabulous... just so far away). The older I get, the more and more important I think family is. I love that my brothers work had to cultivate their relationships with my kids. Good job guys! I love you!

Birthday

My birthday came over the weekend. It just doesn't seem right that I can be 34. I still think I'm 24. Jason and I went out to dinner...

... and then came home, put the kids in bed and had chocolate fondue with friends. Mmmmm.

On the morning of my birthday the kids showered me with sweet cards and a homemade t-shirt.

My least favorite gift was Carson throwing up all over his bed. Other than that - it was a great day. :)

I pray that this will be the best year of my life so far. Not filled with "happiness" and "good things" as much as being a year that I do not waste - a year spent for the glory of God - a year spent advancing the Big Kingdom of God not the little kingdom of self. I have spent too many years being "good" and going to church and all the while serving myself. May the Lord break me of this and help me to become a slave to righteousness. Lord, make me salt and light in this broken world. Help me love you more and be more like Christ every day!!

This and That

I have some pictures of things that have happened over the last few weeks that I didn't get around to blogging about - so I thought I'd throw them in now in one post...

Here's Piper during devotions. One night she kept "tooting" (rather loudly) while Ally was trying to pray and none of us could help but to explode into laughter. Pip loved being the center of attention and then was trying to continue producing that noise so everyone would laugh at her more.

Here we are the other night... Jason and I had been crawling around chasing the kids and tickling them. Then Jason wanted everyone to see how tall of a pyramid we could build.

A visit to the Duncans... Anna Lea was SO DIRTY! She was being punished here for pushing Piper down but Pip was so concerned about her crying friend that she sat with her in time-out!

This is why Chad needs a little boy. My guys thought these skeleton parts were AWESOME.

The Woodard girls had a little girl night with the Lees. Andrea and I had to get our "sewing" done. I know, aren't I so spiritual and domesticated? You hear that I spend a Friday night sewing and think... Proverbs 31, don't you?! Well... actually we had to get some quilt blocks made for our co-op and we needed the moral support from one another. We couldn't even remember how to use our machines.. but we got it done.

Andrea prepared an awesome "build your own pizza"bar. My girls LOVED it.SO - that's a quick look at some of our adventures from the last few weeks. SO much going on - so much activity. We have such a nice life - we are so blessed. I have been spending a lot of time lately thinking about how "comfy" our life is and wondering how we can get out of our comfort zones and serve the poor and "unlovable" in our area. That's what Jesus did, didn't he? I'm not saying that our nice, fun stuff is wrong - I am SO thankful for our home, our family, our friends... I have just really been thinking about wanting to be like Christ. We've been praying about ways we, as a family, can serve in this way. Hopefully future posts will reveal some of the ways we've chosen to do this.

Anyone else find me extremely random??? From farting, to skeleton bones, to being convicted about not loving "the least of these." How's that for a jam packed post??!

Global Hunger

Today is Global Food Crisis Day. What can you do to help?

http://www.compassion.com/global-food-crisis/?referer=98493&utm_campaign=gfcradio-homead-98493

My brother, Jack sent my kids $100 with the task of them all agreeing on how to spend it without spending it on themselves (long story as what made him want to do this). The children decided to use $10 to buy some things to send to Alex (our new World Vision child), $50 to combat AIDS with World Vision and $40 to donate today to Compassion International to help fight global hunger. Their $40 will feed 3 children for a month.

We watched the video from the link above at lunch today. I want my kids to know how blessed they are and I want them to have a heart that breaks for the dying, hungry, and sick. May we give them a vision for love and opportunities to love the least of these.

Little Sickies

Wilson threw up twice early Sunday morning and started a fever. Pip threw up twice last night and started a fever. Colson has started a fever but hasn't thrown up - and I'm sitting her hoping (in between laundry and clean-up) that it doesn't spread any more!

Here's what was going on around the sick house today...

My little fevered boys have both been laying on the living room floor wrapped in a blanket. SO pitiful!
Always the dramatic one, Madison found this mask in daddy's tool boxes and is hoping it will keep her from getting sick herself. She also has a bottle of hand sanitizer in her pocket.

Here's Piper, coloring in Carson's Grammar workbook because the school books were all in living room instead of the classroom.

And my super sweet friend, Sunny, brought me a drink from Sonic and brought the kids cupcakes from the party they missed since I kept them home from drama class. Is that thoughtful or what?!!!

Right now I am so thankful for thoughtful and praying friends - keep it up you guys (the praying ,you don't all have to bring cupcakes :) )!

Roof With A View

I found a new blog today that was started (in part) by some awesome girls I went to high school and college with. They share a vision to connect Christian women and allow them to lay down facades, be real, and encourage one another in Christ. How awesome is that? Plus - they have some cool give aways. Right now you can enter to win this:

SO, check them out at http://www.roofwithaview.blogspot.com/

Piece of Cake!

Our co-op had a field trip scheduled for the Braums Dairy farm, however, each parent could only have one child under the age of 6 with them... that left me out. SO, friends took my oldest four leaving me with only the twins and baby for half the day.

Now, I don't mean any disrespect to my friends with "normal" size families - but man, having three kids is a PIECE OF CAKE!!! Woo - we went to IHOP for breakfast (forgot my camera) and the boys were just all too excited about that and then went to Wal Mart and 2 other errands - all done in less than 2 hours (including breakfast!). Pip went down for her nap when we got home so I only had to occupy 2 little boys! At lunch, instead of making 7 sandwiches I only had to make 3!! It was so quiet!! Look at all the room around my table!!

I know - if you have 3 and that is all you know, your days are just busy as mine. But, having 7 and going down to three made life seem so easy!! :)

You know that story about the man who complained his house was too small and the wise man told him to take in animals and people... more and more, week after week, and then he kept complaining that the house still felt too small and then the wise man said now get rid of everyone/everything and finally the man felt like his house was quite large?? Remember that? Well, if any of you feel like your days are so busy and hectic, you can borrow four of my kids for a week and THEN when they leave you too might say - man, this is a breeze! I guess for me, I'll have to contact the Duggars for an extra half dozen so that 7 seems like a piece of cake. :)

GAG!

All of a sudden, Jason is Mr. Healthy. His new job covers the expense of his membership at a local gym and now he has work out buddies, he's gone off Coke (the beverage), he's eating ALMONDS for lunch, drinking lots of water...blah...blah...blah. Worst of all, he's doesn't do yummy late night snacking with me!!

One of his healthy "things" right now is drinking these awful juices. This green one boasts having every imaginable fruit but then it sneaks in at the bottom the description things like kale and garlic and dirt and things like that. The above picture actually makes it look BETTER than it truly does. Ugg.

Last night he was putting the pressure on me big time to try some. He was pretty insistent but I just COULD NOT do it. When I looked down into the bottle it looked like baby poop. It did smell pretty fruity but I just could not do it. It was triggering my gag reflex just thinking about it. Sorry honey - there's a whole heck of a lot I'll do for you but this one just doesn't seem necessary (oddly enough on American Idol that weird headband boy sang "I will do anything for love... but I won't do that" I have no idea what that song is talking about but now I at least wonder if a fitness drink was involved).
Desperate to prove to me that the drink does not taste bad, he tries to give it to unsuspecting Pip.

Before it touches her lips she dodges away (and I must point out that she LOVES drinks).

Great face Pippy - my thoughts exactly!!

So, Jason will be looking all healthy and fit and buff and I'll be looking like.... me! SO, either some day in the future I'll be blogging about my new found love for disgusting drinks or I will become a "before" stomach model for those diet adds that are all over my facebook page. :)

Woo hoo! Modeling career, here I come!!
(After viewing this post Jason said I need to make clear that the above picture is not actually me!)

Annoying

So, I start singing with Ty's Little Einstein video today and he says "Mommy, stop singing."

"So, you don't like my singing?" I asked.

"It's annoying the Little Einsteins." He said.

Well, excuse me, Little Einsteins - you don't even sing on key most of the time! If anyone should be annoyed it should me! You are on in my home every single day and have completely captured the heart of my little Tyson. I know all of your annoying songs and don't complain - thanks a lot.

Wee Worshipers

One of the major reasons we started attending our church, despite being weary of how large it was, was that we loved the idea of surrounding our kids with a large group of people who were visibly passionate about their worship of our great God.
It didn't take them long to get the message either... It does my heart such good to look down the aisle and watch my kids sing and raise their hands and make real efforts at trying to understand and worship. I slipped out my camera this week (I know, bad girl) because it is so precious to me and just really wanted it documented.

Now, don't worry, I understand that many kids do what they know will please their parents and others. I am fully aware of this motivation and am sure that it is active in my kids. However, I am also sure that it is possible for the Lord to be working in their young little hearts.

I am so thankful for our experience at our church and all we are learning. I am so thankful for the wonderful people God has brought, and continues to bring, into our lives (past and present). I am so desperate for my kids to be fully surrendered to the Lord. Sometimes I feel like I want it so badly that it hurts. Thank you, Lord, for giving us a body of believers that will help us in our journey of raising kids who put their hope in You.