My Post Came Back!

It is no coincidence that after sharing my last post the lost-post I referred to came back! Thanks God! I have been having serious memory issues lately and was beginning to think I was loosing it… well more than I already have and will admit to.

So while in the van a commercial came on about the Women of Faith Conference which comes to my area in September. Living in the Denver area all I usually hear about is political stuff thanks to the Democratic National Convention being help here next month. It was nice to hear about something I am more interested in!

Last year was my first time to WOF (I am so with it) and oh how I loved it and have been looking forward to it ever since. Ah to laugh, sing and cry with a few hundred thousand of my closest sisters. Love it! If you have not gone I highly highly recommend it! Here is a glimpse to see what I saw from our “mile high” seats (get it?!?! – I am such a nerd.)

And here is a preview of what is in store for us this year! I can't wait!

I Am Beautiful

This is not the post I intended to post today. I had a great idea earlier while in the van (you'd think I lived in it) but totally lost it by the time we returned home. I remember I thought it was going to be really good. I guess we will never know. God had a better plan though when He delivered this gem to me in my email in box. How cool is our God to use technology like that!

So here is my gift to you today. I am not being conceited - this is a terrific gift. I hope you enjoy. I for one an adding it to my ever increasing list on Google Reader (Thanks again Angie!)

Pancake Day!!!

Tomorrow is pancake day! Read here to see what all the fuss is about!

And on a completely unrelated note - What possesses a 5 year old to try to “top off” her juice cup from a newly opened jug that weighs as much as she does?

I was quite the scene trying to mop it up when I cannot bend at the waist. (I'll explain another time. Ooh Blog Tease!) Lots of pushing towels around with my feet and picking them up with my toes. Pedicure - shoot. Oh well! Such is life with kiddos.

Tomato, To-mah-to

Yesterday the kids and I are in the minivan driving to an appointment. I have been hot, unable to sleep and therefore unfairly grumpy - especially to the little ones who are trapped with me all day. this has nothing to do with my post - I just need to confess to ease my guilt a little.

Back to the point. As we are driving we pass a small pasture with 4 or 5 horses in it. K gets very excited and the following conversation occurs:

K: Oooh look Mommy - horses!!!
Me: Oh yea, and look at the baby.
K & E: Ohhh how cute!
Z: Ew I see droppings!
K: Yeah. I see poop.
Me: stifled laugh
Z: [huge eye roll]

You can't make this stuff up.

Ahhhh... Sweet Relief!

Here in beautiful Colorado we have been experiencing something of a dry-spell mixed with a decent heat-wave. We are spoiled here typically and are not accustomed to the 90+ and even 100+ degree weather we have had the past couple of weeks. We are also usually treated to afternoon rains, something that we have not had for many weeks. I actually cannot remember the last time we got more than a sprinkle of rain.

Today we got a break though. Hallelujah! What started at a 95 degree day cooled as big, dark clouds rolled in and a nice cool breeze picked up. And then it happened... RAIN!!!! Not a lot granted but enough for me to go out on the back deck for a little rejoiceful twirling. Then, as the kids and I left the library the street and sidewalks we actually wet! There were puddles!!! So we did what any normal person in our situation would do. We danced!

And then this:

God is sooo good! All the time God is good! But it occured to me that without the heat and lack of rain lately we would not have appreciated the rain we got today so our blessing was two-fold! Again - GOD IS GOOD!!!!

My Date with Ellie

Last week I got to take E on a date. Her big brother and sister were at a friend's house for a playdate and while she was invited too I wanted some time with her to myself.

First she got to choose where we went to lunch. McDonald's of course! With the stipulation we ate inside and it had a playground. She chose what she ate and where we sat and loved the control! From there she decided we should go to the Butterfly Pavilion - or as she says it "Palillion." I picked up a disposable camera for her on the way. I cannot wait to get it developed! Here are some that I took:

Holding the infamous Rosie, the Red Haired Tarantula.

Ew.

Pretending she is Rosie, the Red Haired Tarantula.

She's a bee!

Holding a giant cockroach.

Double ew!

We had such a nice time and I cannot wait to have my dates with the other kids!

My Life in Pictures

A picture is worth a thousand words and I am too far behind to type up everything so here are the pictures and you can create your own story! They are in chronological order and some may be repeats.

Father's Day

Boulder Falls

Someday he will live somewhere where I will have to hike in.

Daddy and his girls!

See K's deathgrip? She will live in a condo with a doorman.

Family trip to the zoo!

Why do these monkeys always pee on the window?

Swimming Lessons!!!!

They practically have gills.

Fourth of July

Steve and the kids having a water fight.

Notice my point of view from the safety of our deck!

E loved the fireworks!

Another zoo trip with just me and the kids:

Bass Pro Shop:

This is a HUGE catfish they have in their big tank. I find it gross.

The kids love it of course.

So that is not everything but a few of our highlights. I hope you enjoyed it and are having a great summer too!

Memories.... Sing it with Me!

Maybe it is the heartfelt posts I have just read on my friends' blogs. Maybe it is the fun conversations I had with my mom today. Maybe it is the fun evening I had with my family doing nothing special but loving each moment of it. Maybe it is the wine I have had. Whatever it is I am feeling loving and sentimental. Don't say you haven't been warned.

First I am feeling gushy over my family. Not just those I was raised with or married into or built with my hubby, but the family I have chosen and God has given me along the way. Wow I am so blessed I could have an entire blog dedicated to just proclaiming my blessings and my thanks for each one of them. I pray He knows how I know they are each a gift from Him and that I am forever grateful.

Second I have to sing the praises of Facebook. Geeky I know but deal with it. This past week I have had the pleasure of reconnecting with two people from my past (very Soap Opera of me I know).

One is a friend from when I lived in Middlesex, New Jersey from 1984-87. He was this hilarious and kind boy in my class named Chris. He lived right up the street from me so we sometimes walked home together, he with his younger brother and me with mine. The first time I played King of the Hill was with him and his best friend Tim. I am pretty sure I lost and Tim won. Chris lived in a cool turn-of-the-century home I was so jealous of because I lived in a new home. He did a funny little dance just moving his feet that I cannot explain but it cracked me up. On a whim I checked out the public high school in our tiny town (we went to the Catholic elementary school) on Facebook and there he was!

Middlesex was the type of place where we knew everyone. At least it seemed that way. The strange man who I think was albino and who owned the garden store across the street. The couple who set up hundreds of blow up Easter decorations in their yard each year. As kids we had the run of the neighborhood. As long as we came home when we heard the siren go off (imagine air raid siren each night at 8pm) we were good. We rode bikes up to the A&P to buy stickers for our collections and loved Slush Puppies. The ice cream man sold Italian Ice that I have yet to find anything close to it anywhere else. There was a small river that cut our town in half and was dammed so we called it the Duck Pond. In the summer we fished and played and got poison ivy. In the winter it froze and we spent countless hours ice skating and playing hockey. There was some sort of Revolutionary War marker near the dam - a fort was once there or something.

Oddly enough the 20 odd years have not changed Chris much! Well except that he is married with a little boy. He is still so funny. It has been fun reconnecting with him.

The second is a girl I went to high school with named Jenn. She was a year behind me and we were band geeks together. We were the cool band geeks though because we were percussionists. Well that is what we told ourselves anyway. Her mom is seriously one of the sweetest people I have ever known. She altered some dresses of mine for school dances and performance groups I was in when I was broke. Jenn still looks the exact same even though she is married and has an adorable daughter. She has a large family and even though she complained about them (hey, we were 16) I could tell they were very loving.

I also have had the joy of reconnecting with a good friend from high school Maggie, who I was in several choirs together and had many wonderful times together. She had the most amazing voice I have ever heard. She is still as beautiful and genuine as she was *cough* years ago and also is married with a beautiful daughter.

I wish I had a picture to show you what I looked like in High School. I will look. For now just imagine me with longer hair and much less weight (I was a rail) and maybe a bit more attitude... ok a lot more attitude. I varied between good girl and rebel. I still have my leather biker jacket! I loved choir and performing. I rarely attended classes that were not music related. I with a couple of friends convinced our principal to open the old tennis courts as a smokers area. I partied a lot but not hard... usually. We hung out at Denny's nearly every night working on homework (rarely), drinking coffee (lots), smoking (lots), and thinking we were so brilliant and philosophical and that we were going to change the world. Maybe we did. Maybe we will. What I do know is that I have come a long way since then, changed a TON, and value each memory and person I shared this time with immensely. I loved high school. I know not many people can say that but I truly did. I had great friends and a lot of fun. I would not go back because I love where I am now but it is fun to remember.

Bad Blogger

I have not been a good blogger. I know this. I repeat it to myself each day. I would like to say that I just have not had anything to blog about because honestly I have. I could blog about Steve still having a job and how I am not so sure how I feel about it. I could blog about our fun July 4th BBQ. I could blog about how E and I had a day to ourselves last week. I could blog about how Facebook has reunited me with a friend from the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grades when I lived in New Jersey and another friend and fellow band geek from high school. I could blog about the amazing ending to Z's baseball season. I could blog about countless other little things but alas I have not. I could even blog about all the things that have prevented me from blogging - but there are not any. I get on the computer all ready to post something, but then I check my Google Reader (Thanks Angie!) and by the time I am all caught up on my favorite blogs I 1. have a headache from staring at my computer so long, 2. have three restless children asking me "Are you done yet?" for the bazillionth time, and 3. am in such awe by the wonderful story tellers I have read I feel a bit intimidated. And so now with my headache in full blown pound I am off to find my Advil and eye pillow. Maybe tomorrow...

Amazing!

I was emailed this video and had to share!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

I just love this picture! I pray you all have a safe and very happy holiday!


I am excited to introduce my newest project and blog, The Serendipitous Cook. I invite you all to check it out and please continue checking back!

Multi-Tasking

How do you clean your house and keep your children busy? TV? No. Bribes? Nu-uh. Nope, not threats, locks, naps or removing them from your house either. This is much MUCH better.

So I came across my new gem of wisdom not completely by accident. A dear friend actually planted the seeds and it has taken, oh about 18 months to germinate. The trick - get the kids envolved in the cleaning! Not Nobel Prize worthy but huge in my life!

Oh no I can hear your gasps! "What? No! That could never work? They do not really clean. My children would never help clean. They may help but then I have to go back over an do it again. "

Well that last one might have glimmers of truth.

Today we frantically cleaned our house preparing to have a few friends over for a BBQ for the Fourth of July. Sadly I have let my house go - a lot. It may have been in a different time-zone it is so far gone. Z knew we had a lot to do and he was so enthusiastic to help. He even made a list! *tear* He is mine! (For those of you not in the know, I am an avid lover of all things list. They are my happy place.) I would share a picture of it but it was tossed out before I could get a picture. His list was things like "Clean my room," "Clean the bathroom," "Dust," "Clean the backyard," etc. He did this all on his own! I imagine we were quite the picture, both sitting at the counter writting our lists for the day. Again, no picture. (bad blogger)

I tried to keep the girls occupied by cleaning their rooms, a.k.a. playing away from me so I can get some work done. Z flew through the house with the Swiffer, cleaned his room, cleaned up after the dog and was back for more! God, I thank you!

Well the girls figured they were missing out on something huge and were dying for a project. "Mommy what can I clean?" Have those words ever been uttered before? I think we made history.

So finally here is my favorite thing today that was the gem from my dear friend. I took a simple, small spray bottle half filled with water and about a cap full of vinegar. Truthfully I am not sure what the vinegar does but make things smell clean and more like what I was using which made my little E very happy. Then I took an old sock of her brother's, and slipped it on her little hand inside out and showed her how to spray her very special cleaning solution onto her very special cleaning mit and sent her off to clean my baseboards.

Quiet. Silence. No wait... I hearsomething. Is that humming? Oh my happy worker!

The results?

They are gorgeous! The cleanest they have been since I painted them a long *cough* time ago.

This picture does not do her handy work justice and in my defense, this is a 45 year old house with 45 year old baseboards and therefore 45 years of paint. Its character right?

She worked so diligently through the front room and made them just sparkle. She was so proud of herself and her sister was so jealous because all she got to do was wash out the bathroom sink. Maybe tomorrow my love.

The Fastest Week of the Year

Phew! We made it through in one piece, virtually unscathed and absolutely filled with joy. What is this amazing experience you may be asking? Vacation Bible School of course!!!!

snack time on the church lawn

This is by far our favorite week of the year - the kids and I. I love how excited my kids get about learning about Jesus. I love watching all of the kids sing and dance to the great songs, laugh and play during the skits and games, and really show their personalities in the crafts. This year we had about 270 children attending and they just about tore the roof off at times!

It always begins the same way. We put in months of prayer and prep and suddenly it is the Day 1! Things tend to fall apart a bit on Wednesday - kids are tired, I continually run late (What? No! Not me!) and then you blink and it's Friday! By Thursday Z and K were so upset that it was ending. Many tears were shed. Z thought since so much work is put into VBS it whould last like a month. Or all summer! (*shudder*)

Even though the days are early, fast paced, and at times exhausting, and we are all physically tired by the end of it, our hearts are filled in a way I do not find the rest of the year. This one crazy week fills me so much I feel like I could walk on air!

Z and his best buddy showing off their prayer bracelets

E and a new friend on the playground

K with two special friends