the team

one more

2011-12-21T16:29:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking about my brother a lot lately. More than usual. I think about him everyday since he died April 9, 2010. But the past weeks have been, just, different. My memories are more vivid. My pain has resurfaced itself. The longing to see his smile, hear his laugh, and hug his neck is unbearable at times. I hate to think about all the talks we won't be having about stuff like friends, girls and where he would be going to college. It's just not fair!

What would have been? How would our lives be different with him still here?

Luke has been sharing memories about what he and Martin did together. I know Luke misses him very much.

One more day. One more 'I love you'. One more game of Apples to Apples. Just a moment. To see his face. To know. To not hurt anymore. These are the things I truly want for Christmas.

our thankful tree

2011-12-01T15:21:00.000-06:00

I wanted to do art projects with the kids that were fun for them but also some that had meaning. Activities that made them think and open their hearts a bit. This is what we made first.

This is our family's thankful tree and my new centerpiece for the dinner table.

I rallied the kids one afternoon and we scoured the empty lot next to my parent's house for appropriate sticks. I put the sticks in a vase I already had and filled the vase with black rocks.

I found some leaf templates and cut out different shapes and colors from construction paper. Punched a hole in one end and used yarn to tie to said sticks.

Each member of our family chose three leaves and wrote what they were thankful for on them.

My plan is to keep this centerpiece all year long and change the template to whatever the holiday or season is. We will be making our Christmas templates very soon!

handcrafted laundry detergent

2011-11-28T20:32:00.000-06:00

I made my own laundry detergent a few days ago.

I. Love. It.

The smell is so pure.

The cost is so low.

As a family of six we do a LOT of laundry.

Especially because Brady changes his clothes nineteen times a day.

What gives, Braids?

Now I give to you the recipe to go make your own detergent.

With photographs.

I found this recipe at MckMama's blog.

You will need the following:

8 cups of washing soda

8 cups of Borax

1 bar of unscented goat's milk soap, grated

1 Fels Naptha bar, grated (found at WalMart for 98 cents)

A few drops of essential oil for added aroma.

Lemon is what I had on hand so lemon it was.

Now marvel at your handcrafted laundry detergent!

Use about 2 tablespoons per load.

I am currently storing mine in a big purple container from WalMart.

fingerprint art

2011-11-28T13:33:00.000-06:00

Did you think you guessed correctly about what madison was making in this post?

Here is her finished product.

Isn't it the cutest turkey you have ever seen?!

our day at Seward Farm through photographs

2011-11-28T07:14:00.000-06:00

I am so thankful for...

2011-11-27T13:25:00.000-06:00

...a Saviour who died for me and my sins and continues to amaze me and open my eyes and heart to truly see Him.

...a husband who works very hard for his family. His heart seeks truth and to know what God wants him to do in this life.

...four unique, passionate, kind-hearted children. They have blessed my life and taught me patience and finding joy in the simpliest things.

...a Mother and Father who poured their hearts in to raising me and guide me to this day with gentleness, love and generousity.

...a Brother who taught me so much through his life and his death. He stained my heart for the better and I know he stands with God and I can't wait to hug him again in Heaven.

I am so blessed. I am so very thankful.

what is Madison making?

2011-11-22T15:06:00.000-06:00

Do you know?

me, Brady and a goat

2011-11-21T22:15:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I am actually sitting at the computer and blogging right now. I think I have mentioned this before, but I blog in my head all the time. It is just the getting it compiled in a post that seems to be the trouble. At night, after our four children are tucked in, all I want to do is spend time with my husband. Now that our children are home during the day you can scratch blogging right off my list of things to do. I might get a moment to sit and write but the interruptions aren't worth it. So blogging has been pushed aside. And I love to blog, I really do. It is a release for me. Therapeutic at times. A venue for me to be honest and straightforward about...everything. The good the bad and the ugly. This is my outlet.

So I am going to do my very best to blog on a regular basis. As regular as possible at least. It will be good for me.

The following is a story for your enjoyment.

Two Sundays ago I was at our church preparing for CCD(Sunday School). I had Madison, Micah and Brady with me. My classroom is very close to our priest's office and the hallway where our priest's dog stays. M, M and B heard Wilbur the dog barking and decided to go see him. They were looking at Wilbur through the glass door. Wilbur got very excited and continued to bark. So here comes Fr. Steve checking on Wilbur wanting to know what has gotten him all excited I'm sure. The kids hear Fr. Steve coming and step aside. Brady, our four year old, turns to Fr. Steve and says with his side smile in a low sorta voice while waving, "Hey Jesus." I wish I had it on video because it was the funniest thing! Fr. Steve was gracious as always.

If you have not had the pleasure of witnessing Brady's side smile, I leave you with this.

And if you are wondering, yes, the goat has a side smile as well.

football pictures

2011-09-29T13:00:00.000-05:00

The cheerleaders for Micah's team make a sign every game for the players to run through.

It's the cutest thing!

The boys love busting through it and getting all pumped up for their game!

Captains. Micah is #7.

Micah in the zone

Luke pleasing his mom and flashing a ~~huge~~ smile during halftime

Micah and Luke are in different leagues, in case you are wondering.

If you are also wondering how we manage to get to three different sporting events every Saturday, it takes an excel spreadsheet, impeccable driving skills and time management, numerous parents and one set of very supportive grandparents!

No child left behind yet.

Fingers crossed!

looky here at these three....

2011-09-29T07:20:00.000-05:00

I can't think of a good title for this post

2011-09-28T16:19:00.000-05:00

Hello people! I am blogging mid-day, can you believe it! What can I say, I like to live on the edge. We shall see how long it takes before one of my four lovelies decides they need my undivided attention.

It is seriously stormy outside today. The rain has stopped for now but it continues to thunder and lightning. I went to the dentist today while my mom was at our house teaching Bible. She has Bible class with Luke, Madison and Micah on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. They are learning how to study the Bible. Their studies include scripture memorization and researching people from the Bible.

Here comes the rain...again. Monday was our very first field trip. We went to Seward Farms in Lucedale, MS. There were all kinds of activities for us to enjoy. A corn maze, corn cannon, animal petting area, pig races, hayride, jumping thingy, tether ball and cow train. The weather was beautiful. Our spirits were high. I will post pictures soon. Oh, and i do NOT recommend the cow train to anyone over the age of 10 or anyone who doesn't like to be tossed up and down while sitting in the most uncomfortable plastic cow. My fanny still hurts a bit.

In other news, we are chin deep in football season. Luke and Micah pretty much eat, sleep and breathe football these days. As a matter of fact, I am pretty sure Luke actually does sleep with his football. Micah is starting quarterback on offense. On defense he plays outside linebacker. My man Luke is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to football positions. On offense he can be seen playing wing back and second string quarterback. On defense he is corner back or inside linebacker. Yes, of course I have pictures. No, they are not ready to be uploaded to this post. Sheesh!

Brady is playing soccer. The only way to describe this child and give him any sort of credit to his soccer abilities, is to say that he has moves like a puma. He pounces. He bounces. He is speedy. A bit of a trash talker. Has impecable foot eye coordination. And he wishes everyday was game day.

I do not wish everyday was game day.

I do wish for an ikea classroom for homeschool.

Speaking of homeschool....I'm lovin it!

Gotta run. Time to get geared up for a busy afternoon!

holy homeschooling, Batman!

2011-09-23T20:40:00.000-05:00

Today we completed our third week of homeschooling. I survived our first three weeks. Don't they say if you can make it through the first three weeks of homeschool you can make it through anything? Who is they? I surely do not know who they are, but they got it right because the past three weeks have been some of the most trying times of my 33 years in existence on this planet. And to add cherries on top, I got sick.

But in the words of my dear husband, to be completely honest with you, I am thoroughly enjoying having our four children home to learn. Yes, we had a bad day. Then we had an even worse day. But then we had the best day ever! I expected this and know that this new journey will require lots and lots of patience, from all of us. But that is the beauty of homeschool. We are home to learn and grow in our relationships with each other. We can be flexible. We can change it if it is not working. I want what is best for each of our children. My husband and I both do.

I am so happy with our decision. I am at peace about it. Today I asked Luke what his thoughts are on homeschool. His answer, "Still iffy." I am totally OK with that. In fact, I am great with that answer. He is keeping an open mind. That is what I asked of him.

So, to sum up, no one expelled yet! And no breaking news about homeschooling mom of four declared crazy from lack of adult socialization!

daughter of mine

2011-08-22T19:00:00.000-05:00

here you are

standing right in front of me

growing up to be

so much like me

dramatic and goofy

craving attention and acceptance

little white lies

curious and emotional

confident yet conflicted

a better version than me

in you I can already see

and I forget

in the midst of all things boy

you in your beauty

you in your sweet spirit

need to be allowed to soar

need to be hugged

whispered to in your ear

so that you know

no one can take your gifts away

no one can take your worth

He has given you grace

He has washed you clean

you continue to be

a little Princess and the Pea

and yet

a little like sweet Orphan Annie

your spunk

your style

your grace

oh yes, who can forget that face!

my daughter

my mirror

my gem

my heart

up to and in to

2011-08-20T12:50:00.000-05:00

I thought you all might enjoy a post on what our four beauties are up to and in to these days.

As you can see, Luke does not care for getting his picture taken. Luke turned 11 in May. He is incredibly witty and when it comes to schoolwork he is extremely independent. He is critical of his siblings. He goes out of his way to show love to his Grandparents. His relationship with Micah, our 7 year old son, is growing closer. He wears the same clothes days in a row. He bought himself an ipod with his own money. He likes his hair long. He battles with his anger. He is becoming somewhat moody. He is playing football. He is mildly obsessed with sweets, like his Mama. Luke is taking guitar lessons and is a joy to be around!

Madison, sweet Madison. Except when she is not sweet. Then you better take cover and let her run it out. She is emotional and has a knack for figuring out all things technology based. She still loves wearing high heels and lipstick, when we allow her to. She is a talented and graceful classical ballerina. Her memory is superb, unless it involved bringing home her planner from school. She is a social butterfly and your typical mother hen. She tattles a lot. She hates cleaning her room with a passion. Madison is a pack rat. She is very confident around boys. She runs super fast. She is happy wearing t-shirts and shorts. She does not deal with being tired well at all. She has been caught lieing some lately. She loves loves loves to sing. Every night when I tuck her in bed she asks questions. Madison craves to feel accepted and loved. And I for one love her very much!

In the photograph below, the bigger boy is Bubba. That is what his Daddy calls him at least. I can not bring myself to call him that. So he is Micah to me. This kid is so cool. He is quiet around others and rarely got in trouble at school. He is a leader. He has such an amazing natural athletic ability. He is playing football. He never boasts. He loves all fruit. He has lost both front teeth. He argues with his mom and dad. He has great facial expressions when telling a story. He is outside every chance he gets. He puts up with his little brother constantly following his every move extremely well. He is a man's man. He has a special relationship with my Dad. Micah claims he is bored all the time. He loves to snuggle at nighttime. He is a fisherman at heart. He has taught me to think outside the box and how to show love deliberately.

And of course, the little whipper snapper is Brady. There are so many words to describe this child, both good and not so good. To put things in perspective let me start off by saying he is four years old. He is always on the go. He is a hitter and a kicker. He doesn't listen very well. He loves boiled peanuts. His hair is long and I love it. He is obsessed with his big brother, Micah. He wants to know where we are going and who will be there. He misses his siblings while they are not home. He dresses himself every morning. He is obsessed with hats at the present time. And shorts with pockets. He describes things as beautiful a lot. He gives awesome hugs. He loves playing with kids his own age and doesn't understand when they don't want to play with him. He thinks he is 10 years old and will tell you he is five years old, neither being correct. He flashes a side mouthed smile that cracks me up and melts my heart.

what happens when your 7 year old gets ahold of your camera

2011-08-12T07:48:00.001-05:00

Do I see a future in photography?

Maybe...just maybe.

teenagers get a bad rap

2011-08-11T10:29:00.000-05:00

I remember after my brother's fatal car accident in April 2010, the story was quickly online for all to read. The morning after my father told me the devastating news that my 16 year old brother had died in a car accident, people began to speculate what had happened. To this day, more than a year after the accident, we do not know exactly what happened to cause this accident that took my brother's life. But that didn't stop complete strangers from voicing their stabs and jabs to the online article appearing less than 24 hours after the accident.

I woke up the morning after only to read thoughts like these:

"check for cell phone"
"most likely texting or cell phone"
"...But I can say that, as of late, the vast majority of similar accidents have been caused by 1) alcohol and/or 2) cellphone/texting. Since alcohol was not a factor, that leaves the later.
Not to mention, the loss of his life could serve as a strong example to others not to replicate or condone such behavior."

I was enraged! I wanted to find these people and shake them. Oh how I wanted to give them a piece of my mind! Do they not realize that family and friends are going to be reading the article and comments? How can people be so inconsiderate?

It seems to me that a lot of times teenagers get a bad rap. Their attitudes stink, they are selfish and shallow, ALL teenagers text and drive, ALL teenagers drink and drive.....the list goes on. And I am sure there are teenagers (and adults) who are guilty of one or all of the above. I am also certain that there are plenty of teenagers who more often than not are smart, level headed, good decision making, helpful and giving community do-gooders. My brother was one of them.

I can't tell you that Martin NEVER texted or talked on his cell phone while driving. That he NEVER made a stupid choice. That he NEVER acted irrationally or selfishly. But who of us, teenager or adult, can answer NEVER to any one of the above? I can not.

What I can tell you is this. Martin was incredibly intelligent. He helped our Mom clean the kitchen on a regular basis. He kept his room organized and spotless. He was thoughtful and giving to his friends. He was independent. He lived a simple life. He liked to play tennis. He listened and absorbed what his Mom and Dad had to say, even if it didn't seem like it at the time.

And his large circle of friends? I have never been more impressed by a group of teenagers. How they came together after their friend died and supported one another and our family. Their thoughtfulness and generosity were comforting. Their love of Martin and actions and reactions after his death were humbling. They held memorials at the beach. They organized bracelets to be made and sold them to raise money to purchase a grand piano in honor of Martin. They came to visit my parents. They dedicated the yearbook to him. They live their lives differently now and took to heart the impact that another person had on their lives. Now that is pretty great, I think!

I can also tell you this. It was confirmed that Martin was NOT on his cell phone at the time of his accident. We found out that he had endured a head injury earlier that day and more than likely lost consciousness while driving. You can read an article about Martin by clicking on the link below.

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/04/fairhope_teen_could_have_done.html

painting at our house

2011-08-10T07:57:00.000-05:00

My kids love to paint. Maddie, Micah and Brady especially. I used to think of painting as a pain. Messy. A chore for me really. But then I found a way to make painting easier....at least for me. This might be old news to some of you or all of you. You might have been using these little wonders for years. My question to you is, why didn't anybody tell me? See for yourselves.

Paper baking cups for housing different colors of paint placed in an aluminum cupcake pan!

Who knew!

how does your garden grow?

2011-08-09T09:25:00.001-05:00

Well, this is how our garden is growing.

These pictures are actually from about a month ago so the growth is even greater now.

Maybe if you wait another month I will post those pictures!

It's not like I am busy or anything.

I love straw bale gardening!

BUT.....I don't WANT to homeschool my children!

2011-08-08T10:21:00.000-05:00

Seriously.

I don't. er, didn't, I should say, necessarily want to homeschool our children.

But now, my place in this life and my journey in this life will, in fact, include homeschooling my children.

Call me crazy.
I've been called worse.
Call me brave.
I am not.
I just want to be in control of what my children are taught.
Both my husband and I believe homeschooling our children is the right decision for our family at this time.

Why?
I will tell you.

Vision. My husband and I have a vision for our family. It includes our children loving to learn, learning our viewpoints, loving each other, serving each other and serving the Lord. This vision will guide us as we journey through homeschooling.

Character First. Character is paramount. Homeschooling gives us the potential to stay on top of the condition of our child's heart. For isn't that what truly matters when we enter the gates of Heaven? Isn't that what others see first? A person's character? Not their test scores or college degree.

Custom Education. Each of our four children are very unique. Not only in personality but in how they take in information, process information and ultimately retain information. And who knows better than anyone else how each of our children learn? My husband and I, of course! We want to cue in on our children's individual readiness, interests, growth and potential.

Will it be challenging? Yes. Will we have bad days where I think this is the dumbest undertaking I could have chosen? Absolutely. Will I forget to teach them something crucial. You bet. Will it be the end of the world? Nope. We have flexibility and choice. We have time for full exploration and mastery of material. We have support. We have faith.

Faith? What has faith got to do with it? Everything.
Homeschooling was placed on my heart I think about two years ago. It was before my brother's death. I can't tell you the exact moment or what I was doing or wearing at the time. I read blogs where mothers homeschooled. I met mother's from our church who homeschooled. I started asking questions and doing my own research. I prayed about it. I argued why I shouldn't be allowed to homeschool my children. I had a pretty good case, so I thought.

But my heart strings kept being tugged. The idea of homeschool became more intriguing and possible. I continued to argue with God, though. There is no way! I don't have the tools! The time! The patience! The space!

What will people think? None of my friends homeschool. This is a huge decision to make. Am I right?

I gotta tell you though, this is something that I believe I am suppose to do. That I am being called to do. Yes, I believe homeschooling was placed on my heart by the Lord. And I can't argue with Him any longer. If you asked me a few years ago if I would ever homeschool my four children I would have laughed and said something like, "Heck no!" But I suppose that is the ebb and flow of growth. My spiritual growth emerged and took hold of my life after Martin died. My faith increased by leaps and bounds. After all, that is what this decision is for me, at least. A leap of faith. I am trusting and believing that God is with our family as we dive into this season.

I am excited. Nervous. Overwhelmed. Privileged. Blessed. Supported.
I am homeschooling my children.

this is NOT my view anymore...

2011-07-09T16:24:00.000-05:00

....and I am NOT happy about it one bit.

wave whisperer

2011-06-12T17:08:00.000-05:00

just some thoughts and things

2011-06-10T10:50:00.000-05:00

We have had a good week. Brady's fever finally broke. The morning he woke up and was fever free, the kids and I rushed to get our snacks packed and suits on and headed straight for the pool. We had been cooped up in the house for the most part since school let out.

The kids have been doing lots of painting, playing with neighbor friends, riding bikes, playing in the hose, snacking on fresh fruit, sleeping at Grandmom and Granddad's and playing board games.

My husband and I have made a huge decision for our family. I will tell you what the decision is soon.

I have been slowly purging and organizing our house. The simpler the better at this time in our lives!

I finally finished reading Bringing Up Boys.

Brady needs a haircut.

Luke turned 11 years old and I am still in shock. He scored extremely high on the Iowa tests.

My extremely kind husband took our daughter with him to work today. He sent me a text message saying she had already rung up one customer and wants to learn how to do everything her daddy does at work! My husband manages a university bookstore.

I am so happy it is Friday.

Gotta run. Brady has just packed himself a rather large duffel bag and claims he is staying at Grandmoms this weekend. This is the first I am hearing about it.

wonder in the sky

2011-06-09T08:03:00.002-05:00

all he wanted to lose was his front tooth....

2011-06-08T11:27:00.000-05:00

...and after much twisting, pulling and waiting on his part...

...he finally lost it!

mixer

2011-06-07T11:55:00.000-05:00

I love all things with a delicate vintage flare.

I marvel over antiques.

I drool when I see Shabby Chic pieces of furniture.

I have a zest for color and texture.

But I do think this mixer, given to me by my mother, has seen better days.

The cord constantly falls out while mixing.

And while I do love the look of it, it is time to put it to rest.

I am fairly certain it is older than me.

inspired

2011-06-06T13:43:00.000-05:00

my children being kind to one another

my husband lending a hand to my parents

finishing something that I start

words in a book

my mother

an honest person

my four year old wanting to help hungry children that he saw on tv

my faith in Jesus Christ

my father

a stranger

a friend who takes a leap of faith and follows God's will for her family

my husband's unyielding support of me and my ideas

my grandparents and their conviction to serve others

my soldier cousin in Afganistan

parents who homeschool their children

my chidren's joy and laughter

my children's tears

words from a blog

aching in my heart

Martin

a song

this journey that we are all on

take time and allow yourself to be inspired

W

2011-06-04T21:28:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I found myself in a bind around dinner time and was forced to load our four lovelies in to the car. Mission at hand: get in and get out of the store as fast as humanly possible. Do not make eye contact with anyone

I had not showered.

I had been cleaning all day.

You can imagine how much I was loathing the trip to the store.

But a wife and a mother gotta do what a wife and a mother gotta do.

Feed her family dinner, of course.

Anyway.

As I was walking through the store getting the items I needed I noticed people glancing our way.

Now this isn't necessarily an unusual occurrence.

Ever since our children were very little people have glanced our way and smiled.

Or shook their heads in disbelief. Or because they had a twitch.

We have received comments on how beautiful and well behaved our children are.
We have received comments like "You sure have your hands full" and "Boy there is never a dull moment in your house."
Nothing I had not heard before.

So getting glances our way doesn't usually rub me funny.

But this day they did.

I kept looking around thinking maybe Brady was climbing up a canned goods display or Luke was chasing Micah in between the clothes racks to our left.

Nope. Neither.

Maybe I had something on my face or in my teeth.
Perhaps I had forgotten to wear a bra....again.

Or maybe it was the sheer filthiness of my hair.

I knew at this point I needed to move quickly and conquer this mission.

So that is what I did.

Later that evening as my exhausted, and now clean mind you, self got ready for bed, I glanced at the t-shirt I had worn that day. The t-shirt I wore to the store.

It was an AH HA! moment like no other.

I smiled and chuckled.

So that's why all the glances and smiles and whispers and snorts!
It wasn't my children.
It was this AWESOME shirt I was wearing that attracted so much attention.
And yes, I would do it again.

straw bale gardening

2011-06-03T09:38:00.000-05:00

I am not a gardener. I have never grown any fruit or vegetables. At least none that I can remember. I have always been intrigued with the idea of growing my own food, but never taken the time to research how to do it.

But then I was inspired and thrilled to learn about straw bale gardening from MckMama last spring. Watching her as she began sharing the process with her readers from the very start to the harvesting and then the eating! It was fun and awesome and educational.

I knew that I wanted our family to try straw bale gardening. What a great way to teach my children first hand where our food comes from. They can be a part of the process from start to finish! So, when the weather was right for planting, I went to the co-op and bought these two straw bales.

These are straw, not hay. In case you were wondering.

I actually started later in the season that I should have. Being that we live in the deep south I could have started planting sooner. But since I am new to all this I was not aware. So I only chose a few veggies. Plus I have no idea what I am actually doing! Total trial and error.

I planted red and green peppers, tomatoes, banana peppers, lavender and cantelope and watermelon in the sides of the bales. I think I planted cucumber as well. Yes, I forgot to label everything.

These pictures were taken the first day I planted. I planted marigolds in the sides to keep critters at bay and for some added color.

So this was the beginning.

I am so very pleased with the way all our veggies are growing and how easy it has been to care for our garden.

I will post recent pictures soon.

I already have ideas for next year's garden and making it bigger and better.

But for now I will tend to our garden and look forward to reaping it's benefits.

rockstar

2011-05-23T16:46:00.000-05:00

there are no words

just beauty

oh yes, and rockin' roll

Sing It Saturday

2011-05-21T18:59:00.000-05:00

Get ready to rock out with this song! Blast it loud and throw your hands up in the air and wave them like you just don't care!

Or something.

the skinny

2011-05-20T09:41:00.000-05:00

I thought you all might enjoy a post on what our four beauties are up to and in to these days. And of course with photos from our Spring Break trip to Gulf Shores.

As you can see, Luke does not care for getting his picture taken. Luke turns 11 this month. He is incredibly witty and when it comes to schoolwork he is extremely independent. He is critical of his siblings. He goes out of his way to show love to his Grandparents. He played football, basketball and baseball this year but his favorite is football. His relationship with Micah, our 7 year old son, is growing closer. He wears the same clothes days in a row. He wants and iPod for his birthday. He is full of random facts. He likes his hair long. He battles with his anger. He is becoming quite moody. He placed 2nd overall in the half-mile run at Field Day. He is mildly obsessed with sweets, like his Mama. Luke is a joy to be around and plays the recorder very well!

Madison, sweet Madison. Except when she is not sweet. Then you better take cover and let her run it out. She is emotional and has a knack for figuring out all things technology based. She still loves wearing high heels and lipstick, when we allow her to. She is a talented and graceful classical ballerina. Her memory is superb, unless it involves bringing home her planner from school. She is a social butterfly and your typical mother hen. She tattles a lot. She hates cleaning her room with a passion. Madison is a pack rat. She is very confident around boys. She runs super fast. She is happy wearing t-shirts and shorts. She does not deal with being tired well at all. She has been caught lying some lately. She loves loves loves to sing. Every night when I tuck her in bed she asks questions. Madison craves to feel accepted and loved. And I for one love her very much!

This is Bubba. That is what his Daddy calls him at least. I can not bring myself to call him that. So he is Micah to me. This kid is so cool. He is quiet around others and hardly ever gets in trouble at school. He recently got three stitches in his foot. He is a leader. He has such an amazing natural athletic ability. He never boasts. He loves all fruit. He has yet to lose any of his top teeth. He argues with his mom and dad. He has great facial expressions when telling a story. He is outside every chance he gets. He puts up with his little brother constantly following his every move extremely well. He is a man's man. He has a special relationship with my Dad. Micah claims he is bored all the time. He loves to snuggle at nighttime. He is a fisherman at heart. He has taught me to think outside the box and how to show love deliberately.

This little whipper snapper is Brady. There are so many words to describe this child, both good and not so good. To put things in perspective let me start off my saying he is four years old. He is always on the go. He is a hitter and a kicker. He doesn't listen very well. He loves boiled peanuts. His hair is long and I love it. He is obsessed with his big brother, Micah. He wants to know where we are going and who will be there. He misses his siblings while they are at school. He dresses himself every morning. He is obsessed with hats at the present time. And shorts with pockets. He describes things as beautiful a lot. He gives awesome hugs. He loves playing with kids his own age and doesn't understand when they don't want to play with him. He thinks he is 10 years old and will tell you he is five years old, neither being correct. He flashes a side mouthed smile that cracks me up and melts my heart.

in stitches

2011-05-09T10:09:00.000-05:00

I have been blogging in my head lately. Which doesn't help when I have a public blog that people read. It's just the process of getting the blog posts that are swimming around in my head on this here blog that seem to be not working out. Maybe I will get my act together soon. Maybe.

Stitches. Three stitches. That is what Micah got in his foot Saturday afternoon. If you have a weak stomach do NOT look at these pictures.

This blue eyed boy has been such a trooper. He asked the doctor a LOT of questions and continues to ask questions at home. He missed his last regular season baseball game and will more than likely not play in the tournament. Which is a real bummer because he is REALLY good and would have made All-Stars. We'll see.

To protect the guilty brother that did this to Micah, on accident of course!, he shall remain nameless. A long, very old, VERY sharp walking stick was propelled into Micah's foot. Sorrys have been said and forgiveness has been had.

Now if you will excuse me, we are off to secure a vacation spot for this summer!

caramel bars

2011-04-20T13:13:00.000-05:00

Hellooooo!(picture me saying hello like Jerry Seinfeld in that one episode. K?)

I've missed blogging.

A lot.

It is not because I haven't had anything to say or stories to share with you.

I have been enjoying life and being with my family.

And baking these.

Okay, truth be told, I made these a few months ago but am just now sharing with you. I have been busy with other stuff like taking care of four children, refereeing disagreements, getting along superbly with my husband, watering the grass and spending lots of time with my parents during this difficult one year anniversary.

But these caramel bars are so yummy I want YOU to enjoy them too!

You will need:

A bag of Kraft pea size caramel bits

5 tablespoons heavy cream

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt together the caramels and heavy cream, stirring occasionally until smooth.

2.In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir in the melted butter until well blended. Press Half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Save the rest.

3.Bake the crust for 8 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Pour the caramel mixture over the top and then crumble the remaining crust mixture over everything.

4.Return to the oven and bake for an additional 12 minutes, or until the top is lightly toasted. Cut into squares while it is still warm. Eat them and enjoy!!

This is another recipe I got from http://www.allrecipes.com/. This site really is my go-to for menu planning and yummy treats.

Just look at the gooey yummy deliciousness!

Soooo good and lasts for days!

That is if your family doesn't devour them all!

lotsa love at Weeks Bay

2011-04-13T12:17:00.000-05:00

the boys who play baseball...

2011-04-12T08:59:00.000-05:00

...and those who love them.

lists and such

2011-04-05T10:13:00.000-05:00

I have to write down things I want to remember. Otherwise, yes, I will forget them. Sticky notes are my best friend. Lists are my lifesavers.

I picked up this handy little magnetic weekly calendar for a dollar at Target last year, but just recently started implementing it in to my routine.

(before)

(after) Yeah, it doesn't stay blank for long.

Where have you been all my life little magnetic dry erase weekly calendar that stays on my fridge for quick reference?

Can you crack my code?!

act of service

2011-03-30T10:10:00.000-05:00

I awoke to this the other morning.

My husband is seriously the best!

stronger everyday

2011-03-29T09:04:00.000-05:00

My relationship grows closer and stronger everyday with this blond boy, Brady James., the baby of our bunch.

Beautiful bonding.

fifteen days

2011-03-25T09:36:00.000-05:00

We are approaching the one year mark or one year anniversary or whatever you are suppose to call it, of Martin's death. I am in disbelief that it has been a year. I am in disbelief that he is gone. I am in disbelief that the world around me can go on normal and some days it feels like I am not moving at all. Time goes by way too fast. Time. Lost time. Wasted time. Happy times. Sad times. Oh that word. Time. A pierce in my side.

My anxiety levels are high these days. Senses are heightened. I have no idea what to expect the days leading to April 9th. All I know is what I feel right now and how I felt the days after Martin's accident. Will I feel the same as I did then? It's crazy because we had no idea that Martin was going to die that day. We carried on that day like we were going to see him again. And of course he carried on that day like he was going to see tomorrow. All it took was a few seconds for it all to change. It is so hard to even express in written word my thoughts. Try to stay with me.

So now we are living our new normal. None of us are used to it or even good at it really.

I can't stop or even slow down April 9th from coming. I don't know how I will feel or what we will do that day. I wish I could control my emotions and the thoughts swimming around in my head. But that ain't gonna happen. There is no way to be prepared or brase myself...is there?

I didn't think so.

Sing It Saturday

2011-03-19T19:51:00.000-05:00

Luke and the winds of change

2011-03-16T13:39:00.000-05:00

I am sitting on my bed. It is about 1pm. Brady is beside me. This is the time of day I hit a wall and sleepiness starts to overcome me. Does this happen to you? Is there a point in the day you get really tired and have to either snap out of it because your four old has escaped and is running rampant around your neighborhood or close your eyes for a bit?

Our oldest son, Luke, is 10 years old. He will be 11 the end of May. It has happened. The beginning of the outside world penetrating our happy bubble of nothing but Christian music on the radio, inexpensive shoes from Shoe Station and Mama being the only "crush" on his mind. Say goodbye to these three things and I am sure more will follow sooner than later. How does he even know the words to the pop songs? I certainly don't listen to that music! Can we PLEASE go back to the days of NeedToBreathe, The Beatles, The Police and whateverelseIchoose!

Two weekends ago, Luke smooth talked his way into Grandmom's heart...and wallet. He was convinced he needed a new pair of basketball shoes. Not just any pair. Jordans. It took about 3.5 seconds for Grandmom's heart to melt and she was convinced he needed new shoes as well. So, off to the store we three went. He found a pair of Jordans he liked. Grandmom obliged. She even asked if he needed new shirts or shorts but he kindly said, "No thanks, I'm good." Wait...I retract that statement. What he actually said was "Mom, maybe you can just go out another day and pick me up some shirts and shorts and bring them home for me to try on." Oh please, can I! Of course my dear child, that is exactly how I want to spend my days. Driving to and from the store day after day because Picky Pickerson can't find shorts that hang exactly an inch beneath his knee. I think I would rather be punched in the face.

Really he is such a good kid. Has the best sense of humor, independent, knowledge-seeking, has a memory like no other and misses his Uncle Martin a lot. If I could freeze him and keep him 10 I would, because I hear it's all down hill for the next few years.

look who came to visit

2011-03-10T13:57:00.000-06:00

I just killed this gargantuan spider in my foyer

and I am not happy about it.

Luke would be so upset that I squashed it with my husband's flip-flop.

He would rather I transport it outside and set it free.

Sorry Luke.

I panicked.

four

2011-03-09T16:27:00.001-06:00

We had a birthday in our family last week.

Brady turned four.

There was laughing, smiling, presents, cake and ice-cream.

It was a celebration of life and love.

And apparently, shirts were optional.

untitled

2011-03-09T13:11:00.000-06:00

I have been hesitant to blog. To write down all that I have been feeling and experiencing lately. I don't exactly know why. Maybe the fear that no one will read therefore no one cares. Or maybe trying to put down in words all that is swimming in my head is just too darn hard. I am pretty much an open book as you all already know, and being that vulnerable is weighing heavy on my already skinned heart.

Today is March 9th. One month from today will mark the one year anniversary of my brother's death. How could a year have gone by already? A whole year! And how to we come to grips with the fact that Martin is not coming back. Will our lives ever be without deep sadness, worry, fear, heavy hearts and craving? Why did things have to change? Why did this have to happen to our family? We lost a brother, a son, an uncle, a godfather, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin....a best friend.

I have been robbed. Amputated.

It is raining here. Wash it clean, Lord. Wash it away.......

It's like butta!

2011-02-24T08:04:00.000-06:00

This is the result of letting our lovely seven and nine year old butter their raisin toast themselves.

Ya just can't help but smile!

straight talk

2011-02-21T08:12:00.000-06:00

It's Monday. Boooooooo! I want to rewind back to Friday and enjoy the weekend with my family again. The weather here is gorgeous. Simply perfect. We spent the majority of our weekend outside at baseball practice, birthday parties and lounging at the beach. Yes, that's right, the beach in February.

We are adding baseball practice to our after school activities and I am feeling a tad bit overwhelmed. At least until basketball season is over. The two overlap by about three weeks. I am so ready for baseball season though. I thoroughly enjoy watching my boys play. I also love the fact that families in the small town we live in also love watching their sons and daughters play. At any given time you will find parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins galore. They are cheering, smiling, fellowshipping, munching and soaking up the sun. It's really great.

My husband and I have been talking about a lot about what we want for our family, especially our children. What are the values that we want our children to take as their own and live out loud. Honesty, compassion, service to others, having a joyful heart, a strong love for the Lord and more. My husband and I are both growing in our faith and our personal relationships with God. This growth has changed our marriage and our parenting for the better, and I only see great things to come. Our family is being called by Him. I am not sure for what just yet, but I can hear Him.

Brady asked me the other day if penis was a bad word. His hair is getting really long and he is going through a growth spurt. He will be four next month.

There was a two month old baby girl sitting in front of us at church Sunday. My uterus was doing jumping jacks. My husband was wide-eyed. He has always been a sucker for babies. After church he told that my mother mouthed to him that we need one of those, while pointing to the baby girl. Yeah, he is not so sure just yet.

And on that note, I bid you farewell for now. Going to load Brady up and go for a walk down by the bay. Have a blessed day!

he bounces, he pounces

2011-02-18T07:55:00.001-06:00

This is what happens

when brothers are wrestling in their room

and the dresser drawer is left open

and he pounces directly on the corner of it.

Oh, and he made sure to show me the scratch on his wrist as well.

does yours?

2011-02-17T11:54:00.000-06:00

Does your counter ever look like this?

Sigh.

why I made the decision for our family to be part of adopting an African village

2011-02-16T10:44:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I made a bold move for our family and joined 100+ people in adopting an African Village, Ola Nagele. I feel great about my decision! But really it isn't about me. It is about something so much bigger than me.

Why did I choose to do this? Well, for a few reasons really. My heart has been heavy for awhile now to help those in need, locally and abroad. I want my family, especially my four children, to have a heart that is full of compassion, unselfish desires and pure happiness. I believe one way to achieve this is by serving others and helping those who need it the most. We have such luxuries. We are so fortunate and blessed to live in a place where anything is possible and most of our needs and wants are at an arm's length away. This is not the case for all. This is not the case for the people of Ola Nagele.

My husband and I are going through a very tough season financially. We have made arrogant choices with our money. We have not lived by a budget and are now paying the cost. It is tough. But it has been incredibly eye-opening for me. In the past, I thought my kids always had to have the cutest clothes and my house had to be decorated with the most expensive items. I was trying to keep up with the Jones', as they say. You know what I found out? I was never satisfied, content. Oh how I wanted to be content. And the Jones'? They weren't content either, though never admitting it! So I am learning to shred those desires and live within my means and live simpler. I love simple! For all kinds of stuff doesn't matter! After all, I can't take any of my stuff with me through the gates of Heaven!

Some of you might be wondering why I made the commitment to help this beautiful village in need when my own finances are unstable. Trust me, I asked myself that question too. I kept coming back to the same answers. It is a minimal amount each month. This is what we are called to do as God's people. Sacrifice, serve, love and trust in God, even in times of distress.

I learned about Ola Nagele and the organization that is paving the way, GHNI, through a blog that I follow closely, MckMama. I have never met MckMama. Nevertheless, she has touched my heart and inspired my thinking about my marriage, my parenting and my purpose. Thank you.

Now that we have committed to helping this village, we get to share in the journey thousands of miles away by receiving pictures, emails and updates about the progress. Our family gets to see the changes being made and know that we had our hands in it. And perhaps one day, we will be so blessed to be able to visit the beautiful people of Ola Nagele.

Sing It Saturday

2011-02-12T16:05:00.000-06:00

I chose a song very close to my heart for this edition of Sing It Saturday.

Something Beautiful by NeedToBreathe.

I am not sure the exact moment when I discovered this song. What I do know is that after my brother's death I listened to it a lot. I cried with this song a lot. It was a time in my life that I needed something beautiful and I wanted God to lead me to it. I was clinging to God like never before. I started to see a side of myself that I had never seen. More importantly, I started to see a side of God that I had never allowed myself to see. It was beautiful. He is beautiful.

Listen to this song. It is full of desire and analogy. Enjoy!

my interpretation of filling the gaps

2011-02-11T07:41:00.010-06:00

I was watching Rocky II the other night. I don't know about you all but I have always adored the Rocky movies. Ever since I was a young girl these movies have touched my heart. I am sure some of you are chuckling and shaking your head right now. That's OK. To each his own. You say tomato, I say tomato.

Anywhoooooo.

You all know the basic story line. If you don't, walk away from the computer right now and get yourself to your local video store and rent all the Rocky movies and watch them. OK so maybe just the first four, but still. Do it.

There is a scene in Rocky II that I love. Rocky is talking to his brother-in-law, Paulie, about Adrianne, Rocky's wife. You have to understand Paulie and his character, but he is asking Rocky what he sees in Adrianne, why does he love her. Rocky's reply is simply, honest and couldn't be closer to the truth. Rocky tells Paulie that Adrianne "fills the gaps". He goes on to say that he has gaps and she has gaps but together they fill those gaps. Those were not his exact words, to be sure. But you hopefully get the point at hand.

I know for myself I got huge gaps. Gaping gaps. So does my husband. We are human. Married humans. I never thought about the amount of work that goes in to keeping a marriage afloat. Man oh man. My husband and I are learning how to work hard at our marriage. It has not been as easy road, but it is a road we are committed to traveling together. Through thick and thin, through fights and nasty looks, through words misspoken and actions deceitful, we will continue filling the gaps for each other.

Oh what's that you say? You want me to share what some of our gaps are? OK. You asked for it!

I am pretty confrontational. My husband is so NOT confrontational.

I tend to be pretty emotional when dealing with marriage matters. My husband stays fairly even keeled. Drives me batty!

I am a doer and a go-getter. Hy husband takes his time and thinks about things for awhile before acting on them.

Sometimes words just start flying out of my mouth before I have the chance to think about how it will make the other person feel. My husband thinks about every word that will come out of his mouth for at least 30 seconds, most of the time even longer.

He likes salty. I like sweet.

A match made in Heaven! At least, that's what I think. God knew what he was doing when he put us together. I love my husband. Dagnabbit I do!!! Together, we are gap filling fools!

all the live long day

2011-02-10T15:16:00.001-06:00

Are there certain accessories, like earrings or bracelets, that you wear all the time? Maybe you don't even take them off at night.

I wear this red and black bracelet in remembrance of my brother who died last April. I take it off at night.

It is such a comfort having it on my wrist at all times. It is like Martin is with us.

I also wear a white number seven silly band that Micah gave me last month. I do not take it off at night.

I have my ears pierced twice. In my second hole I wear a pair of diamond earrings that my husband gave me while we were dating. I take them out every day and then to clean them.

What about you? What do you wear all the live long day?

her school work is driving her to tears!

2011-02-10T09:09:00.000-06:00

My daughter is struggling in school. Precious Madison is nine years old and in the third grade. It really doesn't seem to bother Madison at all that she is bringing home D's and even some F's on tests. It certainly bothers me though. I feel that it is my fault. I am the parent who is home, who is suppose to be ensuring that all my children are learning and preparing for studies and tests. It is up to me right? I am so torn.

My oldest, Luke, is ten years old and in fourth grade. He is a completely different student than Madison. Luke is independent and absorbs his studies right off the bat. It seems to come naturally for him. Sweet Madison, on the other hand, her strengths come in different areas. She is very smart but tends to get distracted very easily and rushes to get school work done so she can move on to better things. The rushing causes her to make mistakes, often silly mistakes. Maddie's technical knowledge and kindness of heart(except for her little brother, Micah, whom she constantly fights with and tends to be less than kind to) towards others is amazing and beautiful to see in a nine year old girl. I couldn't be more proud of her!

But I am concerned. I struggle with traditional school in a few aspects. We have considered homeschooling for our children but have not taken the plunge. There have been times, especially this school year, that I have been faced with traditional school teachers not realizing that children learn differently and at different paces. A teacher sees a child progressing at a slower and different pace and a huge red flag is thrown up. To me, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Each child is so individualized and commands different learning techniques. That is what makes us so unique and special! I know it is probably impossible for most school teachers to adhere to all their students many different ways of learning. The teacher has her/his own way of teaching and therefore all their students are expected to learn that way. Especially in a classroom of 25+ children. But this is exactly where I am, and have been, having a problem with traditional schooling. Now that my own children are getting older and coming in to their own, so to speak, at school, I am finding out how each of my three school age children are such different learners. Madison is very hands on and needs a visual explanation to help her absorb her learning. It may take her four or five times, sometimes more, to really grasp what she are studying and be ready to hash it out on a quiz or test. Maybe she gets nervous during test taking. Maybe she is too worried what other kids around her are doing and what number they are on. I just don't know.

Of course my husband and I have talked to Madison about her performance in school. More than once. As I said before, it really doesn't seem to bother her. She is just in third grade. Should it truly be bothering her at this tender age? She gets so stressed and distraught doing her homework at times. She ends up in tears. I end up in tears. It just doesn't seem right. She is in school from 7:45am to 3pm. She comes home with more work to be finished and some nights the workload is very heavy. Am I wrong in thinking homework should be at a minimum? I think homework should be a quick review and more emphasise on installing a love for reading. I believe reading at this age should be a priority. But after the hours of homework, dinner and bath there is no time for reading. Sigh.

Madison is so precious. She is a joy and brings laughter and femininity to a house full of wild boys. She is so smart. I just want to do right by her, you know. I want her to enjoy school and learning. I want her desire for learning to last a lifetime. I do not want her to get discouraged and think for a second that she is not smart. But I am afraid that is what is beginning to happen.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we figure all this out. I would love to hear from any of you that might want to share your own school stories. What works for your family in terms of studying? Do you home school? Is your child struggling? Please leave a comment.

I miss Martin

2011-02-09T10:25:00.000-06:00

I miss my brother, Martin. I miss his smile. His laugh. The way he walked and the sound of his voice saying my name. I miss seeing him clean the kitchen after a huge meal was had. I miss playing Apples to Apples with him. I miss him fighting with his niece and nephews. I miss him playing and teaching his niece and nephews. I miss his argumentative spirit. I miss seeing him talk to my Mom and Dad. I miss hearing my Mom tell me he is out with his friends. I miss seeing him at church and watching him sneak out early. I miss him eating frozen pizza. I miss knowing that he is right down the street and I can go see him anytime I want to. I miss him.......

playtime

2011-02-07T09:08:00.000-06:00

It was a day just like any other day. By 9 o'clock Brady and I had played with dinosaurs, built a huge Batman cave with giant blocks, raced our cars up and down the living room floor and eaten numerous spoonfuls of peanut butter for snack. I was desperate for a distraction from me for my little guy.

I told Brady to round up his construction trucks and meet me at the table. He said, "My what?!" Your construction trucks honey. He then wrinkled his nose and said, "I don't know what your talkin bout." Your worker trucks honey. You know the ones. He then ran to his room without saying a word and I assumed he had an ah-ah moment. And he did.

He played for a good while with rice and his worker trucks. Pouring the rice in the dump truck and then dumping it out. It gave me a chance to rest my limbs that had been climbed upon off and on all morning. Do you ever feel like a human jungle gym? I sure do.

We also got out cookie cutters and played with them. These were actually mine when I was young that my Mom has passed down to my kids. Check out Ronald McDonald.

I always love hearing from other moms and what they do for creative play. Feel free to comment with your own playtime ideas and adventures. Happy playing!

I think about....

2011-02-01T16:58:00.000-06:00

dinner menus for the week.

finances.

if i will ever get my hair cut.

why I suffer from what seems to be anxiety all of a sudden.

when my husband will decide to quit smoking.

homeschooling Micah.

shipping my rambunctious three year old off to boarding school.

why there are always dirty dishes in my sink.

why I feel sad sometimes during the day.

having another baby.

chocolate.

moving to the country and living off the land.

taking my family on a mission trip.

if I will have to endure the pain of losing a child like my parents are.

heaven and wonder what it is like.

my brother.

warm weather.

what that nasty smell is in my car.

i should have been a rockstar.

going to Zumba classes.

getting together with my girlfriends more.

how I can improve my marriage.

how I can be a better follower of Christ.

trying to do a cartwheel for my daughter.

cutting my hair really short.

I think about all these things....and so much more.

What's on your mind these days?

show me happy!

2011-01-31T19:30:00.000-06:00

The other day I decided to capture some photographs of Brady. He was nagging me about something so to diverge the three year old I quickly grabbed my camera and told him to SMILE!

Amazingly enough, he did.

I said show me a sad face...

...and he did(sorta).

I said show me a surprised face...

...and he did(kinda).

I said show me happy...

...and he basically bucked his teeth.

I said show me scary...

...and this was all I got.

I then said show me dinosaur scary...

...and got this! Intense.

I said show me the face you would make if Batman was right in front of you...

...and this is the face he makes.

I said show me super silly...

...and this is what came next.

I said show me kind and loving...

...and sure enough he did.

And sure enough he is.

sing it Saturday

2011-01-29T17:10:00.000-06:00

I was torn on which song to share today. My emotions have been all over the map the past week. Should I choose a happy song, a sad song, a song about Heaven or a song about dying? I chose to share a song about forgiveness. The song is Forgiven by Skillet, and it is for my children. All four of them LOVE Skillet! And I love that they love Skillet!

The words ring such truth. No matter how many promises have been broken, no matter how many lies have been told or how many times we have denied Him, He has and will always forgive us. Isn't that amazing! I myself find it so hard to truly forgive my husband for even the small stuff at times. And just like that, He forgives me for my sins! I should be ashamed!

So sit back and enjoy and know in your heart from this day forward that you are forgiven.

nothing like fried cinnamon strips to keep your worries at bay

2011-01-28T08:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I tried to keep my thoughts and worries at bay by baking. I made egg salad for myself for lunch. It was yummo! Then, for the first time ever, I made fried cinnamon strips.

I had printed the recipe off allrecipes.com, which I use a lot for menu planning for our family of six, a long time ago. Finally decided yesterday I was going to whip up a batch. And I am so very glad I did. And so were my children when I surprised them with this amazing after school snack.

Is your mouth watering just by looking at them? Yeah, mine neither.

What you will need:

sugar

cinnamon

nutmeg

flour tortillas

oil

The amounts of all the ingredients really depends on how many you want to make. Start by mixing the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large resealable plastic bag.

Cut tortillas into 3x5 strips or squares. Heat about 1 inch of oil in a skillet. You could use a fryer but I do not know how to work ours so I used said skillet. I fried 4 strips at a time for about 20 seconds on each side, or until they were golden brown. Drain on paper towel.

While tortillas are still warm put a few in the plastic bag with sugar mixture and shake gently to coat. Serve immediately or put in container.

They are scrumptious!

Now go make a batch for the weekend and enjoy!

ballerina

2011-01-25T07:26:00.000-06:00

Madison has taken classical ballet since she was three years old. She loves to dance. And sing. And wear high heels, but that will be addressed in a different post! I, as her mommy, love love love to watch her dance. She is graceful, a leader and ever evolving in her growth as a dancer.

Recitals are always a blast. It takes me back to my days of dancing and performing. The tutus, the bobby pins, the tights, the lights, the stage markers, the scenery, the costumes, the makeup, the clapping, the roses....I could go on and on.

How could I forget the snacking in between dances!

The thrill of it all can not be replaced! Nor the tremendous sense of accomplishment and desire to do it all over again at the end of the show.

My darling ballerina! May you always take time to dance.

straight talk

2011-01-24T08:55:00.000-06:00

There seems to be a glitch with Google or Blogger or someone because my header picture is not sized correctly. Hopefully they will resolve this issue soon. You'd think, at least.

It is Monday. The weekend is over. Back to the grind. Luke and Maddie had basketball games Saturday. My dad came home from his two week Asia tour Friday. We are so glad to have him back! We finally presented my parents with their Christmas gift. Every year we create a 12 month calendar for them with pictures of our family. This year we used Vistaprint and were thoroughly satisfied. We will be using them every year from now on!!

We went to church yesterday and I had the feeling I was going to faint again. Twice in three days that has happened. I guess it is back to the doc for me. Blah! We ate lunch with my parents and then went to their house to watch football and let the boys shoot their guns. My husband made targets and hung them on trees. We all got the chance to shoot. And for those of you wondering, yes, I hit the bulls eye! Oh, you weren't wondering. Sorry!

I am reading Coming Back Stronger by Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints. It was actually given to my husband as a gift but one night I started to read it and now I can't stop. I really like Drew Brees and his story of adversity and faith is inspiring.

I need a haircut and so do Luke and Micah.

And on that note, have a great Monday!

sing it Saturday!

2011-01-22T11:01:00.000-06:00

My husband and I are big Mat Kearney fans.

If you haven't heard his music you really ought to listen!

This is my first attempt to post a music video so here goes nothing!

Enjoy sing it Saturday with 'Nothing Left to Lose' by Mat Kearney.

my blue eyed birthday boy!

2011-01-20T08:05:00.000-06:00

This blue eyed wonder boy, who's baby brother is on top of his every move, as you can clearly see here, is seven years old today!

My how time goes by. I am so blessed to be this little jewel's Mommy.

He is kind to others, a great story teller, awesome at math, a truly amazing athlete who will do great things with his talent, a man's man, has piercing blue eyes, has at least eight different nicknames given to him by his Daddy and captured my heart this day seven years ago!

Happy Birthday Micah! May God bless you today on your seventh birthday! I love you with all my heart!

Nola

2011-01-17T10:44:00.000-06:00

We took a trip to New Orleans the weekend before Christmas. It was a crisp cool weekend but the sun shone bright. My parents were with us. It was actually my Dad's brilliant idea in the first place.

We rode a streetcar, saw the SuperDome, went to the Insectarium, walked around the city a lot and played at Audubon park.

Oh yes, and we played in these feather Mardi Gras wraps.

And hats.

Can you guess what covers Micah's nose and lips?

If you guessed powdered sugar you are right!! We couldn't visit NOLA without getting drenched in powdered sugar while eating beignets at Cafe du Monde.

One of the oldest traditions in New Orleans are the street artists. We watched in awe of these guys for a good while.

We had a wonderful time in New Orleans. It is great to visit this city during the holiday season with all the lights, decorations, music and hustle and bustle. I was sure hoping to run into Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints but, alas, we did not. Next time!

that about sums it up

2011-01-13T21:35:00.000-06:00

Well...we are 13 days in to 2011. Say good-bye to 2010. What a year it was! 2010 was a year of highs and some of the lowest lows I have ever experienced.

To name a few:

Our oldest son, Luke, turned 10. He is now in double digits which of course is a huge deal. And let me just say what an amazing kid he is. Such a joy to be around, truly. He is incredibly witty, obedient, has a thirst for knowledge and has grown by leaps and bounds in so many ways emotionally. I think a lot of that has to do with losing his Uncle Martin.

Micah learned to read and came such great lengths in his speech. Micah's teacher told us that he was the kindest child she had ever taught. And she has been teaching a long time! He also played football for the first time and was trained to be one of the quarterbacks for next year. He lost his first tooth. He turned 6.

Madison received First Holy Communion. She proved herself time and time again to have a heart of gold and compassion towards others. She was the flower girl in her Aunt's wedding. She turned 9.

After months of trials and tribulations, Brady was 100% potty trained in 2010. He was the, ahem, ring bearer in his Aunt's wedding. He learned how to say the word 'fix' correctly. He used to say 'fisk'. I honestly miss hearing him say fisk!

As for my marriage, again highs and lows. My husband and I have been going to counseling. We love our counselor and feel blessed to have a Godly mentor leading us down the path to healing.

The lowest low of 2010, and possibly my life up to now, was the death of my brother, Martin, in April. He was only 16 years old. Tears flow as I write that sentence. Still so shocking and unreal. It has stirred up questions and emotions so vulnerable and childlike. I have never been so interested in knowing and studying all about Heaven. I have never plummeted so deep ino my faith and relationship with God. I felt, and still feel, it was the only way to make sense of this pain and loss.

2010 was a year for grieving, clinging, crying, comforting, remembering, honoring, reading, squeezing, belonging, yearning, missing and believing.

Yep.............that about sums it up!

Name That Photo

2010-11-28T08:14:00.001-06:00

If you were going to give this photo a name

what would it be?

part of a plan

2010-11-27T13:30:00.000-06:00

Are you a planner? Do you keep a calendar filled with color coded phrases on any given day to represent where you will be and what you will be doing? Me too, sort of. I have to. With four children and a husband I need some sense of a plan. Writing things down for me is essential in my world. I am a lover of to do lists. And what joy I get from checking off a task from my to-do list. Feels goooood!

I have a calendar for my own family to keep track of school and church activities, appointments, birthdays and anything else I want to remember. At the same time though, I enjoy spontaneity. Especially when it involves our family. It pretty much comes with the territory of having four children. They themselves are spontaneous, emotional and playful.

Now more than ever before, I often think about the plan for my life. I know I sure don't have it mapped out. But I am confident in the fact that God does. He has a plan. For all of us. He knows every move we make, even before we make it. Not to say that knowing God knows the map for my life makes it any easier to make decisions on my own. No way. In fact, it sometimes makes it more difficult to know what is the right thing to do. What does He want me to do. I mean, in every situation we have a choice. Knowing the choice that God wants us to choose and what is right for our family isn't always plain as day. For example my husband and I have been contemplating taking our three school out of traditional school and start homeschooling them. This would be huge for our family! What a leap of faith! I never in a bazillion years thought I would be considering this for our children. But, nonetheless, it has been heavy on my heart and I needed to pursue researching and praying about it. Is homeschooling in our future? Is it part of our family's plan? How do I know if it is the right schooling for our children? Am I beating a dead horse with all the research and talking to families in our area who already homeschool?

I believe God had a plan for my brother's life. And his death. It continues to be a shock that Martin is dead. It is so final. At least for his life here on this earth. God knew exactly how long Martin would be on this earth. He knew what the events would consist of leading up to Martin's car accident. We were blessed with precious memories and unforgettable photographs.

For those of us aching and longing for one more day with Martin, we must turn to the notion that Martin is safely in the arms of Jesus Christ. And that is exactly where he is supposed to be. For this was the plan for him all along. For me, when I get terribly sad and feel as if nothing will ever be right again, I call out to God for a sign. A sign of His divine plan for my brother and our family. I need that comfort to get out of the depths of despair and go on.

I have moments of doubt and hopelessness. I often think it's just not fair and question God's decision to take Martin. I cry. I feel very alone. I miss him.

Nonetheless, life goes on. Even though my life, as I knew it, came to a screeching halt nearly eight months ago, I must pick myself up and continue on. I have responsibilities to attend to and people who depend on me. I've got to stay focused in my planning for our family and His plan for my own life. I will cling to my faith and my family. I will keep my nose in the Scriptures and my eye's and heart upon Him. I will seek Him first and know that He is the ultimate Planner and I am part of His ultimate plan!

picture perfect

2010-11-27T08:47:00.001-06:00

It doesn't get any easier

as our children get older

to capture a photograph

with all four of our lovelies

wide eyed and smiling.

2 and 4

2010-11-26T07:59:00.001-06:00

a lighthouse

2010-11-25T07:56:00.000-06:00

Some of the most fun the kids had on our recent trip up North, was seeing a lighthouse and Lake Michigan. We were in Michigan City, Indiana. Yes Indiana. No, not Michigan. Try to stay with me.

It was a beautiful day with just the right amount of chilled wind. My father-in-law took us on this particular adventure.

We walked to the lighthouse along a cement path and overlooking Lake Michigan. Luke was especially thrilled that he was getting to see one of the Great Lakes.

Walking along the edge of the light house was not scary at all with four small children and no railing at times.

We made it, obviously. The view was lovely up, down and all around.

My husband kept saying how he couldn't believe how calm the lake was.

I mean honestly, what was he expecting? White caps and pounding waves?!

Happy Thanksgiving!

back in the sadle

2010-11-19T08:13:00.000-06:00

Home again, home again, jiggity jig!!

Aaahhhhh. That is the sound of feeling good to get back to our home. We had a wonderful visit with my husband's family and wouldn't have missed Aunt Rachel's wedding for anything! I was reminded how good it is to spend time with our loved ones and the importance of telling our family we love them and they are dear to us. We all need to hear that every now and again.

Aunt Rachel's wedding ceremony was beautiful. She was beautiful! Our very own Maddie Robyn did a flawless job as Flower Girl. She was in her element, for sure. Brady James as the Ring Bearer....not so much. He was loud, constantly on the move and cute as a button all at once! He was an unstoppable force. Still is. But the show went on and I do's were exchanged!

Then the par-tay began.

We ate. We drank. We were merry. After dinner the unstoppable force fell fast asleep in my husband's arms. Or was in my arms? I can't remember. But I do know I held him the majority of the night and watched my family cut a rug! Luke was a sight to see. Our oldest son danced at a wedding for the first time. My heart beamed with joy watching he and my husband share this time together. Luke did everything my husband did, from roll up his sleeves to loosen his tie and clap his hands. It was precious. Pretty soon Luke was on his own letting loose and busting moves. I sat with Brady in my arms and couldn't take my eyes off them. If I could have froze that moment in time, I would have.

Pictures? Why, of course I have pictures. Only 438! But you will have to wait. Why? Well I have been busy doing other things like unpacking, catching up on laundry, helping children with make-up work, wiping up spilled milk and sifting through 610 emails. That's why.

Gotta run...Brady is on the move.

President Roosevelt

2010-11-18T11:05:00.000-06:00

This excerpt from a 1905 speech by President Theodore Roosevelt was in my inbox today. I felt led to share it with you all.

Speaking to the National Congress of Mothers, he said:

No piled-up wealth, no splendor of material growth, no brilliance of artistic development, will permanently avail any people unless its home life is healthy ...
No ordinary work done by a man is either as hard or as responsible as the work of a woman who is bringing up a family of small children; for upon her time and strength demands are made not only every hour of the day but often every hour of the night ...
The woman who is a good wife, a good mother, is entitled to our respect as is no one else ...

What powerful words spoken by our president. Wouldn't it be nice to hear these same sentiments from our current president? Or any president in years passed for that matter.

a kitty and two bears

2010-11-08T09:09:00.000-06:00

Yes, our children went trick-or-treating this year.

No, Luke did not dress up this year.

Yes, my daughter is the cutest kitty cat in the whole wide world.

And yes, Brady is a Chicago Bears football player picking his nose.

bedside table

2010-10-26T08:19:00.001-05:00

What's on your bedside table right now?

I am starting to think....

2010-10-25T09:22:00.000-05:00

...my kids are growing up way too fast.

I am starting to think they truly will be grown up and on their own in the blink of an eye.

I am starting to think I don't want to miss a moment of their childhood days.

I am starting to think we are not a traditional family.

I am starting to think I'm okay with that.

I am starting to think traditional schooling is not in our children's future.

I am starting to think our family is being called to do more.

I am starting to think our oldest son, who is ten years old, is turning into such a caring and considerate young man.

I am starting to think our only daughter has such a compassionate heart that longs to help and guide others in a big way.

I am starting to think our six year old son's thirst for knowledge is going to take him to great places.

I am starting to think our youngest son, who is three, needs to channel his insane amount of energy into helping other kids his age learn the importance of playing outside.

I am starting to think...can you tell?

Have you seen this man?

2010-10-19T08:51:00.000-05:00

Last seen wearing a blue shirt, khaki shorts and sporting a huge grin on his face. He has sandy blond hair, sea blue eyes and what appears to be a thick mustache.

He claims to be 19 years old.

If you see this man let him know his mommy loves him dearly!

Please Excuse the Mess.....

2010-10-15T07:18:00.000-05:00

While I Remodel My Blog Over the Next Few Days!

Have a Great Weekend Everyone!

imagination

2010-10-12T08:18:00.000-05:00

Isn't this the cutest! We stumbled across it on a hike our family took.

What does this look like to you?

busy bee with a heavy heart

2010-10-10T22:10:00.000-05:00

We are the bee family.
The bee family has been very buzzzzzy.
Haha, buzzzzzy.....get it!
Bees make a buzz sound.....

OK it's not funny.

Well we have been busy, that is for sure and not at all funny. Well at times it has. It has been tiring, wonderful, exhausting, hilarious, productive, did I mention tiring?

My husband was gone all last week on a business trip. So very glad to have him home. The kids missed their daddy bunches.

Do you ever talk and feel as though no one is listening? Like talking to all four of my children at the same time. Sometimes I feel out numbered and ignored. I get looks of confusion and perplexity. "Mom is that a second head growing from your neck?" "Mom is that a pig flying in the sky behind you?" I doubt that my children are actually asking these questions in their heads, but there are times when the looks on their cute little faces looks as if they might be.

I love my children oh so very much. And I want the best for them. I want to leave a legacy. My heart has been heavy lately with all sorts of desires for our family. As a family we are going to start volunteering once a month in our community. I want us all to know how blessed we truly are and be able to unselfishly give to others.

Our family is purging, simplifying and organizing. We had a garage sale this past weekend and sold clothes, furniture, toys, electronics, household items, baby items and more. We were very pleased with the outcome and got to know neighbors we never even met before!

What's up with all the birthday parties? Since school started we have had at least one birthday party to go to every weekend. My new favorite gift to give. Sonic gift cards. $5 bucks buys a kid a meal. Love it!

slurpy slurp

2010-10-02T17:31:00.000-05:00

trail mix

2010-09-30T22:27:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to mix it up a bit when it comes to our kids school snacks. I know they get tired of the same old snacks and frankly my husband and I get tired as well. I have to be honest and tell you most mornings my dear husband packs their lunches. Isn't he a gem!

The other week I made my very own trail mix and it was a hit, for the most part. And it was cheap! Here is what I put in ours.

Yummy peanuts.

Sweet raisins.

Delicious dried cranberries.

Sunflower kernels.

Dark chocolate chips(kids favorite).

Pita chips(not a favorite of our crew).

Mini marshmallows.

Cheerios.

And there you have it! No measuring needed. I just added, mixed and sampled, added, mixed and sampled!

You know, to make sure it was OK for the kids to eat.

And it was.

I even went so far as to have ziploc bags already pre-assembled in the pantry for the kids to enjoy after school or to make it easy to throw in a lunch box.

Now get mixin!

team spirit charms!

2010-09-27T11:08:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: There is suppose to be an image of the coolest SEC charms I speak of, but CLEARLY it is not showing up. I am working on fixing this problem. Fell free the click the links below to see additional images or email me. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Aren't these the coolest team spirit charms ever! Don't worry if you are not an SEC fan, there is a charm combination for every team.

You can create a necklace or bracelet in silver or gold.

To see all the broilette colors, there are fourteen, and the initial charms go to http://www.stelladot.com/jessicazdyb. Click on the charms tab.

You can even show your children you are their #1 sports fan by having their school initials and/or colors on a charm necklace!

I love it!

weepy is me

2010-09-26T14:37:00.000-05:00

Boy have I been weepy lately. For about the past week I have weeped every day. I'm talking crocodile tears and deep breaths of pure sadness, fear and hurt.

Yesterday I was driving home by myself from the grocery store and started weeping. I was thinking about my brother mostly. I was going over in my head all the events in life I am going to miss not sharing with him. Him graduating high school and then choosing a college to attend. His first girlfriend. Tennis matches and spring break vacations. His first job. Meeting the girl of his dreams and help planning their wedding. Oh how I ache when I think about all that I am going to miss. I miss him.

And then, as I was driving and weeping, the most amazing thing happened. In between tears, I looked up at the sky to my left and there it was. The most beautiful and vivid rainbow I have ever seen. My heart was shaken! I knew at that very moment Martin was looking down on me, comforting me. He was with me, as he always is. In my heart.

I was also reminded of God's promise and love. He is such a good God! He will never forsake me. He will never give me more than I can handle. Martin is in good hands.

my boys

2010-09-22T13:36:00.001-05:00

take one...

2010-09-19T15:37:00.000-05:00

...take six...

...take twelve...

...take twenty...

...take twenty-six...

...take two hundred and ninety-eight.

Just kidding!

It wasn't THAT bad!

I am blessed

2010-09-14T10:01:00.001-05:00

I am blessed to be alive.

I am blessed to have been raised by wonderful, forgiving and loving parents.

I am blessed to have a husband who is genuine, hard working and willing.

I am blessed to have four beautiful, unique, special and kind hearted children.

I am blessed to be able to see, walk, write and speak.

I am blessed to have this opportunity to share with you all how I am feeling at any given time.

I am blessed to have a Saviour who has forgiven me and continues to do so as I navigate my way through this life as a sinner.

I am blessed to have a husband who makes me laugh all the time.

I am blessed to have a father who is sturdy and steadfast.

I am blessed to have a mother who is generous and God-fearing.

I am blessed to have a family.

I am blessed to have had my brother in my life for sixteen wonderful years.

I am blessed to be able to learn and constantly work on becoming more like Christ Jesus.

I am so very blessed.

straight talk

2010-09-13T13:55:00.000-05:00

I am sitting down attempting to get in some quick straight talk while Brady sleeps. He had a rough morning and fell asleep in my lap while I was talking to my husband on the phone. He has picked up some potty words(Brady, not my husband) from his older siblings and it has been quite the challenge to rid him of them. The weather here is gorgeous so Brady and I played at the park this morning while we waited for my mom to get her hair cut.

I am still contemplating homeschooling our children. I have gotten in touch with one family from our church and hope to talk to others in our area. There is so much information it is overwhelming to research online. One great benefit I see is having our oldest three, or at least our oldest two, learning the exact same things! They are so close in age that pairing some subjects would be ideal and concentrate on English and writing on an individual basis. So much about homeschooling just makes sense. I met a woman at the park today and her daughter has 36 kids in her 5th grade class. That is a lot of students! Too many, if you ask me.

Our Saturdays from now until mid November are filled with football games. The boys each had their first games this past Saturday and what a blast we all had. My husband coaches Luke's team. Madison cheers for Luke's team. Micah is a running back and safety. Luke plays defensive end and center.

I am still reading(and loving) the book Sacred Marriage. It has only taken me about seven months so far. I am starting a book club that focuses on God's plan for our marriages and the woman's role in marriage. I am really looking forward to the fellowship.

My mom and I are driving to Atlanta tomorrow and staying until Wednesday. I am attempting to get everything in order for my husband who will be juggling all things little for the next two days. He is such as awesome father, I have complete faith in him!

I am off now to take some Advil for a neck ache I can't get rid of. Happy Monday!

an apple a day....

2010-09-13T08:53:00.001-05:00

...kept Brady contained for a good ten minutes during 1 of 2 football games on Saturday.

#7

2010-09-12T20:50:00.000-05:00

HE!

COULD!

GO!

ALL!

THE!

WAY!

Shoulder bump from teammate in celebration.

Way to go, Micah! We are so very proud of you!

for the love of frogs!

2010-09-10T14:04:00.000-05:00

This kid

loves creepy crawlies, especially

frogs. We are still learning how to touch them and hold them gently.

You know, so we don't ~~squish~~ love them to death.

This frog actually survived the death grip of one small three year old that adores frog catching.

Others...not so lucky.

war wound

2010-09-09T21:17:00.000-05:00

This

what

football

all about.

mow the lawn

2010-09-04T16:09:00.000-05:00

My mom gave Brady a lawn mower last week and he has been wanting so badly to help daddy mow the lawn with his mow the lawn. That is what he calls it, his mow the lawn.

"Mama where is my mow the lawn?"

"It is outside in the rain."

Right after the lawn mower was bestowed upon him, it rained for three days straight. Finally the sun came around again and daddy needed help mowing the lawn. Brady was super pumped.

Ready, set, go!

Not quite sure what Brady is doing here.

Just like daddy.

By his side.

Hurry up!

Working hard.

running thin

2010-09-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

Is anyone listening? Can anyone hear me?

Do you ever have days when it seems as though no one is listening to you? You speak clearly, you ask nicely hoping for a glimmer of a notion towards a response.

I had one of those days today so I decided to stop talking altogether, get in bed and blog about it.

Brady was not listening or obeying today. He was acting out by throwing things and screaming at the top of his lungs. By mid afternoon I was spent with that one. My patience was at an all time low. All I wanted to do was sit down for five bleeping minutes but before I knew it, it was time to load up in the car again and head to the school.

I had to pick Micah up from school and take him to speech. Find something to do for thirty measly minutes, pick Micah up from speech and head back to school to scoop up Luke and Maddie. Go home for about an hour and get homework and studying done and load up again to take boys to football. You following me so far?

In the midst of getting the boys ready to go Micah decided that playing football makes him too sweaty and he is quitting. Um excuse me? I don't think I heard you correctly. You have been talking about playing football for months! You can't just quit! And you get sweaty when step out the door so that is just a silly excuse.

Come to find out, at the heart of the matter, there was a much bigger reason Micah didn't want to play football. It is amazing to me how much he loves his daddy and begs for his approval and praise! How we should all strive for such approval and praise from our heavenly Father!

Back to no one listening. After school routine was a bust. I was talking talking talking and my words just fell flat, as if I never spoke them at all. I wanted a do-over. My voice was tired and my will running thin.

And now my husband sits in front of the tv and all I want from him is to ask me how my day was.

roasted chickpeas

2010-08-30T12:27:00.000-05:00

My children do not eat beans. No way, no how...they say. Beans are so very good for you sweet children of mine, I say to them. Still, not gonna happen. So I searched and searched for some kid-friendly bean recipes. To my delight I came across a roasted chickpea recipe. My kids love to snack on nuts. I thought perhaps roasting the chickpeas would make them crunchy, salty and lead my children to believe they are enjoying a fantastic snack of roasted nuts. Nothing to lose, eh!

You will need 1 15 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans. 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Kosher salt or sea salt to taste. I used sea salt.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.

Toss chickpeas with olive oil and sea salt.

Spread out in an even layer on a baking sheet.

Roast for 30 minutes.

Turn heat down to 375 degrees F.

Stir chickpeas and roast another 5-15 minutes, until chickpeas are golden brown. Be careful not to burn them. I had to roast mine 15 minutes to get them perfectly crunchy. Oven temps may vary so watch them carefully.

Taste and adjust seasoning. I added sea salt to mine.

There is a perfect point when the chickpeas become crunchy and golden, almost like nuts. Roast them too long, and they get too hard. Too short, and they taste too soft.

Enjoy! We all sure did.

uniquely yours

2010-08-29T16:30:00.000-05:00

Two of my very favourite pieces of jewelry are my Stella & Dot charm necklace and charm bracelet. They are completely unique and full of sentiment. I had so much fun personalizing each piece. The neatest thing of all is that I can mix and match the charms and such. Take a look.

I started off by choosing my base necklace and/or base bracelet.

There are different chain lengths to choose from in silver or gold.

There is also a leather necklace base.

Here is the darling silver bangle to put your personlized charms on.

Or an aqua or pink silk base that can be worn as a necklace or bracelet.

And just look at all the gloriously dainty charms to add to your base to make it 100% unique and full of sentiment.

Birthstone broilettes.

Initial charms.

Inspiration charms.

Relationship charms.

Symbol charms.

Trinket stones.

There are even earrings to personalize.

This charm collection gives you an everyday, everyway piece that says so much about you!

Better yet, give it as a gift!

If you, or someone you know, would love their very own personalized Stella & Dot charm necklace or bracelet leave me a comment or email me at jessicazdyb@yahoo.com. Please include charm collection in the subject.

him and his shadow

2010-08-28T08:27:00.001-05:00

Our youngest two boys seriously love one another. Micah had no idea that when he was blessed with a little brother over three years ago he would also gain another shadow. Where Micah goes, Brady is sure to follow. Anything Micah does, Brady is trying it as well.

Take this photo for example. Micah LOVES to "look handsome". He adores dressing up when we go to church or out to eat. Partnering a tie with a polo is one of Micah's many fashion statements. The other day Brady had to get involved with Micah's signature statement.

Could they BE any cuter?

Sorry, I meant, more handsome.

scrub-a-dub

2010-08-27T12:27:00.000-05:00

I am fairly certain these two goofs had more giggles and wiggles than scrubbing and dub-ing. Is that even a word? Either way it wasn't had by these boys.

Who am I?

2010-08-26T12:51:00.000-05:00

1. I love to fish.

2. My favorite sport is football.

3. I am a big athlete.

Who am I?

If you guessed our oldest son, Luke, then give yourself a big pat on the back because that is correct!

At Luke's parent/teacher meeting night, moms and dads had to walk around the classroom and guess which self portrait was our child, based on the three clues given. As soon as I saw the above listed clues, I knew I had found Luke's portrait. The three clues were really helpful and I can spot Luke's handwriting a mile away.

I am a big athlete?! My, we think highly of ourselves don't we! In Luke's defense he is a perfectly well-rounded child who excels in both academics and sports. I am not at all bias. Ahem!

I do have to wonder what is up with the mustache and black turtleneck. Luke can't stand wearing a polo for more that an hour at church let alone a restraining turtleneck!

The stache is just hilarious!

the view from here

2010-08-24T20:10:00.000-05:00

This was the view from our backyard Sunday afternoon as a storm came rolling in.

Always Remembered, Martin

2010-08-22T07:49:00.002-05:00

Soon after my brother's death, a few of the service groups at his school made these wristbands. They read 'Always Remembered, Martin.' My parents and I were so very proud and humbled from the amazing act of honoring our Martin. The support Bayside Academy has shown our entire family has been astonishing. Martin's friends and classmates, the faculty and staff, and head master have shown such compassion. We have been incredibly impressed with his group of friends. These young men and women pulled together during such a tragic time and gave support, strength, and understanding where needed. Martin was blessed.

Martin's friends were equally blessed to have known him.

His memory will live on through the lives of those that knew him best. His memory is forever stained on our hearts.