Jumping beans

Silly hair

Our silly bean

Holy cow, only two weeks left of school! Then we'll have a 1st grader, crazy. Can't believe it. I am officially in the 3rd trimester, have to go to the doctor every two weeks from here on out and fill out the hospital registration. Sh-t is getting real, this baby is coming ready or not. Since I've only bought a few baby things, and we have no baby room ready feeling a little panicky. But this coming week we should get to sign our new renting contract for another year, so after that baby prep begins!

Happy Memorial Day

Ben adores Tryg

Tryg got to learn to drive the golf cart up and down the road all by himself, he was thrilled.

Golf cart ride (one of many)

Girlies in Chelan

All the kids at Lake Chelan.

Mom pic

Even Papa came up to visit.

If you stuck your toe in this ice water you'd have a real appreciation for these swimming girls.

Sillies

Dance party

Smores, yum.

Campfire time

Beach time

Bathing beauties

Ben and Lucas, best buds.

Jet ski rides

Hanging with Papa

As far as Memorial Day weekends go this one was great! The weather on Saturday was perfect, hot and sunny all day. We got to spend the whole day out on the boat at the sand bar. Sunday was a little cloudy so the guys went mountain biking and we took the kids to the park in Chelan for a picnic lunch. Fun times were had by all!!!!!!

Fun in the sun

An afternoon spent playing in our new sprinkler is an afternoon well spent. Love this time of year- my kids hair gets blonder, skin gets tanner, nights get warmer, everything is sweeter :)

Buddy's cool summer do

How we roll

Impromptu park/splash pad visit without swim suits and a nudie ride home in the car, that is how we roll on hot afternoons after school.

Ben actually stayed pretty dry since all he wanted to do was aim the the water gun, jump in puddles, and splash the water with his hands while screaming.

Money can't buy happiness but it can buy new cute summer shoes for cute summer feet, and sometimes that equals happiness. Can you believe these are both from Walmart? The cutest little feet I know (they almost look like they could be mine and Brads, ha!)

There is always something to be happy about

 Nudie boy in a pool. How can little bum cheeks not make you happy? He started with a swimsuit on but the next thing I know he is nudie trying to pee in the yard. Keeping clothes on and not peeing in the yard might be a battle this summer.

I was doing some yard work (and missing my old yard) when I smelled this before I even saw it. A Daphne! Growing in my front yard right by my walkway to the front door. I didn't know they could grow on this of the mountains and this one is a huge bush. It smells wonderful and reminds me of my mom. It started blooming right around Mother's Day. I like to think it's a sign that she is always here and that this journey the past year was meant to be.

These pictures remind me that life is more than ok, it is good :)

Mother's Day Weekend

Mother's Day is an odd holiday for me because it has never been about me. It's always been about my mom. I think it really becomes a special day when your child is old enough to understand what you went through for them and really appreciate it. That will be a while, so being a mommy of two (and a half) crazy, messy, whiny, sweet, perfect kids is honor enough for me.

Hanging at the lake

Silly sister

Sacked out buddy, tired from a busy weekend.

Sweet notes from Abi

More gifts from Abi

All the kids, ha :)

Happy Mother's Day to everyone!!!!

I’m talking about simply being a mom.

I’m talking about getting up in the morning, slapping your face with water, looking in the mirror, sighing, brushing your teeth (maybe), and picking up that toddler and wandering into the kitchen and pouring cereal in bowls, rinsing dishes, kissing the top of their head, and waiting for your coffee to brew.
There isn’t much glamour.

There is you. You giving of yourself. Minute, by minute, by minute, by minute until those hours add up to create a day which adds up to create a week which adds up to create a month which adds up to create years which add up to create a life. A beautiful life filled with ordinary enough mom moments.

Those things matter.

Those things are the little things that add up and and up and up.

The things that don’t get celebrated on Pinterest. They’re the mom things that I write about and celebrate. They’re the things that most people probably won’t see.

They don’t see you stand in the bathroom and gather your resolve every morning. They don’t see those of you who mother alone without much support. They don’t see the trips to the car back and forth and back and forth. They don’t see you counting to ten a dozen times before noon. They don’t see you look at the bank account and sigh and try to figure out how to make three meals with what’s left in your pantry. They don’t see you walking into the principals office, doctor’s office, friend’s house and defending your child.
They don’t see bandages placed on knees. Kisses on foreheads at night. Pillows pushed just the right way and blankets tucked to the perfect demands. Laundry folded and folded and folded. Tears that sting your eyes as your keep going. Dinners prepped over the stove. Times of laughter over silly things. Hair brushed and pulled back into pony tails. Prayers over wandering teens. Prayers over little babes. Nights spent sleeping in a chair holding a sick child. Days where the house is a wreck but you’re reading books. The brave smile on your face when you’re weary.

Don’t be weary, dear mother, in trying to keep up with a supermom agenda. There is no supermom, really – that whole supermom who has everything together is just a fallacy. There are real moms. Real, authentic moms who admit that they don’t have it all together but keep on fighting. Scared and tired moms who keep fighting. Moms who are overwhelmed by keeping up with littles all day long. Moms like you and me who sometimes feel lost in a world of outward accomplishments.

A mother isn’t based on external perfection. A mother is the person, the woman, just like you. The woman with little ones in her care that she loves, and sometimes wonders how she loves them because they’re driving her batty, but still she does. She fights, gives, prays, works, and doesn’t give up even when she wants to throw in the towel.

That’s you. Today. Tomorrow. Yesterday.
I say that is enough. 
It is more than enough.
You are amazing.

http://findingjoy.net/

The bump is growing

As my belly gets bigger my brain gets foggier. I brushed my teeth with bum paste the other night and the first thing I thought when I started brushing was oh crap I just lost my sense of taste. Then a few seconds later I realized what happened and started gagging and spitting. Had to throw my tooth brush away.