Vacation on the Brain

VACATION! AHHHHHH! 

Its getting close. Yet I haven't really done much to get ready. I am a secret planner. I usually have a staging area (dining room table) to start the vacation process. I can't find my dining room table at the moment.

On our vacations we rent a house so that we can cook some of the meals. So for the past 4 or so years I've kept an on going list. I add/take away each year based on the amount of peeps and changing diets. But its a good place to start. It helps the conversation between me/MIL/ my mom get started. Yes, we vacay with BOTH sets of grandparents in the same house. Its amazing  memories for my kids. AND they get along like ROCKSTARS!

But this year is a little different. My house is in different stages of construction. AND I have a birthday party for  #4 and a recital for #1. So my planning and early stages of packing have been neglected. YIKES!

All I can accomplish right now is making lists. NOW my lists have lists. I hope I don't forget something and I hope I am not up until the crack of dawn packing...because we are leaving 30 minutes after the crack of dawn.

This is a picture of palm trees and the beach....#2 has vacation on the brain too!

Soon I will be sitting by the beach or hanging out at the pool that our house has.....soon!

just one more...

I had a beautiful conversation with a friend recently. She was telling me about being so busy that the conversations with her kids weren't genuine  When I stopped by she was JUST sitting on the couch next to her son while he was doing his homework. JUST SITTING THERE! She said  its helped them just become relaxed.


I understand where she's coming from. I've had a recent case of the "just one more". Just one more load of laundry, just one more dish in the dishwasher, just one more....and mommy will watch you, listen to you, spend time with you....


Sometimes I have to remember to put  down the to do list and enjoy the kids. Here are some recent moments I've been able to catch...

#2 drew this....a horse, moon, and a fence

Now this is a series of  silly, mad and happy faces. Just being silly...loving the moment!

Linking up to Capturing Motherhood

May Ten on ten

I can't believe I remembered it was the 10th.  Here is our day...its a beaut!

coordinating her snack with her outfit

still need to clean up from breakfast

even though its cloudy and cool we are having some chalk time

dumpster just arrived now its time to start removing the tile

lunch time

spring time!

making faces after nap

still scooting

waiting for sissy to come off the bus

daddy's home let the construction begin

linking up to Rebekah's

a glimpse

This morning I told my kids that we needed to pray for "the far away mimi." She has a boo boo that the doctor is going to take care of  today.

They were all eager. Then child #2 said "I will pray out loud." She prayed the sweetest little prayer asking her God to heal her mimi fast.

I am not very comfortable praying out loud. I am getting better. I worry if I will sound okay. Will I mess up my words and sound foolish. Oh to have the faith of my little kids. I am so glad that even though I don't prefer to pray out loud I am teaching them to pray out loud.  Encouraging them and giving them opportunities to do so.

What a glimpse of their future! I am glad for these glimpses especially when its been a trying day/week. I am glad for these glimpses as an encouragement to me to get out of my comfort zone and do what his word commands us to do.

Psalm 3:4 "I call out to the Lord and he answers me from his holy mountain."

Linking up to capturing motherhood.

the kids' bathroom

I forgot to show you...I know shame on me!  I had on the hub's to do list to hang some towel holders for the 4 kids. I decided I would like to put vinyl letters over each of the hooks. And what do you know complete cuteness!

Yes, the lettering is crooked and all wonky. I did it on purpose so that I wouldn't have to worry about being perfect.  It's a good philosophy for my life...wonky is okay!

what I really wanted to post

What I really wanted to write about was TACO NIGHT! One of the few meals all my kids like. They get to make there own its fun. Or the blueberry 5 o'clock shadow that the baby is sporting.

 But what I have to write about is the clutter behind the kids in each of the pictures. I would love to lie to you and say that the clutter on the counter and the island is just a fluke. or that its because we are currently under de-construction. But its there ALL the time.

Its there in varying degrees. Some days you can see what my counter tops look like other days you think its just layers of junk! Can you believe that crock pot has been there an entire week unused. Just sitting there.

Maybe its a metaphor for my life. All the things I let get in the way of who I really am. Maybe its just I am a messy person...maybe I will just blame it on the kids. Whatever the reason its there. It needs cleaned up. Its something I don't want people to know. Its me being honest.




Linking up to Capturing Motherhood

She's ONE!

Can you believe the baby is ONE! We celebrated with donuts for breakfast! The kids sang happy birthday. That morning the little man said "TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY!"  The next day, "TODAY IS NOT YOUR BIRTHDAY!"

Child #2 was saddened that the baby was just another number. She didn't grown by leaps and bounds over night or learn to walk or fly or whatever #2 thought the baby was going to do from 11 months to one year.


But here's the baby...all cute and 1