Children

So, I got an awesome new camera the other week and I wanted to try it out. I got the kids all dressed nice and we went outside to take some pictures. At this point in motherhood, I am aware that getting all four small children to look at the camera and smile at the same time is impossible but come on. Abbi and Jake were great. Isaac, on the other hand, is two of course and therefore started crying. I have no idea why he started crying after about two pictures but he did, and he wouldn't stop. Then the baby started fussing, naturally. Anyway, I love my camera and my children and here are a few of what I got. Now I just need to figure out a good editing program (and how to use it, of course). Can those things edit out screaming two-year-olds? Hhhmmm, I wonder.

Taj Mahal

John got his promotion!! Along with that promo comes a transfer to the store in Topeka. Ya, we are moving back to Topeka...again. Awesome, I know. You are all jealous of how entirely cool we are. Not many people have the ability to move to the same city three times in three years. It takes talent, I am not going to lie. We are moving in June and will not be moving again for a good long while, at least that's the plan...for now.

Besides the promotion, there is one positive about the wonderful city of Topeka, we happen to own a home there. I will not break down our past living situations for you all. I'll just say that we have had someone live with us or lived with someone else for a whopping 90% of our marriage. This is where the title of the post comes in.....WE WILL BE LIVING IN OUR OWN HOME!!! That is exactly how a super-cute 4bed 2bath 1920's Cape Cod style home with a terrible paint color becomes this lady's Taj Mahal!!

YAY for me

I know that being wordly is a sin and all and I really try not to be BUT getting new stuff is so much fun!! And I have a whole list of NEW STUFF

1. Our camera had a fatal accident and a nice perk of working for Best Buy, we got an awesome new one for a steal.

2. That whole jogging thing I mentioned...ya, it didn't last long. John has been talking about getting a gym member ship, but that is a monthly expense for however long and I couldn't use it (childcare isn't included anywhere here and I have too many kids to afford to pay for it!) John and I got an elliptical machine. I can use it at home, anytime, it totally kicks my butt and I love it!!

3. I started sewing again and then my sewing machine broke. Sad, I was. All the projects lined up in my head were put on hold and I wasn't sure when I could get a new one. But John came home with a new one for me today. What a good husband!! It does so many cool things and I am so happy to be able to keep up one of my few hobbies.

Now that I have a camera again, here are some pics of some of the things I have made lately...

Some belts for the kids.

A play dress, a "princess" shirt, and a "rockstar" shirt. (Let's pretend we don't see the dirty carpet K?)

The quilt that Ab's made for Ethan or Goofan, as she call him. She is so adorably proud of it.

Jake again

John and I were watching a movie during the kids' quiet time. Jake walked in and sat down right near the end of the movie while a couple was making out and John tried to cover Jake's eyes. John says, "You don't need to watch people kissing. Kissing is gross. You can give me a kiss though." John puckers up and Jake says, "OK. But Daddy don't kiss me like that."

that one...no wait, that one...wait.....hhmmm

Life is just so crazy. There are always so many decisions to be made. This, of course, is to be expected what with being a responsible adult and all, but what really gets me is when all of the options are good. What then? John and I have been in positions where there was an obvious choice and where the pros of one option just made more sense and even in the position where we didn't really have any other choice.... and I almost would prefer that.

There are just times when life is being good to you. When there are several options and each one has different but equal pros and cons. But these are the situations where I have the hardest time. I just have to rely on prayer alone, and then pray that I am recognizing the right answer and really sticking to it. Man, that's just hard sometimes...stressful.  We pray about all of our big decisions, it's just that that process is simplified sometimes by outside circumstances or even common sense. I do believe the Lord gave us a brain for a reason and we are expected to use the things He has given us. So when my brain has tried to come up with a logical good choice to bring to Him for approval and they are ALL equally good and I don't even necessarily personally prefer one over the other--what then?? Then I have to simply ask "What should we do?" That is just a harder question to get a clear answer to. And then, not to second guess what answer you do get- just forget it!

Anyway, we will be at a crossroads soon as to where we will move to at the end of the summer and we just need to come to a decision. We have weighed the pros and cons and, like I said, different but equal. None of the options are what I truly want, but still very fortunate none the less. We are also in the process of praying about this decision and, therefore, the stress insues that we are really recognizing the promptings of the Spirit. I am excited for the opportunities we hopefully have ahead of us and let's all just pray that we can decide on the RIGHT one.

Me again.

With all the moving this year, all of my crafting stuff (scrapbooking, sewing and general making or re-making of things) has been packed and almost forgotten. I have missed it. I purposefully dug out and kept all of my crafting boxes so I could do it again when we moved in here. It's all here and most of it is out, I just haven't done anything....until now that it is.

The last few weeks I just haven't been feeling myself so I decided to do something about it. I started getting up early to jog (we'll see how long that one lasts), and I started making things again. I made some super cute bows/flowers for my princess, some ties for the boys and some really cute belts for all of the kids. Oh, and a dress for Abbi and I re-purposed a pretty cute tee for her as well. Oh yeah, and today I helped Abbi sew a good sized quilt for Ethan.  This was all since last Thursday....I haven't done anything in so long, I am really gung-ho. And they all turned out so cute.

I am so excited to be doing all this stuff again. I really need to get some scrapbooking done too. Isaac has half a first page in his.

This all turned out to be really great timing. My eldest son decided it would be cool to color all over the bunk beds in his room. Of course, these are the bunk beds that made it ALL the way from my childhood mostly unscathed, until Jake. And of course, he didn't pick the washable markers or the color wonder markers, both of which we have a bazillion, he chooses the one that we have that doesn't come off.  And also, of course, it took a lot of restraint on my part, to let him live.  So......good timing, you see, because I am going to have to refinish some bunk beds soon.

PS I should have pictures of ALL of this, but I don't. My camera had a fatal accident. Hopefully it is fixed or replaced soon so I can visually document all of the wonderous happenings in my life once more.

V-day

Valentine's Day is on Sunday. A lot of people (my husband included) will tell you that it just a dumb, made-up holiday to make guys spend money and look bad, and besides, you should cherish your sweetheart all the time--who needs Valentine's Day. Well, to all who say that, I say this--WHATEVER!!

The same statement(s) could be made about any holiday. Christmas-shouldn't we remember our dear Savior's birth everyday (the 25th of December isn't the right date anyway)? Fourth of July-isn't it great to live in this country every day, not just a certain one mid-summer? Easter-the death and resurrection of the Savior is definitely something we should carry with us every second, is it not? Thanksgiving-grateful one day a year, anybody? St. Patrick's Day-let's face it, this is just a reason for people to get drunk. Halloween-well, if you have a problem with holidays, we shouldn't even start on Halloween. Birthdays-I am pretty sure I will remember the birth of my children forever, as does my mother with her children. The list of designated "days" goes on.

I feel like men say this so they are justified in ignoring the holiday. I know John would have a coniption if I were to say this about the Fourth of July (you know -- the one day a year he gets to play with fire and blow things up?)  So why do I hear some women saying this? I am sure I don't know. Reverse psychology? A game? Maybe their partner says it so they know Valentines will be ignored, so they say it to feel better. I don't know. Unless, you people are going to be equally skeptical of all holidays and their origins, give February a break.

All holidays have their purpose. They give people a chance to slow down and remember what's important. I wonder by what percentage church attendance increases at Christmas or Easter. These people should probably be attending services every Sunday, but at least they went once. At least for one day a year the world (over generalization, I know) can stop, sit back, and think about the Savior. (Twice, if you count Easter). It's better than none. I am not saying that Valentine's is not blown out of proportion.....it most definitely is...just like Christmas. I am not saying I expect John to buy me a tennis bracelet every February 14th, just like I don't expect him to buy me a diamond ring every year on our anniversary. NO. I just expect some thought. I nice heartfelt note would be very agreeable to me. No, I am not just saying that either!!  Just some thought people and maybe a little time.

I don't even have a personal overwhelming passion about this heart filled, pink and red holiday... I am just saying. The whole point of Valentine's Day is to remember the ones we love, a designated time to remember someone we care about. Just like anniversaries, Mother's Day, Christmas, etc. So what if it is a completely fabricated day of importance ( I know there's some significance--St. Valentine--I don't know the whole story). I know women (myself included) can get their hopes up and be bothered if disappointed--but that's not the point (besides can't the same thing be said of the anniversary, christmas, or birthday present?). The point of February 14th is just another opportunity to express your love for someone. There is nothing wrong with that. I recommend to the men that swear it's all about the $ with their girl to write a song (John) or do something truely romantic, not expensive. Put time and thought, real thought, into it and see how she re-acts. If after that, your one and only still has complaints about how much dinero you did or didn't spend....you might want to look into the girl's priorities... you might have bigger problems.