Monday, November 26, 2012

Can't Wait!

Hi, I'm Holly, and I'm addicted to Pinterest..I'm dying to decorate for Christmas!  We kinda skipped fall/Halloween since we had people looking at our house.  I had all the tubs out with decor...but then I got a call, and it seemed wrong to leave those dusty things all stacked up everywhere.  So..we piled them right inside the attic door (like 2" inside!), then locked the door.  And, what do you know?  They wanted to see inside the attic the next time they came.  People are intrigued by a locked door!

They probably thought we were non-celebrating people.  Like lazy or anti-Halloween.  But we are all Martha Stewart-wannabe-decorate-it-if-it-doesn't-walk (with red, lights, burlap, glass balls, whatever!)

I'm also shopped out after Black Friday and Cyber Monday (But I got some stupendous good deals!  Seriously, the entire Tommy Hilfiger store was 50% off, and I got an extra 25% off shopping before 10am.  See?  Good.)  (Also?  Carter's entire store was 50% off, and I got extra 20% off with my coupon.)  (So, when you see my kids wearing these brands every day, look away and pretend you aren't the one person who reads this.) ; )  ha!

So, how shall we decorate?  Same as always? Mix it up this year with new stuff?  Whew.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Baby steps, friends.  I have a BABY!!  Who is very nearly crawling.  You can come hold him so he doesn't grab all the tree lights. ; )

And meet my husband, Ches, who refuses to come to AA.  He's currently addicted to baseball cards.  And can't admit it yet.  He is now shopping Dave and Adam's and Blowout Cards' hourly sales, and promises to sell some of his current cards.  But. . . (crickets chirping..) . . . none sold yet.  He has relics (fabric/bat knobs), autographs, printing plate, etc.  And we need a new storage facility for them.

Ok, I'm one to talk.  I have stores of stamps, scrapbook stuff, fabric, ribbon, embroidery thread, magazines...and I really like shoes. ; )  Excuse me whilst I go pluck the log out of my eye.

Hope you have a h-e-a-l-t-h-y addiction.  Stay away from Pinterest(and its recipes and homes and organization and clothes and crafts and decorating and arty quotes. . )

Hugs and Happy Holly-days! 







“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to  remove the speck from your brother’s eye.  Matthew 7:5  (this?  is me!)

Friday, November 23, 2012

Jump, Swim, Shop!

Happy Thanksgiving..and happy black Friday! ; )

Hope you had a beautiful day yesterday with those you love.  And hope you had mostly fun memories! ; ) haha!  We drove to Branson last night to do a little black Friday shopping last night and this morning, and it was good overall.  I forget to lower my expectations when it's all of us, and on the road for more than 20 minutes!  It rained/stormed almost the entire way, and Carter wasn't happy (yep, still hates that car seat!).  Then, last night we all stayed in one room (no Residence Inn there!)...so sleeping wasn't going to go smoothly.  I just have to remember that it's part of the experience.

We did get good sales, and had fun together.  The kids swam last night, and we did a little practice on our ESP (don't you always think you can SEND a thought?  just for fun!), and more shopping today.  I like it when they pick out things that aren't for themselves..bonus.  Thinking of others! 
Mary Claire was high when we got ready to swim-over 350!  We'd stopped by Krispy Kreme (since they were hot now!) on the way to the hotel, so there were donuts waiting for her..  She was motivated.  When she got back from swimming, she was 70.  No kidding.  Even with her pump off.  I asked her how that was possible, and she told me she'd spent the entire time doing laps around the pool!  Bless her heart.  Few things can be so motivating..as a little sprinkly donut. ; )

And Carter..he is seven and a half months already!  He has cut three teeth, and now when he babbles, you can see the bottom two. ; )  The second one on top is almost through..you can see the thin skin over it.  And-he sits up!  I know it's been a couple weeks, but he's great at it now.  He can sit in a grocery cart, high chair, and in his bath tub. ; )  He says dada a lot, makes smacky kisses, and will hug your head, and kiss your face!  (which feels a lot like being licked). haha!  
And, he's getting ready to crawl.  He can bury his head, and push his feet/knees to get moving.  He just needs to get that head up off the floor!  I'm not going to spend my days teaching him..now that his mobility is getting closer, I'm more nervous.  ..Christmas tree season is upon us!

He's just so cuddly and sweet.  We are just adoring him.  Here's a link to a video of him jump-jump-jumping!
Speaking of..he's waking up, so I have to hurry!  Hoping you can find blessings where you are.  It sure brings peace to your heart! : )

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Thankful for these little turkeys!

I'm so thankful I'm not filled with grief and stress over the fact that I'm not posting daily after I pledged to..heehee ..cause I got all these kids, ya'll!  I'm having fun with them on their field trips (to Little Rock!), 
I must say, I'm super thankful the weather was awesome that day!  And she had a good day overall, even though a good friend (we'll call friend A) didn't want to be her partner (after she rode with us!) and the other that rode with us (friend B) didn't want to be her partner out of fear the friend A would be mad at both of them.  Tough being ten.  And can I say..tough being the mom to a ten-year-old?

On the second floor, getting the tour.

Hunt Husky Fifth Grade Class, 2012-2013

At our capitol building, Little Rock, Arkansas.
and at their Halloween Parties, and their intern teachers going away parties, and their scout stuff, and "picture" shopping for their Christmas and our three upcoming birthdays..I digress.

But I'm thankful for a (#6) turkey roasting, (#7) for the baseball cards I'm listing on Ebay (and that they've brought my husband and kids closer..and I guess me since I'm listing!)
(#8) my baby sleeping peacefully while the big kids play monopoly and make tents, (#9) for the home that has housed us safely and warmly for 7.25 years thus far, (#10) for the new family who wants to start memories in our comfy home and give us the opportunity to build a new family home, and (#11) the grace and confidence God has placed in us to figure out how to move and transition our family of six to a new location (and a transitional location in the meantime!).

I think when you've prayed and prayed about something, and God begins to (actually) move, it is both frightening and humbling.  HE hears us, and He waits for just the appropriate time to begin the fall of the dominoes.

Am I READY for what I've asked for?  Whew.  I wanted His word on the subject, and I have it.  My house was not for sale.  Yet, it's under contract.  I think..if that's not God moving..I'm not sure what is! ; )

Thankful yet again,

Monday, November 5, 2012

More thankfulness.

Today I'm thankful for my baby daddy!  He works hard for our family, and he makes sure we have what we need.  I can tell sometimes he is tired of some of the more monotonous work he does, but he keeps going.  He knows the value of insurance for our family, and he'd never let anything get between us and the doctors and medicine we need (especially those outrageous insulin pens!).

He likes to take us on vacation and out to dinner.  He likes to play cards at dinner.  He orders us "pillows" (zeppoli) for dessert.

He is willing to help coach baseball when everyone else is busy.  He goes on long bike rides with the boys.  He takes Mary Claire for daddy-daughter date nights.  He says prayers with our family.  He takes wonderful care of our yard..even when the Japanese beetles are feasting on our crepe myrtles or our ivy begins to take over the windows.  He even fishes snakes and frogs and spiders out of the pool when the rest of us are FREAKING out!  (even that humongous 5" spider!!)

He takes us to see the Statue of Liberty, even when it's an entire day trip, a ferry ride, and a hundred degrees.


And..even lets our kids do wild things that scare me. ; )
Clay.  And his high-flying trampoline flips.
And he makes sure we get date nights for fun time a-l-o-n-e!  We have made a point not to forget where we started.  It'll matter so much in another 20 years. ; )

Thank you for loving me, and my babies!  Especially when we can be exhausted and unlovable. ; )  Love you, honey! xoxo

 

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Thankful Starts Here

Thankful November!  I'm going to get better at posting my thankfulness every day this month : )

For my first four days...I'm thankful for my four sweet kiddos.  I know, they are easy-peasy.
Following the yellow brick road...Halloween 2012
I'm thankful that Clay made it here safe and sound after my preeclampsia, being five weeks early, and only four pounds.  He's so tough!  He did another 25 mile bike ride today with his boy scout troop today.  He never gets tired.  And he's full of information.  He can remember anything he reads, and tell you about it a couple years later.  Whew!  I'm so proud of him!

I'm thankful for Mary Claire and her perseverance-that girl could give up at any time, but never does.  I'd mentally check out if someone kept telling me to check my blood...but she keeps going.  God bless her.  And her attitude?  Almost always PoSiTiVE!!  Wowza.  Love that girl!

I'm thankful for Ethan.  That kid is absolutely all heart, manners, and a wallop of brains.  He can navigate social situations, and is incredibly skilled at it!  He is inquisitive, loves, and is so very sweet.  I can't say enough how he uses his nice manners (and even surprises me sometimes with his sorry's and thank you's).  He is so precious and loveable!
Be very impressed...my flowers are ALiVE!  (how they do dat?  humidity in the air?)
I'm thankful for Carter.  Boy, am I glad he's finally here.  It's like I knew he was waiting up in Heaven for us.  He just took longer than the rest of them!  He is the most precious, huggable, smiley baby.  And his latest feat?  Bounce, bounce, bouncing in his jumpy thing.  He has brought the most joy to our family.  I love the way they all love on him.  Love that bundle!

Sometimes if I get stressed that they are lots of work (what with all that laundry they make, their events/practices, homework, messy rooms, teeth brushing monitoring, crumbing my van, etc.), I realize that I'd be sitting around doing nothing.  I'd be bored wishing I had kids. (like I did for so many years!)  So..I've really started enjoying the busyness.  It's the way the current of my life is going, and I'll sleep when they go to college..or have their own kids?...or maybe when I'm underground.  Just not now, I have better stuff to do!