Beautiful Day

The weather is hot. The pool is full. Homemade iced tea, and flip flops.

Recipe for a beautiful day.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

 Inspired by SouleMama. 

3 - Birthday Girl

My sweet girl turned 3 today.  My (suppose to be) 'last' baby. Oh her personality comes out in leaps and bounds, as she learns to express herself, the words never ending!

She luvs

• dresses
• Baka
• her Ya-ya (Angelina) Jayce (Grace) Bry and Sam
• when Aunt Kristyn and her cousins come
• walks
• Olver (Oliver)
• cheese
• chocolate.

Tonight as we snuggled on the couch to watch a movie, (all 6 of us on one couch) she draped my arm around her shoulders, and threaded her fingers through mine to hold my hand. I was touched, and felt so thankful for the time with her, and feeling her close to me. Drifted off to sleep, safely tucked against me, long before the movie was done.

My mom says 'she looks just like you did at 3". I've nicknamed her my mini-me. She is my sidekick, asking to go everywhere with me, and "hold my hand" as she says, with her hand outstretched to me.

 As I watch her, and she grows, and learns and imitates EVERYTHING we do around her, I am reminded what an honor it is to have this amazing privilege of raising her.

 Happy Birthday my sweet, smart, amazing girl!!

Peace and Order

I felt so disorganized. I felt like a rat in a maze. Like I was running around in circles. Starting things, but never really getting them completed. Tasks all over the house, almost finished, but never really done. A sense of disorder, and confusion, running around, feeling lost, and overwhelmed. My head is spinning so fast, I can hardly see whats next. People say they understand.

"Its hard with 5."

"You're doing great, you have 5 now."

"Its normal, your running after 5 kids."

Over and over again. I sigh.

Its not 5 kids. I can handle 5 kids. I handled 4 easily, and enjoyed it. I luved it!

luv the twinkle in Grace's eyes!

Its the lack of routine, the messy schedule the afternoons bring. The disorder, the feeling of never getting anything done, and always having this never ending to do list. It feels like there is always a bathroom to clean, floor to mop, lunch to make,  clothes to fold, every time I sit down, something is there, not quite finished, but almost. And then there is the extra things. organizing clothes, washing bedsheets, now the pool, and the garden on top of all the other things.

I cried today. I felt so discouraged, frustrated, and alone.

Goran greeted me with a hug, promising me we'd work out a routine, write it down, and stick to it. Friends on facebook sent words of encouragement and support.

Buy 3:00pm I was feeling better, and proactive. 

So I wrote a list. A list of all the chores I need to do in a week, and the the extra things too. And then I wrote a chart, starting with Monday, all through Sunday, and planned what I would do each day, and finished off with weekly chores. Only 2-3 things each day, feeling very manageable.

she did story time, completely unprompted. so cute!

Just seeing the list gives me a sense of peace and order. It also helps that I have 2 things knocked off the list for tomorrow.

So my feeling of calm flowed into soccer, and into bath time and bedtime. Everything ran smoothly, kissing damp fleshly washed hair goodnight off sweet smelling foreheads.

It felt good.

Prayer

Today my heart is heavy.

I won't forget Tim Bosma, or the way his story stirred my soul, or the way my thoughts have turned to him and his family over the last week. I won't forget, that although I don't know his wife, I feel a connection to her, as we are both mothers, and wives. 

I won't forget the family's unwavering faith, in the face of the worse possible news. They are standing strong together, and the word of God.

I prayed for Tim and his family, and continue to pray for his family.

I will leave my porch light on tonight.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

 Inspired by SouleMama. 

Aftermath

After a beautiful sunny day spent in the sandbox, this was the aftermath.

After hand washing, feet washing, and baths, my house has a whole lot of sand scattered throughout. Hand prints on walls, and footprints in carpets...

This only needs to happen once for me to learn an important lesson.

The kiddie pool will be up before the next sand day so that the kids can wash off OUTSIDE before coming  inside!