FAITH

Some weeks are better than others. Last week was a killer, but as it turns six o'clock at the end of the first day of a new week, I am hopeful. I believe that God throws difficulty and storms into our lives and it is our choice what to do with them. Society has such strong opinions these days about forgiveness and seems to advertise the attitude that if someone does something wrong to just say "screw them". God teaches us something different. What is a Christian that doesn't forgive? The chance to show true Unconditional Love only comes around once in a while. I think loving someone that much is just as rewarding as being loved that much. I won't get into the story at the root of this blog, but I will say this. If I have ANYTHING to offer from the week I have had, it would be this. Love with all your heart. Whether it be your kids, your parents, your friends, your spouse. They will hurt you at times, you will hurt them at times...but at the end of the day true love prevails. Love like you have never been hurt. Cherish your family. Forgive. Laugh. Pray. Praise. Thank and count your blessings. Put God first in your life and everything will always work out. :)

Todd's 40th Birthday

I am the luckiest girl in the world to have this 40 year-old to share a life with...

My husband did NOT want a 40th birthday party. He got one anyway...and it was a blast! :)

Good food. Good drinks.

Great family and friends.

Birthday Fun!

February is our month of birthdays! Feb. 4th (Todd) Feb. 9th (my Dad) Feb. 13th (Bailey) Feb. 16th (Todd's dad) Feb. 20th (Todd's mom)...It is a CRAZY month! Top it off with Valentine's Day and Feb. 26th being our anniversary! Todd was skiing in Utah over his birthday. It was VERY strategic that it happened to be his big 40th birthday and he was conveniently out of town to avoid any possibility of a party. He made it VERY clear that he did not want a party! So, I did what ANY good wife would do and I threw a BIG surprise party anyway, but just planned it for 2 weeks later. More on that later... In my typical fashion, I decided to self-sabotage myself and throw Bailey's 9th party on the same day! So, Feb. 19th rolls around and I not only have a house full of visiting in-laws (love them...they are great...still lots to do to get ready for them!) but I have 2 parties to throw. For Bailey's we did a 14 girl scavenger hunt in the mall followed by cookie cake. The scavenger hunt was a blast, but mall security didn't agree that it was so fun. Todd's team was stopped twice...mine not once...hmmm...! The items incorporated lunch (had to be a select number of pizza slices cut into a select number of pieces by the pizza guy!) and items to find (find a shirt in size 8 for under $5) and even a search for a worker named Carl (Todd's team found one!! Can you believe it!?). I think the girls had a ball! Bailey is growing so fast and is such a blessing! 9 years old already...can I just FREEZE her!!?

Full Speed Ahead!

It is OFFICIAL! We closed on our loan and the house building has begun! Well, we haven't actually dug a the hole yet, but we are working on the site work and permitting! I am looking so forward to this process. Met with the Stacye Love (builder...I HIGHLY recommend her) regarding the kitchen and it's lay-out. I am enjoying even the boring things like cabinet height and drawer pull design. Here is the kitchen inspiration and basically very close to what it will look like...

Finley's Thoughts for the Day...

After picking Fella up from a much needed nail trim and Fur-minator treatment, Finley asked me in the car..."Mom, do you think we will get a new dog?" My response was as follows..."One day maybe, but for now we will just enjoy Fella". Finley proceeded to answer. "Yep. He's a good dog. Best dog in our world!"

Clean Plate Club

Currently at a whopping 31.4 pounds, Finley is determined to get out of her carseat and into a booster. (She must weigh 38 lbs!) So she has been trying to "get bigger". Friday night she joined the Clean Plate Club and was ecstatic!! Booster here we come! :)

Daddy Day Out

Yesterday, Todd took Riley and Bailey back to Paoli to ski. They came home tired by so excited about how they had improved since last weekend!!! They skiied EVERY slope! They also got to pick out new hats...and they brought home Finley one also! I am not a skii-er...have only been skiing once in Lake Tahoe, so it is fun to see the girls enjoy this with their dad. I hope the memories last forever!

Our Goodnight Prayer

A long time ago, I started to say this prayer I made up at night to the kids. I pray it whether they are listening or not. I want to blog it so I never forget it (Don't think I will) and just in case anything happens to me they will always have it. Many times we pray and don't pay attention to what we say...habitually. I think it through EVERY time because I mean it with all my heart.

"Dear Lord, Please watch over my babies. Please keep them safe and happy and healthy on this earth. Please let them all live very long, long, long, long (every long counts for 25 years...hope they live to 100!!) happy, healthy wonderful lives, and PLEASE let them always know how very much I love them. Amen."

More deep thoughts from Finley

Finley normally wakes up cranky and hides under the covers. Today she was smiling when I walked in her room, already awake!

Finley: "Best night ever!!"
Me: "Why Fin?"
Finley: "Lots of sleep!"

Now if I could just get Riley and Bailey to understand that when they complain at bedtime!

Sink...think.think.think.

Picking out all the fixtures for the new house is hard. I thoroughly enjoy it, but it is hard. Not hard like fighting forest fires or mining coal hard, but hard because I want the house to come out PERFECT. Right now I am in faucet and sink mode. The overall feel of the house is a mixture of farmhouse and beach. I am picturing barefeet and laughter...NOTHING stuffy! I have chosen this faucet and sign for the hall guest bath, but am stuck on the sink. I will have a furniture piece for the vanity but am deciding on which of three bowls for the vessel sink.

Here are the sinks in the running...

I am sure no one cares what sink I pick, but I want to remember how I got to some decisions about the house when we are 60 years old and still living there!! Any comments or suggestions would be great!

Don't Feed The Cats...Yes, Dear...just this once...

Guilty. I feed stray cats. When we sold our home on Hancock Trace I had a bunch that would religiously come to the door. With the help of a friend we were able to trap two of the kittens and they now have a loving home. Well, now that we are back on Hancock Trace renting while we build, the same momma cat that I was unable to trap has since producted MORE kittens (FOLKS...moral of story SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS!). They are an adorable group...lovingly named Mirabelle, Cookin' Momma, and Jacob by Finley. And yes, Todd told me NOT to feed them again. Long story short, every night they appear on the porch waiting on me. How can I say no?

Muffins with Mom

Today was Muffins With Mom at preschool with Finley. It was so fun and so sweet! We were first treated to a great speaker that gave us a few tips and reminders. The best advice was that we aren't always perfect in the decisions we make, but we always have our kids best interest at heart...that is most important. Good advice! Us moms can be too hard on ourselves! The best part was enjoying time with just one kid. That doesn't happen enough with four of them, and it gives them so much time to shine. Even the 30 minutes we spent was so memorable! We prayed and sang and danced and hugged! She even made the yummy muffins! So cute...and getting so big! I told another mom at school that I just wanted to freeze Fin at age 4. So sweet, fun and loveable. I laughed at the age she put on the sweet description of me...61!

Bailey

My poor Bailey wondered why she didn't have a picture on the blog yet! Poor second kid! Here she is...snuggling up to our sweet Fella (kill two birds with one stone...now he can't complain either!) on Christmas Eve! One word explains this kid...EASY. She goes with the flow, is organized, kind, funny, athletic and occasionally sneaky...(gets that from her dad LOL)! We love her and she brings such joy to our family! I joke often that she keeps me in line...which is true! Yesterday Todd took her and Riley to Paoli to ski! Such great memories for them with their dad! Unfortunately, no pics to post. They both mastered Walnut, which I was informed was pretty good on their first try! SO proud!

Deep thoughts by Finley

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Finley: "Mom...when you jump off the ottoman, are you real flying?"

Mom: "No dear. Plus, you shouldn't jump off the ottoman anyway."

Captured!

About two months ago, I had bought Entenmann's doughnuts for the kids for a treat! I loved them as a kid, so occasionally I pick them up and the girls love them! I had left the box on the table while I ran upstairs for a second. Upon my return, this is what I found...and the box was shy about one and a half doughnuts! From the look on his face, guess Hogan likes them too!

Ahhh...joy!

11:00pm. Everyone is sleeping and healthy (Thank you Jesus!). It is quiet and I have been trying to fiqure out how to add music to this blog. Alot of people keep asking me how I have time to bog with four kids and a job. I just answer that I am looking at this like a family journal of the year...a scrapbook. I don't care if anyone reads it, but I can look back and remember little things about 2011. I wish I had started a long time ago! Like for instance, I would never remember that we all curled up in the family room tonight to watch "Despicable Me" and have brownies. But now I will. And in remembering, I will remember that Hogan kept climbing all over me, twirling his hair and looking like an adorable sausage stuffed in his footie jammies. And how comforting it is to listen to my husband sleep (rarely makes it through a movie). And how Fella didn't bark at the four stray cats on the porch tonight when I fed them (wonder why they keep coming back?)...instead just stared them down through the front window. It is the simple things that bring joy now and that will return the joy when I look back on this blog.

Special

Came across these pictures my sister posted on Facebook of her with my mom's mom and dad. Nora and CJ Deutschmann are in their nineties and have 14 kids! I can't count grandkids anymore!! Too many of us! These two people are so SPECIAL in my life and represent so many memories of my childhood! Miss you Grandma and Grandpa...St. Louis seems so far away! hoep to see you soon!

DECISION MADE!!! YAHOO!

The above picture is a house that has alot of the same exterior as ours will. Garage will be different and quite a few design elements...but a good example.

Finally! A decision has been made! We are getting ready to break ground on our new house on our land in Simpsonville! It has been a long year of moving (twice), goal setting, designing (2 houses...hated the first), saving and discussing. We cannot wait to get the ball rolling! Above is the actual rendering of the house and the color pictures are some design inspirations for the interior...most of you know homes are my OBSESSION!

Lucky me.

Now Riley has the flu! I am hoping this is the tail-end of sick city. As I complain, I find myself feeling like a jerk. I cannot imagine how a parent of a child that is terminally ill or disabled finds the patience to deal with it all everyday. I give them so much credit and prayers! What a sacrifice parents make in general, but especially parents with very sick or disabled kids. Kids bring so much joy to us, it is all worth it! The worry that keeps you up at night, the fear of losing them and the overwhelming love you have...even when they are whiny and barfing! Tomorrow will be a new day...thanks to a good adjustment and Tamiflu...but for now I will just enjoy some time with them along with lots of Lysol!

Egg-actly what I need in this busy life!

Okay. Call me crazy, but The Fresh Market (my favorite grocery store of all time!) has started carrying pre-boiled and peeled eggs. In the refrigerator section and by the normal eggs! This is a HUGE find for me since I love to use eggs in salads, on bagels, as egg salad...you name it. $2.59 for 6 of them...yes, expensive...but worth it!