Babies, Brownies and Blessings

Or is it a Poopin' Party? Sometimes I like going to the store by myself. Minus 3 children. Or at least without 2. I even find that I get a bit whiney about it. I really just need to go get the grocery shopping done...ALONE! Occassionally I stop and think about it and wonder what the big deal is. Then I'll have a trip like this. A trip that leaves no question as to why I'd rather not  spend my afternoon shopping with the kids. At Sam's Club, back of the store when Boy #2 has to go #2. We run for the front of the store, cart careening (quite literally because he's my accident boy- by the time he tells me it's usually too late!), stuff falling out of the cart. Aha! A family restroom! That is the greatest invention. Where else can you find two toilets in one room? I stand in the doorway with my cart because BabyGirl along is in it along with all our groceries and no merchandise is allowed in the bathroom. Boy #1 decides he needs to do #2, too . So there I am, d...

I love fresh starts. A chance to erase all record of short-comings. A new day to try and get 3-5 kernels of corn   vegetables in my kids. That's why I LOVE baths. All the markings of the weeks  days before are gone. No more smelly behinds. Gone are the dirty noses. Goodbye sand, dirt and grime. And it doesn't matter when they were last bathed. Because the kids are pristine and nobody will ever know that you didn't get around to bathing them for many  a few days. Caleb, all spit and shined! Every one of us needs to hit the restart button sometimes... 

When we were on our anniversary weekend away I found my new favorite accessory. The Len Druskin Clearance store had these adorable headwraps. Aren't they great?? While I'm not wishing for the cold, I am excited to get some use out of my latest purchase! Here are two of my lovely nieces, Maddie and Alyssa. Aren't they adorable? We all have matching headwraps and couldn't wait to show them off! Maddie is big on army green these days so I was able to find one for her with some green in it. Alyssa is so darn cute in any color so I went with blue! And see Sam in the background? He was supposed to be sitting on the couch so we could get a picture and he "conveniently" decided he needed to check out the TV so he would "accidently" end up in the shot. What a little Sneaky-Sneakerson!  These are just couple of blackmail photos for later in life. I'm sure the boys will appreciate my forethought. :) What do you think? Cute, practical for the cold ...

...Is no gift at all. I heard that phrase today and it struck me at my core. It was a line in a VeggieTales movie, of all things! As I was putting away the boys' laundry today I overheard part of the movie they were watching. It's called "A Snoodle's Tale" and tells the story of a "snoodle" who is weighed down by the impressions and pictures others have of him. Ultimately it directs you to look to God to find your worth, not others. I certainly struggle with this in my own life and was stunned to find so perfect a depiction of this battle with ourselves and others in a children's video! The dialogue at the end of the show was so impacting that I included it. Dear boy ," ...Said the man, " these look nothing like you! Then into the fire the pictures he threw And rose from his chair, saying , " Wait there - you'll see That what you need most is a picture from me !" The Snoodle sat patiently, sipping his tea. Then ...

I'm a country girl, born and raised. I'm often told by others they can tell I'm from a small town. I always take that as a compliment whether it was inteded to be or not. I also LOVE country music. I'm talking real country music. George Strait. Johnny Cash. Tracy Lawrence. Shania Twain. Brad Paisley. So I'm having a hard time embracing one of the latest pop-to-country crossovers. Hootie and the Blowfish, I mean, Darius Rucker. There's just nothing country about the man! Whenever I hear him singing a country song I can't get this picture out of my head. And I hear "Tiiiiiiimmmme, why you punish me?" He's loved by many in the country realm and has even unsuccessfully tried his hand at a cowboy hat. Hmmm.... More often he is seen in a baseball cap which I appreciate. Let's not work too hard to be someone we're not! While his songs may be great and have a message that would usually make my heart melt, all I can think about when I he...

I've had a lot of random thoughts going through my head the last few days. None of them exciting enough for a posting of their own so here's a little goodie-bag of reflections. Last night I went to a NORWEX party. I want everything in the catalog! I had to settle on a few things to start but I'm pretty sure I'll do a party. More info to follow... Claire had her 4 MONTH appointment today. She's by far my smallest baby coming in at 14lb, 4oz and 24 1/4 in long. I've found I enjoy her petiteness. I'm able to hold her so much longer because she doesn't weigh a ton like her brothers did at this age! There are a few things I'd really love to get for my living room still. Lately the damask pattern has been appealing to my eye. I think I'm going to look for a floor lamp with a damask lamp shade. Our table lamps need new shades, too. I'm leaning towards a deep red... Sam has started to express his frustration in earnest as of late. Yeste...

Ahhh...what an amazing weekend! It was everything I'd hoped it would be from beginning to end. And the kids did great which made my time away that much more relaxing. I didn't tried not to text Mom too much to see what was going on and how the kids were doing and was grateful that everytime her response was positive. I got to enjoy my husband more than I have in years! And I think he enjoyed enjoying me, too. :) Here we are getting ready to leave for the weekend. Doesn't Bri look awesome? And I wasn't kidding about the hot  dress , isn't that fun?? I got some great compliments on it and I loved feeling like a woman and not just a mom . (I didn't even dare pick Claire up to say goodbye because I would've been doused with spit-up for sure.) We left the kids in the loving, capable hands of Bri's sister, Colleen, and were on our way (Mom was on her way from Roseau so she didn't arrive until after 9pm). We had tickets to a special showing of Tripl...

Today is the day I've been waiting for. For months! Bri and I are packing up and heading out for 2 whole nights. ALONE! Uncle Jason and Auntie Kini will watch the kids until Mom gets here late tonight. Mom will be here with the kids the next two night so I know they're in good hands. I'm going to get all dolled up in this dress   and feel like a newlywed again for 48 hours. Don't worry, I'll be sure to post some pictures and I'll tell you all about most of  it! Hopefully it's more exciting than two tired parents of 3 children  sleeping for the majority of the 48 hours they were away. I also promised to not say those four little words  the whole time we're away. We're celebrating so this time the budget can wait. :) See you in a few!

As we celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary TODAY (amazing, huh?!) I've been thinking about what we've learned in the last 3,650 days. What things have kept our marriage strong. Why we are still happy. Why I can't wait for him to wake in the morning so I can talk to him. Why I look forward to spending another 10 times 6 more years with this man... At the risk of sounding cliche, God has truly bound us together. When we don't agree on anything else, we agree on God. His power, His love, His grace, His forgiveness. Knowing that God never changes and our belief in Him never changes provides hope in every situation. Out of that has come the one word we live by: FORGIVENESS . For us, it beats out communication. Because A LOT can be said while COMMUNICATING. Much of which needs forgiveness when speaking in the heat of the moment. I have also realized or been awoken to the fact that Bri's heart towards me is good . Even when his actions don't show it, wh...

You know how guys are notorious for leaving their dirty socks around? It's one of the biggest complaints wives tend to have. And who can really blame us- no one wants to pick up a pair of socks that are so filthy they keep the shape of a foot when they're discarded on the floor... I kinda have a thing that drives my husband equally crazy. Used. KLEENEX. Everywhere. I just never know when I'm going to need one! I have this post-nasal drip thing... It's a shame to waste a perfectly good kleenex that's only been used once. If you buy the really good Puffs with lotion, a kleenex will last you a long time! And I think keeping them at the point of use is wise. That's why you'll find them by the couch, the computer, on my bed, tucked in my sleeve, in my bra (it's a multi-tasking kleenex), and if I wore a watch I would slide one in there, too. I guess that kinda makes me the "dirty socks guy" in our family. *sniff* *sniff*

By pert near, I mean it was really quite amazingly the most perfect Sunday I've experienced in a long time. I'm not sure how it could've been better. It was one of those days where I could see, feel and hear God's love at every turn. The glory of creation on a warm Fall day is breath-taking in this part of the country. How thankful I am for 4 seasons! The day started with breakfast with my dad. He came to see us for a night before heading back up to St. Cloud for a fishing show. How great is that?! Having my folks so far away makes me anticipate every moment I get with them.  Grandpa Lee with Sam, Claire and Caleb  We packed up and headed to church. The sermon was on "Speaking Sweeter". Part of the Live Like You Were Dying series that we're doing. Such great reminders about the power of our words. I left encouraged to use my words to offer love and support to those around me. Off to Apple Junction in Hastings after church! We convinced Bri's...

Twerps They were chewy perfection. Licorice on the outside, chewy fruity deliciousness on the inside. I'm not sure why they quit making them. I'm certain I ate enough of them myself to keep that candy line going. (I found some online a while ago and bought them but they were so old that they'd almost fossilized!) Original Nacho Doritos Do you remember when they were even more irresistible? Before they made them "New Nacho Cheesier"? I shouldn't complain. I can still eat a big bag in one sitting so I guess they mustn't have messed them up too badly. But still... MacIntosh's Caramel For those of you who grew up near Canada, you'll remember this delightful candy. It was like caramel taffy. We'd have to cross the border to a small Canadian gas station/restaurant/bar to get these little wonders. Back then the foreign exchange rate worked to our advantage in a big way! I'd save all my babysitting money and wait until we made a trip South J...

This year we celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. Pretty big deal, huh? For the first time since our kids were born, we're going away for 2 whole nights (thanks, Mom)! I can't even tell you how excited I am. We're going to see Triple Espresso with some dear friends and then spend the next two days doing...anything we want.  Doesn't that sound delightful? We're staying at the Westin in Edina, known for their Heavenly Bed and Baths. And I got an AMAZING deal on our 2 night stay. I bought a new dress for the show. Actually, I SPLURGED on a dress. Because I didn't find it at Target. I found it at a boutique in Hudson and as soon as I saw it,  I knew it would fit perfectly. I just knew! Isn't that an amazing dress? It hugs every curve and hides the undesirables. A dress that does that is a rare find! I will be sure to post pictures of me and my man all dolled up for the show. Of course a killer dress requires some killer shoes. So this SPLURGE has actual...

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who hates jean shopping. Nothing fits right, looks like, is the right price. I did, however, just find a type and style of jeans that I LOVE. Aiko by Silvers You probably recognize them because I wear them ALL the time. I have two of the same pair. Prior to this, I just bought jeans that looked good enough. I've even been known to buy a pair of jeans that look just ok  because they were a size smaller than normally wear. Tell me you haven't done that, too! I'm still not fitting quite perfectly into my pre-preg jeans and just tried on another pair today. They didn't do much for me but I may end up wearing them soon (on the days my Aikos are dirty). So if you see me in them and think I look like a stuffed sausage you're welcome to tell me to put them back in the closet for another month or two that I looked really great in the jeans you saw me in last week and I'll get the hint.

I pick through my kids' parade and halloween candy and eat my favorites before they get a chance. I eat the chewy center of their caramel rolls when I'm cutting it up (they never miss it!). I pick out the cheesiest doritos and eat them first, lick my cheesy fingers and tip the crumbs from the bottom of the bag into my mouth before tossing it. I hoard pink Starbursts and red Skittles. I have a special cupboard with snacks that I don't share... I only fill my cup half full with hot chocolate so I can fit more whipped cream on it. And when the cream is gone, I add more. I mix up a white cake mix sometimes just to eat the batter. What are your secret indulgences?

I love tator tot hotdish. It has the basic food groups combined into one delectable, potatoey dish. Hopefully you like it, too, because I share this dish often. Had a baby? Here's some tator tot hotdish. Great Uncle died? Let me bring you some tator tot hotdish. My turn to host play date? I think I'll make tator tot hotdish. Had a hemorrhoid removed? Tator tot hotdish is what you need! New house? I have the perfect housewarming gift for you...tator tot hotdish! So if I offer to bring you a meal, it's likely you'll be staring into a pan full of meat, mushrooms and tators. Hope you enjoy it as much as  I do!