Thankful

I'm here.

I just realized that I am now in the place that I always pictured when I was a little girl. The picture was always fuzzy on the specifics, but I realized that my reality is even more sweet and rewarding than I ever imagined.

A relationship with God that is deeper than I've ever had. I used to struggle to view Him as my Father, but now, I find it easier and easier to just fall into His arms and allow Him to be the Father and me to be His child.

An amazing, devoted husband who loves God and me and my kids more passionately than I ever dreamed.

I have 3 of the most special, beautiful, sweet, funny, kids in the world.

My son Kieran is 6.5 years old now, just finishing grade one and has the most gorgeous smile and most tender heart. My girl, Rory, is now 4 and is already such a wonderful sister and second mama to her brother and sister. Her laugh is infectious and when her walls are down...look out! She has such a sweet, sweet heart. And my baby, Cait, is now 18 months old...going on 16! Seriously, this fiesty little girl is so much fun! She plays hard, loves hard and has the best scrunched up smile ever!

And so I've realized that this is where I've always dreamed of being. And I'm right in the middle of it...finally. And realizing this has really made me stop more...leave the cooking and cleaning for another hour, or another day, and just spend time with these amazing kids and my wonderful hubby.

I'm just so glad that God brought things to my attention lately to help me get my head out of the busyness of this phase of life...and allowed me to start to look around and take a breath, and see where He's brought me, what He's brought into my life, and help me just be thankful.

And I am.

Very, very thankful.

Happy Last Day!!!

Today is the last day of work for Kristi, and I am sooo excited for you!!! With baby arriving anytime now, you will need these next few days (weeks?) to get ready for baby...which in mommy terms means...SLEEP!!! Sleep long, sleep lots!! Because as incredible as having babies is, and y'all know I love havin' babies, sleep is the main thing I miss when one is born.

But, the good really does outweigh the hard times, and you are already a wonderful, caring, loving mom. The excitment you've had throughout your pregnancy for your baby to be growing inside you, and now, to finally meet you, is proof enough that you are already an amazing mama.

I really can't wait to see your baby. This baby has been so prayed for and wished for by so many people and I can guarantee he/she will be worth the wait. Worth the tears. Worth the wondering.

Because you are about to have your very own baby...and that truly is one of the most wonderful, most completing things in the world.

I love you Kris.

Boy to Babe

We had a really nice weekend. Kier is now back to school :(, but he was actually looking forward to it, so that was nice. That, and the fact that it's a 4 day week, and then he has 4 days off for Easter, doesn't hurt either. One of the funniest parts of the weekend happened on Sunday afternoon. I was on a cleaning rampage (again), Cait and Daddy were napping, and the older two were playing in the basement. I should've known something was up when Rory came upstairs looking for girls underwear...for Kier. :s But, I was in my bubble, and just said that Kier doesn't wear girls' underwear...obviously.

A few minutes later, this is what appears at the door....

Isn't he pretty?

Oh my.

A Fitting End...

So, March break is almost over. I've already started 'prepping' my little boy for his journey back to school. He's actually looking forward to going back and telling everyone about everything he did on March Break...but, that's about all he's looking forward to right now. :)

Today I took Kier and Rory to the Milton Mall to a one hour magic show. Very cheesy, yes. Did they love it? Yes! Rory kept looking at me saying, 'how did he do that?' Kieran, on the other hand, would look at me and say,'I know exactly how he did that!' They're pretty cute. Then we came home and took Cait with us to the park and on a nice walk. Yes, I said the park. There's still tons of snow here, but it was beautiful here today, so we trudged through the snow and had a great time! The house desperately needs to be cleaned, laundry desperately needs to be done, but all that was left for tomorrow...and we had a great day!

Anyway, I was gonna post some pics from our trip to Ottawa and other random pics, but I can't find my card reader, sooo....maybe sometime soon.

Love you kris...have a great weekend with Jay! And the rest of you too!

Quick Little Update

We are home. Arrived just after supper last night. My baby didn't sleep until about 1/2 hour from home, and then woke up after 10 minutes, but all in all a good trip home.

We had a GREAT time with Alex and Marie. They really are awesome. Marie is just as sweet as ever, Alex is just as funny, and their boys, Issac and Eli, are sooo cute! My kids are already asking when we can go back.

Things we did on our trip: relaxed over coffee, chatted, played in the SNOW, of which there was SOOO much! The snow on either side of their driveway, was well over Rob's head...and he's 6ft. tall. We went to a sugar shack and went on a sleigh ride there...sooo fun and sooo cold! Went swimming (indoors, of course), and then Marie and I shopped for a few hours and went out to eat at an amazing restaurant! I ate way too much over the weekend, but it was so good! We also went to the Children's Museum in Ottawa, and it was awesome! The kids loved it and it was alot of fun! And, of course, Marie and I jetted off for one last shopping trip to our favorite store, Value Village. Where, I found out, that Value Village hires the most rude, impatient managers in all their stores, not just the ones around here. But, we still found some good stuff. :)

So, now we're home. Rob is back to work, Cait's napping, and the older two are building a fort. And me, well, I'm trying to decide what to tackle: getting pictures developed and finally put up on my walls, finally organizing and digging out the clutter in our store room, figuring out what and when to do Rory's 4th birthday party, as it falls on Good Friday this year or waiting on all that because I only have today, and then clean houses for the rest of the week. I'll probably just wait.

Nothing too exciting and lots of thoughts running through my head today, but no time to type 'em here, and that's probably best. Think I'll go finish my coffee and have some time talking to God.

Oh, but one last thought......I'm REALLY looking forward to spring. :)

Sigh...

Well, it happened again. I went to bed late (midnight...crazy i know), and slept all the way through the night (thanks to Cait), woke up at 6:20, to give Cait a bottle, and slept until 6:50 (yes, that extra half hour was worth it!)....and yet, here I am still more tired than when I get up once or twice a night with the kids.

Weird. Bodies are weird. Sometimes I feel like just as my body is finally adjusting to regular sleep patterns, I go and get pregnant and then I'm back to square one. :) Oh well. Makes the coffee much more enjoyable. Which is what I'm drinking now.

So, what's new here? Well, not a whole lot. March Break starts Friday, and we are heading out to visit Marie & Alex for about 4 days, and I'm super excited!!! :) Marie is such a sweetie, and we always have alot of fun when we hang out. Plus, Ottawa is really nice, and it's just close enough to not be too big of a 'trip' (5 hours away), but still far enough that you feel like you're really 'away' from home. Ya know?

So, yesterday at supper, I had another cool conversation with Kier. He is just growing up so quickly and is really 'clueing' into alot of different things all at once. It started because he had a punishment right after school until supper, because he had not obeyed the babysitter we had the night before. So, after informing him of all he'd lost due to that (a lollipop I had picked up for him...right into the garbage....made him watch and everything...lots of tears there and a tv show that he wanted to watch), I decided that he was to write a letter to Maggy (the babysitter) apologizing. I wrote down four words I wanted him to include in it, and told him to add whatever else was on his heart. So, here is a summary of the note:

"Maggy, I am sorry for disobeying you. Will you forgive me? You're the best babysitter. love, Kieran to maggy"

Cute. And he really got what he had done, and was really repentent for it. I love those instances where, as a mom, I know my child so well, that I know exactly how to communicate with him to really help him understand what he did, and the consequences. The real test of how well he got it will be the next time she babysits...so, we'll see.

Then, at supper, he mentioned that a boy on the bus had hit him. I asked him if he had done anything to provoke the boy, and he initially said no, not really. But because, as a rule, the kids on his bus don't randomly walk around hitting kids, I pushed him to get the whole story. Turns out that this kid was being mean to his friend, and Kieran wanted him to leave his friend alone, but then the boy called kieran a 'name.' When he told me that, and was almost crying when I asked him to tell me what name he had called him, I thought for sure, we'd entered the stage where he was going to be hearing bad words. So, I braced myself, and after alot of coaxing and being reassured that we wouldn't get mad at him, he finally whispered in my ear the word.......

Bum bum face.

He had his hands over his mouth nervously after saying it, and was like, "are you mad that I just said it?" We told him of course not, but I still wanted to know what led to the boy hitting him. He said, "Well, he called me that name, and was still being mean, so I called him the name too". Oh. Now, I really understood where all the nervousness and guilt was coming from....not only the fact that he heard the word, but more the fact that he said it too. We told him that we were proud that he told us the truth, and I said that now that Jesus is in his heart, whenever he would make wrong decisions, he wouldn't feel good about them, because Jesus wants to help us make good decisions and doesn't want us to have peace when we make bad ones. It was obvious he knew it was wrong, so we had a good chat about better ways to deal with bullies, and he had some great ideas....obviously, don't call them bad names back; also, move to another seat on the bus to get away from them, or my favorite, ignore them.

So, that's life around here lately. Lots of life lessons for my boy, my middle girl turning 4 in a couple weeks and soooo excited about it, and my little baby turning 15 months next week, and showing no signs of slowing down. And I love it.

Ok. No more sighs. Coffee's gone, and lots to do. xo

Watch This Video

If you've ever taught a child to swim, swam with a baby, or remember learning to swim yourself, you will find this video pretty unbelievable. I've decided to make some predictions as to how some of you will react when watching the first little bit of this video...lemme know if I was right. Don't read the prediction until you've watched the video. :)








Here are my predictions:
Kristi: will say 'Oh my word!' about 20 times, hand over your mouth, but smiling, even nervous laughing a bit.
Amy: will yell 'Oh my!' And will be belly laughing within a few seconds of the 'shocking' part of the video.
Marie: will say 'what? what? what?' 'no, no, no!' 'for real??!?!?', and then some nervous laughing.
Sarah: will let out a little yelp at the 'shocking' part and will spend the rest of the time figuring out how the kids do it.

Welcome Back from Lunch Kris!!

It was great 'chatting' with you just a second ago on facebook! I think I'm gonna put one more post up here just to amuse you! Hope you can watch videos at work!

Have a great afternoon, and give that guam baby a belly rub for me! Love ya! xoxoxo

Weekend Life

Our weekends vary from weekend to weekend. This past weekend was one that started out looking like it would be not too bad on the busy scale, but pretty low key. Instead it turned out to be filled with alot of fun and relaxing family time.

Starting Thursday night, we picked Kier up from school and decided to make an impromptu trip to the library. We stopped at the grocery store first (for snacks and a couple necessities), and had a lot of fun there. To let you get to know my kids a little more, here's where their interests were the whole time at the grocery store: Kier--as soon as we walked in, he saw a Life magazine with a picture of lightning on the front, went over and grabbed it, and settled in the cart to flip through the magazine until we were done shopping. A man's man already. :) Rory was focused on getting the free cookie at the bakery, but was easily distracted by the girls' clothes, shoes, candles, cheesies (their treat), dancing in the aisles, and helping me put things into the cart. But, the whole time, she never forgot the cookie at the bakery. And gobbled it up pretty quickly when she finally got it. :) Cait, however, had no choice but to sit in the cart and amused herself pretty well. By grabbing everything she could and either eating it, or throwing it onto the floor, and then pointing and grunting. The kids think she's hilarious so, when she clued in that she was getting laughs, she didn't stop for the whole trip. :) And she enjoyed the cookie too.

So, then we were off to the library. Before going in, I gave each of them an apple to gobble up, in an effort to curb their supper appetite. Kier and Rory finished quickly but Cait was taking her time. It was actually the first time I gave her the whole apple, skin on, to just hold and eat herself, and let me tell you, she loved it! She is already quite an independent little girl, but the sight of her walking around the library, apple in hand, mouth full, waving and smiling to everybody, made the trip that much more fun. I tell ya, that girl is happiest when she is in a room full of people and is the center of attention. (not sure where she gets that.....).

Moving onto Friday night, I had actually picked up some movies at the library (free movies...gotta love that!), so we put on Peter Pan to watch with the kids. Not my favorite movie at all. I have never watched it, and really didn't like it. Peter Pan's attitude is so cocky and rude, and he has girls all over that island...and is quick to ditch one for the next one that catches his fancy. The kids weren't into it, so we ended up playing playmobils for a bit, and then the kiddies went to bed. We invited our good friend, Mitch over to play some games, but we (Rob, Dawn, Mitch, & I) just ended up veggin' and had great conversations. About marriage, divorce, committment, and my desire to tour North America and just help people with their marriages. Alot of sad stuff happening to couples today. We had some laughs too. (i said, 'pardon?'...inside joke.)

Onto Saturday, I usually have music practice on Saturday morning, but it was cancelled this week, so Rob let me sleep in (love that guy!), and then we packed the kids up and went to the Waterloo Children's Museum. It was alot of fun and was perfect for all of their ages. Cait just loved being able to run free and kept looking up at the lights and chinese lanters they had hanging from the ceiling, and smiling. She's so cute. Saturday evening was pretty uneventful, as Rob had to prepare for the next morning, and for some reason, I was pooped. I am convinced that my body works more efficiently on less sleep, because anytime I get extra rest, I seem to be much more tired. Weird.

So, church was good, and then we went out to eat with a bunch of people after church which is always fun. There were some 'new' people there who I haven't gotten to know very well yet, so it was nice to just veg and chat. After settling Cait down for her nap at home, and the other kids were off to play scrabble, and daddy was 'watching tv' (ie-napping :), I snuck out with Dawn for a couple hours to power shop. We hit about 9 stores the hour before they closed, and it was fun. We both found what we were looking for, and I hit some sales for the kids too. Then, I went into mommy organizing mode when I got home, and blitzed for about 3 hours, cleaning, vaccuuming, reorganizing and scrubbing. Felt good. Then, Rob and I settled in and watched a movie together. I found it hard to get into, cause it was pretty slow and didn't 'hook' me at the first, but it was so nice to just be with him for a couple hours.

So, that was our Stanley weekend. Nothing spectacular, but got to spend lots of time with most of my favorite people, so it was a good one.

How was your weekend?

My Tender Hearted Boy

My oldest baby is 6 years old. He is funny, thoughtful, whiny when tired, and has such a tender heart. He is the big brother that all little girls wish they had...protective, fun to be around, and willing to watch all the ballet performances and princess dress up games they can throw at him. He loves being responsible (when he decides to be:), and is a sucker for any kind of physical contact. He especially loves when I tickle his back and arms. He often tells me that even when he's daddy's age, he's still gonna cuddle up on the couch with mommy. (Mommy's done her share of brainwashing on that one:).

He has great and unique relationships with each of us. He's cuddly and vulnerable with me. He absolutely loves wrestling with his daddy and it amazes me how many 'likes' they have in common. They both love to read, they love to have their alone time, and their latest favorite is playing online Scrabble together. It's the first thing Kier asks to do when he gets home, and he's getting pretty good at it too. His relationship with Rory is one that is comfortable and safe. Sure they argue (more and more as they get older), but they really have a great time playing together, whether it's with their playmobil's or in the bath or outside. Their personalities compliment each other and it really makes me happy to see them such good friends already. Watching him with Cait has been one of my most favorite things lately...he takes such tender care of her, and belly laughs at her when she does even the simplest thing, like walk towards him yelling 'boy-yee' (her name for him). He has said often since she was born, how much he loves her and how he's going to take care of her always. He is a boy that thrives on the relationships around him, and is a boy that, I believe, anyone would be lucky to have a relationship with.

And now, he has a relationship with God.

Last night, right before bed, and right after yet another bout of ungrateful whining on both his and Rory's part, I decided to have a heart to heart with them. I talked about all the things they had to be grateful for, and about all the boys and girls who don't have any of the things they have. This is a conversation we've had many times before, but it really seemed to hit home with him last night. He asked if the boys and girls who didn't have much were happy, and I said that if they had Jesus in their life, that even without all the things we have, they could be happy. I explained that often we as humans think that all the stuff around us is what makes us happy, but often it can just get in the way of us really seeing Jesus as the only thing that will make us happy. We then talked about why Jesus came to the earth and that why, when he was 33 (same age as daddy), he died for us. Again, this is a conversation we've had many times, but Rob and I want to be sure that when our kids choose to start their relationship with God, it's them choosing it...not us coaxing them into it. I knew he was really listening to me, but didn't want to push him into anything, so the last thing I said, before ushering them to bed was, 'The decision to have a relationship with Jesus is a decision that only you, Kier, and only you, Rory, can make. Mommy and daddy make decisions every day for you, because we are your parents and it's our job, but this is a decision that only you can make. You have to be the one to talk to God.' Kier was quiet for a little while, and then he turned to me and said 'Mommy, thank you for telling me that I have to make this decision. Because if you didn't tell me that, I wouldn't have known that I have to be the one to talk to God about my sins.' I then told him that he could talk to God anytime, and he said he wanted to right then. So, he got up, went to the other end of the couch, pulled a cushion in front of his face, and talked to God for about 2 minutes. When he finished, he put the pillow down, and had the biggest smile on his face. He launched himself into my arms and I asked him what he just did. He said 'I made the decision mommy.' I asked him how he felt and he said 'really good, mommy. really good.' Rob walked in the door just after and I explained to Kier how God doesn't want us to keep our relationship with Him a secret...that He wants us to tell people that we know God, and he sat Rob down on the couch and told him that he had just prayed and asked God to forgive him and that he would love God forever, and that they would work as a team to help Kier make good decisions. Kier hugged both of us so hard, and told each of us that he will love us so much until he dies. (he's got mommy's dramatic flair ;).

Needless to say, there were alot of tears last night. I haven't felt this humbled to be a parent as I was last night. To see this little human being in front of me, make this life altering decision, on his own, between himself and God, was a defining moment for me. It reinforced once again, that although we are responsible for many things in our kids lives, they are ultimately in God's hands and He desires to be their number one relationship, Provider and love of their life. And I'm more than ok with that. :) I can't imagine thinking that it was all up to me as the parent...what a heavy load, that we will inevitably fail in many respects in. But, having Jesus as the primary example of how to love, how to obey, how to forgive, etc...is so freeing and so comforting. I've failed, many times as his mom, but he now has a relationship with the One who will never fail him, never forsake him, always love him, always be with him, in death and life. Pretty amazing and humbling stuff.

So, today is the first day of his walk with God, and there are a lot of prayers being said from this little mommy. I've been learning the big lesson that when I look past all the rules, decisions, parenting philosophies, etc...the most important routine I can get into with and for my kids is to pray for them. God, through the Holy Spirit, is the most powerful changer of hearts, and He is in me, and now, in my little son, so there is no limit as to what He can do in and through each of us...especially with a heart as tender as his.

Thoughts

Unfortunately, after 3 kids, my brain has decided that after 8:00pm, no coherent thoughts are allowed to pass through it. So, here are some random, Saturday evening thoughts.

Had a great date yesterday. Walked. Shopped. Talked. Laughed. Didn't fight. And, other stuff.

My head hurts. Again. Not sure if it's from lack of sleep, or stuffy sinuses. Or both. Annoying either way.

Liked my hair today. Got a killer hair cut from my sis, Sessa when she was here, and I really like it curly since. Usually don't like it curly as much as straight.

Was a long day today. Cait's been teething and fussy and clingy. By 5 pm, my sympathy is runnin' low, and bedtime is lookin' good. She's sleeping now. Kier and Rory were both tired and a little crazy by end of the day. They're sleeping now too. Hope they all sleep well.

Want to go to bed soon. Rob is working on his message now for awhile, so maybe I will. Amy tagged me for a blog post, so might do that soon. Might not. ;) Kristi is getting so close to having her baby...so excited and nervous for her. Really wish I was gonna be there. So sad that I won't be. Seriously would deliver the baby, but only 'cause I love being there for that whole experience. Certain that she's in better hands with her doctor. :)

Can't imagine having another baby right now. So tired with taking care of the other 3. But, still can't imagine not ever having another baby. Too much to think about tonight.

Going to take some sinutab and go to bed. Nite.

A New Bear Friend

This past Monday, Rory & I went on a road trip to Buffalo, NY with Sarah & her two girls, Maggy & Emma, and Myriam & her girl Rosalie to celebrate Emma's 8th birthday. Emma really wanted to go to Build-A-Bear to spend her birthday money, and Sarah invited us along for the trip. Since Rosalie & Rory's birthday's are in March, we decided that we would just make it an early birthday present time for them as well, so that all of the girls could get a build a bear.

Wow! Let me tell you...whoever came up with the idea for this store is brilliant! It is awesome! The girls got to pick out whatever bear they wanted (or puppy, monkey, etc...), then got to participate in stuffing it, putting a heart in it, filling out and keeping its birth certificate, and of course, buying an outfit for it. It was alot of fun, and Rory had a great time! She knew exactly what outfit she wanted...from the dress down to the shoes. Oh, and don't forget the underwear! ;) Check out the small hole in the undies for the bear's tail! Too cute!

I wasn't sure whether Rory would take to her new bear or not, but suffice to say, she has!! Her name is Ashlyn and Rory adores her! It's really cute to watch her be so careful and tender with her new 'baby.' The only problem with our new bear: now, her brother and sister want one too!

Blog Surfin'

When I first got into blogging a year or so ago, my good friend Sarah would call me with new and fun blogs to check out. They would have everything from fun pictures, to cool craft ideas, to yummy recipes. And although I don't blog surf as much as I used to, here's a couple to help get you started on your blog surfing:


www.annamariahorner.blogspot.com : She was actually on the Martha Stewart show last fall, and I love alot of the fabrics she designs! They're gorgeous. It's actually one of my goals to order some of her fabric and make a few small things with my girls. She does alot of quilts, curtains, etc...but, I've gotta start smaller than that (think: small bag for Rory)...a quilt is a little too big of a goal for me at this stage (and ability). Let me know what you think of her site.

Be sure to check out her chocolate lollipop fabrics...my favorite collection. http://www.annamariahorner.com/productfabric.html

www.soulemama.typepad.com: I still occasionally check her blog, and I even think she's from Maine (yippee, right amy?). She has actually written a book which is called The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections and is available on Amazon now. I think I may look for it at Chapters here, and maybe pick it up. Would love to hear what you think about her site too!

One last fun thing to check out, but it's not a blog. For those of you who have TLC on your channels, who loves 'What Not to Wear'? I actually don't watch the show alot, but I really enjoy watching the makeup/hair part and love the makeup artist, Carmindy. She always seems to be able to just bring out the women's natural beauty and always has fun tips...and now, she has a book (my first purchase at Chapters, I think): http://www.amazon.com/5-Minute-Face-Quick-Makeup-Guide/dp/0061238260. I'll post a picture if I end up getting amazing results in 5 minutes, but I think it might take a little longer. :)

So, put on a pot of coffee, cozy up on the couch, and enjoy some fun blog surfing...and let me know your thoughts and what blogs you like to surf around!

Smooth Like Butt'a!

FINALLY!!

I have been growing my hair out for about 5 weeks now and it's been driving me crazy.

Only 5 weeks, you say? That's not too long.

Well, let's just say, it's not the hair on my head that I've been growing out. (get it?) ;)

So, all that to say, I was finally able to get waxed tonight, and it was glorious!! It's amazing how such a seemingly small thing (no hair) can make me feel sooo much better. And, I think I am finally over this sinus infection/cold thing I've had for a week. And, I am going on a 12 hour date with my hubby on Friday!!

Only good thoughts from me tonight~Nighty-nite!

Favorites of My Favorites-Part 1

I was scrolling through some pictures the other day with the kids and we had so much fun reminicing about all the fun we've had in this past 14 months since our baby Cait has arrived. So, I decided to post some of my favorite pics from the last 14 months. And, when looking through them, I was struck at the emotions each picture brought...whether it's a gorgeous baby shot, a seemingly 'normal' shot of the kids, or a shot that seemed to capture the emotion of the moment. Favorites are such a personal thing...most of these pictures will probably not bring out the emotion in you, that they did in me, but I hope you enjoy them nonetheless.


These were snapshots taken at Canoe Cove Beach last summer...I love how Cait is just taking it all in...including lots of kisses and attention from her big brother!


And here are some of Cait, and her Papa. My dad is so great with the kids...he just loves them and they absolutely love him. That has been very cool to see, especially since my dad and I had always had a really rocky relationship. He's a great Papa and a great dad.

More faves to come!!

Latest Likes & Loves

Although Valentine's Day is over, I thought I would continue on that lovin' feeling for one more day and put down some of my latest likes/loves. Everything from new music, books, and new discoveries by my kiddies. Enjoy!

1. New like: The Michael Gungor Band (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=55552319) That's the band's myspace address. We just started singing a couple of their songs at church (Giving It All is a fave), but my favorite one so far is Prodigal. Let's just say that God really used this song to put an even finer point on some things He was trying to get through to my stubborn heart. For a long time, I've been more concerned about the hurt my heart has/will feel when truly loving those around me...and finally, bit by bit, I've been able to see that my heart is something I need to surrender to Him. And know, that although it will be hurt again, trampled on, not cared for...it's in His hands and allowing Him to use it however He wills, is how I can best love Him...and ultimately, others. So, go to the bands myspace now, and take a listen...

2. New love: My baby girl Cait at 14 months. Oh my!!! She is one spitfire of a little girl! She is alot like her mama (yikes!), but is just so much fun! The other day, I had all the kiddies home for the day, as we were attempting to get over this cold/flu thing that they've had for awhile. So, Kier and Rory were upstairs having a nap, Rob was upstairs working in his office, I was lying on the couch, and my little ball of energy was walking 'round and 'round the living room and kitchen...singing, dancing, 'talking', and just being sooo cute! Then, she goes over to the gate by the bottom of the stairs and yells, loudly, 'Rory!!! Daddy!! Boy-yee!' (that's what she calls kier...boy). And she kept yelling for a few minutes, until she realized they were not coming down...and then she was off to wander and babble again. I love her. But, she is growing up so fast...as Rob reminded me this morning, while playing ball with her. 'Time for another one'...:) his quote, not mine! I'm quite content.....for now.

3. Rediscovered Love: The Food Network: I don't watch alot of TV, but when I'm sick, that's usually one luxury I will not feel too guilty about at the end of the day. The other night I watched 'Chef At Home' with kier and rory and we all loved it! He was making a valentine's dinner for his wife, and we were all engrossed, watching him make breaded goat cheese for salad to strawberries dipped in chocolate & other yummy things to a creamy chocolate martini. Yummy!!! Kier was moaning when the credits were rolling, and I thought he was not feeling well...turns out, he enjoyed the show a little too much...'i just want to eat his food!' So, experimenting is on the meal plan in the near future!

Well, 3 things doesn't make much of a list, but my girls are begging for attention, so that's all for now. What are some of your new/rediscovered loves/likes?

It's Valentine's Day...

...and I'm sick. (*sigh*).

So, that's my update for today. :) My nose is running, my sinuses are clogged, my throat is raw, and my head is throbbing.

But, on this Valentine's Day, this is how I wanted to show two of my dear friends, Amy & Kristi, how much I love them.

That, in spite of feeling like this, I finally updated!!!!!!

However, today, my update is only that I am sick and will try harder to update more than once every 6 months. I've read both your blogs and your lists of 14 things you love, and be rest assured that if I had the energy to do that list on mine today, you both would be on it.

So, Happy Valentine's Day girls!!! Kris, I hope you & Jay enjoy this last 'child-free' valentine's day together!! Eat lots of chocolate & enjoy just being with each other! Ame, enjoy tonight with your boys! I hope you and Kev get some alone time after the kiddies go to sleep...eat lots of chocolate & cuddle lots! ;)

Have a great night!! Love you!