adventures with 4 under 4

twins naptime adventures

2012-02-13T09:21:00.000-06:00

and in case you didn't get the drift of what it means to be tag-teamed by the twins...well, here's is a video.

before this video was shot we had already been into the room to resettle & put them back to bed. then we set {matt}s iphone up in their room to see exactly what was happening during nap time. this is a little snippet of it...what you didn't see is the 3 other times that {matt} or i came in to put someone back into their crib.

we totally were laughing. {matty} is so strong! my favorite part is {sam} putting his arm around {matty} as he climbs out, as if he were saying "stay & snuggle some more." but don't let his sweetness fool you...he climbs out in the middle of the night. he's been known to sneak into our bed & kiss his dad in hopes of convincing {matt} it's ok to let him stay. and it usually works. {sam}s also been known to just sit & play toys if he can't get the door open...yes, in the dark of the middle of the night.

i'm more than ready for these canine teeth to finish cutting. that's what seems to be keeping them up. *fingers crossed* they'll stop after all their teeth are in.

Current adventures:: twinnie tag teamin'

2012-02-10T10:02:00.000-06:00

things have just been crazy lately. And trying to keep up with these twins may be the death of me.
There's been some during-nap-closet climbing...

A little hair-pulling-while-trying-to-take-a-picture

...this...twinnie tag team at its finest

And more closet climbing. this time wallowing in the extra blankets.

So if you need me...you can find me hiding in the kitchen sneaking some chocolate cake.

- Posted from my iPhone

i choose an adventurous life of living with urgency

2012-02-08T13:08:00.000-06:00

i've been reminded lots this week of a message we heard in church last week. sidenote:we are definitely still in the process of finding a home church, but thankfully it's taken the step from casual sunday visits to seeing if there is a place for us to connect. it was about living life with urgency.and not the flustered kind that we conjure up when we are unprepared, but the life-giving kind that guides, directs & often times changes our steps. it spoke to the deep places of my heart. it was like the Lord was telling me that i wasn't insane after all. help me discover that our life does indeed have a calling, an urgent one to follow where & what the Lord is asking of us. there's a powerful peace in that.

the pastor actually talked about noah and how he had been divinely warned way ahead of time hebrews 11:7. noah was given a glimpse of the future...im sure that noah would have rather had the flood come sooner than it did, but he still trusted in the Lord's timing & faithfulness. i think the Lord has given most, if not all, of us a glimpse of our future at some point. but maybe we've dismissed it or have lost touch with that life. but why? we should all live our lives with an urgency to serve the Lord...even if we must be like noah & wait 100 years until it comes to pass. but in order to get there you have to ask yourself some real questions...hard, eye-opening, heart-examining questions.

are you becoming who you are suppose to become-so you can do what you are called to do?
noah decided it was more important to save his family than to listen to other's gossip and ~~ignorant~~ uninformed comments of his doings. he knew he was called to be in the world building that boat but with a heavenly mindset on glorifying the Lord. i think that lifestyle made his family respect him more and be willing to go along with him in the end. cause don't you think that during those boys younger years they too didn't have the same faith their father did. so if you want to use family as an excuse as to why you aren't becoming that person, find a new excuse people.

are you living in & being fueled by God's grace...or are you still relying on comparison to motivate you to get things done?
if noah had looked at the others around him & asked the WHY ME question...well, there wouldn't have been an ark. if he had looked at enoch and realized that enoch just ascended into the heavens, yet there he was year after year building that ark & waiting, he would have grown discouraged. and while i know noah was human and i'm sure he had his times of weakness & discouragement, in the end, noah chose to be fueled by God's amazing grace-not the worldly equivalent of comparison. that's real folks. we have to chose every day, even multiple times a day. there are charts to compare our kids on. tests in schools. jobs. salaries. houses. cars. boats. clothes. the list can go on & on. but when we securely live in grace, we tend to not notice or let those things hold power over us.

think of it this way...comparison holds power over us & holds us down. grace fuels us & pushes us forward. i prefer to not to allow myself to be held down, how about you?

comparison us

us grace

what adjustments are you making in order to make room to live the life God has asked of you?
first things first...it's a process & it doesn't just happen overnight. i mean noah waited more than i lifetime, but the grace reward that he received in the end was more than worth it don't you think? having his family safe & sound is pretty awesome...plus he was able to actually prove all the haters wrong. ok, back to the process...check it out, jeremiah 1:10 says:

"uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow, to build and plant. "

yes, that's a lot of steps and only 1 of them is something that we like to do. you can't have one planting without the other uprooting and vice versa. pruning is a necessary evil & the Lord does all things with purpose. i can say after several years we are finally in a place of building again. let that be a testimony of God's faithfulness, that you can make it through all of these things and still love the Lord & be in a good place.

everyone around you is screaming "NO! DON'T DO IT! YOU'RE CRAZY!" ...but in your heart you can't shake it?!
if noah had listened to all the nay-sayers, disbelievers & haters, he literally would have drowned. if he had decided that those people were certainly right, he would have missed out big time! he may even have argued that he didn't have supplies, help or knowledge to build an ark, but guess what...the Lord provided. for most of my life, i feel like i've met some version of this-the world trying to drown me, to drown out the whispers of the Lord in my heart. i've been discouraged. i've doubted. i've even tried to abandon the call of my heart and listen to those around me. well, as i'm sure you know, God doesn't take no for an answer. so hear this, remember that time in high school or college or at a worship night at church last year when you said, "God use me...use me in whatever way you can." yeah, He's a knocking on that door. when you beg God to use you as a tool to touch people, ya don't get to ask or give preference of how he chooses to do so. God is the potter & you are the clay. if the potter chooses to use the clay to make a bowl, who is the clay to ask to be a bowl. yes, the Lord does know the desires of our heart & won't use us in ways that we won't work. but maybe if it's seeming too hard, the Lord is just wanting you to trust him more.

as humans, we all want the good in life...but it's never as sweet with out the hard work & sometimes heart break. but choosing to live a life of urgency after God brings a much sweeter reward. so now, i ask you, are you living a life of urgency?

trailblazing adventures

2012-01-31T10:06:00.000-06:00

after going through several personal trials during high school/ college, i realized that the way the Lord wanted to use me was as an trailblazer, an encouragement to those who followed the path behind me. and i wanted all the personal pain i suffered to not be for nothing...i wanted to help & share my experiences so that others didn't have to go through life alone. i asked the Lord to bring people into my life that were about to walk down the same road that i had just been down. i wanted to be able to encourage them in the Lord, be a testimony of God's faithfulness & promises that He never leaves us. and i have. i have always had someone to share with directly after i've walked through the dark, shadowy valley of death. and in the particular instance of my health/ cancer scare last month, i literally was walking in the valley of death. and while i do not feel like i've cleared it or escaped it, i have been on a hill basking in the life-giving sunshine. what i didn't expect was someone to have someone follow me down that path & into that same valley so quickly.

"But after I am raised up, I, your Shepherd, will go ahead of you..."

matthew 26:32

the end of 2011 was full of crazy health issues in our family. first {matt} got crazy sick, the boys all got nasty sick, then there's me. and well, then came {grammie} my mom...

she finally decided to go to the doctor to figure out why she was experiencing shortness of breath...while just sitting sometimes. they ran a slue of tests, including CT & PET scans. the tests turned up empty on answers for the shortness of breath, so they called it asthma. but they did find something on her scans...spots, masses, lisions, call em what ya want but in the end they are things that should not be there! a few spots on her lung and even one on the kidney. my entire family was caught completely off guard. for 1 thing, she never smoked regularly...or even at all. and 2, she can't drink a glass of anything sort of alcohol without getting giddy-she's a lightweight-so a closet alcoholic she is not. and 3...i was the one who had just been told & untold i had cancer.

long story short, they are indeed calling these spots cancer. mainly because non-cancerous masses would not take the dye for the PET or CT scan like these did. she underwent surgery last week to remove the spots on her lung. all went according to plan. although they did find a few smaller spots, once they got in there, that did not show up on the scans. that meant a longer incision, a longer surgery time, a longer recovery time. the doctor said it was all stage 1 cancer and they got it all....meaning no need/talk of follow-up radiation therapy. she did lose 20% of her lung capacity. which means keeping up with my boys will be a little harder, but the snuggles from them will be even sweeter.

as for the kidney spots, the plan is to get those taken out in march or april. but i think that will depend on how she recovers from this surgery. so prayers & thoughts of a speedy recovery and fullness of health are more than appreciated...they are coveted!

i'm never sure why i walk through trials before someone else does, i just know that is how the Lord uses me. and i don't think i'll ever figure out his schedule...especially with this scenario. but whatever buffer or encouragement i was able to serve for my mom, i'd do it again in a heart beat. but this time there's a sweetness of knowing i get to do this adventure along side my mom.

all that being said, i'm off to visit a doctor here. turns out i didn't end up being able to get the MRI biopsy done the day we left virginia. that was a blessing in disguise! {matt}s grandmother recommended a great local breast specialist. so we'll head off to see her today. i will try to update things here on the blog when we hear anything. i know that people are checking in on me via this sweet place of mine here on the interwebs.

so please, come on back for info. or comment with questions for me or about my mom. and if you're incredibly shocked at this cause i haven't told many people at all, then shoot me an email: kristiruckel [at] gmail [dot] com. so thankful for this community i've found here!

inspired adventures

2012-01-26T13:31:00.000-06:00

as you can probably tell from my post earlier this week, i've found some creative juices...and i'm trying to keep them flowing. it's harder to do than i'd expected. there are 4 little interruptions of life & normal daily tasks that break that flow regularly. and once said interruptions are down for the night...i struggle to regroup, even to just veg & watch tv.

alas, earlier this week while {matt} was out of town, i rallied & sat down to intentionally be creative. upon picking up some of the toys & mess of the day, i came across our copy of The Giving Tree by shel silverstein. this book sits on our living room shelf instead of the bookshelf in the boys room. why? because it was my wedding gift to {matt}. just before our wedding we had talked about childhood memories and what we wanted our family to look like...and this book came up. therefore, i wanted to have a tangible reminder in our house. that we are to love other & put them before ourselves.

i was reminded of one of my favorite quotes from this book

and she loved a little boy very, very much-even more than she loved herself.

but as i was trying to recall it exactly, i found it wasn't in this edition of the book...it must have just been from my childhood. so i scoured google to see if what i was recalling was correct. indeed it was...or it had been. i have yet to nail down when the wording changed in the books, but there are plenty of pictures of the page in question these older editions. even found a few tattoos of it, so i think it's safe to say, my memory really is serving me right.

so i decided to make my own version of the quote.

because simply loving just one boy is outta the question!

the frame i already had. it was up on the wall already with a picture in it. i wasn't really lovin' how it looked on the wall, so i decided to put something new in it. low & behold, i was able to make this print in photoshop the exact size needed. perfect!

and i must say...i love the way it turned out! definitely a true portrait of what i think motherhood is.

and it has definitely kept the fire of creativity ignited & burning. still working on some rooms in the house so that is definitely needed!

what's got you inspired?!

livin' with less::settling into our new digs

2012-01-24T07:30:00.000-06:00

in an attempt to add some more 'me' to our little home i asked for some scripture prints from this fabulous etsy shop for christmas. it is time to replace some of our wedding pics & stuff we used to stage the houses with some new stuff. i mean it's been 6 1/2 years of marriage, almost 5 years with kids & we have no pictures of our kids framed or hung. i'd like to think it's because we were de-personalizing the house getting it ready to sell, but really it's cause i'm horrible at committing to decisions & getting stuff printed.

it may also be the fact that i like to just put things off. i'm used to having friends that would come over & kick my butt into gear. sadly, those friends all 1000 miles away now. and as much i wish they were here...to help, to visit, to settle me into this new casa...i'm regaining my independence from the tight grasp of my babies-who are no longer teeny tiny babes. i can actually accomplish some tasks during the day. the {twins} are old enough now to be distracted by the tv or toys or brothers which means i can do some work. and while there are dishes piling up in my sink, i really need to do something fun. something creative. plus, i'm helping work on one of my goals for this year. score!

don't mind the scattering of toys...its totally normal.

so there was this big, long, empty wall in the middle of our living room just begging for some attention. we had tried a couple different furniture pieces in this space, but it is the major thoroughfare in our house so it ended up being more in the way than anything else. so stuff on the walls was the only way to go. i wanted it to be a collection of us...our ~~little~~ family of 6.

but there's this little...catch...there isn't a lot of money to work with. ya know, especially with the move & all.

i took old pictures out of frames i wanted to re-use.
i grabbed a can of black spray paint which we had in the garage to make sure all the frames were the same color. it helps visually to unify the mismatched frames. see you didn't even notice they weren't all the same style!
i also found a pack of photo paper and figured it was time that i committed to getting some stuff printed.
the only money i spent was on a few new frames that were required in specific quantity & size.
and i dug through boxes of stuff to find the non-picture items to hang up. they all had previous lives somewhere else & i think they represent us pretty well. i love to use things that hold special meaning to us, gives it an even more cozy/ homey feeling i think.

and i present to you...my ~~finished~~ work-in-progress product

here's what i used:

mirror: came from {matt}s childhood bedroom

pictures: i chose recent shots from the past 6 months or so & plan to add some of our classic shots later

scripture prints: from here or here

the antlers: shot by {matt}s grandfather

the R: from my dad who works for a company that makes letters for signs

ukele: well, my husband is a musician after all. you could say it was just laying around.

pewter cross: we got it on a trip to mexico

clock: no real story there. every home needs a good clock right?!

it feels good to decorate...get my creative juices flowing.

it makes a house, whether you own or rent, feel more like a home.

and it totally does feel so much cozier in here.

i'll try to get some pictures of the other finished rooms up soon.

and eventually a whole house tour for those of you who have asked. keep your pants on!

Our family fishing adventure

2012-01-23T13:52:00.000-06:00

With Matt's new and consistent work schedule, we have truly found our weekends to be more precious...and actually available! So we are trying to do some sort of family outing, ya know explore & take advantage of our new town.

We skipped going to church this week. It's had it's ups & downs but that's a story for another time. instead we packed up the boys and ventured for a fishing trip. Yeah, we're crazy like that. 4 little boys+water+hooks can be a scary combo.

And while there are probably a million & 1 fantastic fishing spots down here in the "redneck riviera" as my father inlaw calls it, we just don't know them yet. So we set out to a place that we knew would be great at our first attempt. The park that sits across from {matt}s grandparents old house.

yes, it was really that foggy.

{gran} & {pop} have both gone to be with Jesus and we haven't been by the house since new owners have moved in. It was a little strange. But this trip was different. We had 4 little boys that are so full of life & adventure that the memories here were sweet & full of excitement to have our own kids there. Digging in the sand. Running down the pier. Squealing as they ran around the playground.

While the day was full of fog & no fish. We all were worn out by lunch. I've come to learn that the success of these trips isn't about whether or not any fish are caught, but that we are all enjoying our time together...even if it's spent untangling fishing lines. It's about giving my boys a chance to do little boy things.

{ben} loved the worms.
i definitely heard him say to a worm, 'come here, ya slimy jerk!'
what?! haha!

Give boys room to explore & the possibilities become endless.
So what if their pants are soaked because they didn't wipe the slide off first...they were enjoying the moment.
Or their clothes & shoes get muddy...they were running & playing.
Maybe they're hot & sweaty & smell like outside...they're doing what boys were made to do!

{matt} said he used to play in this same spot for hours.
i. love. this!

- Posted from my iPhone

preschool adventures: back to school in florida

2012-01-18T10:31:00.000-06:00

i've learned i was right in wanting to be settled for {ben} to start school. it's been quite the process of getting him enrolled in preschool here. thankfully the pre-kindergarten here is state-funded & free so it makes the hassle a little more worth while. but there have been lots of errands. lots! he starts next week & he's so excited...so am i, cause the errands & phone calls will be done. time for phone calls for some play dates now! but really, there's nothing like making you feel at home than running errands all over your new city.

here's what our to-do list ended up looking like:

find a preschool & get a tour thankfully, we were referred here & it was a great fit!
fill out school application
get VPK (voluntary pre-kindergarten) voucher from child care services
get shot record transferred to florida's form at the health dept
get physical transferred to florida's form...or get a new one which is what ended up happening.
find a pediatrician again, we were referred. bonus of moving close to family!
turn in all paper work & money for uniform shirts
pick up uniform shirts & school bag

when i saw my list of things to get done, i thought no big deal...but it honestly has taken a solid week & a half of phone calls & running around to get it done. thankfully it was nice to have a reason to leave the house since {matt} was gone last week for work training. and all of the state facilities we had to visit were prepared for kids to be there...for a while even. that made my life so much easier, especially since i forgot the stroller that day. yikes! alas, we all survived.

i'll be honest, this process made me not look forward to getting {ben} registered for kindergarten. but hopefully it won't be nearly as time consuming or confusing since i'll have been a florida resident for more than a couple of weeks. and he'll be in public school cause our sweet little town was rated #1 place in florida to raise kids. what a blessing to be in a great school system...far from where we were living in virginia. looking forward to raising my boys here...even if they will eventually go to ruckel middle school. and no i'm not kidding. it's named after {matt}s grandfather...yeah, it's weird.

so here we are going back to school again...

5 steps to keeping up those adventurous resolutions

2012-01-17T10:40:00.001-06:00

we're a few weeks into this new year...this new place...this new life of ours...

and i feel like i may just be settling on a few things that i'd like to see happen this year.

you can call them resolutions. goals for the year. life changes. a list.

lets face it, in general, when it comes to seeing goals through, it's a difficult task. i personally start off strong & then get distracted & fade quickly. so there's a few things i've learned about myself to help me get things not just started, but seen strongly through to until it is finished.

did you make a list of resolutions?

what are you doing to make goals happen?

let me help ya out...here's what i'm doing:

1. consistency

i am definitely not a routine person by nature. confession: in fact, i dislike them & fear of becoming a slave to them. but this is one time i've learned to embrace them. if i don't have a set routine, whatever the goal maybe, i get distracted and end up not doing it one time...i'm done for. i'll make a feeble attempt at catching up but i end up feeling burned out & leaving it. undone. incomplete. hanging over my head taunting me.

2. realistic

one thing on my list for 2012 is finding & settling on our style for our home. moving out of the hand-me-down, newly-married type furniture/decor and onto something that is us...all 6 of us. while the woman in me would love to have a living room straight out of a design magazine, it just isn't going to happen...for several reasons. the mom in me reminds me of money & practicality of it. i mean this is a house full of testosterone & climbing little boys. i do know that style is an evolving process. and while my mind races & makes decisions, finding that perfect item may take longer. which means that i may or may not accomplish this goal by the end of the year. and that is why my goal is to find...not decorate every inch of our living space. break it down to into smaller steps if need be. because who doesn't like to cross things off the to-do list?!

3. encouragement/ reminders/ accountability

whether you have someone to help you or your sticking post-it notes all around your house, this is an essential part of of the process. i definitely have the mom-brain these days & nothing would get done EVER if i didn't have a reminder set. for instance, i have a scripture calendar on my sink that i see in the morning or evening and i have a reminder set on my phone to remind me to read my devotion. yes, i'm that bad that i need it in more than one place. if you like having people check in on you, share it with facebook or twitter & have them keep you accountable.

4. keep your list where you can see it.

make it your homescreen on your phone. hang it on your fridge. put it in your Bible or a book your reading. or again if you dare, post it online. my weekly meal menu sits out on the counter where i can see it. i've even got snacks listed. then i'm not trying to remember or make spontaneous decisions.

5. pick one.

as the months pass & you find that you're becoming overwhelmed by keeping up with all the goals on your list, pick one to see through to the end. finish 1 goal by the end of the year. that is completely achievable...for anyone! sticking it through to the end helps build self-confidence. and who knows, maybe next year, you'll get 2 things done.

you can do it!

that being said...here's some things on my list for 2012.

finding/ settling on our home style *

make a meal at least 3 times a week *

go to bed at 11 *

make some new friends *

schedule blogs regularly *

re-do blog design *

i'll give some updates periodically on how i'm doing.

i'd love to know how you're doing...or how i can help you!

Twas an adventure on the night before Christmas

2012-01-10T13:00:00.000-06:00

this Christmas we have been in the middle or the end rather of a state-to-state move. The logistics of such monumental under takings are borderline nightmarish. But we've had a few distractions and potential train wrecks these last few weeks. Read this for details. But in the end, we all made it. Safe & sound. Which is a Christmas miracle in itself!But because of our move we knew that this would be a modest Christmas. Which lets be honest, took a huge stress & pressure off because that meant no shopping for gifts for everyone. But I also discovered that without experiencing the hustle & bustle of the shopping frenzy, it also didn't feel like Christmas.

1st night in our new house. sleepover by the christmas tree.

I did my little bit of shopping online with presents delivered & some even gift wrapped. I loved the ease & peace of it. Plus the excitement of it arriving at our door made ME feel like a kid. Mostly I bought small things to occupy the boys for the 15 hour car ride. yes 15hrs & they all did great! I knew we would be opening literally buckets of toys that had been in storage for months now, plus the excitement of the new house...who needs presents to open on Christmas morning?! Nobody here...at least that's what I thought. As night fell on Christmas eve, I found myself getting sad at the thought that my boys wouldn't have gobs of presents & wrapping to become swallowed in the next morning. I longed for more. More time to prepare. More money to spend. More presents to open.

christmas jammies & watching "the very first christmas" in bed

The next morning came in a flash & with a bang. Literally the boys door hit the wall as they left their room. The boys opened their gifts and would not put them down! I bought both the big boys a mobigo & game cartridge. I soon came to realize that they would've just played with that one toy the whole day whether they had other presents to open or not. my longing ceased. And my heart was humbled.

playing with toys christmas morning

I had been walking through this season of advent with my boys and teaching them that it wasn't about Santa & gifts, but about Christ humbly coming as a baby for each of us. And here I find myself doing exactly what I was trying to teach my boys NOT to do. While it is so very fun to find the most perfect gift & getting it at a great price, I realized that now as a mom I need to learn to be content with what I have or else my boys won't get it. They were content with what they had been given. and in the end, I was content with the modest Christmas morning we had. The boys got a few more gifts to open from family later that day which I admit, helped me feel a little better. Next year I'm hoping Christmas won't be as overshadowed as these past 2 years. As parents, we've realized that for things to be successful & feel like Christmas, it's up to us.

So we're devising a plan to help everyone, myself included, feel like its more like Christmas next year. And the best way to start that off is by NOT moving days before Christmas. it definitely set the attitude of my heart & mind on the things & areas of life i want to make important for 2012.
and more stuff isn't one!

- Posted from my iPhone

a slow & adventurous blogging re-entry from florida

2012-01-10T11:26:00.000-06:00

sorry for the absence dear friends! life has been a little 'hold on & enjoy the ride' lately.

here's a few simple facts of our current life:

we are still alive.

we did make it to florida.

i'm waiting for a little while to get any further medical tests concerning the masses in my breasts.

i do have a majority of the house unpacked now.

the walls are still bare.

establishing life in a few town means a lot of errands & phone calls.

so yes, i've been busy & have had a million thoughts of blogging but have had no time. i've realized the outlet it's been for me. hoping i can get some stuff up more regularly here soon. i'm planning on some pics or possibly a video tour of our new digs so stay tuned!

also, i've been contemplating a little blog makeover for a while. i mean, {ben} is almost 5...so the whole adventures with 4 under 4 just doesn't quite fit anymore. i'm open for some new title...look...theme suggestions.

hoping in 2012 i can be better about scheduling posts so i'm not so sporadic.

love you all...& until next time i leave you with this...

our own version of the breakfast club

a frightening & adventurous emotional roller coaster

2011-12-14T10:02:00.000-06:00

ok i'm so glad i got my christmas card done early because if i had waited, it just would not have gotten done this week. anyone else have one of those unexpectedly over busy weeks?! phew! i'm tired...physically, emotional, spiritually...just. plain. tired.

so remember that post about a month ago where i talked about the lump i found in my breast & the follow-up to come...this is that follow up. theres lots of details that i'm trying to sort through it all & give you a good concise story without this post being a 10 minute read. bare with me. and if you have any questions, please leave a comment & i'll answer them that way.

as i sat in the waiting room to get my mammogram i read this verse:

do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. i teel you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. be faithful, even to the point of death, and i will give you life as your victor's crown. rev. 2:10

that's one of those verses that kinda just makes you prepare i think.

3 weeks ago yesterday i went in for a consult with a surgeon about the results of my mammogram. yes, my first mammogram at 28 years old. not exactly what i pictured my future health care containing. and of course the results showed what they already knew...1 cyst, 1 mass.

so the surgeon had me scheduled for an ultrasound guided biopsy...STAT! he is well aware that we are in the midst of moving...out of state no less. and yes, he actually said STAT. and even though i realize that doctors actually say it, {matt} & i tried not to laugh. you'd think we'd be use to the lingo by now. guess not! and we did got in for a biopsy the next week.

i went in for the biopsy on a wednesday & they did their thing. aspirated the cyst again & get a biopsy of the mass on the other side. and all was going accordingly until the cyst wouldn't fully disappear. so they decided to get a biopsy of what was left. i was told the earliest i could expect results was 48 hours but probably get them on monday because of it being the weekend.

the next morning as i was getting ready to go see the train exhibit downtown i got a call from the doctor's office asking me to come in that afternoon to discuss the results of the biopsy...and make sure that {matt} was with me. those last words made my stomach to jump into my throat leaving a lump i couldn't swallow. i was preparing for the worst. but still headed out to see the trains that morning in an attempt to distract myself.

and then the doc brought the hammer. it was the "best bad news" i could get. there were abnormal cells on the wall of cyst that they meaning the 4 pathologists that looked at it were calling cancerous. yep...the ugly, scary C word. of course we were shocked. sitting in that little office both of us having out of body type experiences while trying to get a grip on the bomb the doc just dropped. we asked questions. we tried to soak in answers. and we started praying & calling family. ok, so {matt} started calling family. i couldn't barely breathe trying to hold back tears while in the doctor's office...let alone explain the situation to someone else. we went to dinner after instead of going home because i wasn't sure i was ready to see my boys & be able to keep it together.

so we sat & talked. processed. trusted that the Lord was up to something good & crazy. realized that our human understanding just wouldn't ever be great enough to grasp this. said the words out loud a few times. feeling the heavy burden of the word cancer & choosing to let my Savior carry it for me. and i left feeling safe & at peace with whatever were to happen.

the next procedure i was to get done was an MRI...again, STAT. that way i could take those films with me to florida if need be and there would be a better idea of what they were dealing with & also to see if there were abnormal cells anywhere else.

friday morning i was rushing around trying to get {ben} ready for preschool & the little boys breakfast before i needed to leave for my MRI. then i got another call from my doc. i assumed he was checking in to see how i was doing. instead, i got the best news...a new diagnosis. the final stain/ test on my biopsy had to sit overnight and they just got those results in. it wasn't cancer...just abnormal cells that they are calling pre-cancerous. meaning that if there were more of the abnormal cells, they would call it cancer, but now it's just not. are you kidding me?! i was so shocked i couldn't even process fully what he had said. plus, i still had to get my MRI.

the big question of was it God at work or just too early of a diagnosis on the behalf of the doctors...i couldn't tell you. but in the end, God still gets the glory! don't worry, that's not the end of my testimony because it's not the end of my story.

the process of the MRI on that friday was a little intimidating. i tend to get claustrophobic. my big experiences are x-rays and a c-section. i closed my eyes and used the time to pray & sing songs. cheesy i know but i had to do something to help the sound of the MRI not be quite so loud. the results of that wouldn't come back til monday.

in the mean time we scheduled an lumpectomy to the remains of the cyst and the mass because of it's size even though it was benign. that surgery was suppose to be today. i should be at pre-op right now. instead the MRI results that came back late monday...and then received yesterday morning were again, abnormal. the MRI detected 2 more masses deep within the breast, 1 on each side. before they do surgery they need to do an MRI guided biopsy...since they are only detectable by MRI. and the STAT order on that procedure isn't as quick of a turn around as previous experiences. the earliest they could get me in is the 20th.

and i've been meditating & mulling over & over these verses for months now. and they rock me every.single. time! i mean for real people...i grit my teeth daily just trying to make it through on my own strength. but that glory-strength sounds awesome! gimme some of that any day.

we pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul-not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. it is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.
col. 1:11-12 (the message)

in case you were wondering when exactly we are hitting the road & heading south...it's december 20th. so the fact that the procedure can't be done until then & our doctor is done for the year on the 23rd just answered a lot of our logistical questions. i will get the biopsy done early that morning. we'll close on the condo that afternoon. pick up {auntie kate} after she gets off work & then take this party to florida. and hope that we can enjoy christmas & continue to celebrate the goodness & faithfulness of God.

now whether we finish procedures here or in florida are still up in the air. and so is insurance stuff. but i trust that God is taking this situation & turning it around for good. and if you wonder how i could, just take a quick look back at the things He has already done for us this year & you'll understand why. health, houses sold, new job! i've tangibly seen the power of God working in my life!

a friend sent me this little excerpt from her devotional last week & i think it explains beautifully right where i'm at & want to be because, afterall, it's about bringing Him the glory!

do not fear your weakness, for it is the stage on which My power and glory perform most brilliantly. As you persevere along the path i have prepared for you, depending on My strength to sustain you, expect to see miracles & you will! ~Jesus Calling

by naptimediaries for purchase here

adventures in our christmas card

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

i don't think i've ever gotten a christmas card out this early...ever! i'm impressed with myself. and maybe the reason why it's out so early is because it's more than just a christmas card this year. the time has finally come to spill the beans on where we are moving after we leave the condo in just 2 weeks time...

so please, by all means...
read our christmas card!

single parent sunday :: at a birthday party

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

usually our sundays are filled with church and naps. but last week, instead of going to night church, we went to our friend {sawyer}s 3rd birthday party. and what an adventure it was!

for the most part the boys did great. it's a child-proofed house filled with plenty of toys to distract from anything too troublesome except...

the table. {sam} has this obsession with climbing up on the chairs to get to the table. it's why my table looks like this...

and then there was the kiddie table on the porch full of half eaten cupcakes. after i got done feeding {sam} & {matty} their cupcake, they b-lined for the table of abandoned cupcakes before i could even get up. it was an epic twin tag team battle. i'd get one of their hands cleaned off & pulled away from the table while the other jumped right in...this continually happened for a good couple minutes before i was able to get them both cleaned, cupcakes snatched away & put some place unreachable. wish it would have been captured on video somehow because i'm sure it was hilarious to watch. i then brought them inside and proceeded to chase them & pull everyone's cups/plates/food out of their hands.

and {gabe} decided to forget he is potty trained. and of course, i didn't have any extra clothes for him. so he ran around in a long sleeve shirt, diaper & his shoes...the majority of the night. he also didn't want to leave the train table & pitched a small fit. then i reminded him that he had trains at home now too. thanks {grammie} & {granpop}!

and {ben} wanted to help open all the birthday presents. he also was playing baseball outside and i nearly got hit in the head by him twice...i'm sure that others had the same experience. sorry 'bout that folks!

needless to say, they were giving me a run for my money. and i decided that it was time to leave when i started to break a sweat from chasing boys & just trying to keep up. and pictures? like i had the time or sense of mind to take pictures. lesson learned...birthday parties require 2 adults to keep up with these boys & all the sugar that comes with a birthday party.

good thing we sure love that {sawyer} boy and his mom & dad so much!

and today is the actual birthday...

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY SAWS!

taking an adventurous crack at explaining advent

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

so let's talk about the 'why' of an advent calendar shall we?!

disclaimer: i'll lay out some technical terms about advent but please realize, that while i am married to a pastor, that does NOT make me a theologian or completely knowledgable about this. it's what i've learned, researched & asked questions about.

what does advent mean?
the word advent means "coming" or "arrival"; particularly of something of importance

what does advent celebrate?
it is marked by the spirit of expectation, anticipation, preparation & longing.
the waiting time & preparation for Christmas and the anticipation of Jesus returning.

when is advent celebrated?
in the church advent begins the 4th sunday before christmas.
BUT...advent calendars always begin on december 1.

how do you celebrate advent?
this is where it gets a little complex...
there's the evergreen wreath & candles
there's the colors of advent
there's something called a jesse tree
and then there's the regular 24 day advent calendar which is what i'm using.

what is an advent calendar?
it's a way to keep the family, especially young children, involved in the celebration. it is a calendar with windows or pockets to be opened every day of december. the intention of use for the calendar vary so drastically and this is the very basic edition that they all stem from. you can have anything from spiritual pictures of the old testament story of the prophecy of Christ's birth to a piece of chocolate to an ornament to a gift to give others. but i've found that mostly people use it to at the very least create traditions and or even distract their kids from the uber consumerism that has become Christmas.

if you want to know what my intentions for our advent calendar & celebration are start with this post.
OR if you're in need of some ideas for you advent calendar or just festive things for your holiday season check out yesterday's post.

let the advent adventure of 2011 begin!

2011-12-01T10:08:00.000-06:00

ok, first off, i'd like to make a confession...we aren't doing the advent wreath & candles in our house. if you need to know why, then please re-read my blog title...that says it all right?! phew, feel better. thanks! so we'll be counting down the days & building anticipation until Christmas with our {ruckel} family...and our moving day.

i'm not a prepared person. ok, well mostly, i'm not...i try & succeed on occasion. but for stuff like this, i'm definitely not. i didn't buy any supplies, print out pages or look up the correct scripture reference until yesterday...hence, why this post is going up today instead of yesterday. thanks for the grace!

let's start with the calendar itself.
there are all sorts of fabulous & different ideas for advent calendars out there. pick one that works best for you & your family. i chose this one from naptime diaries etsy shop. 2 versions available...printed or printable...i chose printable because this year, i need to not worry about extra things to pack. let alone to pack nicely back in the christmas bin...which is who knows where in the storage shed?!

time to fill it.
first i took a look at our calendar for the month of december. like most families, ours is full! so there are things that were already planned and those will serve as our activities for those days. then i filled in the days with the things we want to do as traditions with our family. that was easy! with both of those things, we already filled up half the calendar. you can fill the remaining days with festive little things...not too much effort or preparation.

since i'm wanting to keep our advent season not just about traditions, but really making an effort at focusing on the spiritual aspect of the season, i'm incorporating some scripture into each day...or several of the days at least.

our festivities:

1. decorate the house for christmas!

2. make paper chains
date night for mom & dad & sleepover with {auntie kate} for the boys

3. dinner & holiday parade with friends

4. get hot cocoa on the way to church

5. make paper snowflakes

a diy garland via bumpsmitten

6. make & send some christmas cards & gifts

7. visit santa// read a christmas book before bed

8. visit the train exhibit downtown

9. watch "a charlie brown christmas"

10. lights at the beach or garden of lights

Add caption

11. christmas music dance party

12. color christmas pictures & activity sheets

13. make a card for {ben}s preschool teacher

14. play "where's baby jesus?" with the nativity

great little people nativity for kids

15. birthday celebration for {auntie kate}

16. preschool christmas party//dinner with friends

17. christmas movie night & milkshakes

18. donuts before church

19. wrap gifts

20. open small gifts for car ride/ leave for florida

21. watch christmas movies in the car// do something nice for someone while on the road

22. have a sleepover in the living room

another diy:: tent tutorial via mycakies

23. hang out at {nanny}s house

24. church//have birthday party for Jesus// open 1 gift (jammies & book)

printables for a birthday party for Jesus

25. biscuits & chocolate gravy for breakfast!

curious?! get a recipe here

and a few resources.
i'm using this book to help with the scripture/ spiritual aspect. but it's a great pre-packaged advent calendar. definitely worth checking into if you have little ones.
here's a great selection of christmas books to add to your library.
and there are a million different holiday printables out there. i'm using this preschool nativity set.
and pinterest is full of ideas!! check it out.

need some other ideas? try these...

ice skating age appropriate of course
a trip to the post office is inventible this time of year
a family trip to the movies there's always a new family type movie out this time of year. anyone going to see the muppets?!
go see a christmas play...like the nutcracker or a christmas carol.
collect some christmas books or grab some from the library. unwrap a 'new' one every night before bed. over the years the kids will love getting to read those stories.
drink apple cider
go caroling
bake & deliver cookies for those who work on christmas eve/ day
have kids put on a christmas story play for mom & dad
shop for & wrap gifts for others less fortunate. theres lots of opportunities to do this, not just churches.
help a food bank by serving or donating food.
have a cookie exchange
write letters to santa
write a letter to a solider

the end of my giving thanks adventure

2011-11-30T13:37:00.001-06:00

it's been a great time of reflecting and learning to be content. i've seen God's blessings in my life is small & big ways. it's amazing what you can see when you take the time daily to be thankful for the blessings in life. but the biggest lesson i found through it was the contentedness i found in my life. it took out the longing for more. the desire to fill my life with what i don't have & think i need. what a place of peace my heart has found.

now i realize i didn't get all my daily lists of things i was thankful for up here on the blog, but i do have them. and the general theme was His amazing provision...in food, health, and timing. i'm still in awe! but most of all, i'm thankful this month of sickness & health issues is OVER...time to move on along to health & wholeness!!

i am now ready to ring in the advent season! what a season of excitement & anticipation. it's no wonder the consumer world has jumped on board. although, with our moving out of the condo just days before Christmas and the fact that the majority of the boys toys have been packed away for most of the year, we won't really be buying much this year. we'll have the joy of rediscovery of toys that have been 'hidden'. they'll get a few small things for the drive in the car and some from grandparents. but what im most excited about is preparing my home & hearts of my family in the anticipation of the arrival of our King.

i'll post our activities tomorrow, but here's what i'm hoping to accomplish...to teach them how to relate and be in the world, but not of the world. aka know Jesus is the reason for the season, but also not burst some kid's santa believing bubble.

i want my boys to know that our anticipation is for the birth of our Messiah, not just the packages under the tree.
i want them to know the Christmas story, not just Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.
i want them to know the scripture that tells the prophecy & birth of Jesus.
i want them to know the angles,wise men & shepards are & not just elves.
i want them to know that Jesus is real and Santa is the storybook character.
i want to build memories & traditions for them.

and most importantly, i get that all of these things will be works in progress over their lifetime, but ya gotta start sometime. so why not now?!

hoping to get my advent activities post finished for tomorrow. so come back tomorrow and i'll do my best to inspire you.

edit** also super thankful for my cousin's brand new baby GIRL! she's the first granddaughter after 10 boys between she & her siblings!!! now that is a celebration folks!

Wordless wednesday :: happy thanksgiving

2011-11-23T12:32:00.001-06:00

Hoping your thanksgiving looks something like this picture...full of peace, quiet & sleeping (babies)!

On our way to {grammie} & {granpop}s house.

- Posted from my iPhone

thankful adventure in God's timing

2011-11-22T10:08:00.001-06:00

The Lord's timing is and always will be a mystery to me. Some times we are sitting and waiting & waiting some more. And other times it happens in the drop of a hat and we are expected to pick up the pace.

But one thing I've learned is that it's always perfect. ALWAYS! There is no doubt that when that thing you've been waiting...trusting...prayfully seeking the Lord for...happens its for "such a time as this". And we must simply have peace in that.

While most of the time I feel like we are waiting on the Lord for what seems like forever and then we see him appear when we've become desperate and given up hope in our eleventh hour. But for me lately, I've seen him working in super speed and I sometimes have a hard time keeping up. It's been thing after thing here but he's ordained them all. And our timeline is so linear...one thing can't happen until this other thing happens. It's been a blessing to see them all happen so steadily. He's answered prayers before we even knew to ask. He's a God of small things and big things alike. It's awesome!

A few weeks ago I had said that we got a offer on our condo and signed a contract for another full price offer. HUGE blessing. That makes 2 houses in 6 months...and all that awesomeness goes to glorify God! But....
There was a catch. Our condo association had lost its certification with the FHA. So anyone with an FHA loan (meaning those looking in our price range & type of house) could not buy our place (or any in our neighborhood for that matter). And of course the buyer had an FHA loan. but the buyer decided she was willing to wait for the certification...that could take up to 90 days.

i mean who wouldn't want this cute little place, right?!

{matt} had jumped through several hoops to figure out who to talk to & how to start the process for recertification. And on the week we accepted the offer and signed the contract, we were told that it would be at least another 30 days. Still in time to close by mid December but that means a rush to get all the inspections and appraisals done before closing.

As of yesterday St. Andrews condominiums are FHA certified!! and we can now get on with the intrusions of inspectors and packing. oh joy!

I don't claim to know why the Lords timing is what it is. I couldn't tell you why we didn't find out about the certification deal until we did or why the recertification happened so quickly. In the end, my prayers are answered and I've learned to lean on His understanding & timing a little more easily.

and here we are, the end of november...Christmas is just mere weeks away. and for so many it's that of year when people are reaching their own 11th hour of desperation. we need to be looking & aware of how we can be used in the Lords timing to help those in that desperate place.

are you looking? and will you make yourself available?

adventures in learning to live with less :: holiday decorating

2011-11-18T07:28:00.000-06:00

over the last few months I've learned how to live with less space & stuff.

and not just learned but enjoying living with less space & stuff.

Less toys to pick up.
Fewer dishes to wash.
Not as much stuff to organize.
Less on the walls & shelves collecting dust.
Not as many things for the babies to get into.
Fewer things distracting me from time with my boys.
Although I wish I could say the same went for the laundry.

But now that means I have 2 storage units full of stuff I feel like I don't need. i haven't used most of what i own in months! months people. but there are important things like birth certificates, tax stuff & other such papers to hold on to.

I mean I'm even keeping my fridge & pantry less cluttered. Because there just isn't room to keep the non-essentials. I buy what we'll use right away and I'm learning to meal plan a little better. freedom i tell ya!

fall is a season of preparation...preparing for the long, cold winter that lies ahead. we pull out the blankets & coats, turn up the heat and stock the pantry & fridge with our fall harvest until they are overflowing. it's about making your house feel warm & cozy & inviting to be in so you don't have to leave it. and one way we do that is by filling them with holiday decorations. and in that, I find myself wanting again...

Not sure if that's just me caving to the advertising, holiday displays & simply just wanting or if there's more to it. i mean they do a great job of putting new & cute things out there every year.

super cute pillow.

but it wouldn't last a month in my house.

via crate and barrel

nothing says snuggly more than a plaid fleece blanket!

via target

Or even this cute monogram. although i'd use a pre-light garland & hang it outside.

via pinterest

and then it dawned on me that it's more that greed & wanting. It's about creating a safe space. A retreat to grab a blanket & curl up in on cold & rainy winter days. a place full of memories & nostalgia. a place that you not only want to be, but stay in for a while.

***

So while we unfortunately will not be decorating for the holidays this year because the closing date on the condo is for mid-December. Getting more stuff out just to re-pack doesn't sound appealing to me at all. BUT I am figuring out how we can do little things still to celebrate the holiday season and maybe even decorate a bit.

I love advent calendars and both the big boys are old enough now to participate this year. I think it's a great compromise to our situation. And ive been searching for a calendar that I love for a couple years now & been unsuccessful. i don't like the idea of just handing out candy that's what halloween is for so we'll be doing lots of crafts & activities. the things we will do for advent will help decorate this place but still be disposable. We'll learn more about Jesus & the true Christmas story, but also introduce and explain who Santa, the elves & Rudolph are. I don't want my kids to be the ones who burst the bubble of those that belied in Santa.

I'm finding myself pretty excited actually. Decorating for the holidays, making my home cozy & warm...but with less. perfect!

And once I nail down what each day of the advent calendar holds I'll post it. For now enjoy the awesome advent calendar I just bought from NaptimeDiaries. go check it out!

and today i'm thankful for:

Just the right advent calendar!
That I have stuff if I want it...but in a storage into & not cluttering my house.
The chance to create traditions & memories for my boys.

an annual adventure with a twist

2011-11-17T07:04:00.000-06:00

so we've had some health issues around here lately. it's been a little ridiculous. and frankly i'm over it. but what's our life without a few extra adventures right?! geez!

so i went to my obgyn for my annual appointment. if that sentence made you uncomfortable, stop reading now. or it will only continue to get more uncomfortable for you. this is the first time that i've been in for an annual and NOT been pregnant. it felt strange. but it was nice to not have a pint of blood drawn.

i did the usual routine & let the nurse get her stats...all were fine. questions, side effects or concerns about my IUD...nope. any other concerns...

yes, well actually, there is this...this lump in my right breast.

**crickets**

it has been there since after i had {ben}. i asked my former OB i changed practices with my pregnancy with {gabe} about it at an appointment after having {ben}. i was told it was probably just a blocked milk duct because i was breastfeeding and not to worry, it should soon go away. i nodded and went on my way.

well it didn't go away. in fact it got bigger. but lets be real here...since that appointment i've been pregnant or breastfeeding. i was putting my body through the ringer and in the end i wasn't sure what kind of condition my breasts would be in. smaller, sure. but having a lump that had grown, yeah not so much.

after my sweet doctor did a breast exam on me, she too agreed that we needed to do something about it...and oh yeah, there's another smaller spot on the other breast. just great. but she got some lidocaine and a 18 gauge needle to check the fluid and drain it if possible. well turns out, it was totally drainable 10cc worth, that's a lot! of nasty cystic fluid and no blood. the doc said she was looking for blood and if there had been then we would need to do a biopsy. so that was unexpectedly easy. and the cyst is no longer. i will go in for a mammogram & ultrasound in the next few weeks to make sure there isn't anything underlying that we missed and to get a better look at the smaller cyst. and then follow up with a surgeon in case there might be need to take action with anything. i'll update again once i've had those appointments.

all and all i'm glad with the news i received today. like my momma said "better knowing and being able to face it than not knowing and being fearful and turning it into something bigger than it is." good words momma. also i read this while in the waiting room at the doctor's office..."for God is greater than our worried hearts for He knows more about us than we do ourselves." 1 john 3:20 amen!
__________________________________________

so this story is a giving of thanks & praise all in one. thank ya Jesus! Hallelujah!
plus i'm super thankful for the support of my family...the encouragement they supplied along with the worries i know they wouldn't tell me about because i told them not to.
also thankful that i can now sleep on my stomach again and not feel it.

single parent sundays :: fresh fall air

2011-11-15T19:38:00.001-06:00

bed hogs slept in the middle of my bed all week

when {matt} was sick a few weeks back, i said it would be better to have a sick kid than a sick spouse. well turns out i got my wish...we all minus {ben} & including my parents got the stomach bug last week. karma just kicked my butt! it was terrible. not as bad as when we got it back in march, but still bad. my mom drove up the day i got sick. and my dad dropped by during the weekend...and they still got it. it's the kinda bug that lingers even after you aren't feeling sick. the worst! so we stayed home. inside. for days! did i mention i'm currently in a 2 bedroom condo?! cabin fever is an understatement.

{grammie} & {matty}

on sunday we were all feeling pretty much back to normal, but knowing that my parents had just gotten sick, we didn't want to chance taking this nasty bug onto church. so we stayed home. sure that meant no rushing to get out the door in time or arguments over outfits, but i was still doing it by myself. nothing had changed. the monotony of the week was digging in deep under my skin. thankfully, sunday brought beautiful fall weather here in southeastern virginia & i knew that if i didn't get out of the house we would all pay for it. i dressed my grumpy self & my grumpy tribe of boys and off we went to explore the great outdoors. ok, maybe not so much explore, but a walk to the park.

not sure why, but i feel like they look a lot like me here.

{gabe} wanted a ride back

and getting out just once just wasn't enough, so we went for another walk later that afternoon. {auntie kate} came to the rescue again and took the little guys & i took the big ones. i tried to make them sit on this bench and act like they loved each other. this is the look i get from {gabe}. ha! shoulda known, we were all still a little on the grumpy side.

and turns out, that both {sam} & {matty} were cutting molars too. no wonder i feel like my hearing has been compromised. i mean, there's a lot of crying that happens in this house normally we warn all those who dare to enter the door! but put sick AND teething buddies....yeah we reached a whole new level.

thankfully the majority of us are on the up & up. {matty}s gums are still getting torn to pieces and he is more than sufficiently reminding us of this, but the bug has passed and we are enjoying the 80 degree weather.

so last week was full of plenty of things to be grumpy about but like i said before, i'm trying to be thankful for something every day...even if it seems that there's nothing but baby puke filling it. and since all the days last week just got jumbled into one, i'll just be generally thankful. that's good enough right?!

a husband who literally gets his hands dirty to help out at home
that {ben} made it through without so much as a sneeze
my husband that takes the day off to watch the kids & take care of me
that same husband can get more done on his day off at home than i usually can
for parents who come to help...and get sick in return but wouldn't have it any other way
for new windows to open & air out the house
this amazingly gorgeous fall weather
the colorful leaves that make looking out my window a little more enjoyable
checking BIG things of a to-do list
watching that to-do list get shorter & shorter

What I wore Wednesday :: accessories

2011-11-09T12:21:00.001-06:00

I've been wearing these 2 super cute accessories the past couple days.

I've also been known to wear them like this...

One was pukey, the other was about to be. We got hit with some 24hr stomach bug. Yuck!

But I'm still finding things in my day to be thankful for!
Nov. 7
A creative boy...he was camping. Roasting marshmallows by the fire & making smores.

Signing a contract on our condo! To Him be the glory! I'll post all the details soon!

Nov. 8
Sunshine & fresh air at the park for a playdate.
A husband that tells me not to worry about the mess & just love on my boys.

- Posted from my iPhone

single parent sunday :: giving thanks days 4-6

2011-11-07T15:11:00.005-06:00

i've been keeping a running daily list of things i'm thankful for on my phone. it's much easier than keeping pen & paper around yet also out of reach of the boys. since i'm just mashing all of these together today i'll keep it brief...

november 4
child care at the YMCA
leftover halloween goodie bags
a call to show the condo

november 5
showing the condo
a clean house
family time
nap time
worked on our christmas card
dinner & coffee with my friends

november 6
waking up with a little bit of sunshine
babies that didn't cry when left in the nursery
teething swabs for uncomfortable
jimmy john's
offer on the condo...even if it's not that great

and since yesterday was sunday...here's my single parent sunday adventure...

the boys woke up at their normal 7:15.

we got fed, dressed & out the door with no major meltdowns.

got to church EARLY.

got everyone to the bathroom & class on time.

and then it repeated for our second go round for night church.

those experiences are few and far between for us.

definitely a day i was giving thanks with a grateful heart!

A few people I'm thankful for :: day 3

2011-11-04T08:12:00.002-05:00

{nana roo} & her special birthday...ok so I meant to add that to yesterday's post. as I was typing realized the notes I had been keeping had been deleted by a certain 2 yr old who can't keep his hands off my phone.

{nana roo} & {papa steve}
photo by: tom graham

to know that a dear friend is back home in the states (she & family have been in in thailand for 1.5 yrs) and recovering from jetlag. happy heart!

{tess} with a brand new {gabe}

Listening to Christmas music while cleaning. Love the nostalgia & joy it brings. Especially when listening to this...

Remember my friend {abbie}, this is her big brudda, Matt Wertz. I spent many a Christmas seasons in their cozy house. *sigh* and yes, I'm suddenly filled with childhood nostalgia again...see its just that good! he's working hard at pursuing his dream, so show him some support. GO GET IT!

Which also makes me thankful for Abbie & all these years when laughed & cried through life together. Gah! If only texas weren't so far away!! Kiss that sweet niño for me.

{abbie} & her son {wes-a-wee}, {bethany} &
me and my boys

New books to read at bedtime. Nothing like the rhythmic sound of a new book to slow down the pace before bed.

gift cards that had been put away & forgotten about to help buy a few groceries while money was low. major blessing!!

- Posted from my iPhone

thankful november adventures :: day 2

2011-11-03T11:42:00.004-05:00

{sam}s new found love for books...and being without pants apparently

i can sit him down with a book & he'll stay there for a few minutes.

coffee after another night of being up with coughing babies.

and morning snuggles & art with my big buddy.

little helping hands that actually helped clean.

i take out the middle 2 poles of my swiffer and let him go to town

& he actually gets the floor somewhat cleaned.

***

sipping on a decaf pumpkin spice latte while thumbing through some design magazines.

and {auntie kate} for watching the boys last night so i could do so in peace & quiet.

what moments...things...people are you thankful for today?

- Posted from my iPhone

beginning a thankful adventure in november

2011-11-02T09:52:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was one of those difficult days.

Little boys were constantly crying/fussing.

there's a lot of that in my house.

Naps were being resisted.

Meals were boycotted.

And this momma was grumpy herself.

It must have been in the water.

and yet, it's that time of year we are suppose to be thankful, even when we don't feel like it.

But I realized something...like anyone else who went to the store in the past week...Halloween was just here & we are already onto Christmas. And I love the Christmas season but something was screaming out to me. Not just the lack of celebrating or decorating for Thanksgiving. but the fact that we are skipping over a holiday where we celebrate the blessings we have been given and race onto the holiday where we become mass consumers with the "gimme that. I want that. And that. And that." attitude.

I think Thanksgiving sets the right attitude for the Christmas season. If we go in knowing how thankful we are for the things we have already been blessed with; it lessens the need for more stuff for ourselves and increases the desire to allow others to have the same incredible feelings of being blessed. No, I'm not talking about the faces of our kids when they open up the gifts under the tree (and who doesn't love that?!), but more so the reaction of people who feel they don't have anything to be thankful for or to celebrate.

so i've decided to remind myself to give thanks and not just simply to give it, but

with a grateful heart.

because there are so many things daily that i need to see & learn to see in a different light.... especially when we all got up on the wrong side of the bed.

here's my list for today:

warm, snuggly, cozy footy pjs on little boys

a fridge full of milk...these boys go through a gallon a day!

leggings & boots...these are my replacement for sweats these days.

the ability to interpret {gabe}s sentences & thoughts...sometimes anyways.

now i won't solely be writing on the things i'm thankful for starting today until december 1, but i will include a small list at end of each post at least. i'd love for you to join with me. post it on a blog. on facebook. twitter. email me.

and even more, i'd love to hear from you come december and how your heart has been prepared for the Christmas season. and if you'd like to share it here for all to see, i'd love to give you that opportunity. let me know & please feel free to email kristiruckel {at} gmail {dot} com

- Posted from my iPhone

an adventurous journey of fear to peace

2011-11-01T06:04:00.000-05:00

there are those times in life when our first response to a situation is fear. our minds go straight for the good stuff...total fear & abandonment. anxiety. stress.
and lots ok, most times it has to do with health or strength of our bodies.

well, we had one of those run-ins this weekend.

as a mother of boys and only boys, i gave way early to the fact that there would eventually be trips to the ER or urgent care clinic because of some hopefully just sports accident. and after the scare with the twins heart issues and the good news a year later, i pictured myself visiting pediatric cardiologists frequently. i thought mentally i had gotten at least a loosened grip on the whole doctor thing. and well maybe i had if it had been my boys. instead, the visit was for my husband.

he had just been to get some antibiotics from the same urgent care clinic 2 days prior because the family practice couldn't fit him in. and then it started with a wicked headache the middle of the night friday. like woke him up outta his sleep never had this kinda headache. i got him some tylenol and said if it was still that bad come morning he should go back to see the doc. and yes, i sent him by himself. he had a headache and dragging along the tribe wouldn't have made anyone happy.

then things just got weird. the kinda weird where life becomes surreal and you're sure time has stopped but then you look down and realize your kids are still running circles around you. yeah... and things went like this:
{matt} went in for a headache.
got shot for headache.
passed out.
laid down with feet up.
tried to sit up & ~~almost~~ passed out again.
got another shot.
doctor calls me to come pick him up.
takes a few hours & 1 bag of IV fluids to bring his blood pressure up.
doc gave some lame explanation that i didn't completely buy. it was the cold front that came through...
then we went home.

my body was functioning out of habit. routine maybe. but my mind was off wandering some place else. some place dark and full of the worse case scenarios. there is a history of aneurisms in {matt}s family. just thinking about the chance of him just slipping away unannounced. ugh! yeah i went there. it's terrible i know.

but as my body was sitting beside like a good wife should,
and my mind wandering off into the unthinkable, undesirable places,
my heart was crying out for peace...the kind that surpasses all understanding.
and there's only one place to find it.
in His Word.
no i wasn't thinking or acting clearly enough to have packed my bible, but that's why i got my iphone right?!

i just started reading. reading my daily scripture that i hadn't had time to do yet that morning.

2 corinthians 4

i was actually a day behind in my reading the Lord is always so timely like that and this is what i got to read about:

we are pressed on every side...but we are NOT crushed...check!

we are perplexed...but NOT driven to despair...check! check!

we are hunted...but NEVER abandoned....CHECK!

we get knocked down...but NEVER destroyed...amen! amen!

that's just the sorta peace i was searching for. He totally didn't let me down! because in that moment, i felt like i was all of those things...pressed on every side, perplexed, hunted & being knocked down. and then it struck me. that's exactly how predators kill their prey. and i was so determined to NOT let this be a killing expedition for my enemy.

now, i would like to say that i stayed far from the despair the rest of the night, but i did have to remind myself of the peace i had found. but that's part of the goodness of the bible. when you burn such a great thing into your heart, that's what comes out in times of distress. i just kept it on repeat as i waited for {matt} to wake up from his super long nap thanks to some of the drugs they gave him.

when he woke up about dinner time he was doing better just exhausted. his body had been pumped with drugs and adrenaline for most of the day. we took sunday off and stayed home to rest...cause it was a long day for this momma too.

although it may have started off a little more than rough...it ended in peace. one that surpasses all understanding. and i'm still finding myself there today.

click here & go read some other stories encouragement!!

makin' it work monday adventures

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

happy halloween!

ok, so i don't love halloween per say, but i do love kids, costumes & candy...

so how about this instead...

dino ben & momma 2008

happy dress your kids up &

take lots of pictures

while trying to keep them from eating

the entire bag of candy day!!

dino gabe 2010

while there is often times a single-parent sunday post today...i'm mixin' things up and talking about how i'm makin' it work. not here but over with rachael at letterstoames. yep, my first official guest blog. yay! so stop by, show me some comment love & follow rachael's blog. she's got 5 kids...and 3 littles, a lot like my 3 littles! wife of a musician, iced coffee drinker, sushi lover & RN extraordinare! i know, awesome right?! go on now...check it out letterstoames.com

A parent/teacher conference adventure

2011-10-28T11:51:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was another first experience. We went to parent/teacher conference at {ben}s preschool.

Not sure when I became old enough to fall into either category of people who attend these parent/teacher conferences, but it's happened. And I still felt awkward.

But I learned there's nothing bad about them when you're kid is a rock star. {ben}s teacher was impressed & excited about everything he was already accomplishing just a few weeks into school...ever! And of course it was great to hear that my boy, my baby boy, is excelling in every area. So I guess we are doing something right and hopefully that will trickle down. From us as parents to the other boys & from {ben} as he learns how to be a big brother & grows into the big brother shoes.

{ben}s teacher gave us a copy of his assessment so far for kindergarten preparedness checklist. And of course he is rocking that too. I myself had felt unprepared about what was expected of him in kindergarten. And now knowing he's well on his way...huge burden lifted. And now I feel more confident and have better direction on what to make sure {gabe} knows.

And as {gabe} sings all the songs I sing to him unlike his big brother I have a better estimate of where he is. And he's doing good.

doing his 'homework'.

Thankful for these easy-adapting, quick-learning, song-singing, tender-hearted boys I get the chance to raise into brain-using, God-fearing, gospel-sharing, momma (wife)-loving men.

- Posted from my iPhone

flashback adventures:: an ode to the studio

2011-10-27T14:04:00.000-05:00

{matt} and i met in college at oral roberts university.

he was a music technology major.

i was a comm major.

the only reason our paths ever even crossed was because of mutual friends who inevitably ended up pairing us together on every outing we went on. guess it worked!

{matt} had an on campus job in the music lab. i know sounds so...boring. when in fact, that's where we hung out quite a bit. not only was he the 'go-to' tech guy when someone had questions, he also started recording an cd project with a close friend. so it became his second home. and my study place. i'd go in and sit in the back of the room with my spanish or whatever else i had. we would casually interact. i'd get my work done with minimal distractions. and i learned what all those crazy knobs & buttons on a sound board are for.

i would bring him candy or a little snack. and i'd stay til curfew. yes, my college had a curfew. he'd always stay late because he had a work excuse. so i'd kiss him goodnight and rush back to my room.

see other people came to hang out too.
p.s. don't mind me in my work out clothes :)

then we got married and moved away. but the recording followed us half way across the country. he's good at what he does so people want to use his talents. i hung out with him in the studio a little, but not quite as much as before. i no longer had my homework to occupy me. and it was boring. i wasn't singing or playing the drums or guitar. my interest wasn't in the music itself, it was in time with him. and he was in the work zone. the do not bother me zone. plus he was often gone late nights since he was doing it after work hours.

then when we moved into our house and built the sweet studio in the garage, i thought maybe i'd visit more often. i could visit after the kids were in bed. bring the baby monitor with me and not feel like a neglectful mother.

well, let's just say i loved the fact that he was closer was a plus. but actually didn't bring me in too much more. well, maybe i popped my head in more often, but not the long leisurely hangouts like we had in college. things had changed.

i was now preoccupied with babies, sleeping babies, dishes, laundry and dirty floors.
i was there in heart but i had already won him over. and the studio became his space. his version of the man cave. and that was a-ok with me.

since we moved outta the house, the studio has been relocated to church. and i bring the boys with me to visit so they can bang on the drums and play guitars. instead of my girl-friends. bring him dinner instead of candy. but i still leave early to put the boys to bed and wait for him at home instead of my tiny dorm room.

check out the newest song he's been working on for our friend/ pastor adam cates!

******

inspired by mama kat's writer's workshop.

a middle child adventure

2011-10-26T14:06:00.000-05:00

yes with 4 children i still have a middle child...having twins will do that to ya. but i'm not too worried, seeing as i was a middle child myself. i know you're surprised. you couldn't tell by how well adjusted i am. haha! kidding! but for real, i think i only kinda counted as a middle child. really i acted more like an older child being my big sis is 6.5 year older than i am.

and all that being said, i'm trying to find alone time with this sweet 2.5 yr old middle child of 4 boys.

his life has been...well a little crazy thus far. i hope it won't always be this insane, but the realistic side of me would like to laugh out loud at that dream.

{gabe} is currently in that stage when he just needs me to slow down. take the time to listen & gently instruct. and love on him. he definitely got short-changed on the whole time with mom thing once the twins arrived. i hate that, but it's true. he is learning how to talk and communicate his needs and wants. but when i don't give him the time it just comes out as wailing screams and cries. and who wants a day full of that instead hearing his sweet little voice that sometimes lisps.

generally i can guess what the whine is all about but that completely misses the point. i need him to learn to talk. i need him to know that he is important and his needs are heard. i need him to not break my ear drums with varying high pitched squeals for the next 16 years he is living in my house.

it's time for him to experience some consistency. from us as parents & just life in general. as his parents {matt} & i have to be on the same page when it comes to dealing with this junk. thankfully we pretty much are. but it's not just there being consistency between us, we must also display it dealing with our boys. that's the hard part of having little ones i think. especially when they are all so close together like ours. they all need different kinds of consistency. consistency in daily on-goings, in discipline, in food, in people. which is so hard for my super-laid back un-planning self. it's always an on-going process...

but it amazes me that when it's just the 2 of us, he talks in complete sentences. he actually will talk my ear off. sending {ben} to preschool has probably benefitted {gabe} more than anyone else. when i put the little boys down for a nap he has some time with just me. we sit and color or 'do school' or take pictures or read a book or watch a movie while he tells me everything he sees. those moments are sweet. it's worth the work it takes to be consistent.

and i know that all my positive actions may still result in him acting & feeling like the dreaded middle child. but i must say...i learned at an early age that sometimes the middle is the sweetest part.

it's about that time again...or is it?!

2011-10-21T06:18:00.000-05:00

{ben} was 15mo when we found out that {gabe} was on the way.

{gabe} was 16mo when {sam} & {matty} were born.

today the 21st. today, the twins are 15mo...

so what you ask?!

A. i love seeing all the boys at the same age. it lets you see all the similarities & differences more clearly.
B. well here's a bit of a confession...ready...
i have a slight case of baby fever...
there i said it. no taking it back now.

i know. i know. what am i thinking?! it definitely is NOT time for me to get pregnant again.
and yet i can't help myself. seeing all these new little babies everywhere...it melts the mommy heart in me.

hear me out for a sec!

to try or not to try for a girl?!
i only truly have the slightest inclination, like 15%, for a baby girl. and the 85%...deathly afraid it would be another boy. i mean just the thought of 5 boys...scary! and as of late, {ben} has told me that he wants a baby sister. it freaks me out when kids say stuff like that cause so many times they are right on point. i'm just thankful he didn't ask if there was a baby in my belly!

the whole 1 baby vs. 2 babies thing:
also, the last pregnancy was twins people. i won't say it was terrible, but it was hard. my little body worked in over drive. i know that i could totally handle another pregnancy with less gripping and more action. that belly wouldn't hold me back!

and just having 1 newborn. solo bebe. that would be awesome. yes there would still be lack of sleep and diaper changes. but what i have to compare it to now...i mean i'm already changing diapers so nothings really changing in that neighborhood anytime soon.

and the breastfeeding...ha! once you've tandem nursed twins you've climbed the highest mountain. although, i might just miss snuggling 2 babies then...might...maybe...ok, probably. cause who doesn't love double the baby snuggles?!

we're young. the boys are young.
yes, we both are only 28 & i have several more years of prime childbearing years ahead of me. and while we do have age on our side, i also don't want to look or feel as though i've aged 20 years overnight. there are some days that my personal space limit was reached and crossed as i became a human jungle gym to all of the boys. but we also have time to sit on it and wait. these twins may literally break me. and think on this, i would have...a 5 year old, a 3 year old & 2-2 year olds...then plus a newborn. now doesn't that sound like fun?!

and while all of these are great and valid points...

i don't see that any of them are a good enough reason to have another. i'm trying to enjoy my boys. i feel as though i've missed out on the 1 year old stage with both {ben} and {gabe} so now i'm doing it double time with {sam} and {matty}. we've talked about it. continually. i think it's an evolving decision. we have given ourselves a couple of years to finalize the decision.

and the decision is...

for now it is that our quiver is full with 4 boys. sorry to disappoint the few of you who were hoping i'd be making a different kind of announcement. sorry, no little beauty joining our tribe at this time. i'm learning to accept the fact that the twins were more than likely my last pregnancy. my last baby experience. my last set of firsts. and while i barely remember most of those times, i will not selfishly fulfill my need to excel at being pregnant. and in that, my mind & heart find peace. and excitement for a new season. one that is no longer full of babies and feeling left behind to tend to the little one(s).

so here's to me & my 5 guys!

adventurous attempts at kite flying :: take 2

2011-10-20T06:30:00.000-05:00

i spent some time last weekend sitting on a screened-in-porch at a gorgeous beach house we had a worship retreat with the crew from NLVB in the quaint town of duck, nc. it was one of those sweet moments that i wanted to capture in a bottle and keep forever. the breeze blowing. the kids playing sweetly. the warmth of the sun on my legs. the sound of the ocean as it crashes against the shore. sigh.

it was everything i love & adore about fall days.

{matty}, {gabe} & {sam}
& the one in pink is the
closest thing to a daughter i have {hayden}

{ben} got distracted by a little brother &
then refused to take anymore pictures with me. grump!

see it's supa dupa windy in the outer banks. guess the wright brothers knew what was up when they picked this place when trying to figure out how to fly. yes, kitty hawk, north carolina peeps. look it up. well we decided that we should take advantage of the wind here too. and so out we set on our kite flying adventure :: take 2!

first stop...the infamous kitty hawk kites store to buy a real kite. and by that i mean made of nylon not just plastic. {ben} picked out this stealth bomber kite.

next stop...a park. the best place to fly the kites in the outer banks is on the beach. but with so many little ones and the sand & water, i wasn't so thrilled with that idea. instead we headed up to corolla, nc by the lighthouse. they have a huge open field where we knew we could fly the kite without trees or power lines in the way. it was perfect!

it was gorgeous kite flying conditions. {gabe} & {ben} both got to fly the kite. they were so pumped. stoked would be a better description. eventually dinner time came and we were all ready to leave in search of food. much more sucessful than the previous trip. if you have no idea what i'm talking about, read this.

it's times like these i'm thankful for my iphone. between {matt} & i we got some great shots of our adventuring....all in all, a great trip to the outer banks!

me retrieving the twins from their escape

{matt} with the twins

{ben}'s trick kite flying & his fans in awe & wonder

{ben}'s favorite thing to do...fly the kite with his feet. he's totally my kid. i did stuff like that all the time when i was younger. and one time it got away from him and {matt}, the wonderful dad that he is, went running and then flopping after it as the kite began to fly away. i laughed so hard i couldn't breathe!

******

remembering to embrace the camera! have you lately?!

making a lifestyle adjustment is an great adventure

2011-10-19T13:17:00.001-05:00

since the twins were born july 2010 our lives have been...busy. yes, that is a grave understatement, but it is pretty precise description. there were so many things going on and i learned early on that i shouldn't do it all just because i was physically capable. and well, really, i wasn't physically capable of much. between pumping and nursing, trying to feed myself & the big boys, changing diapers on my 3 under 2....that was more than enough to fill my day. i figured that time was my most precious commodity. no, not money. i wasn't really leaving the house so no extra money was being spent...unless you count doctor's appointments.

time was always of the essence. i felt the pull of motherhood in every. single. direction. and the place i truly cared about the least was the kitchen. i don't really enjoy cooking. i'm not in love with food. i mean, i like it, but i don't ever think about what my next meal can be or dream of trying new recipes. sorry, it's just not in my blood. but if i do find a good one, i'll be sure to share! all that to say, i sacrificed time in the kitchen making food for time with my boys. in the past year we've eaten a lot of processed, pre-prepared foods and just as much take out. yeah...it's gross. and we all have felt equally as gross. also, {ben} has had a few traumatic trips to the dentist. but that's a story in & of itself for another day.

but times are changing. the twins are gaining independence daily & explore and climb everything. {gabe} & {ben} are learning how to play with one another and not just tackle each other. and they are all eating more... in amounts and variety of food.

so we are making a significant lifestyle adjustment. we're meal planning. we're modifying and cutting somethings out. we are being the conscience consumers/ eaters we always wanted to be and just never were. now we aren't going straight organic on everything, but it does make decision making a little easier if it's organic.

one of the very first changes we made several months ago was to be a whole grain or wheat family. in pasta, breads, crackers. we eat a lot of grains cause we have little hands that like to self-feed & texture is still often times an issue.
we don't buy sweets. plain & simple. if they are in the house we eat them. if they aren't, it's the easiest excuse to give the boys why they can't have cookies. we don't have any. we do buy some for special occasions or treats, but they aren't a regular on the grocery list.
we are cutting out high fructose corn syrup. it's still a process but there are some things we consumer regularly that have it in there. {ben}'s teeth have been such an issue and i'd like to try to prevent the other boys from having to go through the same thing. i know it isn't the only solve, but it's in-line with the healthier lifestyle we are working towards. things like ketchup, syrup, salad dressings & yogurt.
we are stocking the fridge rather than the pantry. when you buy fresh it's usually a healthier alternative to having stuff in the pantry. eating lots of fruits, cheese & yogurt for snacks rather than cookies or chips. it's fall so we are taking advantage of some great in season vegetables. totally gonna need a bigger fridge as these boys get bigger! i'm thinking a subzero...
meal planning. we consume 5 small meals a day. i've done this since college and it's worked great for me...especially through pregnancy. so all meals, including snacks are planned. otherwise i get flustered and stressed while kids are whining at the table waiting for food & i just end up reaching for the easy solution. but if i know what i'm already getting then it's no big deal to listen to the whining a few extra seconds. it also helps to cut down on the i'm bored snacking...no one needs that!
we do still eat out at least on sundays. with our schedule that day, dinner out is all i can make happen. and i'm ok with that. and we do have frozen pizza night on wednesdays when {matt} has to hurry out the door to worship practice.

besides food stuff, we've also re-joined the YMCA that is literally in my backyard. i have no excuse not to go. i can make it there walking & carrying both the twins with no stroller. and to all of my non-east coast friends, the YMCA is not a homeless shelter here. people actually go & work out and leave their children in the childcare. i try to go at least 3 times a week. the last time i had worked out, previous to this, was right after i'd found out i was pregnant with what i would eventually find out was the twins. at that time i was just pregnant and working out either gave me a huge appetite or made me painfully ill. yes, after several of those workouts i went straight to mcdonald's and got a nice, greasy, calorie-packed cheeseburger.

and since we are in our own place & the walls aren't terribly thin and we also have very gracious neighbors, we get to sleep train the twins again. that means letting them cry it out. we usually wake up with someone in the bed with us, but that happens with 4 kids. everyone has their off nights and with 4 kiddos it's bound to be somebody's night.

i'm just thankful that {matt} and i are on the same page about it all. that makes it ten times easier! who needs to wait for january 1st for resolutions?! september/october work just as well.

***********

let it be known that i totally was eating chick-fil-a while typing this! :)

see, it's a work in progress...

adventurous attempts at kite flying

2011-10-13T16:01:00.002-05:00

its always quite the excursion when we go out with all 4 of the boys...especially when we go to the park. we haven't quite figure out how to manage them all yet, but we're getting better at it. although, there is one park here that {ben} loves to go to and the playground area is huge. and of course that means lots of fun too. it stresses {matt} & i both out because we can't let the babies down to just to run around. so we both hold a twin and chase one of the big boys. yes, it is as exhausting as it sounds. but it makes for happy and just as exhausted boys.

but the best part is the 'mountain' that the boys can run and climb. and although i use the word 'mountain', it's a glorified hill that is named mount trashmore. yep we play on an old landfill. and it's the best place to fly a kite in town. so after about 20 minutes of playing on the playground, we sent the boys up the 'mountain'.

{sam} & {matty} were trying to catch up
and instead fell down.

{ben} can just about make it to the top without stopping.

{gabe} wears out pretty quickly. the grass + 'mountain' climbing = needs to hold momma or daddy's hand to finish the race.

{sam} & {matty} get carried to the top and then let go for wandering. but it seems that all they wanted to do was inspect what i thought were aerated pieces of dirt & later upon further inspection found it was actually goose poop. so gross! so i was busy trying to keep them from putting it in their mouths.

it starts like this. watching intently
while dad puts the kite together...

{matt}bought a kite just for this particular family outing. a cheap one. and let's just say, lessoned learned, cheap kites don't fly well. so it took a while to put together and stay together. we got it up a few times but nothing really long enough for {ben} to have a turn flying it. {ben} thought we were just playing a really long and non-funny joke on him.

and eventually they start to scatter.

but isn't that just how family outings work...80% craziness with 20% successful memory making moments?! it was just fun to watch the boys run and explore the 'mountain'. i snapped a few pictures on my iphone and that was good enough for me. i even remembered to make sure i was in a few of them so the boys can see that i was there...even if all they remember is their dad's attempts at flying a kite.

me wrestling the {twins}
in attempt to keep them away from the goose poop.

and for your viewing pleasure...a video clip of what it's like to go with us to the park. enjoy! and yes, it's ok to laugh.

*******

done in effort to learn how to embrace the camera..

one of my houdini adventures

2011-10-10T22:39:00.000-05:00

i'm back from my impromptu hiatus. i did not intend to disappear...let alone for a couple of weeks. life got the best of me between sick boys, moving, settling in, entire family catching a cold/fall allergies, getting condo ready for an open house, family pictures. phew! exhausting it was, but i can say...i think i've found my words again.

so yes, lots has happened in the time i've been gone. but truthfully, none of it was too worthy of writing about. i was in one of those eternally grumpy moods my poor husband! and felt like if i didn't have anything nice to say, i just shouldn't.

so i didn't...not here.

not twitter.

not facebook.

not emails.

phone calls or texts much.

i became houdini and vanished.

to be honest it gave my slightly introverted self time to recharge and process. it's been good.

i could fill y'all in on all the details, but i'm not so sure i want to re-live it.

instead...how about a few of my fav new family pics!

we had as much fun as i'd hoped & i love how they turned out.

i'll be updating the meet the adventurers page with our new pictures. so if you wanna see more...go check them out!

*******

and pictures of the condo to come soon!

single parent sundays-full weekend edition

2011-09-18T12:49:00.004-05:00

my wonderful hard working husband is at it again...digging in & pulling long, hard hours. but instead of being in the studio, he's laying new flooring & tiling the bathrooms at our condo. he was on a role thursday night so i told him he could just stay the night he had friday morning off & get up early to keep working. which meant i had to get all the boys up & out the door by 8:05 to take ben to preschool.

normally not a big deal, just like sunday morning i thought, except that ben was the only one who needed to be fully presentable. and i was doing good...3 boys dressed & diapers changed. and then i pulled {sam} outta bed. what happened next i can't even explain without gagging so i won't. but it was gross. and IT got on the carpet. that's when i knew it was very much like a sunday morning...when everything goes wrong. i rinsed {sam} off & threw some clothes on him to get out the door. we made it just in time.

and then upon our return...{gabe} had the same sort of nasty incident in the car just as we got home. in. the. car! so, with arms full of babies & a toddler who won't walk...we somehow made it up the stairs & straight to the bathroom. *sigh* i was already super tired. and thankfully so were the boys. i put everyone down for a nap and went to get the carseat and wipe down anything in the car that might have a lingering scent.

only minor cuts & frustrations while dismantling the car seat. thankfully it came out completely clean.

that was just friday morning...

the next 36 hours were full of puking and clean up. nasty diapers and clean up. lots of cartoons. and open windows airing out the stinky house.

out of desperation saturday morning, i texted {matt} who was at a men's retreat for church that i really needed some support. there were 4 needy boys with lots of different needs that this momma couldn't meet on her own. of course he didn't get it right away because cell service was few & far between. but once he did, he was on his way home. that man! i love him. he came swooping in with diapers, pedialite & crackers. and look what happens when we just ask for help!

what i perceived to be a never ending single parent weekend was cut short. and although i am not a fan of the reason for it, i'm thankful i do not have to do this parenting alone. i sincerely think that this is what is meant in vows when they say "for better or for worse. in sickness & in health" yes, they are talking about the kids too.

and it's now sunday afternoon and the boys are still fighting this bug but thankfully it's still just {sam} & {gabe}. twins asleep. {gabe} snuggling. {ben} chatting up a storm. and watching football...oh, and loving the cool fall air!

an obsessive adventure with family pictures

2011-09-15T06:33:00.000-05:00

my current obsession is family pictures. while we were hiding from hurricane irene in south carolina, my sister in law & i thought we'd grab some quick pics of the cousins. we went and bought some shirts and all...then we left early and they didn't happen. i was bummed. but...bright side...i got to plan out some even better outfits. i get it in my head and i can't stop until it's settled. it makes me thankful that i'm not this crazy about more stuff. it's exhausting and time consuming. and i love it! because last august is when we had our last official family pictures. the twins were 6 weeks old...definitely time for a new family portrait.

what i also love are sites like pinterest and polyvore where i can find get ideas & try them on virtually. oh the adventurous life a stay at home momma. excited to shop for some fall clothes. which made me more excited for fall. oh the fresh crisp air. *sigh* which is nowhere to be found here because it's still HUMID! wait, you really thought i'd take the boys shopping with me?! umm no! that is alone time this momma needs...the spinning thoughts of my mind are chaotic enough without having little boys literally spinning in circles and pulling things off racks. i will enjoy every second of sorting through racks of clothes by.my.self!

at the moment i have everything but the shoes not necessarily bought but picked out. the shoes...always give me trouble because i don't want to go buy new shoes.

and this. this is what i'm most excited about...for {matt} & i or maybe {sam} & {matty}.

but here's a sneak peek at our color scheme. sorry i can't do just white shirts & jeans/khakis.

color scheme by kristiruckel on Polyvore.com

stay tuned! we'll have pictures done in the next few weeks.

life adventures with my faithful God

2011-09-14T09:05:00.000-05:00

my God is faithful.
especially in the crazy mess of my life.

He was faithful in selling our house. 2.5 weeks and SOLD with a bidding war! what?! that's unheard of you say. you are correct.
my God is faithful.

we planned on moving back into our condo that we were renting. gave the tenant sufficient notice but they were terrible and would not leave.
but my God is still faithful.

my sister-in-law bless her ever-loving soul opened the doors of her home to us...and all that we are & bring. we had a place to stay and call home until further notice. it's a 3rd floor walk up, but when you are borderline homeless you take what you can get. and it's been the most gracious gift.
my God is faithful and overly abundant in giving grace to all 7! of us up in here.

weeks later...tenant still not moving out, so we work towards the eviction process. our tenant, who was suppose to be out on the 10th, had told us that they would not be moving until the end of the month. i trust my faithful God, that He will work things out in our favor and for His glory. and sure enough, He has! by the evening of the 11th our condo was completely vacated! what?! where did the change of heart come from? i'm still in awe...

now for the rehabbing that must take place after it being a rental for the last 4 years. now just praying the same favor on that place that was on our house. we need to get this place sold! now that we are a family of 6, we have different needs than when we bought this condo or our house. i know it will sell. and i know a new home will be provided.
my God is faithful, or haven't you heard?!

so if it seems that things are coming to head for you, remember, that God is faithful. just continue to be obedient in what you've been called to do. He honors that. remember that it is out of your hands so just keep on travelling the path of point A to point B. because if He is suppose to intervene at point B and you stopped halfway...He can't step in. you've taken it into your hands and have therefore made it harder to get to point B.
so hang on because our God is faithful!

and remember, if you're needing to be encouraged, click the box below and read some more great posts. i'm sure that there's something that fits your situation!

the adventures of a nickname

2011-09-12T09:47:00.001-05:00

i've always loved nicknames...the ones that graduate from an experience or mispoken name and stick.

not so much a fan of pet names that stick...

i don't want to call your child cuddlelebug
because i guarantee they aren't being so cuddly to me .

so in the naming of our boys {matt} and i agreed that we wanted strong names that could be shortened...

so benjamin became {ben}

gabriel became {gabe}

samuel became {sam}

and matthew became {matty}

and while i love the boys shortened names, that's all they are to me. shortened, not nicknames.

and so from there we've tested out many a pet name. ya know, trying them on for size to see what fits or stays as a nickname. there have been some quite hilarious...for example, {ben} was meatball as he gained 3lbs. in a month! {gabe} has been referred to as sumo or butterball cause that kid had some good ole baby chub rolls. {sam} is often called beefcake because he just is. and our little {matty} guy is lovingly called peanut or peanut butter and often smells of it since currently that's all the protein i can get him to eat. but let's face the facts...these are all just not gonna work for public usage.

and then it happened over time. {gabe} became {gabers}. and thankfully NOT butterball!
still not quite sure where or how it started exactly. not sure if that's how {ben} in his little 2 year old-learning how to speak voice said it or if that's how i heard him say it. but he was proud of his little brother and introduced him to everyone...and this is my brother {gabers}. the silly name fits our silly boy perfectly.

and i love it!

and since we began going to a new church the beginning of the year everyone there, especially the teachers in the 2 year old room call my buddy {gabers}. for now he doesn't seem to care or mind it. i guess time will tell. and the real test will be once he goes to school. i'm waiting for the day he asks me not to call him {gabers} but i still hope it never will. a momma can dream right?!

my silly {gabers}

usually adventurous short phone conversations

2011-09-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

ya know that image of a 1950's housewife with the phone & a long cord stuck to the side of her head.

yep kinda like this.

well i don't know about you, but since i've become a mother my phone conversations have gotten shorter. and not because i have less to say, but because i get interrupted with...well life with boys!
here's a list of my best all true i might add! abrupt last lines before i hangup. they usually start with:

hey, i gotta go...

15. screaming child(ren) sniff! sniff! aaanddd poppy diaper hour has arrived.

14. hurry! hurry! to the bathroom. not in your pants...ok the grass works

13. no, not the stairs! down!

12. gabe! don't eat that...seriously kid?!

11. eww! don't drink that. it's yucky milk. shiver & gag.

10. iiiii've got a naked climber.

9. aaaand gabe's in the bathtub. with water. fully clothed.

8. ahh! ben's on top of the piano

7. gabe's on the______

changing table, dining table, baby swing, chair, counter, you name it, he's climbed it.

6. there's pee on the floor and i'm not sure from who or how long its been there.

5. ben just threw a softball at the window...

4. stop taking your diaper off! wait, did you poop?!

3. stop hitting your brother...with a screwdriver?! what...where did you even find that?!

2. we don't stick brooms in the airrrrr...yeah or that might happen.

1. get off of your brother! the usual.

so one might think that maybe skyping is better...they can all just run wild and stop for a quick hello here & there. yeah, i thought so too...until tonight. while skyping with {papa steve} & {nana roo} i was literally getting run over by the boys. all 4 of them. they were being a little more than the normal unruly. we quickly ended our skype date with me getting belly bumped by both {ben} & {gabe}. i was laughing because i mean, seriously?! it was funny. but i'm pretty sure that now i have some sort of whiplash. those boys are getting strong!

intense brother training session

so if ya want me, text or email or use a your favorite social media outlet. i'm more likely to respond. really, who wants to get their ear screamed in and then hung up on at no fault of their own?!

and if you don't have boys, you've now caught a glimpse into the life of raising boys.

an empty turned overflowing adventures

2011-09-06T21:39:00.002-05:00

i've been hitting walls here lately. hard. and in every direction i turn. and i was taking it out on my poor husband & boys. i've been short tempered, a yeller, and annoyed. truth is, i'm pretty sure i was just as annoying as i found them to be. i was in a place of desperation. desperate for time to myself. desperate to feel loved. desperate and grasping...and with my tribe of boys, who wouldn't expect to feel that way at some point. but it had gone on long enough.

i had taken all of these desires of my heart and pushed them onto my sweet & unknowing husband as his responsibility to meet. i was expecting him to fill the gaps. i was expecting him to be my hero that swoops in and gives me every deepest desire. and while he is very heroic on most days and comes swooping in at 5pm, i needed something so much deeper and greater than he could give. it was unfair and i was being selfish.

and after a great talk with a even greater friend on sunday, i was shown my absolute ridiculousness. thank you friend! and then i realized what an ~~ugly~~ sight i had become. all because i'd lost sight of the true source where i can find ALL of these things i was desperate for. and when i really stopped to think about it, it's been embarrassingly too long since i've sat and had a quiet time...let alone with Bible in hand. duh!

so i wrote my sweetheart a love letter haven't done that since college to apologize. to let him know i finally got a clue. and to apologize for the things i messed up in the mean time. when you're desperate and grasping, you tend to lose your brain cells and become irresponsible.

apologies are so healing, even if you have to break your legs so you can get on your knees to apologize. my heart was already taking a turn in the right direction. and then through a weird course of events, came across isaiah 58...specifically verse 11.

I will always show you where to go. I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places-firm muscles strong bones. You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry.

what beautiful picture it paints! the section title is "a full life in the emptiest of places" and boy is that me. what i was wanting...needing...and so totally empty. mentally. emotionally. physically. spiritually. and it took me until i got to the last word in that list spiritually until i finally got it.

when my spirit isn't being fed, i can't be the wife or momma i desire to be. i gave up long ago on the quest for perfection. but i'd rather not be embarrassed of the state of the house or hoarse from yelling because i lost my temper a few too many times. i need God's grace but i was starving myself of it.

so while nighttime sleeping here is still a state of constant unknown. i will be trying to dig myself outta bed a little extra early every morning. maybe just add another cup of coffee to the morning routine. and bury myself in the Word. cause nothing else has satisfied. and trust me, i've tried. even without knowing.

so i pray that you too can carve out some time now that regularly scheduled school year activities have arrived. it doesn't require the ringing in of a new year to start off on a new routine. go for it if you too are needing to feel like 'a gurgling spring that never runs dry'.

need some more motivation or encouragement. check out some of the other blogs linked up...

flashback adventures to times unremembered

2011-09-02T16:29:00.000-05:00

{matty}'s favorite spot

last September was a time i'll never remember & i love the month of september. i know, i know. most people end that phrase with never forget. it's when my mom who stayed with us for 7 weeks after twins birth left. then things went blank...

i do remember parts of my family visiting and taking family pictures, but not too much else. i kinda hate it. but thankfully i have lots of pictures thanks to my awesome husband & his trusty iphone and, not to worry, we also have some good ones on our real camera. i feel like a small child when i try to remember the happenings...just bits & pieces that are muddied by sleep deprivation and stories & pictures shared by friends. so here's an attempt to relive, remember & share life as it was with newborn twins.

trying to find just pictures from end of august & beginning of september 2010.

lots of time spent in my moby wrap for everyone. it was part of my everyday attire.
thankful my wonderful mother in law made me a second. we wouldn't have survived without it!

double time!
and yes, they loved it.

{matty} to this day loves being worn.

{sam} taking a look around

lots of couch time. and subsequent cartoon watching.

typical.

this is {gabe} checking out [sam}'s paci

{ben} & {sam}

{ben} & {matty}

big brother {ben} was enthralled with both boys and constantly asked to snuggle them

and most importantly, lots of snuggles.

{matty} & {sam} lived in the pack n play in the living room

photo by {ben}

swaddled & pacified. time for a nap!

and the big boys loved spending with
grammie & granpop while they stayed with us

ok, now i feel like i sufficiently recall september 2010. and i'm glad to say that it's done. those sleepless nights with twins kicked all our butts! thankful for time passed and growing older aka bigger & fatter.

the adventures of raising boys & embracing the camera

2011-09-01T10:27:00.000-05:00

this my friends is picture proof that mommas don't always have to be the ones behind the camera.

here's how we do it...

this is what we do to relieve a little stress. we were hiding from the dishes in the sink.

this was my lesson in the difference of boys v. girls...

girls 'play dress up' and boys 'wear costumes'.

thank you dear {ben}.

and this is how you snuggle 2 babies early in the morning.

i think it's the best way to watch morning cartoons,

although it does make drinking coffee difficult.

who needs coffee when you get sweet twin snuggles?!

my solve to the

i-just-woke up-from-my-not-long-enough-nap-grumpy-face

into the sweet boy he is.

photobooth!

he's a camera hog & loves watching himself.

a great 20-30 mins of entertaining fun.

don't mind the pink paci-we were desperate or the bedhead!

and now we're off on more adventures & making more memories...

saying goodbye to august adventures & hello to september

2011-08-31T20:27:00.000-05:00

today was a beautiful day. not just because we were embarking on a new adventure preschool but because it felt like a perfect fall day. i think that helped make sending {ben} to preschool easier on this momma. it's back to school season & i'm so ready to say 'goodbye august. hello september'.

until this year, i have never been so ready and expectant of the change of seasons. i can actually feel things changing, not just wanting to see change. in nature. in our home. in our current state of living.

this spring is when i first truly noticed it. i yearned for it. i wanted to see the season of new life so badly i could taste it. i'm sure it was because i was eager for a season of new life for myself & the family. i took advantage of every nice spring day we had. i savored every second of the fresh and non-humidity filled air.

i basked in summer's heat & sun not that you could tell by my tan and A/C. we played outside. enjoyed our summer visitors and swam, swam & swam some more. it sure was a HOT one. i think that's why i'm so ready for fall.

and again, i can taste it. the pumpkin...everything. the soups. the chili. the football. the cool brisk air. a hot cup of coffee while apple picking. who's with me?!

it gets me all nostalgic for some reason. maybe just remembering where i've been and what i've come through. or maybe it's the smell of the air that reminds me of my first mornings going back to school. either way...

come on fall!

here's some sweet pictures as my {ben} buddy walked out the door my baby & into the life of a big, school-going boy! update from yesterday...we all slept well. for the first time in weeks!

p.s. the spiderman vest is actually thestraps to his back pack that he had to have. ha!

bedtime adventures with the horse

2011-08-30T22:15:00.001-05:00

i'm not sure if it's the pre-preschool jitters or what, but bedtime tonight was...long. {ben} has quite the imagination on him. there's always a new and creative delay tactic. but tonight's truly tugged at my heart. i just wanted to crawl into bed and hold him. tell him it's ok and convince him that...well...everything is perfectly fine.

you see he started crying after i said his prayers & sang his lullaby song. it's normal. i didn't think anything of it until he said something about the horse. i hate this horse. it was a frequent dream visitor for several months last year. and finally, it was gone and we haven't heard anything about...until tonight. my poor buddy is truly terrified of this dumb horse. it's not horses in general, just this one that comes into his room at night.

i shudder at the fear that i know runs through his tiny body. i remember laying stiff as a board and barely able to breathe, let alone, cry out to my momma when awoken from a bad dream. to this day i remember the reoccurring nightmare i had during childhood. my best friend and i can now joke with each other about the absurd characters that they were. but in the moment, in the depth of that dream, there is nothing more terrifying.

after i finally got him tucked into bed, i walked into the living room and cried. cried for him. cried out to God for him. for peace. for rest. for the strength and courage it requires to fight off those bad thoughts. i know his little 4 year old brain doesn't fully grasp that Jesus is with him or that angels are surrounding him and ready for battle, but i tell him that every night. until he knows or understands how, i will stand in that gap for him. encouraging him. pushing him. and scaring off & fighting the horse.

he asks if Jesus will poke him in the eyes. i say yes. he asks if the Angels will kick his legs down. again, i say yes. he knows how to fight. his daddy taught him that. oh my gentle {ben}, what a tenacious spirit you have!

and ever since the bedtime routine began at 7...i've had my favorite lullaby cd playing. it calms the house, my heart & the boys. it's called hidden in my heart scripture lullabies. praying we all sleep sweetly tonight.

adventures hiding from hurricane irene

2011-08-27T11:04:00.020-05:00

i'm sure most are wondering...
"how exactly do you survive a hurricane with 4 under 4?!"

the answer is...YOU DON'T!

because we currently do not own a home and are staying with the ever so gracious {auntie kate}, there wasn't a need to stay and keep an eye on things. aaaaanndd remember, {auntie kate} lives in a 3rd floor condo just a block from the beach. therefore that puts us in flood zone 1. which means, if power goes out it'll take longer to be restored if there is still flooding. and i've already done the whole no power with kids thing. read that story here. and doing that again & for longer, no thanks! so we peaced out!

for {aunt kristin}'s house in the southern carolina.

it's currently gorgeous weather here thanks to irene.

which is awesome since there are currently 9 children 9 & under. 8 cousins & a friend.

so we need there to be outside play time.

a few pictures of our hiding adventures thus far...

{matthew owen}, {matthew stephen} & {matthew campbell}

{sam} & {noah}

let's play a game!

can you find all the kiddos?

{sam} & {matty} loved the wagon

these boys turned that water brown.

the great part of twins.

twice the snuggles!

with this beautiful weather, i woke up this morning and was filled with nostalgia. it's the kind of weather that reminded me of all those early saturday mornings that i would get up and head to the soccer fields. it even almost smelled like fall.

i was already getting the fall weather bug, but now i think irene is making it worse! anyone else ready for fall?!

preschool adventures & embracing the camera

2011-08-25T12:21:00.000-05:00

today was orientation and meet the teacher day at {ben}'s preschool. we all had to be up & out the door by 8:15 this morning. and for some of you, no big deal. but we are NOT morning people in this house. plus trying to feed, change & potentially re-change clothing on 4 boys, 3 that are 2 and under...yeah...thankfully we did make it out the door not too far behind schedule. then i was too busy listening to the teacher aren't i such a good student?! and keeping the twins busy to snap pictures of {ben}'s new classroom. and today is my first 'embrace the camera'. good thing for second chances. take 2 on monday...

the things that {ben} are most excited about are his new art smock & backpack probably because they came by UPS. not sure why he loves the art smock, but he does. and since it arrived yesterday, he randomly puts it on to wear around the house. so we snapped a few pictures of him in that. and hopefully his backpack once it arrives later today.

thank you {gabe} for taking center stage.
the boy loves the camera!

a wordless wednesday adventure

2011-08-24T14:54:00.000-05:00

adore that my {ben} loves with his whole being

biggest...littlest...same face

- Posted from my iPhone

first time adventures as a back to school mom

2011-08-23T20:12:00.003-05:00

and this is the reason i could never be a homeschooling momma...i put everything off to the last minute possible! ok, so granted we've been packing and moving and who wants to buy more stuff to pack and move...that more than likely will get lost in said moving. not me! deep breath...and let it out...

so i put the school supply list in the back of my head to do until after the move. well, hello...preschool starts monday for {ben}!

i know that i'll always be that mom that forgets to sign homework papers or turns something in...let alone bake or bring something to school. so not my gig. thankfully i was told that momma participation is voluntary love the sound of that word. i did say i could come to help, but i'd have to bring the 3 littles with me.... that ended that conversation promptly.

so to my boys, i'm sorry...

for all the times i know i'll forget to check your back packs until we're running out the door for school.
and that we'll always be running out the door because we'll be just on time or maybe late, but probably never early.
i will do something cool for your birthdays at school, i hope you don't get embarrassed easily.
i won't be the mom that wears the themed clothing coordinating to the current holiday.
but i hate the fundraisers as much as you do. if not more.
i won't always remember to put sweet love letters in your lunch...or your lunch at all.

but i will...

love you & help you to love learning.
guide you to the best of my knowledge through fractions, composition, geometry and disgruntled teachers.
pray for you daily...
that you will learn how to stand IN the world but not be OF the world.
remind you that it's not about winning but doing your best...winning is just a bonus!!

i know the next 20 years of my life are filled with first days of school. i know that even then i won't feel like a pro, but hopefully i'll have gotten better in the areas i lack. if nothing else we all will have learned a lot.

and for now, the supply list is fulfilled and ready to take to meet the teacher at the end of this week. patting myself on the back that it was done before monday!

so here's to school starting.

and to all you...

homeschooling

dying for some quiet time

normal crazy schedule seeking

first time sending

last time sending

nervous

excited

mommas!

single parent sundays & a whisper found in the loudness

2011-08-22T11:32:00.001-05:00

i thought i'd be writing about my solo hike up & down the 3 flights of stairs, but thankfully i have yet to do that. we'll see how long that lasts. fingers crossed! instead i'll share about how i was and am being moved by God's love and assurance. covered in His peace.

things are a whirlwind of chaos in our daily lives. and in that chaos, i find myself easily discouraged or overwhelmed by even the simplest of tasks. and questioning if we jumped the gun in putting our house up for sale. i forget that time that we both {matt} & i heard the Lord calling us out. at the time it was so clear, so loudly clear. and now, it seems more like a lost thought or whisper. we were casually late to church as usual.

and once i finally got into service they were singing "your love never fails" by jesus culture. i already am a fan of this song, but really heard it as a reminder. especially the bridge.

"You make all things work together for my good."

in the midst of doubt & all the insanity that seems to be occupying every space of my life at the moment, i know it is for my good. i know i'm right where i'm suppose to be. and remember that He called me out of the boat. and it is my faith in Him that will sustain me.

so, if your world seems to be spinning uncontrollably...you too are probably in the right spot. in the past year i have learned and experienced first hand that the Lord does give you more than you can handle. because He wants you to learn to turn to Him. so i'm keeping my eyes & heart focused on the prize ahead and not letting myself most days see or even notice the giant waves & whirlwinds that threaten to overtake me minute by minute.

what whirlwinds or waves of chaos are you battling?! i wanna know so i can stand with you.

if you have a minute or 8...geez long! watch the video of this song. it's jesus culture at a live event...not a cover.

who's my sneaky hiding adventurer?!

2011-08-18T09:16:00.001-05:00

well, i'm not exactly sure who the best little hider in my tribe of arrows is, but i do know, i have at least one!

{gabe} will sit completely still and not say a word...granted he may be sitting out in the wide open, but still, not a peep.
{ben} giggles incessantly or tries not to and squeaks. he can't handle the anticipation of it all and usually pops out.
{sam} and {matty} haven't really learned the whole hide-n-seek thing yet. they do more of the peek-a-boo...well {matty} does. and he loves it like most 1 year olds do!

it makes me wonder which twin was hiding from the doctor's during doppler tests and the early ultrasound. because now that we know there were twins because until 20 weeks we didn't i can look at that 7 week ultrasound and see 2 babies. i can see it people. i would find a picture to put up here but i'm sure they are all packed away in boxes in a storage unit where the other 95% of my belongings are.

there are two. separate. little. beans!

well, maybe the ultrasound tech and OBGYN that saw me that day weren't as good at seeking as i am. i can't put my expectations of great observation on everyone, that wouldn't be fair. ha! either way, that day just after christmas 2010 that we got our ultrasound and had a late christmas gift for our families...but we weren't ready for it. no one was. there was still genuine shock that i was pregnant again.

still not sure of who was the hider although i have my suspicions but whoever it was, they win. best hiding spot ever! i'm just glad they decided to show themselves before it was labor time and i ended up one of those ~~crazy~~ ladies on discovery health that didn't know she was pregnant...with twins!

this post was inspired by mama kat's writers workshop.

5, the perfect hiding spot.

a quick adventure down to the beach

2011-08-17T17:24:00.000-05:00

we are in the process of settling into condo life by the bay. i can smell the ocean air ok, so maybe it's really the bay, but smelling the bay air sounds gross! from the back deck. it makes me happy. sure the deck overlooks some trees & a bustling drive, but knowing that's all that separates us from the bay makes it more tolerable. we've walked down to the beach twice in the last couple of evenings.

first night was a total bust! ugh!
we walked the 5 minutes down to the water, most of which was spent waiting at the crosswalk for traffic to stop unloaded {matty} & {sam} out of the stroller, squished the sand between our toes and let the cool breeze & the warm setting sun touch our faces...

then i hear this..."i gotta go poopoo! i gotta go poopoo!"
accompanied by the dance, you know what i'm talking about.

i turned suspecting it was my potty trainee {gabe}. wrong. my little shouting dancer was {ben}.

and just as quickly as we got there, we were gone.

thankfully we are within walking distance and a 4 year old is much better at bodily control than a 2 year old potty trainee. it's just the joys of parenthood right?! and yes, we all made it back in time. although i've thought that next time i'm just digging him a hole under the pier. ha!

i wasn't going to let the beach get the best of us.

we kid that our family motto is "ruckels never give up!"

but it seems it's more true story than just an idea. just walking the talk people.

we went again the next night and our success rate was 100%. we stayed about 30 minutes. it was complete bliss as compared to the previous night. we even took a dip in the pool before returning home.

i got a couple of great shots of the boys. now, i'm wishing i had brought my nice camera because the lighting was perfect.

not sure if we'll tempt fate with a third try. i'm content with the second.

the beach is one of God's most beautiful playgrounds

nothing like the feeling of
digging your toes in the wet sand

{sam} was loving it!
couldn't have asked for a better shot

{matty} wasn't so thrilled

love the little-to-no-waves on the bay.
helps keep mommas sane.

adventures within the stacks of boxes

2011-08-17T08:51:00.000-05:00

so many memories dug through, decisions made, lesson learned, grace given...the words

i'm blessed

aren't even close to adequate.

there are parts of me that thinks moving every few years is a great solve to never becoming a pack rat. the other parts of me pray that i don't have to move again for 30 years which obviously isn't going to happen because just the amount of junk/trash that was stashed in corners and hidden in the nooks and crannies is slightly embarrassing.

when we moved from our smaller condo into our house we just literally moved everything, no sorting involved. it was a bigger place, so there wasn't a need to get rid of things. and now, here i am, going in reverse. so we picked through all the boxes of things that moved with us out of the college dorms and into married life. boxes full of old text books and notes. those were fun memories to find...and easy to let go. cause if i haven't even looked in the box in the last 6 years, it's now more than likely out of date. and then there's the stuff we inherited in the moving of {nana roo} & {papa steve}...lots of good stuff, but there's just not a place for it or i'm not paying money to store it. those were much harder decisions. and as i've said before, i'm not much of a decision maker. it literally left my head aching multiple nights. it made me so thankful

His mercies are new every morning!

somehow i feel like i've earned an additional i'm a real adult now badge in this process. so many things that i have discovered about my preferences partly that i have some! in what works best for my family, what to look for or get in a new home. i'm not talking dream house, i'm talking sanity savers, things that make my job/life more efficient.

Daily chaotic adventures in the process of moving

2011-08-11T09:09:00.002-05:00

From this...

to this...in about 12 hours

With a little of this...

And a little of that in between.

As you can see I'm busy packing a house & finding little buddies who have found empty places to play in. It'll be somewhat over this weekend. But at the moment we're moving (the 6 of us) into {auntie kate's} 2 bedroom, 3rd floor walk up...as we wait for our renter to vacate our condo.

Yep, prayers accepted & appreciated at this point. More thankful than ever for family!

- Posted from my iPhone

victorious adventures in everyday

2011-08-03T10:50:00.001-05:00

sorry so sparse lately, things have been a little more chaotic than usual. ya know, house inspections, appraisals, packing, etc...oh and the dryer just broke. ahh! so yes, my life is momentairliy flipped completely on its head. i will spare you all the stressful details. but, in this chaos,

i'm learning to find victory & joy

in the things of everyday life.

~ the house no longer needs to be show ready! that was me living a nightmare for 2.5 weeks while it was my husbands dream come true.

~ potty training {gabe} has proved to easier than first thought & things are going well. at least for today...

~ who needs a dryer anyways?! it's more than hot enough outside to dry clothes! & save some energy.

~ someone is coming to pick up the piano this week...that means no moving it for us!

~ the twins have learned how to entertain themselves with toys...who cares if that means they are getting into stuff in the big boys room.

~ it's such a good feeling to clean out the closets and learn that you can truly live with just the basics. at least when it's by choice rather than necessity...

~ and i've definitely had a friendly refresher course in just how different {matt} & i approach just about everything in life, including how & what to pack.

~ i currently have a great excuse to use paper plates & not feel guilty = not as much time in front of the sink!!

~ life outside the home goes on as normal with birthdays, cookouts & hopefully some date nights

and just to put a visual on an everyday victory...
{gabe} got hurt & all the brothers came around him to check on him
& then {ben} prayed for him.
that's when you know you're doing something right!

because don't we all have to remember to stop & smell the roses when life gets crazy?!

what everyday things are you celebrating victory in today?

broken adventures can find fulfillment & promise

2011-07-29T09:08:00.000-05:00

i'm having my mom do a guest post today.
i've been a little busy with house stuff...and it's also a day in our family we like to remember.
my brother's birthday. yes, i said brother.
many of you know i have 2 sisters but few may know my mom had a son before me
& yesterday was his 32nd birthday.

*********************************************************************************

BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY

mom & josh

July 28 came and went uneventfully—again. It’s by and large a heart thing now, 32 years later, but never missed. Joshua David Cook had a short and generally uneventful life also. His day of birth was highly celebrated being the only “Cook boy” who was to carry on the name. But we put a lot of expectations on our children and pin a lot of our hopes there that are sometimes difficult for them to hold up. It’s also difficult and disappointing when the expectations can’t be met.

One of our hopes was that we were finished having children and our “nuclear” family was now complete. That was dashed on the rocks of God’s plan for us and we were left without knowing the purpose of Josh’s short life. Although he was a joy and greatly loved by all who knew him.

So, not wanting Kelli to be an only child, we tried to conceive again. For four long years, month-to-month, we waited on God to fulfill His plan for us. When Kristi finally arrived, it seemed ages since we began but realized later that the timing was perfect. Kaitlyn came along too and we now have three beautiful girls that have great fun with each other as adults.

An added perk is the privilege of experiencing grandchildren. We have 4 wonderful grandsons (at this time) who are a joy to all around them. Ben at 4 is curious and wanting to know the “why” of everything. Gabe is 2 and learning how to relate to a big brother and 2 younger ones. He is the “middle child” and never gets all the attention he wants. Sam and Matthew are 1—already!—and toddling around making mischief.

Where would these individuals be if Josh had lived? I’m not sure I can answer that. It’s a deeply spiritual question. What I know is this: they are part of our lives now and God worked many miracles to bring it about. Our existence on this Earth is not always what we want it to be—thankfully! We know so little and think we know so much. I’m thankful for it all. How can I be less? The heartache is redeemed in joy and our Heavenly Father loves us and the Holy Spirit stands by us through it all.

I’ve grown older and matured spiritually through the reality of loss over the 32 years. But there’s still a little part of my heart that remembers the first and last smile, that regrets not seeing a son’s maturing life, that anticipates a reunion in Heaven. Until then I’ll enjoy my grandchildren—present and future—who are my delight in life. God is good!

JOSHUA DAVID COOK JULY 28, 1979 – OCTOBER 18, 1979

*********************************************************************************

back info: {joshua} died of SIDS at 10.5 weeks.

my mom is pretty remarkable and a huge part of her

testimony is found in her pregnancies

and births of her 4 children.

because of her,

i was able to find strength and fight for the twins.

please be encouraged by her testimony today...

God is good & sovereign !

He has all the details & we just need to trust in that.

a hot & adventurous 1st birthday party

2011-07-28T14:34:00.001-05:00

the dynamic birthday duo
{matty} peanut butter &
{sam} jelly

the party was quite the celebration! our theme was "we go together like...peanut butter & jelly"

menu:

bbq & beans

mac & cheese

pb & j (for the kiddos)

apples & oranges

and for dessert:

milk & cookies

the weather even played along with our theme with its summer heat...so we brought out the water! the pool, sprinklers, squirt guns & buckets-o-water galore

part of the 2 & under crowd...
there were at least 5 others running around

{ben} sporting his party shirt
{gabe} was too quick into the pool to get a pic in his shirt

lesson learned: need to figure out who's name to say first when singing happy birthday, otherwise it's a jumbled mess. ha! it was my first ever twins birthday party. i've learned and still am that there's a learning curve with multiples on everything.

singing happy birthday

since we were only serving cookies as dessert, i needed to find a softer cookie for their 'smash cakes'. i found the perfect solution...whoopie pies. it was a super easy recipe.

digging into their 'cake'

{matty} & {sam} hanging with dad after cake

and since it was so hot, the flies were horrendous. thankfully i had these containers from our wedding! to use. they worked perfectly for cookies & fruit. all the other food was in crock pots or in jars with lids.

and to make the boring ole pb & j a little more interesting, i bought these sandwich cutters. i thought about buying the gender neutral shape ones...but hey, if i'm spending the money i might as well buy something i know the boys will love. so cars it was! pretty sure the big boys have eaten car or truck sandwiches every day since the party.

and my fav drink jug ever & kiddie cups. we had the kids take these home as their favors. these were little jelly jars with holes punched in the lids & cute striped paper straws. i adore mason jar sippy cups...once they have passed the cup throwing stage that is.

and thankfully we signed a contract on our house that day, so now immediate clean up required!

single parent sundays & our house selling adventures

2011-07-24T20:20:00.000-05:00

my sweet little house

we've had quite an exciting few days around here. the twins turned 1. we had a party. we signed a contract on our house. yep, you just read that. i hadn't really even had the time to sit & write a post about the adventure we were undergoing in selling the house yet. so really we spent what felt like the weekend, but today's sunday the last few days in shock and celebration!

thursday was the twins actual birthday...and the day we ended up having 2 showings on the house. one time block was from 10-1 sometime and the other 12:30-1:30...so i had to be outta the house all day. once again, thankful for that my in-laws still have a house i can hide out in. and in those 2 rather large blocks of time they both showed up at the same time! and then we got an offer that evening....signed a counter-offer and the following morning... received a second offer. simply amazing in this market! we had a bidding war folks and the result was a full price offer & minimal closing costs. and friday afternoon we stopped party prep to sign the contract.

it's all truly an answered prayer because it's only been on the market for 2.5 weeks & after a cancelation on wednesday, we were feeling a bit discouraged. and knowing that God is a God of not just big things, but small things too, we prayed specifically for a high demand, a bidding war & full price. we aren't trying to be greedy here people. we bought the house while the market was still hot and are selling it for more than $25,000 less than we bought it for. we just wanted to walk away & not owe the bank money. and that we are!

as people arrived to the twins birthday party, we began to spread the news & we had just one more reason to enjoy the pool besides the smothering heat of course because this was likely the last big hurrah in this house. the catch to our contract, the buyers want to occupy on august 15 because the husband deploys on the 17th. oh the joys of a military town. so tomorrow, we'll kick things into gear for the inspection on tuesday & pray that nothing deal breaking pops up. i mean time is on my side for once. ha! so posts may be fewer & further between, but i'm hoping to get the party pictures up soon.

turned out to be the best birthday present possible for the twins 1st birthday!

my first year of adventures with twinsies

2011-07-21T22:40:00.002-05:00

to say the least, it's been a doozy! i'll be honest, if it weren't for pictures, i'm not entirely sure that i'd remember those first few weeks...or more like months...but alas, we've reached the 1 year mark. WE'VE SURVIVED! i realize that is by no means the end to that feeling, but it's quite an momentous occasion, as the leap from complete dependence on me mainly begins to lessen and a personal independence is established for both {sam} and {matty} and me again too. i have loved being their source, but now i too need a little more 'me time'. it's a bittersweet birthday. they are toddlers now either by age or by the fact that they are actually toddling around the house. {sam} actually decided to become a walker on his first birthday!

as the bittersweetness sets in, i wish i could have soaked up all of it a little more, but with 2 it makes it a little harder. i know i've taken time with each boy and learned who they are individually. yes, they are twins, but their personalities are so very different. and i've loved seeing those little personalities develop!

{sam}
he's my big sensitive bear. he's more brut & brawn than gentle or graceful. his heart is tender & sweet. i treasure his huge grin and his giggles & babbles that fill the house. he's also my big snuggler. and who doesn't love a snuggler?! it's great because he's sturdy enough to squeeze really tightly. just thinking of how good it feels to squeeze him almost makes me want to go and get him out of bed...almost. at times he hesitates or wants a little extra assurance that i'm still close by. i have a feeling he won't ever be far from me & that makes my little heart happy.

and {matty}
he's my scrappy little fighter. he has no idea that his size is small or that it should inhibit him in anyway. if he wants it, he'll go for it! and sometimes he has even taken on {ben} to do so. i laugh at the prognosis the doctors made of him. there is no way this little guy was ever gonna 'have a high likelihood to pass away'. he's an explorer by nature. driven to find and try new things. this kid will always be keeping me on my toes wanting to know what's gonna happen next.

and so, when you put them together...they melt my heart. i see that they balance each other. i see that they have to work together to fully succeed. they were made as a pair. but the sweetest and yes, now i'm crying thing i see of them is that {matty} is not only a fighter, but a protecter. and {sam} not only has a sensitive, but a loyal heart. {matty} is the protector of {sam}s heart and {sam} the softener to {matty}s.

i am in awe of the 2 of them...what they've come through, who they are becoming and how they change the dynamic of our family. happy first birthday to my babies!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T11:03:00.001-05:00

Party shirts...

- Posted from my iPhone

adventures from behind the shopping cart

2011-07-19T08:16:00.007-05:00

my view from behind the shopping cart...

after my post the other day i've had several emails about how i do even go to the store by myself. i thought going to the store with 1 was impossible...then there were 2...and then...4. so, let me fill ya in...

while mostly i do not go to the store on solo missions, i do sometimes need out of the house for short 'to get' type of lists. so we went to target for diapers & a few things for the twins upcoming birthday celebration. there are typically 2 ways i can do it, either with a double shopping cart yes, the gigantic ones that don't turn or either of my big strollers and my moby wrap.

i wear one of the twins. i usually end up wearing {matty} since he's the smallest, but sometimes {sam} just needs some momma time too. the big boys ride in the cart, although {ben} is big enough to walk along side me or ride on the end of the cart too. i prefer the shopping cart because of the space to put things. the stroller just doesn't allow for bigger or lots of items. but i can do the stroller if i bring my own bags which i usually do anyways and hang them from the handles. this is ideal for really quick trips who am i kidding?! or i don' feel like hunting for or cannot find a double shopping cart. i put {gabe} and one of the twins in and wear the other, while {ben} walks along side of us. {ben} likes carrying his own bag so that helps to entertain him. and the boys sometimes do better with the stroller because it's a familiar space.

either of these methods work with multiple yes, even just 2 kiddos. just be prepared to switch it up in the middle of the store if need be. the earlier in the day i go, the better because of nap times. sometimes i bring snacks for the kids to munch on if we'll be out a little longer, like graham crackers, pretzels or cereal. that's a good distraction for a bit. and then my fall back is lollipops. i'm not against bribing. i have boys after all, not sweet still-sitting perfect angels.

happy shopping! what's your trick to shopping with kids?

- Posted from my iPhone

single parent sundays & a baby dedication

2011-07-18T08:58:00.001-05:00

during greeting time at church this morning, i spotted a friend getting coffee & a muffin. completely forgetting that she's rather jumpy, i thought i should sneak up & startle her just a bit...bad decision! and because of my bad decision, i got coffee in my mouth & all down the front of my dress. haha! i totally deserved it. and i was also quite thankful it was more on the lukewarm side rather than hot! and then there was the picnic after church...outside...at noon! i got a little hot & sweaty. wrangling 4 kiddos will do that to ya no matter the heat, but we'll just say that the heat was an added bonus affect.

after i got home, watered plants why not, i was already sweaty & put the boys down for their nap, i really had no other option than to shower & change clothes before night church. because tonight just a few short days from the twins 1st birthday we had baby dedication. now i've learned a few things in years past of watching & participating in baby dedications.

they can cause unexpected emotions, so don't get caught without a tissue.
change diapers just before going on stage, kids have been known to have blowouts through theirs & their parents sunday's best.
no wearing of shirts or dresses that can easily be pulled down especially if the kid is hungry because who wants a wardrobe malfunction on the stage of a church people.

that being said, i picked my next church outfit carefully. i wore my white linen pants & a black tank. i did wear a necklace that could be used as a distraction if necessary. and thankfully it endured the test of a twin baby dedication. there were no blowouts or wardrobe malfunctions. there were, however, tears flowing. thanks to my wonderful husband, they were from sentiment & laughter. he had me crying because i was laughing too hard. love him for it. and the following is the center of what we talked about:

psalm 127:3-5 the message

"Don't you see that children are God's best gift?
      the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?
   Like a warrior's fistful of arrows
      are the children of a vigorous youth.
   Oh, how blessed are you parents,
      with your quivers full of children!
   Your enemies don't stand a chance against you;
      you'll sweep them right off your doorstep."

our quiver is full. we have dedicated our little arrows to be raised to know the Lord...of course with the help of family & friends. we are blessed beyond measure & are truly grateful for all of you over the past year. here's to many more...

my camera ended up at my in-laws house and of course i have no pictures on my phone either. sorry. i'll post some when i get them.

summer adventure survival

2011-07-15T12:55:00.000-05:00

there is always that one thing or place that will forever be nostalgic and remind you of summer. you know like popsicles, watermelon, slip n slides, fireworks & late nights. for me, it's been my back deck & yard. this was the first summer we have all been able to enjoy it. no matter where we are in 10 years, this summer was full of adventures that will always be in my memory. it is my happy place that i will constantly refer to as the boys grow older and yet they won't remember much. bu they will have memories because i took pictures and told stories.

this is how & where we are surviving our summer...

our safe & shaded deck

thanks to our shade sail & pool fence all are free to run, walk or crawl to their heart's desire

our cozy deck all dressed up

with our 'party lights' as {ben} calls them

and who doesn't love a relaxing ride on the hammock

although we have a hammock, this isn't mine, but i just adore this picture

porch swings make for fabulous substitute rocket ships & airplanes for the kiddos

and for us adults, a great way to spend the evening chatting away with friends

our DIY baby pool in a rubbermaid tub

{sam} loved it!

and so did {matty}

with just a little bit of water it was heavy enough to not tip over

& the walls are tall enough they could stand up too.

and who doesn't love a ride in a convertible on a gorgeous summer evening?!

sitting in my hammock watching {ben} & {gabe} hard at work digging in the sand

and watering plants

and the center of most of the action...the pool.

doesn't it look refreshing?! let me tell ya, it is!

- Posted from my iPhone

a conquest in the battle of humility

2011-07-13T08:22:00.000-05:00

{hannah} @ 40 weeks & me @ 34 weeks
we'd been swimming & it was july...
please excuse everything but the big bellies :)

i've found myself being more sentimental than normal recently. and no, there are no pregnancy hormones to blame people. seriously! i just keep thinking about where i was last july. i keep thinking about how far i...we as a family have come over the past year. i'm sure i will be like this every year, but this is the first, so just indulge me.

i was on modified bed rest to allow maximum blood flow to {matty}. i really just couldn't...i tried to sit & rest. and really i did but because i had worn myself out. which really isn't the objective of bedrest. i was in a battle of humility. i was having to let people help me. it was horrible. all of these mundane, every day sort of tasks, people were helping me with. i felt that i was still very capable. i could do those things. but that wasn't what the doctors were asking me. they knew i could and was fully capable of doing my 'housework', what they wanted was for me to simply not do it. i was being told NO. gasp! how dare they! i am the one to tell others {ben} & {gabe} NO...i definitely wasn't used to hearing it.

thankfully i have friends who know me well enough to just come & take over. i had a friend who would come & clean my floors for me weekly. i had friends come & pick up the boys so i could actually lay down and get some rest. i also had friends have the boys over for play dates...cook me meals...do my laundry...paint my toenails...buy me books to read on bed rest. it was a pretty sweet deal. i just wasn't much for all the attention. :)

if only then had i truly known what life would be like now, i really would have taken advantage of those offerings much more frequently. but then again, no one could have prepared me for it. i've learned that i can't be quite so independent and that i truly need help. i take it a bit more graciously these days. although it's still hard when i feel they are things that i can do...they just don't get done. accepting i've done, figuring out how to appropriately thank my wonderful God-sent helpers...still a work in progress.

all that to say, check out my amazingly clean house that my wonderful mother-in-law did while i took the boys to north carolina last week. needless to say, i made them wait outside while i walked thru the cleanliness first. blessed and overly loved by her.

the easy way out adventures

2011-07-12T13:56:00.000-05:00

as many of you would guess, time is hard commodity to come by in our house. i've definitely had to learn how to truly multi-task, plan ahead & time things out a little more in all areas of life. it's against the very core of my being to have a schedule to stick to, but i have learned how ~~wonderful~~ necessary it truly is to some degree. i never want to be the person that can't be flexible with their schedule or OCD about things that were planned to do & didn't get done. personally, i think it adds unnecessary stress when you could just be enjoying this ride we call life.

i'd say the number 1 question i get asked is "how do you do it?!" to which i usually respond, "by the grace of God and lots of prayers." which is totally true, but i've also figured out a few tricks to help ease the everyday needs.

food
i have toddlers & babies, so cooking & meal times are stressful! and i'm usually the only one home for most meals. so i, like most moms, try to makes as few arguments as possible & feed my kids what i know they will eat...which for us is protein. i've got boys, what can i say?! my meal rule...eat whatever for lunch, but you eat what mommy & daddy eat at dinner. and then i usually bribe them with dessert to finish dinner. :)
* i do my big trips of grocery shopping online. thankfully we have a store locally that for the small fee of $4.95 will shop for you, load the car & take your payment at the car when you come to pick it up. it's awesome! if you live in the mid-atlantic check to see if one near you does the same.
* i buy chicken tenderloins because they cook faster
* i use my crock pot year round! instead of boiling chicken on the stove, i'll stick it in the crock pot & pull it out & shred it at dinner. i always make extra because my boys tear through some chicken.
* i cook spaghetti or whatever other fun shaped whole wheat noodles by the box full & put them in the fridge.

around the house
* i use kitchen scissors to cut up food for my boys. much faster & easier than the standard fork & knife...we have 3 pairs :)
* we have mainly hard surfaces in the house, so we bought a vacuum/ hard floor cleaner. it's amazing! first i vacuum, and without getting anything else out, i clean & dry the floors. bonus: it's great for blocking out the sounds of extra whiny kiddos.
* i can't usually fold laundry right away, but need to keep things moving, so i will pull everything out of the dryer after the 2nd buzzer and make flat piles of clothes according to which room it's going to. babies, big boys, mine & {matt}'s and then i just have a massive folding session after dinner. sometimes not until after bed, which means i put them away the following morning.
* i store my sheet sets together. i stack the folded sheets & pillowcase for double beds & bigger and then put in a pillowcase in the closet.

and lately i've had a few of those "why didn't i think of that sooner" moments...

* like i moved the high chairs from the dining room into the kitchen. guess i thought they wouldn't fit over the counter...i was wrong. now clean up is a breeze!

* and thanks to my genius and gorgeous friend hannah, i put {sam} in his own "baby pool". it was a great containment for him while i was watering plants in the backyard. he could stand up in it, but because of the weight of the water, it won't tip over. score!

*and my awesome cousin just posted today on facebook that she had stuck some snowballs in their deep freezer from the plentiful snow that poured over the midwest last winter. brilliant & fun!

* and Jen over at Buried With Children gave a great how-to for dealing with a middle of the night bed wetting...and we all know

i'm sure that i've forgotten plenty but now i wanna know,what are your tried & true mommyhood survival tips?

adventures of old school sitcom tv

2011-07-08T07:23:00.003-05:00

in another prompt from mama kat's here's a list of 10 old tv shows that i'd like to see make a comeback...

family tv these days comes down to reality or competition shows. i have no problem with either, but what happened to the good ole wholesome sitcoms of primetime programming that we could all watch together. there were so many shows & after reading several blogs & reminiscing, i thought i'd try to find some different ones than repeats of the same popular 10 shows. most of these are shows that we watched together as a family, some of them are just favorites.

...and in no particular order...

10. the wonder years

plain and simple. it was so relatable and unique. plus kevin was a cutie.

9. the nanny

i can still sing the title song. and that laugh! it was hysterical.

8. family matters

steve urkel. enough said.

7. quantum leap

this show was just fascinating.

6. 7th heaven

the white picket fence, perfect parents, uncomplicated world.

stereotypical perfect family kinda television.

5. macgyver

his legacy lives on...

4. home improvement

this was the ultimate show in our house.

3. who's the boss

loved the crazy grandma. she was the best!

2. the cosby show

"because in a house full of love...theres always room for more."

i always thought that cliff & clair were the coolest parents ever.

1. dr. quinn medicine woman

and this ones for you {b}, i remember watching this one with your family :)

what shows did you watch or would you like to see comeback?

dear paci adventures

2011-07-07T13:09:00.001-05:00

dear paci,

at first you were my best friend. i loved you. i truly did. you were so cute...adorably oversized on my tiny baby's face. you were everything i needed you to be. you did everything i asked of you. but now you've become an addiction & you just don't know when to give it up.

i think our symbiotic relationship is coming to an end. it's bittersweet really. you not being here means that babies are getting bigger and growing older. but in the end, i can live with that. having to hunt for a you in the middle of the night...i'm over it. having to have you & a backup on every outing...over that to! i am tired of removing you when i need to understand the 2 yr old. i hate that i can't see a precious boy's smile because you are hiding it from the camera. and lastly, you hurt my foot when i unintentionally step on you once you've been discarded...unless you end of in the bottomless abyss of disappearing pacis and i can't ever find you when i need you.

can you please turn into something awful tasting? or figure out a way to become unpleasant? i would rather you work this out on your own so i don't have to interfere. because if i do interfere, there will be lots of crying...for all parties involved. thank you.

sincerely,
your soon-to-be-former best friend of 3 paci loving babies

again, this thursday's post is brought to you by mama kat's pretty much world famous writer's workshop. there was another great prompt that i think i'll find the time to add tomorrow...about tv shows we should bring back...