beach adventures: embracing routine

wow! it's been a crazy couple of weeks full of visitors, a getaway to the beach & even some sick buddies in the mix. and this morning as we fall back into our normal, our routine, i find myself at peace.  because as nice as vacation is, the lack of routine nearly breaks us all.

i can honestly say that i never thought i'd get to this place in life. i've always bucked schedules. i personally feel they're too restrictive. BUT i have found a place in my heart (& life) for routine. in fact, i've come to see that not only do my boys thrive on routine, but so do i. now i'm not talking about a daily schedule laid out by the minute. i'm more referring to the outline of a day, things to be expected...there will be meals, naps & picking {ben} up from school. i do think it was having twins that created this need in me...that and having 4 kids.

but it is still my goal in life to never be tied down to a schedule. although, i'm sure that will ebb & flow as {ben} enters kindergarten next fall & the others start preschool. i mean i can only be in denial of the inevitable for so long, but i'll enjoy it while it lasts.

but i guess that also means i have yet to figure out how to get regular posts up. still working on that new year's resolution. until then, i leave you with some shots of our little getaway at the beach house.

adventurous attempts at kite flying :: take 2

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?!

adventures of pulling up the boot straps & doing

{matt} is headed outta town for a work trip for the end of this week. so instead of the stresses of staying home as a single parent for a few days, i decided i'd rather have the stresses of a solo 5.5 hour drive to my mom's house. my reasoning: they would be strapped into carseats and have a 'reason' to be tv zombies and then i'd have help once i got there. i don't like being home without him, so this somehow helps.

this morning started off in utter chaos & frustration. {matt} & i awoke to shouts of "{gabe} spilled his yogurt on the floor." ...on the fresh new carpet that lasted a few days! at the foot of our bed. ugh! apparently big brother {ben} was being helpful and got {gabe} some yogurt for breakfast. thanks {ben}, but next time please don't give your brother yogurt. but really that's why we got the speckled stuff we did...to hide the fact that our little boys are really dirty little monsters. thank goodness for resolve.

i let my wonderful husband clean up that mess while i headed to the nursery. by the time i got down the stairs i heard that the whines had turned to full blown cries during the yogurt debacle. and then i opened the door...little {matty} guy had a diaper malfunction. he's crafty & has already figured out how to take his diaper off and has already been deemed onsie or shorts 24/7. somehow he scooted his diaper over so he tiny little baby tushy was hanging out one side & therefore, so was what he had already deposited in said diaper. thankfully it could have been worse soooo very much worse. he did manage to paint a little on his bumper, sheets & himself but nothing so bad that i gagged to death. giving an almost 1 year old a bath first thing in the morning is difficult. he was so slippery and i was not awake barely enough to deal with it. but while i was at it, {sam} might as well get one too. i started giving them baths when {matt} came down to offer help. he picked bath time over diaper malfunction clean up and surprisingly i was thankful. i got done before {matt} finished so i grabbed 1 boy at a time to get them dressed. thankful not every morning starts off like that.

i rushed to gather & pack things. it was my spontaneous and unorganized procrastinator self coming out. i got all of us packed & on the road in 2 hours with no big forgotten items. amazing if i do say so myself. and for that fact, the day was looking much better and full potential. now for the driving. ideally: no stops, no traffic, everyone naps & i don't have to listen to cartoons the entire duration of the trip. my plan was totally working out. we drove happily along for the most part without much traffic 1 pit stop and only a few insane drivers.

we were about 50 miles from my parents. then it happened. {gabe} started puking. i started having flashbacks to the horrible awful no good very bad vacation we had as a family in march that started off almost the exact. same. way. i pulled off at the next exit & into the closest gas station. {gabe} was bawling. {ben} was freaking out. and the twins were just whining. and with the snap of the fingers the pleasantness of the previous few hours flew out the window like a jet plane isn't it amazing how a short span of seconds can do that to a day and i just started doing. that is a slight perk of flying solo. there's no dance or frustration around who is gonna do the dirty work. it's just you so you just pull up the boot straps and do!

i'm more than thankful for {matt} who is an awesome mr. mom, yes even better than i in some areas. but when it's chaotic or drama filled moment, it's sometimes hard to distinguish who does what. who comforts the hurt child & who gathers the first aid kit? who hoses off the kid & who picks up the mess left behind? who cleans up the broken glass & who keeps the kids away from the crime scene? it is easier to do when we are the only one & have to, but that's why God gives us helpmates, so we aren't always the ones having to. it's exhausting to be the sole emotional & physical supporter of a child let alone several. hats off to single parents out there! i'd rather do an awkward dance of frustration to figure out who does what role than to not have someone to dance with at all. 

guess he needed to replenish his fluids.

boys + cars = always good time
proud of my impromptu race track making :)

and we arrived to a home cooked meal that i didn't have to prepare, hugs & kisses galore, and a new place to explore. i'd say we're all happy. expect for {matty} who is still refusing the pack n play and is sleepily wandering the living room as i type.

i'm winning the sleep battle, he just doesn't know it yet.
but if he passes out here do i dare move him is the question?!

the adventures of a traveling mommy & a homesick buddy

we somewhat abruptly ended our vacation in the mountains to pick up our boys a day early. we got a phone call from a sad and homesick little boy. his dad promised him that we would be there to put him to bed the next day. so i savored one last night of no baby duty or early morning breakfast duty. as sad as i was that vacation had ended, i was more than ready for the kisses & cuddles i knew awaited me. i had truly missed them over the last couple of days.

i find it amazing how my heart is tied to these 4 little ones. i really did fine not being with them. i'm not the kind of mom who can't be away from her kids. i mean, after 4 in 3 years...i think i deserve some me time. :) so i've learned to enjoy my time by myself.

confession: {Matt} & I would look at pictures or watch videos of the boys on our phones while in the car driving from here to there. one more reason i love my iphone.

lesson learned: i love my boys & being blessed with the opportunity to raise them as a stay at home mommy. sure, i wish that there had been another day of vacation, but really, i was glad to get home to normal. whatever that is...

looking out the door, waiting for us to get there...

so sweet & snuggly. got the world's best snuggles that night!

a crazy...some may call stupid...adventure

whew! it's been a week since i've been home from vacation and i feel like i can just now breathe again. it really is true that you need a vacation from vacation. but i enjoyed it nonetheless! my first time away from ALL the kiddos for more than 1 night....AMAZINGNESS! i actually felt like a normal, non-mommy type person.

but let me start from the beginning...
i loaded up the kids & packed up the car to head south. by. my. self...
the plan sounded logical & completely normal until the morning i was leaving. then all i could think was "what in the world am i thinking?!" i was about to drive 7 hours by myself with a 4 yr old who has to stop to pee every couple hours, a 2 yr old who wants out of his car seat, and 10 mo. twins who get bored with their toys after 20 mins. i mean only a crazy woman would do this. seriously though, i think i momentarily lost my sanity. somehow in the midst of the insanity we left 30 minutes earlier than planned. that almost never happens!

my strategy was to just drive as long as possible without stopping. it's the stopping that kills ya. not just in the time department, but everyone gets out and has to re-settle into traveling mode. within the first 2 hours all the boys were asleep! i did a little happy dance in my seat and set the cruise control. we made it about half way 3 hour mark til the babies needed to eat. i actually had just past the exit that i had tentatively planned to eat lunch at thinking everyone was quiet & content...then a shout out from {Matty} let me know otherwise. i lovingly call him choo-choo because his cry is as loud as a train. thankfully, there was an access road at the next exit that connected back to where i wanted to be.

so we stop at a McDonald's that has a sweet playground although it's outside and wifi. we're all happy! there's just one little thing...i left my "train" at home. i did bring the double stroller for my mom, but it's under. all. the bags. ugh! that wasn't planned very well. so i put my wrap on and dig the stroller out. it took an hour to unload, order smoothies, feed babies/ big boys played, go to the bathroom & change 3 diapers. i was ready for a nap after that ordeal. then i realized the dire necessity of my drive as long as possible plan. and by the miraculous hand of God and my deafened ears to the sounds of crying and whining, we made it without another stop!

it was a miracle trip for sure. one that i'm not sure i could ever repeat, therefore, i may not ever try again. at least not without help that is. :)

our welcoming committee made it in
the car before i could make it out.

{Ben} was soooo happy to finally be with cousins!

{Sam} & {Matty} were just trying to figure out what the commotion was all about. Pretty sure they had been asleep.

my sister-in-law is amazing! and a saint :)
kids ages 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...not pictured 9 

it's an adventure packing for an adventure... part 2

so i'm currently taking a mental break...there's a baby screaming, dishes piled & generally stuff everywhere. oh and the big boys keep pulling toys out and making a bigger mess. they do say that trying to clean a house with kids around is like shoveling the sidewalk while it's still snowing. exhausting and pointless.

i'm packing while the kids are awake and playing. they are really overly excited about the trip to see their cousins. so they are helping as much as a 2 & 4 year old can. i'll do house chores while they are asleep because really that's the best time to do it anyways. and the packing of the car will take place tonight & in the morning when it's not so stinkin' hot outside!

normally i would be excited about the trip for the kids & buy them a fun bag of goodies to have for the 6-7 hour trek to the cousins house, but really i'm more excited to just get them there already. i'm totally and completely fine with letting them veg out and watch cartoons or play games on the old iphone. and the babies, well, they too have just discovered the tv so the can watch it in their mirror. i'm sure they won't even notice it's backwards.

the list of gear for A BABY, 1 singleton that's a mom of multiple term i learned is something ridiculous! and for me, it's multipied by 2...gah! i was smart and already sent some stuff with my mom. so the trip down won't be as bad. yes, i do realize it will still all end up in my car on the return trip, but {Matt} will be there to help with that.

here's my list of gear for the twins:

• 2 high chairs at least ours are the clip-onto-the-table kind
• double stroller
• baby monitor
• bottles
• bottle brush for cleaning said bottles
• 2 blankets each
• 2 pacifiers each
• a bag of toys they've reached the age where they get bored with one after about 20 mins. boo! so a BIG bag it is.
• carseats obviously
• sippy cups
• sound machine
• lotion for after bath time of course!
• diaper bag packing that is a separate feat in itself
• spoons 
• burp clothes
• tylenol cause of course they are teething
• teething swabs
• diapers
• wipes
• butt paste
• change of clothes
• food pouches
• puff snacks
• changing pad
• dirty diaper bags
• formula containers filled hopefully :)

this is what i already sent with my mom/ she has or bought:

• baby wash
• 2 pack n plays
• 2 pack n play sheets
• johnny jumper
• the superyard
• formula
• baby food
• diapers
• wipes
• finger food snacks

ok...i'm sure i've forgotten something critical, but that's to be expected right?! i mean this is all just for the 2 smallest people in the family. i haven't even thought about what to pack for myself. not having to worry about my clothing being appropriate to chase/pick up/feed little boys in...it opens up a whole new realm of possibilities! oh the excitement!!

i'll post pictures of loading the car tomorrow...because we all know that really is an adventure all in itself!

it's an adventure packing for an adventure... part 1

it's here, it's here! the time has finally come...{Matt} & I are finally leaving all the kiddos for more than just an overnight excursion and going on a vacation. and yes it's a vacation because there are NO KIDS coming. i've been so excited about this for months & it literally has snuck up on me. i got distracted with house stuff and realized we leave this friday! shut. up. i haven't gotten a single thing in order for this trip. my wonderful sister in law is watching the big boys for me. they are beyond stoked to spend a few days with their cousins. we've been counting down for days...correction, it's been a month long countdown. and the twins are going to my mom & dads. they are looking forward to playing grandparents on their turf & showing them off to friends.

we took our first family trip in march. that was a disaster. that'll be a catch up blog later. i've learned a thing or 2 on my packing procedures. 

step 1: loads & loads of laundry commence

           *of course it was backed up already...power outage, pool party, life :)

{Sam} helping me fold one of many loads

step 2: pull out clothes for each kiddo

           *the math on how much to pack for kids is a little crazy. maybe i'll just pack swimsuits for big boys & only onsies for the babeskas. :)

piles of clothes for big boys...

and the clothes for twins.
they're in different sizes so that means even more clothes to pack

step 3: pack a daily bag of clothes in a ziplock bag 

           *i'm not a control freak, promise. it's more for my brain to see that my children have enough clothes to wear 

and then i pack an outfit for each day in a bag with their name and day (and a note from me on the back)
then there's a bag with pjs & another with extras items (listed on note)
this works great with the smaller clothes but {Ben}'s are just about too big

it's easiest to pack the clothes first because they can wear whatever until we leave...it's the packing of the gear that is hard because it's last minute. that i think i'll save for tomorrow...or maybe friday. :)

adventures with Florida cousins

here is a sweet pic of ben hanging out with Florida cousins. they were watching the cartoon "Handy Manny" while we hung out at Pop's house. thank goodness for modern technology...they were watching it on matt's iphone!!

adventures at nanny's house

while we were in florida we stayed at nanny's house. so much better than staying at a hotel :) we all enjoyed a little R&R. ben loved to walk with nanny outside to get the dog, and they usually ended up down on the dock. who can blame him?! 

matt & ben had a grand ole time riding bikes & skateboards in front of nanny's house. i became designated picture taker. her extra-long driveway made for a great runway for the skateboard. ben loves the skateboard! here are just a couple pics i could get up.

ben & daddy riding back up the driveway.

the dueling tricycles

time to go in for a nap

we just found him like this. under the table just hanging out. too funny!

ben & nanny-the-great walking down to the dock. 

if only every moment of life were this beautiful!

adventures in south carolina

we stopped in columbia, sc to stay the night with matt's sister kristin. the boys got up and enjoyed some sunshine and fresh air. they rode power wheels and ran around the yard. cousins are great!

giggling maddie grace :)

smiley boy noah

curious big boy ben.

owen hammin' it up on his sweet 4-wheeler

adventures in a van

last week...very last minute...i decided to join my sister-in-law and cousin-in-law on a road trip to florida. first ben & i drove to columbia, sc and met up with everyone. then we drove to florida from there. it was 3 adults & 7 kids in a 15 passenger van-with no dvd player might i add. we thought we had borrowed one, but all we got were the screens, no dvd player. so an adventure it was! we made it with sanity in tact and enjoyed our long weekend there. we got to visit with both sides of matt's family and loved being able to stay at nanny's with all the other cousins. ben definitely thought he was one of the big kids.

all the cousins except for maddie


noah showing ben how to blow bubbles


cheese!


this is how you occupy a toddler in the car

the last of our california adventure

well we've been mighty busy the last few days. we helped my poppo pack up and move out of his house. my aunts were going thru, sorting, and packing everything. mucho kuddos to them! ben ran around the farm and got himself so dirty! he was a black footed baby for 2 days in a row. he helped grandad clean out the shop, so you can imagine what kind of dirt he found. the really sticky grungy dirty kind! :) he loved it!

we also ran around alot once kelli got here. it was great to have another person to play with!

these are dirty toes after being wiped down. they were just stained black, it only came off after a good long soak!


sleepy boys. he's learning the art of "the recliner".


horsey ridin' aunt kelli & watching cartoons! life couldn't be any better than this!


the sisters 3.

the adventure continues...day 5

we had a fun play day today complete with horsey rides, bubbles & backyard runs. my aunt judy & poppo came over for dinner and then we all sat outside and enjoyed dessert in the perfect evening weather. aunt kelli gets in tomorrow and we're excited to see her!

ben's new favorite game-granddaddy horsey rides


after the horsey ride was over & grandad was exhausted, ben decided he was gonna try.


he was being wild and climbing all over me. we'd both just gotten up from a nap so i suppose he was extra excited to see me and he chose to show that by kicking my face.


climbed up onto poppo's lap just so he could get the cane.
ahhh...the mind of a one-year old boy!


strawberries & ice cream for dessert on the patio MMM! MMM! MMM!
he asked for seconds on this course of dinner.