Happy Birthday Daddy!

What could be better than a day to celebrate the most amazing man on Earth? We made some of his favorite things for dinner...Sticky Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, Green Beans, and sweet tea. It's been a tradition for years now to make a carrot cake for his birthday.  :)

 Jacob wanted to color Daddy a Happy Birthday picture. Joshua and Joseph thought that sounded like a wonderful idea! They were all so excited that it was Daddy's birthday!

Daddy always loves homemade gifts better than anything we could buy for him, and the boys love making special things for Daddy. We made hand-print plaques. The big boys on one, and the little boys on another. The big boys each picked their favorite thing about Daddy for me to write on their hand. Jacob said, "My favorite thing about Daddy is that he does nice stuff." Joshua said, " My favorite thing about Daddy is Lions." (you just never know what Joshua will say, LOL). Even little Jamie was excited to have his hand-print drawn. Joe wanted to color his so carefully. It was just precious! Daddy loved his gift and couldn't wait to take them to put on his desk at work!

 Today is a very special day. Today we celebrate the birth of a truly wonderful man. A man who dedicates his life to taking care of what he values most- his family. He loves his children so much and works every day to be the best father he can be. I could not have been blessed with a better man for my children to call "daddy".  I love seeing reflections of him in each of my boys...Jacob has his wit, his charisma, his charm, his "salesman-ness" (lol), his strong personality. Joshua has his compassion and love for others. Joe has his stubbornness and strong-willed nature, his determination, his perseverance, his charm, and his common sense smartness. Jamie has his ability to stay calm and laid back, despite chaos, and his sweet nature. And of course, they all have his stunning good looks. :) Everyone always tells me how much the boys look like Daddy, and I just smile because it makes me so happy.

I am thankful to call this man my husband. I know that we have been through the wringer and then some together, and I know we will always be standing together, holding hands and ready to face anything that comes our way. I am thankful for the close relationship that we share, and I am thrilled to call him my best friend.

Happy Birthday Prince Charming! I pray we will celebrate many more to come, and that God will continue to bless you in the years to come! I love you!

Love,

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The Grass is Greener...

If the grass is greener on the other side, you can bet the water bill is higher.

I came across this quote earlier today and it made me snicker. It just really struck me as funny.

People seem to spend a lot of time looking at other people's lives, making judgments, wishing that they had what other people had. We look at someone else's homes, families, situations. We see things in their lives that are seemingly better than what we have, and we feel envy. What we don't see, however, is the whole picture.

When we focus on what other people have and what we do not, we fail to see the blessings in our own lives. If we only look at how gorgeous our friend's house is, we can lose sight of how welcome people feel in our own home. If we whine about how "so and so's" children are so well behaved, we can lose sight of how our children can make us laugh when we need it most.

Often times we see the end result of things, without considering what it takes to get there. We see an immaculate house, and covet it, but aren't willing to spend all day cleaning (wow, have I ever been guilty of that one!) We see a friend who is super skinny, but aren't willing to put in the effort to diet... (ouch). We see the green grass, but forget the water bill is generally higher.

God's Word tells us that coveting can lead us to feeling discontent with our own lives. We can become unhappy with our own lives, our children, our husband, our homes, the body that God gave us, possessions, the list is endless. When we place our focus on other people's things/lives, we lose focus from the blessings in our own life. It is easy then to forget to be thankful for these blessings, and can even breed resentment in our hearts. It's a slippery slope, and it all starts from that simple "longing" for that greener grass.

We also need to remember that no grass is perfectly green. We may treat for weeds, and fertilize and water, but there will still be imperfections. We are still subject to flood or drought, pests, and a whole host of other things. Our focus needs to be on the things that truly matter, and working diligently, and doing the best with what God gives us.

Contentment breeds thankfulness (and we all know that a thankful heart is a happy heart! :) ) Discontentment breeds misery.

A couple of verses to meditate on...

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." 1 Timothy 6:6-8

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's." Exodus 20:17

With Love and a Thankful Heart,

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Swim Lessons!

The boys had their first swim lesson today! I was amazed at how well little Joe did. He played all the games, and when it was time to practice floating on his belly and kicking his feet and arms, he took to it like a fish! I think he will be swimming in no time!

The bigger boys were a little more cautious. I think they were a little nervous because in the older class you don't go in with Mommy and Daddy. I thought that Jacob would struggle more, as he tends to be very hesitant if he doesn't feel confident, but he actually did well. Joshua was reluctant to get in the water without us with him. He spent most of the time on the steps, but at least he was in the water, and knowing him he was watching and observing everything closely.

 Little Joe did so well, and had such a good attitude that he got a special treat of icecream. Boys was he excited about that!

 Hugs,

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Summer Reading Celebration!

We had a busy day today! This morning we went to the gym for spin class, but Joe just didn't want to go in his class without me, so I ended up staying with him.

After the gym we went to make a Mary Kay delivery and play in the park. I was excited to see how close this park is to Rick's work. It would be nice to meet there for lunch...

Jacob was having fun playing with another little boy and Joshua really wanted to play on the teeter totter, so he decided to play with one of his bestest of friends: nappity nap-nap. It was the cutest thing. He put "nap" on one seat, and even told him to hold on to the handles. He giggled and chattered and had the best of time playing with his nap!

After the playground we went to the Summer Reading kick-off celebration. I was amazed at how many people were there! We made frog hats and had ice cream and listened to Brazilian music and celebrated a love for reading.

The boys were just plain tuckered out by the time we arrived home! While the little boys napped, Jacob asked if he could read his Bible Friends books. I love watching him look at the books and see how intently he listens to the stories on the cds. He pays such close attention!

Love,

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Boys That Love Books!

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Wordless Wednesday- Books!

Hugs,

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Simple Woman's Day Book

Outside my window... kinda scary looking stormy sky.

I am thinking... Wowza...

From the learning rooms... reading lots and lots of books on rocks and space!

I am thankful for... wow. So much to be thankful for! I am thankful for my amazing friends. I am so blessed by the wonderful ladies in my life. Love you!

From the kitchen... soup and sandwiches.

I am wearing... Khaki pinstriped pants (hmmm, thinking I must like pinstripes) pink and cream floral blouse layered over a white cami.

I am reading... "Girls Just Gotta Have Clean". Wow, I am such a geek.

I am hoping... that my stress level goes down and my energy level goes back up. Haha.

I am creating... thank you cards

I am praying... for so, so many things.

Around the house... the sounds of giggly boys playing together

One of my favorite things... singing hymns with my boys. Awesomeness.

A few plans for the rest of the week... spin class tomorrow, Summer reading kick-off at the park, lunch with friends, playdate/business meeting, Mary Kay meeting, playdate...

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you..

Love,

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It Is What It Is

"It is what it is" is a favorite saying of my darling husband. He says it all the time. It kinda drives me crazy, to be perfectly honest. Sometimes I don't like that answer, and I want to understand why things are what they are. Just saying that they are isn't enough- if ya know what I mean.

But sometimes things just are what they are. There really isn't a better answer. It's sort of like "life's not fair". My dad used to say that one, and yep, it drove me crazy, too.

It is what it is...I think that about sums up my life right now. There are so many things about my life that I would not change, and then, there are things that I would give just about anything to change.

It is what it is...There are some people who will love me no matter what I do, and who will stand by me through thick and thin. There are people who will cheer me on when I try new things, or have accomplishments in my life. There are people who will just think I am awesome. There are also people who will hate me and dislike everything I do, despite my best efforts. There are people who will look for fault in all that I do. People who will only see my shortcomings, or things they do not like. There are people who will always judge my intentions in every little thing that I do. As a dear friend reminded me today, some people will just never see my heart- and there isn't a darn thing I can do to change that.

It is what it is...My life isn't perfect, and there are heartbreaks that will never be mended. There is a part of my heart that will likely never be whole.

It is what it is...I have a fantastic life, beautiful children, and a wonderful husband. Some people are very happy for me and choose to be a part of our lives. Some people do not. It just is what it is.

It is what it is...This is my life. I don't have any control over other people's emotions. I accept it and move on. I am thrilled that some people choose to be a part of our lives. I love my friends and family to pieces. For those who choose not to love me, I understand, I forgive you, and I choose to love you anyway. You don't have to accept it- that's completely your choice.

To those who choose not to be a part of my life I thought you would want to know that I'm happy. My life is what it is- and that's not such a bad thing.

With Love,

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Mocha Frozen Fusion

The blender thing we ordered arrived and we decided that we just had to try it out! We love frozen coffee drinks, so just had to try making them ourselves. :)

Ingredients:
1/2 c. strong coffee (is there any other kind?!?!?!)
3/4 c. milk
2 tbsp. chocolate syrup
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 c. ice

Directions:
Add all ingredients into your blender type machine and use long pulses until smooth.

Makes approx. 2 10oz cups.

Yummy!

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