Family Time

For Memorial Day weekend, my family and I decided to go back to our hometown and spend the weekend on the river and relax. Oh did we ever!



My in-laws recently bought a cabin right on the river so we had all the amenities of home with an added plus and peacefulness that the river brings. We had originally planned on pitching our tent and sleeping outside along with the children, but I chickened out when the weather kept calling for rain.



Although we did encounter a few good showers and sprinkles, we still enjoyed the time away, each others company, as well as some good ol' family time. You can never have enough of that, right?



We attended a Graduation Party and played at the park:










Swam in the ice cold river, played sand volleyball, lounged around, talked past bedtime, and enjoyed the beauty that is God's Promise.





A peaceful, relaxing, weekend enjoying God's Creation is a Finer Thing.


This post is linked to:

• FinerThings Friday
• Family Friday

Celebrating My Mom

It's Mother's Day on Sunday, and I'm going to celebrate with my Mom, and she doesn't even know it yet! Oh does it ever feel good to say that. We are driving up to my hometown to surprise our mom's.



My mom and I go back 26 ahem almost 27 years. But, I've never appreciated her more or valued our relationship more than what I do now. After all, we've been there, done that, went through it.



You see, growing up, my mom and I were close. Especially close in High School. We talked all the time, and she always humored me. Although I know now that it was her way of keeping tabs on me and keeping me home, she allowed me to have a get together for every imaginable or any made up holiday I could come up with. She made amazing amounts of appetizers and meals and stay up way past bed time to entertain me and my friends. I loved it. My friends loved it. We loved her and my Dad (who was right in on the action always cracking jokes or picking on us).



Shortly after my high school graduation, I made some choices that my parents didn't agree with. I went in a direction that they didn't like and mine and my mom's relationship became very strained. Strained so much so that we didn't talk for about a year (I think a little over).



We started our relationship anew and off we went as normal for the next 2½ years to 2003. Tragedy struck my family.



My relatively healthy father passed away unexpectedly in his sleep. It rocked our world into tiny little bits. My mother was distraught, I was distraught, and our relationship crumbled. Again.



But, this Mother's Day, I am celebrating her. How she has overcame darkness. How we have overcome hurt. How we have grown together. How we will grow together. And how nothing is going to get in between me and my mother. Ever again.



This Earthly life is too short. Celebrate your Mom. Celebrate those Finer Things.

Seriously--Time Flies

I cannot even believe it. This afternoon I can longer deny the fact that my youngest will be going to school. That's right, I'm going to preschool screening and registration. It seems as if he were just born a few months ago!

The last few days I have really been reflecting back on the time that we've shared. Noah is the only one out of my 3 children that has stayed home with me from day one. He has never, ever, ever been to a baby sitter. I don't know about you, but in my book, that is a Finer Thing!

I have seen every moment (okay not every moment, afterall I am more than just a mom!), every milestone, and have enjoyed every last moment (most of them, anyway).

There have been plenty of laughs,

Scary moments,

about a ton of dirt and mud,

A load of hard work,

And more than enough cuteness to go around.

I will definitely miss you being by my side day in and day out.

Or this case, Daddy's.

My time with you has been a Finer Thing and one of the many highlights of my life as your mom. I know you will have a good time at school!

Love you more my Little Monkey!!

This post is linked to:

• Finer Things Friday
• Family Friday

I Redeemed Myself

So--I said the tooth fairy came, sort of. What did I mean?



Since she didn't come the first night, Nicholas left his tooth (which was in a treasure chest, by the way) on top of the windowsill for the next night. When he came home from school, he immediately went in there to check on it and make sure it was still where it was when he left. He's pretty possessive of his things.



Little did I know that during the day, Noah went in and messed with the tooth treasure chest and lost it! I can assure you that Nicholas was not happy in the least! I looked high and low for it, and never found it.



"Now the tooth fairy really won't come, Mom."



Oh snap! Rub the "Loser Mom" in a bit more, would ya?



"Sure she will--she's had ample time to find out you lost it. I'm sure she'll understand that Noah lost it. Surely she won't punish you for that..."



Right? Right. Although, she really did almost forget.

Loser Mom Syndrome Hits Again

Have you ever had one of those days/weeks where you felt like you were experiencing "Loser Mom Syndrome?"



That was me. Last week.



Nicholas came home from school on Wednesday and proudly exclaimed that he lost his tooth while at school. Uh, say what?! He had a loose tooth.? No way. (By the way--it was barely loose, and he decided that he was over it, and yanked it out!!)



No biggie--I can handle this, right? Wrong.



I helped Nicholas find a place to put his tooth since he is terrified that with his moving and flopping that his tooth will fall, or get lost. Since he has a bunk bed, and sleeps on top right next to a window, he decided to put it on the window frame. Perfect.



I went to wake him up for school the next morning and after he was almost fully awake, I just so happened to look over and see the tooth staring at me on the windowsill. The tooth fairy fell asleep, and forgot all about her duties!!



Stink!! No time now, he was almost awake, and I couldn't risk getting caught in the act. Ya know?



What to do?? I left the room--fast! I needed time to think.



Nicholas promplty told me that the tooth fairy never came. Surprisingly, he wasn't all too upset, but I could tell that it bothered him a bit.



My response: "I bet I know what happened, Nicholas. Your tooth fell out so fast, with no warning and the tooth fairy didn't have enough time to fit you into the route. I bet she'll be here tonight for sure since she knows now."



And she was...Sort of.

Busy in the Kitchen and a Diet Update

Our change in diet is going very well. I've been able to curb some of my temptations to snack with drinking a big glass of water. We are eating far greater amounts of vegetables and fruit, and trying to eat only 4oz of meat at a meal. This has been somewhat hard for Willie, but he is getting used to it. I really need to find the time of day that works for me to do a workout. I'm itching to get back to doing my pilates videos, but it just seems as if I can never find the time. I'm feeling better already with the small changes that I've made so far--that just makes me giddy!



My bloggy friend, Miriam, gave me an awesome recipe for Multigrain bread that I just love. And to think that is may actually be healthy. We like it better than my regular whole wheat bread, which we love. I've become a lot more comfortable in my bread making adventures, which coincidentally is resulting in better bread. Very rewarding.



The kitchen has been the hot spot this week. I've spent countless hours in there, and have been quite productive. This what I've done:

• Made a loaf of Multigrain Bread
• Made French Bread (same recipe, different method)
• 4 French Baguettes
• Froze approximately 12 quarts of strawberries
• Chopped up my first fresh mango! (2 actually, and one more waiting)
• Made Chicken broth
• Made Tortillas
• Used dried beans successfully in 2 dishes this week. So much better than the canned stuff from the grocery store!
• Made an awesome banana/strawberry/mango smoothie--all from fresh fruit.
• Made a batch of Oatmeal Raisin cookies w/Whole Wheat Flour. I didn't know how they would turn out--but they were delish!

I'm wanting to experiment some more with my whole wheat bread recipe. My original plan was to do that today, but I may just wait until next week. I still need to finish doing some meat prep and cleaning up some paper clutter that has accumulated on my hutch. Where does that stuff come from?!

We finally got our taxes done last night! It has only been on the list for months now. All I need to do now is make copies, and get them in the mail. So glad to have that behind me.

What have you done this week?

Housewifely Duties

One of the most important parts of my Housewifely Duties is managing my home. Up until about 2 years ago, I never really took this job seriously. Well, let me rephrase that.



I left my awesome job in the cell phone sales industry and decided to become a stay at home mom. Having been fresh from the work scene, I treated it just like I would a job. Dressed every morning, and worked all day--as well as play with the 2 young kidlets. About 3 months later, I become pregnant with our 3 child. Mid way into my pregnancy I was exhausted all the time--all I wanted to do was sleep. Nothing got done around the house, and I still have no idea how my big kids survived. Okay, well it wasn't that bad--but I really wasn't a homemaker during this time.



After having our third, I was very meticulous about our home, but that was it. I was not managing anything. Then it got to where I didn't clean like I used to, and I began to really not like the whole "stay at home mom thing". Looking back, it was because I wasn't doing anything.



Fast forward to 2007.



I realized that I wasn't a homemaker or a housewife. I was a mom without a job.



Today, I love that I have housewifely duties and the job of a homemaker and manager of my home. While somedays I sit and think that it was easier for me to manage a cell phone store, I would still rather be here. This job is far more rewarding! It can be hard, and it is a balancing act that I am still trying to figure out.



I'm still trying to come up with the Homemaking Schedule that works for me, but I am confident that it will come soon enough.



Today, I'm trying to play catch up from the weekend. I didn't do my regulars so now I am behind. Let's see if I can get it to sing! :)



On the To-Do for Today:

• Atleast 3 loads of laundry. (1)(2)(3)
• Clean up sink (I didn't do any dishes yesterday--it is disasterous!)
• Pick up weekend clutter.
• MUST DO TAXES!!!!!!
• Buy fruit trees?! We really need to do this, I just don't know that it will happen today.
• Clean up desk area.

This post is linked to Make your Home Sing Monday.