childhood memories

maybe the picture won't bring back memories for you...

but it did for me!!

breigh got 13,000 beads and the pegboards for her birthday. i actually suggested it to my sister, because a few weeks before the birthday party i saw them at joann and knew breigh would love it.

and love it she did. the three big girls all loved it. they had fun picking out colors and making shapes look beautiful. and as the momma...i had fun being in charge of the iron! :)

and it was fun to have the memories of making my own little projects like these. i think it's great to have some of the same things that i had growing up, for my kids. sure there might be a bajillion beads to spill...but that's why i have them do it only when the little two are napping. and sure i may be a paranoid mother telling them every point five seconds...the iron is ON. be careful of the iron. the iron is HOT. but it's still fun for all of us!!

my little author

this past weekend amelya asked to type on the computer. i thought she was just going to be "practicing". turns out, i was wrong...she wrote her own little story::

in case you can't read it::

Once upon a time there was a brave knight who lived in a cozy house. he loved that house. but one day a man came up to the knight and said i want your cozy house. the knight said no. the man became angry. he began stomping around. but soon the man stopped and realized what he was doing was wrong. then the man sat down to read his Bible. he read 1 and 2 Kings. he read something he never read before. he read that a king did the same thing he did.

the end.

i love it. her imagination is so much fun to see when she plays 'baby' or 'house', and even more fun to see on paper! 

take 2

i may be sporadic this week.

it's time for a take 2 of our rummage sale! my sister lives about a half hour-ish away from me, and in a bigger town. we decided since she's staying home this year, to hold a sale at her house as well.

thankfully everything was packed away in an orderly fashion, so we don't have to sort anything out. just unpack the totes and fill the tables. the girls are excited to help with the sale again, and to spend the week hanging out at their cousin's house.

i'm excited to get rid of more things!! :) my sale at my parent's house went really well, so i'm praying this is a repeat of that. plus it feels good to rid ourselves of more things.

and on top of the rummage sale excitement...i have a haircut today!! woo hoo. i love getting my haircut. really, love it. and because my hair is short...that means i MUST get it cut every 4-5 weeks. :) and more than needing a haircut, i also need my eyebrows waxed. which i've stated before...i will not pluck them myself, i can't bring myself to do it. so i succumb to the pain of the waxing, and it's all good!

this morning was boot camp. i survived. barely. but it was good. i guess. i mean, really it was as good as good can be at 530 in the morning and you'd rather be in bed. and then it's hot, so you're dizzy and actually almost throw up. then you understand the throwing up on biggest loser, and promise to never ever laugh at them again. :) yeah, like THAT kind of good.

and with all that randomness...i'll stop!! enjoy your week!!

happy birthday.

miss evaleigh...
you're TWO today. two entire years have gone by since you blessed us with your arrival. i can't believe it. the two years have seem to gone by so quickly.

it's no secret, for right now...and most likely always, you're our "baby". you're the "last one". it's taught me to make sure i'm enjoying every single moment of all of your lives. your entrance to this world was a hard one. it was my worst delivery yet, and also helped convince me i'm not wanting to do THAT ever again. ;) but since  that brief hour of torture...you've done nothing but bless us. and smile at us with those precious dimples.

i'll admit, i'm also partial to your curls. with each baby i prayed they'd have curls. you're the first one to have them. now i'm just praying they stay!! you smile and i smile. the look on your face. the twinkle in your eyes. makes all things just a bit better. your giggle, mixed with the giggles of your siblings...and no one can be having a bad day.

you still love to cuddle with me, and i love it! i love it when you lay your little head on my chest and put your thumb in your mouth and just cuddle. and even though i'll eventually need to rid you of that thumb sucking, i secretly love watching you sleep while you suck your thumb.

since you've been born we've been praying for you. we've been sharing Jesus with you. and now that you're getting older and can talk more, you pray each night before bed. i love listening to your praying. and the enthusiastic AMEN!! at the end always blesses my heart.

keep on looking to Him and pouring your heart to Him. the Lord will NOT disappoint you. NEVER. NEVER EVER!! momma and daddy will do our best to be the best parents we can to you, but the Lord is truly the best parent to you. He's blessed us with you, and i'm so thankful for the gift of being able to raise you in His love.

i love you miss evaleigh jo faith. always and forever.
love.
momma

new 'dos for summer.

the girls LOVE to get their haircut. LOVE it, is really an understatement. in fact, dustin also loves to get his haircut. there is a beauty school next to our church, and the price was reasonable for kid's cuts...so i made an appointment for the four big kids. then i decided to see if evaleigh could get her first haircut as well. they let her get in with the same girl who was doing dustin's. since his was just a buzz cut. i totally should have taken a before picture, because amelya and breigh got a ton of hair cut off!! but alas, i didn't. so here are the new 'dos for summer...

it was starting to thunder out, so that is why evaleigh and dustin are covering their ears. and evaleigh is holding a baggie with her very first haircut curls in it. *sigh* they're just so adorable. and i'm SO blessed!!

The Scent of Cherry Blossom Review

Immediately the reader will fall in love with Annie. The story opens with her in the Amish market, and with some issues that leave your heart aching for her...and giggling a little as well. Annie is sent to her Daadi's house after an incident with her mother. I think that the author portrayed the mother character well, someone who had a husband leave her alone with many children, and Annie's feelings were also very clear throughout the story.

As soon as you fall in love with Annie, you start falling in love with Aden. Aden runs a restaurant, and is partnered with Daadi Moses. To make the story interesting you have Annie in the picture of helping out at the restaurant.

Annie and Aden vividly remember each other from their childhood...emotions come back, and the love starts to blossom...but at what cost? Sneaking around to avoid Daadi Moses' reprimands? Hurting a brother?

Cherry Blossom trees hold a special story within the book, that I don't want to spoil for anyone...you'll have to read it to get the true meaning. Aden's drawings will bring you to tears, and you can't even "see" them. The true love between many characters blossoms and you can smell it as clear as you can smell the cherry blossoms.

A book about love. Forgiveness. Self Worth. makes it one book worth reading. and all of this while tying in the Love of Christ.

I would like to thank WaterBrook Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone

monday morning giggle.

who couldn't use a giggle in the morning...here is one that made us giggle this weekend.

saturday we went through the drive thru of a restaurant, the girl said have a good night. (it was lunch time) breigh asked why she said good night. i just said she probably messed up. not a big deal.

amelya proclaims with all seriousness...she got SCREWED!!

i stifled my giggle and asked, what?

mom, she got SCREWED. said again, just as serious.

i asked her, what do you mean? screwed?

clearly exasperated with me, she said. "MOM. it's SHORT for screwed UP."

guess she set me straight. :)

((today i'm linking up to celebrate "mindful mothering"...it was one of those hilarious moments that makes you so blessed to be a momma!))