To Do List

1. Dishes
2. Fold the load of laundry in the dryer that I have 'added' to all week (I have not taken everything out of the dryer each time a load is dry but instead taken out just enough so that I can add the load that is in the washer)
3. Pay Bills
4. Pick up my car from the shop (blinkers went out yesterday on the way to bringing my boys to school- of course if was the time a cop was following me......picture Ellie screaming in the back seat because she, in general, hates her car seat and will cry almost every time she is in it- Police Man comes to my window and asks for my registration (oops- that is still sitting on my file cabinet and not in the glove compartment where it should be)- I have to explain over the top of Ellie's screams that I don't have my registration with me...........I also had to explain that the reason I did not use my blinkers while turning is because they went out when I was bringing my boys to school- It was just one of those un-redeemable moments (never mind the fact that I was still in my pj's and had mascara smudged all around my eyes)  He must have seen that OVERWHELMED look in my eyes cause he let me off with a warning to get my registration in my car and get the blinkers fixed (Thank you Jesus!!)
5. Complete Day 5/ Week 7 of David (Beth Moore Bible Study)
6. Clean out Refrigerator 
7. There is more but I am drawing a blank.........

Hope you are all having a great Fri.

Baby Barf is..........gross

Ellie projectile spits up ALL THE TIME!! You would have thought I would have learned by now the secret to containing it......or at least realize when it is coming.........but nope- don't have a clue......walking around the store, smell something gross- first I look around wondering what in the world could give off such a smell- then It clicks- Ellie yack'd!! I immediately start looking for where it landed on both of us :)

My nephew Josh will not hold Ellie without a blanket-
Poor guy learned that lesson the hard way

What I was wearing earlier and had to change.....going to put on my 3rd
outfit today- Mix that with Ellie's 3 outfits - all of our shower towels cause no matter
how much I nag nobody reuses them and we've got ourselves a load of laundry!! WHOO HOO!!

I added this pic cause it is just so cute :)

To Auntie Jodi and Nana from Ellie

Dear Nana and Auntie Jodi-

My mommy and I went on a date today!! We decided to go to the mall while daddy, Eli, and Ryan

were out riding dirt bikes and jet skiing- Mommy convinced me that my ears would look really cute

pierced- we were all a little nervous that I would cry a lot because it would hurt- I really didn't cry all that much- My mom keeps smiling at me and telling me how cute I look- It's kind of annoying because she keeps taking pictures of my ears :)

I love you and please come see me super soon,

Elle's Bug

My Boys....

Eli Ben and Ryno Chase........
Daddy and I love you so much-

5:00 am- 2 nights of 9 hours of straight sleep..........YES PLEASE!

I just have a sec cause I want to get my fanny right back into bed!  It is 5:00 a.m. and Elle's is going on her second straight 'all night' sleep- She went to bed at 8:00 p.m.
She slept all night about a month ago and I totally thought we were on a sleep all night schedule after that-
NOPE!!
My cousin Becca said that it becomes a pattern after 5 nights-
Honestly, I would never have thought that a lack of consistent sleep would have been my answer to 'what has taken you most by surprise going back to the baby phase?' (my boys were 15 and 12 when Ellie joined our fam)-

Maybe............just maybe we are starting our sleep all night pattern!

The first pic I took of my boys after moving to Hawaii in 2009
(Ryan above Eli Below)

One Thousand Gifts.........

I have heard several people talking about the book One Thousand Gifts for months- I tucked the name in the back of my mind to check out when I have more time- While at my mom's house last week I was asking her if she had ever heard of the book- She said that she had not only heard of it but she had received a copy from my Aunt Anne and was getting ready to read it.............
hummmmmmm.......
Getting ready?  'Mom, would you mind if I borrowed it for a week or so and cruised through it'

I'm not completely done but there is something so captivating about looking at life through the lens of Thankfulness......

1. The way grass looks right after it has been mowed and the lines from the mower are still fresh
2. Fresh Hawaiian Avocados picked right off the tree 
3. Leaves turning bright fall colors and flying around in the wind as winter approaches
4. The sight of a gas station when your gas light has been on for WAY longer than acceptable
5. The feel of Matt's arms wrapped tight around me
6. Humming birds flying like mad around their feeders
7. Wave Petunia's that are not confined by boundaries of their pots
8. Closure............when a situation that has stretched me so thin comes to an end........AMEN
9. Slippers- cozy, warm, covering
10. Peace..........that deep down peace that only God can give- It starts with a really small calming thought deep inside my soul and the more I let it the more of me it takes over until I can say 'All is well'

And the list could go on-

Hope your having a GREAT Mon. May God Bless and Keep each person that reads this blog post today :)

Ellie..Baby Girl........You Are 3 Months Old!!

If you go by the calendar weeks, Elle's is 13 weeks old today- If you go by the calendar months Elle's is 3 months old tomorrow- Either way, my girl is growing FAST!!
Happy 3 month birthday baby girl- Daddy, Mommy, Eli, Ryno, and Oklie love you so much!

Precious Jayme Victoria

Our friends Jon and Val have Jayme who is exactly 10 weeks older than Ellie to the day.  Jayme was over today  and looked so cute I could not resist taking some pictures-
Jayme Victoria you are beautiful and precious!!!

My personal favorite!

Ellie Marie's Gold Ballerina Flats

I had to run into Old Navy today to grab a few things- I took a stroll through the infant girls section just to 'look'- Ellie has about everything a girl could want.........or so I thought..............until..........I saw the gold ballerina flats- I instantly thought of my gold Michael Kors ballerina flats that I absolutely LOVE and realized that she needed a pair :) Thank you Lord Jesus for my little girl- Not only is she so fun to shop for but she is such a blessing to our family!!

Happy Birthday to Sept. 24', 47', 73', 75', 79'

Here's a rundown of the month of Sept in our family.........
Sept 24' my nana (my dad's mom) was born (11th)
Sept 47' my nana had my dad (15th)
Sept 73' my Matt was born (9th)
Sept 75' I was born (16th)
Sept 79' my brother Chris was born (13th)

Every Sept. we celebrate my nana's birthday at my Aunt Anne's house and every Sept. (except the last 2 because we were in Hawaii and my parents flew to Hawaii to spend our birthday's with us) Matt and I celebrate our birthday's together at my parent's house- below are pictures of Matt and I celebrating this year at my  mom's:

hee! hee! hee!

Our boy's surprised us each with Camo blankets and a Thermos for Matt
and Camel Back water bottle for me........Thanks Eli and Ryno!!

I tried to get Matt to 'try out' his new sleeping bag but he wouldn't-
mine is purple on the out side and pink check flannel on the inside- his is
blue

What's on my mind....UPDATED!!

I feel like I have SO much running through my mind these days :)  If you could listen to my brain 'voice' for even 10 minutes this is some of what you would hear:

• Should I drink more coffee through out the day or take more iron cause I am SO SO tired!
• I know I should go exercise but..............
• How deep of a laser peel would I need on my forehead to get rid of some of my wrinkles
• I think my right eye is sagging because of the wrinkles on my forehead
• Bible Study is starting next week and I still have 4 weeks left of Beth Moore's David Study that I have been doing on my own- Should I do 2 Bible Studies for a month or should I not complete Beth Moore's David right now
• When the heck are we going to get our court date in Kauai for Ellie's adoption finalization!!! 
• Eli needs coveralls for his welding class at school- gonna need to find a pair for him........he also needs a book to read a project at school- He is not a big reader and wants me to choose the book.
• Is the really really stinky dirty diaper that I 'placed' on the side of the road because it was to stinky to ride in the car starting to bio-degrade yet :)
• Matt gave me a beautiful Kitchen Aid mixer for Mother's day this year and I still have not used it- What should I make first with it
• I had to go 'confess' to the Library today that I lost a book- they said it was $25 to replace so I asked if I could just order it myself ($5 used off of Amazon) and give it to them- they said 'sure'....YEAH!!!... The whole time I was talking to them Ellie was fussing- I kept looking at the sign saying 'Quiet' and wondering if they were going to say something about Ellie's fuss- They never did
• yada.......yada...........yada.......yada...............

After I posted this blog post I received a message in my inbox from one of my dear friends that read the following: (I have deleted a few things that would make her 'non anonymous')

I seriously had to laugh at your blog!!! I just love the way your mind farts all over the place....and then I love it more when you share it with the world!!!  You always make me smile - and lighten up!!

I wanted to share with you my random thoughts as well. I figure maybe if I get them out of my head and throw them you're way, I will somehow feel 10 lbs lighter!!! I have casted them at the Lord....but somehow they are like boomerangs!! They come back....heehee!! (Hey, i like that analogy)

*i wondered today, with my diahhrea, if I was really going to make it to The Restaurant to see you guys tonight!

*at night I am so tired from thinking during the day, I just want to sit and watch mindless tv for hours before bed

*i have thought about taking a benedryl just to knock me out so i sleep without thinking....

*i wrote a sad face  on my calendar today for ...the anniversary of my mom's death....and My Hubby said he wouldn't have done that....still don't understand why

*last night at our mtg, i was honored and in awe of every lady there....i felt like a little girl pouring out her heart to a group of women. 

*everyday i feel like being domestic and working in my garden, baking or starting a cleaning project...then i say NO and sit down and do nothing.

*i love my life so much....and miss so much in my life

*i wonder why God asks so much of us sometimes and other times asks nothing

*wish my hair was more managable

*i really like the color of my nails and wonder what my next color should be...i get them done next week.

*because of you sharing what you guys do for your sons 13th bday.....my daughter and I are going to New York in april for her 13th bday!

Love you so much Steph! I cannot tell you the joy it is that you're home! I find myself missing you some days....even with you right around the corner!
_______________________________________________
Hope that your Wed. is going FABULOUS!!

The 2 pictures below were taken exactly 1 year ago today- My family was visiting us in Hawaii......The first pic is of my sis and I showing the fat on our stomachs- My sis is on the Left and I am on the right (still makes me laugh every time I look at it) and the second is our Hawaiian family picture- We have not taken a complete family picture yet this year- How absolutely exciting that Ellie will be in it when we do take it!!!

Labor Day Weekend

This has been a week of firsts for Ellie-
First time sleeping through the night and first time going on vacation!  We traveled about 3 hours away to a little coast town to spend a couple of nights just the 5 of us (so wonderful but so weird saying 5 cause for many years it has been the 4 of us).  I realized on the first day of our mini vaca that the battery in my camera was almost dead- I was able to snap a few pictures but not nearly as many as I would have liked to :(

Ellie's first time to the beach was spent in her car seat sleeping :)

I LOVE MY BOYS!

The view from a hike Ryan and I took

7000 Visits And A Give-A-Way!!

It's GIVE-A-WAY time again!!! I was going to do a give-a-way at 6000 views but had so much on my plate already that I thought I would wait until 7000............

Here's the rules for this give-a-way- You need to post a comment either on my blog or on my facebook page under this blog post in 50 WORDS OR MORE things you did for fun with your infant at 6 months old or under- If possible please include where you attended the activity (i.e. swim class at the Y, etc...). If you are having trouble making 50 words you can substitute advise or 'wish I would have known' ___________ when I had an infant 6 months old or under (i.e. I wish I would have known about sleepers that zip when Ryan was a baby because they are SO much easier than snap sleepers when you have to change a diaper at 2 a.m.)
I've been out of baby stage a long time and would love to hear from y'all fun stuff available to do-  Thank you in advance and I look forward to hearing from you!!!

p.s. The first 5 comments will get a $5.00 gift card to Starbucks!!

p.s. Thank you to every lady who commented about books they would recommend for infants (and for me) on my facebook page- LOVE LOVE LOVE!!