A Thorn Among Roses

i'm a SAHM...i have 4 kids and a hub, so seriously, making standard resolutions for the new year just aren't feasible. instead, i am making "reality resolutions" this year. i will shower before 2 pm, 4 out of 7 days each week. i will continue to praise god for the health and joy of my family...remembering that in late 2007 and into 2008 i was pre-eclamptic, on bed rest, diabetic, hypertensive, hospitalized a number of times, and uncertain of the health of sofie and myself. i will get at least one real picture of paige every month, without her hands in front of her face. i will eat something before 1 pm, 3 out of 7 days each week....that is not chocolate. {espresso beans will not count} i will wear real clothes and not jammie pants 4 out of 7 days a week during the day. nighttime is a free-for-all and off limits. i will show up to high school service/my hs small group on time 80% of the time...but i will have coffee in hand...and i will drink it in front of everyone...

let this be a lesson to us all... if you're hungry, don't try to eat the uniHORN...you will get stuck. and it's even possible that you will die from impalement. of course, this is all according to brooke ...but it's a totally valid point to consider.

oh the christmas season...full of joy and peace and a TON of "NOT ME's" i DID NOT get a real smile and a real pic of paige without her hand in front of her face!!!! and to seal it with a kiss, she's hanging out with ryan...love it! i DID NOT eat half of a hershey's candy bar (big size to boot) for lunch one day...with a diet coke, of course. i think if i did do that, the diet coke would def cancel out the candy. i DID NOT get sofie's bday pink roadster ordered after seeing cute finn on his silver one christmas morn! i DID NOT laugh so hard i almost peed myself when paige screamed her lungs out in the car after a balloon hit her on the shoulder...and she was sure it was a hand. {mom of the year} i DID NOT fall out of the hoopty when i was in the grocery store parking lot in the ice storm this week. i also DID NOT look around to see who was looking and laughing. {that's ice..not rain} i DID NOT laugh at my M/FIL's christmas tree that is totally missin...

that little sofie is getting sooo big! her bottom two teeth are really showing their stuff..and the two tops just poked through! {{don't even ask about her nursing...sore subject}} we are literally weeks away from sof turning one year old.

one of the things in life that i love more than most is a good solid belly laugh...you know, the kind that makes you almost pee yourself. gladys is some older woman who calls ellen degeneres...and seriously, this 5 minutes will be well spent...wait for the "i love jesus but..." line {{about 2:34}} and i promise you will fall over in laughter. {this video is a few years old, but i watch it when i just need a good laugh there's no one around...enjoy.}

i don't know where sofie gets her sillyness... i'll just never understand {{i'll take a kid that has a sense of humor any day}}

tutu...need i say more {thanks jmjf} my bro jeremy, modeling his new oven mitts my mom bought him yep...that's paige...the "best" shot of the day nana and two of her girlies papa loving little sofia oh my...it's a horse!!!!! {this is to prove to you that brooke can sit still every now and then} my sweet niece, shelby...a total ham! the blabla was the BIG hit for jada!!!  one of these days i need to get that girl to stop sucking her thumb {i hate to admit it, but she's kinda cute when she does it} christmas eve...i can't believe i got a pic of paige...she is NOT covering her face...and it's out of focus.  grrrrrr.... b's imitation of mary on the donkey on her way to bethleham... sweet little sofia...serious when the day was done, ryan said something that was really a great reminder.  at some point, no matter what happens, no matter what gift you get, no matter who is around and who has passed away, no matter where you live and who you are, jesus was bor...

here's a little bit 'o cheer for your post christmas delight and i do realize sofie has snot in her nose and food on her shirt...sometimes, well, life happens!

my little choir of {almost} angels

more video greetings for our friends and fam... jada is in bed...ooops!

fiasco: a big flop or disaster when santa was stuffing the stockings, there was a small tragedy with the stocking holder...a snowman was decapitated. sad, very sad, christmas tragedy... beyond the screaming...notice the cute jammies. please... see...it all turned out okay!!! faces...ok, this part was fun. and this is really us! yes, i do have a shirt on...seriously!!! merry christmas...

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy th...

u gotta have some crayons... and a little attitude amongst the smiles... {{jada is in this phase right now...i think it's cute}} ...and a few freaky, but oh so real, faces {{do u think brooke could look a little more crazied?? that's her new smile. what in the world??}} ...followed by a trip to BABW, where the clothes fit sofie! {{have i mentioned how much i love brit, b's bmom?? she absolutely rocks the planet!}} that's a fun fam night with our clan...we don't eat out much...so that's a huge treat! and we NEVER go to the mall, so the kids were in heaven. and the adults, we just have fun walking around with the kids...and fighting the crowds and finding parking and having strangers try and touch my baby...grrr! it's fun, in spite of all the booooo stuff!! merry christmas eve...tuck in early because you know santa is coming to town! {{brooke said to me, what? i thought he was coming to my house...not to town. darn it!}} join in the fun... wordful wednes...

...but i still seriously hate winter. {{when ur bushes look like this...its stinks}} good thing i love Jesus...i might say a few words that would get me on santa's naughty list...and go nuts with this -22 degree weather. {and for those of you that take life too seriously, loosen up...Jesus def has a sense of humor...have you looked at a giraffe?}} for those of you that live where it's warm {i hate you, to quote the grinch} , when the weather dude comes up with a word called "wind chill"...don't listen any further. literally translated from it's greek origins, "wind chill" means "stay in your freaking house idiot...it's cold!" stay warm...and have a very merry Christmas!

i DID NOT get all fuzzy and warm and even giggle when i say these north pole helpers come home from school in their garb. i DID NOT laugh a little out loud when hubs car was covered in ice and he had to scrape it bc he hasn't cleaned up the garage to park his car inside . i DID NOT get a note from jk's school saying i had to bake "home made cookies" for her christmas party. i also DID NOT make slice and bake peanut butter cookies and plop a hershey kiss on top and call them "home made". when brooke asked how santa sees and hears everything, i DID NOT cock my head like a puppy dog staring at a treat and say, "how do you think he does?" i DID NOT lay down for a short nap when my parents came over and sleep almost 3 hours! when sofia kept putting everything in her mouth and her mouth on everything, i DID NOT laugh when b suggested putting tape on her lips so she can't open her mouth. i DID NOT feed my kids popcorn for dinner after the fam chris...

when ur kiddo looks like this... {{note cover missing from couch cushions...bad sign. def in the washer from a little mess}} ur def gonna need some of this... and for the ones that are still fine... ur gonna need a little of this! and, i don't know, u might even consider this for you... and those kiddos always need tissues...think of the time savings!!! we had a whole week of "flu"-ness around here...and now, we are down to a single snotty nose. sheeeewwww! so, here's wishing you and yours a healthy, happy week.