A Thorn Among Roses

hubs had a last minute trip to philadelphia yesterday... ...and well, now they are in the midst of a major winter storm and snow emergency.  they are expecting up to 20" of snow. are you flipping serious? i hate winter...it's totally official. and to boot...we got snow last night and it's still coming down here.  so now i'm off to shovel the drive, get 4 kids to school, workout and then take a breath somewhere about 9am. did i mention i will be here in 35 days?

my jada...she's got some style. i'm not sure what kind of style it is, but she's got lots of it! and one day, i think she'll take the world with her fashion. for now, she'll just be cute and eccentric!

don't be fooled by the innocent face... because where there is a giggle and grin...there is also evidence! follow the trail... and yep...she's into something again! i knew it was too quiet! {and wow...do i need to repaint the hall walls. the kids have destroyed them. new color to come soon after seeing this picture!}

a few things me and the fam DID NOT do this week... the girlies had no trouble spending their v-day money from grandma and grandpa! their choices DID NOT make me laugh a little...and bring out their true loves. jada DID NOT buy nail polish and doritos. b DID NOT buy pet nursery for the d. and sofia DID NOT flip out over the new minnie mouse bow-tique dvd. i DID NOT have the most awesome convo with jada this week... jada: "isn't dad a total dork?" me:"dad is smart and silly." jada: "so yep, he's a dork." i DID NOT get the new mini boden catalog this week and i have NOT been stinking drooling over the uber cuteness, wishing i was rich enough to dress the girlies in super fun clothes all the time. i DID NOT have a girls night with my friends in kokomo making agape for an upcoming banquet...and i DID NOT love being surrounded by fab women who are not only fun and beautiful inside and out, but they are madly in love with their husbands and more import...

yep...i allowed it. i never allow it. but paige had a photography project...steps and motion and so, i thought i'd be the cool mom and let the jumping beans...jump! it was kinda fun just being the mom...the director...the laughing lady on the side while paige did the work. and i also found a little self portrait of paige too! she might kill me, but its still cute!! Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

my take on the "friday fix it" at i heart faces... a little lightening, cropping, cross processing and texture...and viola! this is the original...don't you love photoshop!?!

in this house, everybody loves some pancakes...especially mickey mouse pancakes! oh yes, i am THAT talented. you should be jealous! ha! so on saturday morning, when hubs was in france, i pulled out the griddle and made some girlies happy...and on our new plates! {what do you think?} it was very quiet...can you even believe that? lots of licking fingers... and super happy girlies and mommy too! and who says we don't eat our feelings? i mean, they were QUIET!!!

how does one kid get so stinking cute??? i'll never understand it...i mean, i have 4 that are so stinking cute!

sometimes i see the uber love my girlies have for each other...when they aren't tattling and fighting and vying for their own time and attention. it must be hard being one of four girlies...and we try really hard to do "special time" with each girl each week, but sometimes it doesn't happen. sometimes momma needs her "special time" instead. anywho...the other day i went to the gym and paige was watching sofia. i get home to this beautiful site... a big sister loving on her baby sister, cuddling and just being "sisters". it gives me hope that some day they will really like each other. like, maybe they'll meet at starbucks and chat and tell all the stories about how bad of a momma i was and why they need counseling...but they'll like each other.

a few things me and the fam DID NOT do this week: jada DID NOT analyze our fam via sponge bob: mr crabs is hubs; i'm sandy cheeks; any baby on the show is sofia; spongebob is brooke; patrick is jada; mr crabs daughter is paige. pretty funny. hubs was NOT gone for 6 days this week in paris...and i was NOT flipping jealous. he was NOT staying almost at the base of the eiffel tower. i am NOT bitter. really. hubs DID NOT bring back eiffel tower gifts for the girlies...p a t-shirt, jada a gold {gaudy} necklace, brooke a red paris purse, sofia a pink stuffed eiffel tower...and me, i DID NOT get a super fab paris purse. sofia DID NOT get meds for her icky sickies...apparently she DID NOT have an ear infection and a stint of the flu. she is NOT feeling much better. we DID NOT get 4 snow storms this week...i DID NOT start shoveling every time and was NOT interrupted by my fab neighbor who cleared the path every single time with his truck. i was NOT uber thankful! there is NOT less tha...

brooke really is growing up...a 6 year old and kindergartner. a big sister. she has ideas about exactly how her hair is to be done in the morn...and i see that in the future, there will be some fights. but for now, i love to see that big, fat smile of hers as she starts to prance to the bus stop... but then, it happened. "mom, i'm way big enough to walk to the bus stop alone. it's just not cool. bye mom." and then i see the hugs and the kisses becoming fewer and fewer and frustrated times coming ahead and i realize, i suddenly am not cool anymore for brooke. and i just have to say, i'm a totally cool momma...i mean, wow! {ha} so i take the wave and a tilt the head towards mom's mouth kiss and realize, i've got 2 more that think i'm still that cool...for now. i mean, none of the other mom's take pics of their kids going to the bus stop! they are soooo NOT cool! {{this was the morning before the major snow fall this week...we have about anothe...

guess who is feeling a little better? paige grabbed this shot while i was holding sofia...i edited it and i just don't think i've seen anything more pure and sweet today than this. and in the midst of a totally chaotic week with hubs in france, looking at this: {and i mean, literally...this is the view from his hotel entrance. yes, it's paris...and yes, that really is the eiffel tower.} ...and then there's me here, looking at this...way too much of this, btw: it's nice to take time to remember the amazing blessings that god has given me, in spite of my anxiety and shortfalls. i need to remember, FIRST THINGS FIRST...matthew 6:33, baby! "seek first the kindgom of GOD and HIS righteousness and all these things will be given to you." not the kingdom of ME or the kingdom of WANT or the kingdom of MY KIDS. the kingdom of GOD. and once i seek that with my whole heart, man, then i look to his righteousness and it's all there. that is some good stuff, my f...

my fav deal of the week...so far, of course...was a softball find. with p in year round softball, equipment can get pretty expensive and i found some mizuno cleats for $14!!! turns out they weren't in her size, but mine...and i have a fresh pair. but, i did send the linky along to the team to have some other peeps get the steal of the week! there are some other peeps sharing deals, so head over to HERE and take a look.

and this is the last picture we have before he went to paris... ...and it's sooooo us! and it apparently runs in the genes... oh, and by request, this is my new hair do...super awesome and fab! posted up at 5 minutes for mom and miss angie's too.

...well, not exactly. do u see the ornery in sof's face? and the begging on jk's?!