A Thorn Among Roses

i love the creative and imaginative minds of kids...i mean, i don't like the messes that come with the imagination. sofia is all about imaginary everything right now...her babies are always crying and need food or diapers, there's always food to be cooked or prepared, and there's definitely a lot of cleaning to be done. {i have no idea where she gets any of these ideas, btw} the sandbox is a great place to hang out and get some outdoor cooking, and dining done! and when jada's home, she joins right in, bc she's the "cooker" in the fam! when the bowls and spoons come out...there's entree's galore, and of course, starbucks to drink. and two cooks in the outdoor kitchen...wow, there's food flying everywhere! mixing and cutting... filling and washing...measuring. and the fun is always super duper messy...but it's all just FUN.

a few things me and the fam DID NOT do this last week... i DID NOT get what i've been asking for...i DID NOT have 4 scheduled shoots in 3 days and i am NOT thrilled to see that my work is really getting noticed...finallly. jada DID NOT say in the car on friday night, "have you noticed that i am the only brown person in this family?"   hubs DID NOT respond with, "jada, i believe i have the oddest part in this fam bc i am def the only man." i DID NOT add, "paige is the only one with a different last name, brooke is the only one with a bio baby brother, and sofia is the only one with a bio link to daddy and me.  i guess we're all just different.  and well, different is good.  different is us." i DID NOT have a total blast with 2 of my most fav high school girlies ever on a duo shoot saturday.  we DID NOT take an air conditioning break in the historical museum and fina all sorts of fun things, like wooden shoes the size of new hampshire! i also DID ...

i've always been the mom who never wanted their girls to be prissy or girly...but there are things i have learned with having 4 girlies...girls just like to be princesses.  it's something they are born with... any my girlies are no exception.  the other night, hubs and i got a "show" from b, jk and s...and you guessed it, it was a princess show. {and note...they are all smiling and loving each other.  that was the "show" part for us!} so the story goes...prince mickey kisses princesses tiana tiana is flabbergasted. mickey is hurt. the end.

brit, b's bmom, had jordan about 2 weeks ago now.  she's just a beaming momma...and brooke, well, she's a super proud sister.   but this little guy...he's so precious i can't hardly stand it!  being a faux grandma is awesome.  i get to spoil him and love on him and not have to do the ate night feedings.  i don't know why we don't do this always together! and a boy...well, it's all different.  with my 4 girls and no boys in sight, this little guy is getting so spoiled it's not even funny! it's already been so incredible to see brit parent jordan and be able to still have b and jordan bond as siblings too.  it's been a real gift...and i'm sure there's a lot more to come. did i tell you he was precious???

a few things me and the fam DID NOT do this week... baby jordan {b's birth bro} DID NOT poop in brit's hand while i was doing his photo shoot saturday.  he DID NOT proceed to pee TWICE all over the place either. brooke DID NOT come and stand next to me at the end of the day, after the birthday party and say, "mom, i really loved the party and thanks.  dad said i had to come and say this and i was just trying to go to the bathroom.  so thanks, mom." paige DID NOT harf her entire freezie drink right in front of her boyfriend on friday night...3 times!  she DID NOT have to miss the first day of travel tryouts on a team bc she was still harfing!! brooke's birthday party was NOT simply a time for her friends to get together, play with zeus and each other, run around and scream and just be kids.  they DID NOT follow that chaos up by nailing a pinata with a broom handle and scavenging like wolves for the prizes inside. sofia DID NOT come into our bedroom on friday...

it's brooke's bday today... i can hardly believe that 7 years ago today we were in a labor/delivery room with brit...worried so much about brittany and at the same time, so incredibly excited to see the baby that we had waited so long for. brit was so young...we loved her so much and we just wanted everything to be okay for her.   i have to say, i specifically remember actually feeling the room was full of holy angels...there was this powerful sense of God's presence and peace and love.  we had tons of people on their knees for brit...and for that, i am so grateful.  bc that day, that moment, brooke was the witness of God's love to a number of people who had never felt that kind of love before. and then the little horse was born...and there was a sigh of relief that all was well.  i remember looking for ryan while i was holding brit as the nicu doctors took care of brooke's lungs. ryan was in the hallway outside the room, prostrate on the floor, sobbing.  he was...

family is super important...and we have a HUGE family!!!  every year we have the big old fam reunion...and since there are 5 fams represented {grandpa and his 4 sisters}, we all have a color we wear...and our color is red. my dad is the oldest of 8...and well, all of them have a number in their fams now, so we're a huge group...a real sea of red.  at he reunion, there were 127...and that was missing a whole bunch! and come reunion time, we bring our a-game...because there's some pretty fab stuff.  i mean, we are quite the people. not!!!  grandpa died 2 years ago and so grandma is the matriarch and she loves the reunion!  she's the cheerleader... we have major competitions, with huge prizes.  this year...wait for it...watermelon seed spitting contest.  {i refused to participate...sorry about that}.  but in the spirit of fam, gab tutored brooke... then brooke passed on the info to her sister and cousin...i mean, we NEED to win!! no matter what, ...

my trainer shared a little news just released from UCLA...and it's def worth noting. a study conducted by UCLA's department of psychiatry has revealed that the kind of face a woman finds attractive on a man can differ depending on where she is in her menstrual cycle. for example: if she is ovulating, she is attracted to men with rugged and masculine features. however, if she is menstruating or menopausal, she tends to be more attracted to a man with duct tape over his mouth and a spear lodged in his chest with a bat up his booty while he is on fire.  no further studies are expected on this subject. just thought you should know...

a few things me and the fam DID NOT do this last week... ryan and i DID NOT play in our first co-ed softball game together in like 5 years.  i DID NOT realize that turning 41 was more than a number when i could not see the flipping softball coming at me.  i was NOT totally embarrassed that i stopped on a play bc i thought i was on the fence line and apparently i was NOT still in the middle of the playing field.  i am NOT ready to flipping redeem myself from the sucky horror of my playing skills last week, tonight, on the field again. when asking brooke to jump in the shower, she DID NOT run out of the bathroom screaming, "shiver me timbers dad...it's freezing!!!" i DID NOT have a big ole family shoot on sunday afternoon with one of the funnest and cutest 3 generation fams ever.  i was NOT laughing the whole time at little brady, 3, who totally gave me flowers for being a good photographer.  i am NOT considering adding that to my pro resume, btw. sofia DID NOT ...

i love college...students! ryan and i have been in student ministry for a number of years, but about a year ago we really felt the call to move from high school to college.  making a long story short, we jumped in and became the "old faces" in what we are calling "the bridge"...college age and young adult group.  it's a place where younger adults are doing life together, serving God and others and getting some old fashion mentoring from a few old folks...ryan and me :) oh. my. word.  how fun!  so we tossed together a little shindig for the church's high school students to just hang out and have a coffee shop night...and the college students brought their a-game! we had REAL starbucks iced and brewed coffee...bc we have style!  just saying... live music all night long...even when the storms came around! decor...well, it speaks for itself!! delish eats... and did i mention, FUN!!!! and of course, when you are in student ministry, you do it with t...