A Thorn Among Roses

poor hubs...he's the only guy (the thorn) in and amongst all us girlies (roses), but i have to say, he totally loves being the thorn. he kicks in and just enjoys all his "daddy's girls"...i think i might have the lead, though, with paige and i'm holding on by a thread! i even let him pose for pics like this...even though i did all the baking with the girls and he stepped in for a quick shot at the last minute. i mean, all in all, he deserves it because in this house of roses... if someone isn't crying someone has just finishing crying or someone is just about to start hormones galore...and one man to stabilize us all. poor guy.

if you are tired of hearing about france, you'll have to pardon me... but seriously, i have some awesome pics to share!!! isn't it great to walk down this street to go and get your toothpaste???  i mean, seriously!!! and then, right next to the toothpaste, you find this awesome and amazing piece of furniture! ...and look...there's even a little note on it about me!! and then, there's the buildings...my fav, of course, are these wooden ones.  they are literally swayed so far to the side that you can see how NOT upright they are! streets...well, hard to walk in heels on, but awesome! and when you are high up...the views: my fav part, tho...i kept running into this way too hot guy every where.  so awesome! it worked out! {{forego the terrible picture in the hotel room...but it's the best we could do.}}

so there's a few things i know for sure after being in france. they are smart...bc they totally understand the imperial, majestic quality of good coffee {espresso}.  i mean, any day you can start with a double shot of espresso in a fab ceramic micro mug with a croissant and fresh squeezed juice is FABULOUS!!! the eating and drinking in france is an all together experience...it's not about speed and getting the whole thing over...it's about the beauty of the establishment, the friendliness of the one waiter and one chef...it's about the perfectly fresh, made that day bread which is unmeasurably fantastic and we flipping need to do here in the states!!! at this place, one of our favs on ile st-louis, an island of sorts in the middle os paris, was this fab german/french restaurant.  how many people work there?  2...the chef and the waiter...sometimes the chef's hubs shows up to clear or reset a table, but 2! see the chef in the pic?  yep, we were sitting right on th...

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...

there's nothing sweeter than a lovey-dovey kiss from a sweet baby girl!!

oh yes...i'm still here, but there are a few things that have kept me away. my terrible cold...and my bed. my "helpful husband" who did all this cleaning up on the day i stayed in my bed with my terrible cold... school, softball, kids and well, honestly, crap everywhere. i just wonder whether anyone else is suffering from the "mom didn't do this and it didn't get done syndrome"?

my hubs is a major shop-a-holic...the man loves to peruse the stores and find super authentic things...and this is sometimes an incredible thing and sometimes a not so great thing. it's usually not a great thing after a budget discussion about seriously reducing spending for the first two months of the year to rebuild "reserves" so when i get home and see this for me...i know it's not good. this is what i call a peace offering...it's sweet, so don't get me wrong. i love it...and i know he thought about me...but now, i'm on the prowl. lurking around the house for "things". uh oh...i spotted something. this... and inside...this. opened. and in case you were wondering, it was not on his "frivolous spending" category because he could not be expected to wear the same cologne every day. what in the world was i thinking? oh, and i did get a chocolate of the month club from it all. to quote eddy {from christmas vacation...possibly the funni...

humor me, okay? i thought this was hilarious when i took it...i mean, a drop down on the couch, belly laugh funny. everyone sees hubs as such a sweet guy {and he totally is}, but to see him with devil horns is hilarious! it's all i got today. hubs is off on another business trip, which started this morn at 4:30am...so i'm beat, it's freezing and well, please just humor me. and 5 minutes for mom are helping me out today!

it's been 10 years today... we became a fam of 3 october 9, 1999. {aren't we cute?} i feel so honored and blessed to be married to a humble, honest, loving, supportive, hot and god fearing man. i never take that for granted...i promise...and today, i take a little extra time to be thankful because the last 10 years have been awesome. we've gotten older...i have gotten skinnier {can you believe that?} and paige has turned from this little blonde cutie pie to a full fledged beautiful teenager. our fam has grown...our house is fuller...and honestly, our love is stronger. we've been through some stuff...good and bad...and we are better for it. so, thank you lord, for the man you brought me when i didn't think i ever wanted another man in my life. proving once again, i still know nothing...and you, lord, know what's best for me. happy anniversary, hubs. love ya...d

ryan and i were on vacation last week...and we really didn't think paige would mind us being gone all that much. after all, she's the teenager; the high schooler; the well adjusted, excited and well, teenager! turns out that when you get some news you weren't expecting, the ones that you need the most in life are mom and dad...and, well, we were away. i got the sinking feeling when i answered the phone and it was paige and she could hardly speak from sobbing. i was 800 miles away and couldn't hug her... we chatted. i cried with her. i cried for her. i supported her. i prayed for her. but i couldn't hug her. but when you get to hug them, it's soooo worth it! we drove straight from the airport to paige's softball tourney...to see the last out of the game. but when p came out of the dugout running {and i do mean running} and crying to me...every second of my motherhood was reaffirmed. she sobbed on my chest and i just held her. i was who she wanted. th...

it has been one amazing week...i know you are totally tired of hearing about it, but i can't tell you how much it was needed. i got to do some things that were totally refreshing...sleep, laugh, date, walk, speak. we said good bye to the beach this morn...pretty sad, i must say. i got a tear... so, now i'm sitting at the airport...drinking coffee, using free wifi...and desperately wanting to get home to my girlie pies. i miss them sooo much! bye bye beach...hello girlie pies!

that stinking little tykes car saved my hubs while i was gone... i found these shots {that i edited} that hubs took of the girlie pies playing while i was gone a few weeks ago...man, did they have fun!!! we have a huge hill/driveway...apparently the girlies were doing sprint car races... and poor sofia...well, this is what happens when momma is gone. he takes pics and doesn't help... {which i appreciate in one way, bc it makes for great pics and blog posts, but...} but the girls have fun anyway... kinda... and me, well, i'm really working on getting over the "it's not the right way" of thinking...oh, come on, you know what i'm talking about... my way = the right way i mean, i'm not even gonna mention that sofie's pants are 2 sizes too small, the girls hair isn't combed and well, that he had them freaking RAMPING off the end of the driveway into the cul-de-sac. if i did, it would assume i am right {which we all know the truth} and that means he...

i am ever so thankful for my hubs...and his commitment to our family and our faith. so when he had to travel to france on p's bday, he sent along this pic for her, which is uber cute and thoughtful... and bc i'm a dork and have major love for fun architecture, he sent this along too, just for me. rennes, france, i will see you first hand some day!!! and to make sure that there is no doubt he's praying...we're praying...he wouldn't want to leave out stellan in rennes, france. tbhe best description of hubs comes from romans 12:9-17... "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; m...