Resolution

I don't usually like the word resolution...so many of the time we humans use the word to mean something promised/steadfast....something that is GOING to happen. And so often it comes right out of out mouths, and we blink, and break this resolution. But this year I have resolutions..ideas and hopes and goals I want to keep. I know in reality I won't keep them all perfectly. ..but I PRAY that just thinking on them will improve things I want to improve. Being AWARE will keep me workin' at them.

1. Do LESS....When I had Wes I was under the notion you could just tote babies/kids along wherever you want, and they could do everything you do. That's not always the case. And even at home I find I'm trying to DO SO MUCH, and my little ones don't get as much of my undivided attention. My creating can wait till they're in bed, the laundry will get done eventually, and the people that matter won't care if my house is disheveled. I just want to BE PRESENT with my babies this year.

2. Make more things...making foods i buy from scratch, making wipes for my baby bottoms, and all the other things I buy without thinking that I could just as well make myself.

3. Make my home HOMEY, FUN and asthetically pleasing. Maybe that sounds like it goes against #1 but I promise it doesn't! I want my walls to be full of photos, art and fun colors for my family, and others to enjoy. For so long I have operated under a bland, impersonal way of decorating my home..but life is short. I'm going to make this house more MINE this year. With lots of color and photos.

(This is my beginnings of the resolution that I started last year-painted or dining room a fun yellow, and strung up photos..I LOVE going in here now!)

4. This one is way more down and dirty than the others...but POTTY TRAIN W is like the TOP of my list of to do for 2012. He'll be 3 in 5 months...FIVE months. I can't believe I'll have a 3 year old in such a short time....and I can't believe I'm still doing the diaper thing with him. He GETS the entire idea and could totally train TODAY if he wanted...but he doesn't WANT. It's a battle of wills right now. But we have choo-choo underpants, M&Ms and a boatload of candy canes (AKA W crack). 2012 he WILL get out of diaps.

5. Blog more, Status update less. It's so easy to throw up a status update without thinking...Blogging requires thought..and grammar. I also think it's a cool way to chronicle life, and share it with those that I never get to physically see. So This year I want to post more. Even if it's not cool DIYs, Thrifty finds or deep musings. Maybe it will just be photos of my kids and my family and what we do. But I'm gonna do it!

Happy new year

In 2011 I TRIED to blog more...God had other plans. In 2011 hubby and I TRIED to expand our family...and
God saw fit to bless us with another little one. I thought the year would be full of me doing cool blog posts about my cool crafts and things, filled with quirky comments and adorable photos...but it wasn't. I spent 5 months of 2011 barely able to take care of myself and my family, and then spent 4 more just trying to make it through. It was so much harder than I expected...i struggled as a mom, as a wife, and as a christian. There was a good chunk of this past year that I was very depressed, angry, and ungreatful. But in all of the very human mess that happened in 2011, there was one thing that was always the same...God knew what He was doing.
This year I have learned more then any other time in my life that there is a reason, a good reason, for our trials.
My suffering this year was so small compared to what others went through...and I can see, touch and snuggle the good reason for it.
In 2012 I may not become a hip blogger, or even post at all...i dont know what God will bring this year, but I know it will be for the best reasons possible.
I'm ready to see what 2012 will bring!

Sweet P

Just a few days ago my lovely OTHER sister volunteered to do maternity photos of my ever-getting-huger bump! She did a FANTASTIC job, and I'm so in love with the results! 

I can't wait to get some of these printed up and around the house!

We took them in a beautiful orchard right near my parents house....

W LOVED the location. All the "pumples" (Apples) he could eat!

Hubby can barely hug me anymore....my belly be HUGE!

The first shoes I bought for my little girl! I never thought I'd get so excited about shoes!

                                           

Sweet P was only about 6 months along in the Ultrasound pic...we couldn't get a snap of her now...she's so BIG you can't even tell what's what anymore!

My super brilliant U/S tech informed me that Sweet P has LONG legs a rather LARGE noggin, and weighs almost 6 lbs now! Way ahead of big brother!

Yes, this is my belly! I have no belly button, lots of stretch marks, and imperfect skin. 

But it's all for my babies, so it's worth every imperfection I get!

My sister is brilliant!

And to top it off here's a comparison of my pregnancy photos with W. I was only 2 or 3 weeks away in the shot on the right, I still have 5 weeks in the one on the left!

The wedding

I have been obsessed and preoccupied with something wonderful the past month or so....My sister's wedding!
We spent pretty much the entire month of August getting ready for the big day...stressful,yes, but totally worth it!
I've never seen a more beautiful bride in my life!

The bride & Dad!

                                           



There were dresses to alter (thanks to my supa talented mom!), cake pops to make (baby sis is a PRO at it), programs, favors, cards, parties and more...so busy but so fun!

  I feel so honored that I was not only able to lend a hand, 
          but both myself and W were in the wedding!

Outdoor ceremony? Must have a pond with goldfish if they want to keep the Nemo obsessed ring bearer happy.

There were no rings, and the pillow was not carried. But he DID manage to get down the isle and make everyone laugh at his supreme cuteness.

All the siblings

obligatory photo of myself. I almost look not pregnant.

My Mother-In-Law makes the best, most gorgeous cakes EVER.

Brother-In-Law played music for the ceremony

There was (thankfully) NO cake smashing! Who even does that anymore?

No day would be complete without a W meltdown. Hubby was VERY helpful since I was MIA all day!

W stayed in his suit ALL day...he never wanted to change!

 (disclaimer:I suck at taking photos...all the photos you see about were either taken by Hubby or my Mother-In-Law)

Seriously Dude.

I've been a little MIA...I'm totally obsessed with purging and organ-a-zizing our house that I haven't been feeling bloggy...don't worry though...I do have some wonderful things to share. Like all about my OCD spree and the book that inspired it.

But this post is not that post...this is about something that has been irking me lately. Yes, it's time. For a blogger-complainy post. But I promise, there's some self-deprecating in there too.

What's bothering me right now...is SERIOUSNESS.
now before you think I just want to have a fun and flirty life without anything REAL let me stop ya...that's not whatimena.
I'm talkin' bout people who TAKE themselves TOO seriously. People who THINK they have to have it all together, who think they have to LOOK like or ACT like that have it all together and figure out their life right....now.
Maybe it's because I know alot of young'ns (i can say that now that i'm all old and TWENTYFIVE) who are getting kinda panicky about the direction their life is going. Maybe it's that even I have recently had to come to grips with the fact that I take myself, my job as a wife and mom, too seriously..and at the same time not seriously enough.
Do I make any sense? I think if I re-read what I just wrote I might get a brain tick.
What I'm saying is that thinking you need to FIGURE THINGS OUT RIGHT THIS MOMENT, or that you have to BE a certain person because of where you are in life, and AS SUCH acting like somewhat of a self-centered doofus...well that's just TOO serious. And it's annoying people.

Kiddos fresh out of high school or college, whining about how they don't know what to do with themselves, or waxing poetic about the trajectory of their lives annoy me..because I'm over that. When you have a toddler pulling at your pants for a cup of juice, your oh-so-lofty career just doesn't seem all that seriously important anymore.

Or here's something that IS really serious-battling with REAL life things...like loosing a loved one, or having the responsiblity of caring for another human being on you, or a million other things.

And then I think that I must be annoying someone with MY OWN too seriousness. Too serious about being miss all-natural mom...or the doing-it-all mom. I think back on some of the things I was SO serious about 6 months ago, and i feel well...stupid. Because i took my "I'll never" stand, and here I am doing that thing that I would NEVA do.
That's what happens when you take yourself too seriously. You end up looking like a booger. (SEE how UN-serious that was!)
Every stage of life lends itself to this...its what we people DO. We act like what we're doing is SO much more EARTH shattering than what someone else is doing.
And in all of it we loose sight of what's REALLY serious.
The stuff that LASTS.
What we do for Him. For His Glory. Our daily OBEDIENCE.
That's SERIOUS.
because God won't care when we stand before him if we "figured it out"at 18 and had an oh-so-cool career, and got married at 30, and waited 4 years to have kids, and had a two car garage. Maybe God wouldn't say it, but i can hear the angels snickering going "silly humans...trix are for kids!".

Let's promise to take ourselves a little less seriously shall we?

Now pardon me while I go catch a naked toddler unrolling balls of yarn.

I wear stuff pretty stuff...on my head.

I've never been much for head wear...mainly because I'm SUPER self-conscious. I feel like everyone is LOOKING at me and thinking "does she think she can pull that off? seriously?". So I buy pretty headbands and head wear, put them on in my home, and then get cold feet and put them back in the dresser before going out.
Stupid I KNOW.
But now that I LUV my hair, my feelings towards head wear have changed a little. NO longer do I look at photos of pretty mamas with their super cool boho headbands and WISH I could wear them...now I want to know where to get them because I want one too! Not that I think I look supercalifabulous in them or anything....But I just feel PREEETTTYYY when I wear one now...and not so stupid.

So when The Headband Challenge popped up on littlemissmomma.com I decided I must participate. Wait...have you been to littlemissmomma.com? NO? for shame...she's awesome to the enth power. Seriously...she makes gorgeous thingies and she named her kiddo (who is the SAME age as mine) W too. That's all kinds of cool. Go check her out right now.

So here are the photos of my week of banding my head:

 Going out with my super sister headband

 Running errands in my new Heidi Klum Loved Top & DIY lace headband

 The "Yes I'm a total BUM" Headband

Sunday vintagey headband (I made it all by myself!!)

YES I look tired in all of these pics...and i was wearing makeup....Genes/2 year old that screams/ 6 months prego is not a good combo on me! I have LUGGAGE under my eyes-ain't taking those babies carry on!

Do you wear headbands? I am totally going to be rocking them lots now. I'm even participating in the http://www.pinklemonade-blog.com headband exchange. Her blog is also awesome...lookie.                                                                  

Back and Better than ever!

Did you like even know I was gone? Well I was.


For a whole week. 
I had no cell phone reception, and no internet.
I thought it would be fabulous and all "getting back to nature" and such. I thought it would be refreshing...nope it wasn't. I was bored silly.
We went on vacation with Hubby's family to Maine. To like the middle of NOWHERE Maine. It took us 12 hours to get there. Yeah-TWELVE hours in the car with toddler...so not on my list of things to ever do again.
Turns out there's also not anything for a 6 month prego woman and with a two year old strapped to her leg, to do in Maine. Hiking...nope. Quaint little town with lots of shops that have breakable items..nope. Kayaking...nope.
I brought three books. I finished them all within two days of arrival.
There was water...but W actually didn't want to go IN the "wa". He just wanted to throw rocks in or ride in the "butt" (AKA the boat/kayak-thank you Finding Nemo for that hilarious tidbit). So there was much just chasing of toddler up the hill to the house, down the hill to the water...sit for 10 minutes while toddler throws rocks in the water..run back up the hill as toddler goes in the house....keep toddler from destroying all the electronics and personal belongings of Uncles, Aunt and Grandparents. lather, rinse repeat!
While it wasn't the super duperest vacation for me ever, W and Hubby enjoyed it, which makes me happy. Following are photos from our week. Notice how I'm wearing a cardigan and sweats in some..yeah the weather was fab up there. I'd like to put it in my pocket and bring it back down here.

                             This happened the first morning we were there. I made coffee, spilled a bunch, and there in the middle of the mess was THE MOUSE. a PERFECT one too. Oh Mick...I miss you too.

                                       Pretty view from the house. I was SO wearing shorts...i promise.

                                                   W and Opa in the "butt". He LUVED it.

                    Mah belly be huge. And where ever my belly is there W's elbow shall be also.

                            If I had put the seltzer "wa" in his sippy there's no way he would drink it.
                                                                    But it's oh so cool in a can.

                                                   Aunt Gigi is like the most gorgeous eva. I swear.

                                        Yes my child was shoeless as we walked around the town. I=bad mama.

                                       Hubby went hiking, W ran around like a nut and didn't take a nap.
                                                     So they fell asleep on a bench waiting for dinner.

                                                                                 
   Trying to get a toddler that's already not a napper to take one on vacation in a strange house is...impossible. Turns out when he's tired enough, W will put himself down for a nap...wherever he is when the moment strikes. We found him on the chair, and took care to move him to the couch....a little while later we found on the floor under the couch. Apparently my child doesn't want to be comfortable.

 

          Token Happy Family shot. Don't I look thrilled? I was starving outta my mind in this picture.
                                                            I seriously wanted to BITE someone.


 I'm so glad to be home, and able to blog again.
                                                                                   

All The Un-Cool Moms Are Doing It.....

It's official. I've joined "the club". You know...the one where all the lame-o mamas hang out.

I'm a mini van mom now.

oh YES. That's right. I have 1.5 kids and already I've traded in my sexy sports car (YEAH RIGHT) for the super lame, totally un-hot ride that is the mini van. Well, at least that's what everyone else may think.
But to me SPACE is sexy. Having LEG ROOM is so hot right now, don't you think? How about knowing that if you get in an accident, mama ain't gonna bite the dust because her face and the dashboard are way too close? Oh now THAT is super hot.

I have secretly wanted a mini van since the first time I had to put W in the car, then wrangle the stroller into the trunk AND somehow fit groceries in our Altima. I stared like dufus at those moms who just pull the door open, shove all the CRAP in, and breezily get into their HIGH front seat without breaking a sweat.
I didn't think it would happen so soon. But my Altima decided it hadn't yet caused us enough grief. And so we said GOODSTINKINRIDDANCE to it, and swaped it for a super sweet, parent friendly ride.

Ain't she fabulous. It's a she. ALL cars are girls, didn't you know? I think I'll name her Stella...or something chic and cute like that. Because I love her, and I want her to feel special. Who cares if the world thinks the's un-sexy and momish....in my eyes she's Heidi flipping Klum.

Check out W trying to drive the new "caaw". He even got his hands on the spare "KEIIII"..thankfully it doesn't actually START the car.

                               Trying to lock mama out so she doesn't interfere with driving plans.

                                                      I know this is where the key goes!

                                                                         And........it's in!

                                                                 But "caaw" still won't "go!"

He asks to drive every time we get in. He also particularly enjoys that we are keeping the third row seats out for now, as it gives him a place to jump around like a nut. I like that I have somewhere to confine him while I clean out the car!

DISCLAIMER: I so do not leave my kid alone in the car. That's just retarded.
(In above pics I had the side doors both wide open and the actual keys in had to keep him from locking himself in the car!)

Now stand back and marvel at my momness.

I Am Not My Hair....or Maybe I Am

:Sigh: HAIR. For a man it's just something on the top of your head. Something that itches occasionally, makes you sweat, and needs to be cut every couple weeks.

But for a woman...it's pretty much her identity. Women spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on making their hair the focal point of their beauty.....they obsess, scrutinize and cry over their locks.
 
I am a woman...ergo I love hair. Ask my friends and family, and they'll probably tell you that I'm constantly looking to change my hair. I never stay with the same hairstyle for very long, and I'm always dying it different shades of brunette!
But last fall I took a plunge I had wanted to since I was in high school, and now..well I feel like I've found the "me" hairstyle. The Pixie.
Oh the pixie, how I love thee. For YEARS now I would look longingly at girls with tightly cropped hair, and wish that I could look as cute and chic as they. I would always say "I just don't have the face for it" or "She's so delicate and graceful, and I'm so NOT". Pretty much I made excuses to NOT do it because I was afraid.
But then miss Emma Watson aka HERMIONE chopped off all her signature locks and I fell in LOVE. As soon as I saw her on the cover of Vanity Fair I KNEW...it was TIME.
Some people balked...."but I LOVE your long hair, it's so nice" "it's taken you so long to get your hair this long!". But I just DID it.
And I'm addicted. I have never had a haircut before that I felt was ME more than this.
And it got me thinking....how many of us women are afraid to do something different or shocking with our hair? We're afraid of looking bad, or not being attractive...or a million other reasons. So we stay in a hair rut. We fall prey to the Hollywood version of beauty...aka Long and BLONDE is the only way to be gorgeous. YUCK!!!
Not to say that Blonde hair, or long hair isen't pretty. But EVERYONE has it. Brunettes and Redheads alike are destroying the natural beauty of their hair to look like a beach babe celebrity. Or at the very least they're playing it SUPER safe, and are paranoid to let scisors touch their hair for fear of looking un-sexy with shorter hair.
And it makes me so sad! And angry! God doesn't want us to all be the same...or he would have MADE us that way. Nor do I think, does He want us to follow what the WORLD says is attractive and beautiful.
There is a horrible stigma that floats around that women with short hair aren't attractive. SOME people even think that having a pixie cut is well...denoting of a certain lifestyle choice. OH LADIES!
What's my point here? Don't be afraid! Find the hair, that is YOU. You're NOT a Kardashian sister, or Jennifer Anniston, or Posh Spice. You're YOU. Don't be afraid to express yourself with your hairsyle-because you'll be most attractive when you love the way you look!!

And now for some unashamed short hair obsessing: