My momma is coming!

Mi Madre y mi Padre

They are basically awesome.

And I'm super excited about my mom coming for a visit.

I get to see my mom quite a bit, but there's nothing like a REAL visit.
Most of our visits consist of an "event" or a project.

I go back to my hometown and see my parents often and they come out to our house a few times a year.

It's usually super busy, lots of running around and not a whole lot of time to just visit.

This time it's a visit for visiting sake and I'm so happy!

It's been a stressful few months with the house, moving, football season, etc. and I have just needed some MOM time!!!
We have a few things planned out to do...Halloween parade, time at the lake with friends, football on Saturday.
Most looking forward to just hanging out!
Here's to MOM TIME!! :)

My one and only...

girl is 8! I just have to brag for a minute.

She's amazing and not by any feat of ours.

She just is.

Really and truly, I cannot imagine what life would be like if we didn't have our Autumn.

She's helpful beyond what's normal, independent about everything, thoughtful and...

BONUS: She loves to cook, clean and be crafty!!

Seriously? How did we end up with this girl??

I ask myself that almost daily.

I've considered loaning her out cause everyone needs a little Autumn, but I'm selfish and I don't want to.

She's mine and you can't have her! :)

Here are a few pics from her birthday on Thursday...

Happy Birthday, Little A!

All ready go

My camera had seemingly saw it's last picture a few weeks back.

I sadly set it on the counter and mourned the loss of another camera as I started dreaming about my next one.

Then a few days ago, Autumn came upstairs with the camera and said she thought she fixed it.
I don't know how, but it works again.
It's old and doesn't take the greatest pictures, but I'm ok with that right now!

So, just to get back in the swing of putting pics on my blog, here's a few for you from this morning...

He was packing his bag for church.

Keys-Check

Wipes-Check

That's all the kid needs.

He had shoes on, which is apparently all you really need to go to church.
He said, "All ready go, Mom."

Bubby was left behind and not happy. He and I are hanging at home a little longer this morning. At least long enough for the kid to put some clothes on :)

Too much

Man, it just seems like there is too much going on for people right now.

Too much sickness, too much dying, too many questions, too many decisions.

My heart is just so heavy with all of it.

There seems to be an ebb and flow to friendships when times like this hit.

Sometimes there are circumstances that hit so close to you and you need help. There have been times that I've been emotionally and physically not able to get through the days.

Friends and family are quick to jump and help when you're maxed out. You rely on them to cover for you where you can't be or do those things you can't do.

When those times pass, you wait. You wait for that moment when you can help them. Not because you get something out of it, but because you know how it felt to have someone step in for you.

So when that pendulum swings and your life can hold more, you help.

Maybe not with anything excessive, but a few extra minutes to talk, a hand with some kids, a time for prayer, the energy to carry some of the burdens that are weighing people down.

I don't think these are coincidences. God knows these things and puts people where they should be, when they are needed. I've seen it countless times. Sometimes in hindsight, but it's always there. He covers because we are not able to cover ourselves.
That is one thing I know with certainty.

So thankful!

The Housing Coalition had their open house here today. It was so nice to be able to thank all the different people that spent so much time on our house long before it was our house.
I loved meeting some of the people who had worked on it that I hadn't met yet.
It was such a community project that we benefited from in a HUGE way.
We love our home!!

That being said, I'm pooped!!!
Getting and keeping the house clean with my 4 crazies nearly made me go nutso!
I don't usually get worked up about these types of things, but for some reason this one put me over the top, anxiety-wise.
I don't care what people think about how clean my house is, but I did care today. I just desperately wanted all those people who worked so hard to know that we're taking care of it.
It made me crazy and a little mean and I hated that part.
So, I'm glad that's over and I can go back to letting my kids live in their house again!

Smoke alarms

Ours work.
Do yours??
I know this because ours went off at 6:30 a.m. this morning. Twice.
Apparently, our insane early bird, Elijah, was up and trying to make hot chocolate in the microwave.
Something from this attempt is what set the alarm off. Still not sure what though, cause nothing was actually smoking.
All I know is that the alarm went off at 6:30, I sat up in bed and said "Sh**!"
Chad had hauled downstairs with lightening speed cause I didn't even register he was gone at first.
I didn't smell smoke or see smoke so I laid back down waiting for him to come back with a report as to the cause or for him to yell for us to all get out of the house.

As I laid back down, Cory, who had climbed into bed with us around 3 said "What's that sound?" Seriously?? The blaring, obnoxious noise and that's all he's got??
Oh and he had peed in our bed so I think it must have scared the pee right out of him and he didn't even notice! He's amazing...

So that's how my day started. I'm tired...

Procrastination

If I had to use 5 words to describe myself, procrastinator is most definitely one of them.

And, because I'm a positive person,

and I don't like how procrastination is always portrayed in such a negative light...

here is my case for all the benefits of being a procrastinator!!



1. This goes for everything, paperwork, cleaning, laundry, etc...Adrenaline kicks in at the last minutes and helps me focus. Really! I am often sleep deprived, scatterbrained and forgetful. That extra dose of "Oh crap! I have to finish this right now!" makes me think clearer.



2. I have to clean. It's one of those things that just need to be done, but can almost always be put off til the last minute. I have kids and they are messy. So why clean like a madwomen when I know it's going to be dirty in 5 minutes. I don't. I clean when they are napping or gone or when I know someone is going to come by or when I have time. What I've found to be true...the people that really love you don't care if your house is immaculate. In fact, they'll come help you clean it, if you ask.



3. Getting dressed. Seriously, if I'm heading out to someplace that I know I would rather not have a jelly stain on my pants, then I don't get dressed til the last minute. I'll do my hair (15% of the time) and put on some makeup, but almost never do I get dressed til 5 minutes before we leave. It's not worth the annoyance to freak out when Caleb runs at me with peanut butter fingers and someone dumps milk all over my pants. So I hold off getting dressed. Besides pjs are so much more comfy then most anything else!



4. Getting my kids dressed. See #3. Same reasons!

5. Cleaning out my car. It's just one of those things I only think about doing when I'm actually in my car, which is quite a bit, but then I get out of the car and forget how trashed it is. Besides, I can't tell the numbers of times I've been saved by my cluttered, messy car. For example, when we go somewhere and it's cooler then we expected, I can almost always find a blanket or jacket in my car. And, there have been times that I did clean my car out and then think something is in there that I need and then it isn't and I get mad cause I shouldn't have cleaned the car yet!!

See, procrastination can be good!

I'm alive...barely!

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...
It's been busy. Nothing crazy, nothing really all that exciting. Just busy.

I went to my hometown to watch my little brother play football. It was homecoming so there were some extra activities and fun. I may write about all that some other time...

So, it's work,
school,
cook,
clean,
sleep,
repeat...