Its just that . . . . .

. . . . I've lost the desire to blog. Probably because I have way too much to do, and blogging would just be one more thing. I have a few more posts I want to share with my four fans (also for journaling purposes) . . . but after that, I think I will be done. Facebook is just so much easier.

So here it is . . . . what I have been up to for the last 8 months.

I don't know if there is a "best cousins" contest . . . but if there was . . . I would win. Hands down. I have the best cousins ever. We've been spending lots of time together. Who knew hard core liberals and crazy conservatives could get along so well?! I love them.

Summer Dodge Ball. Its too bad we are always ineligible for the costume prizes.


Our business is doing awesome. I'm not bragging. I just feel really blessed. We had a really busy summer/fall. My man has got mad photography skills. I hate to break my own arm patting myself on the back, but I do all the editing . . . therefore . . . I've got mad editing skills. I'm not gonna lie though. . . . . I do get pretty sick of sitting at my computer.
Just a few samples below.

I keep myself pretty busy being a mom. I have the cutest kids ever. Words could never explain my love for these little ladies.

Edyn started 2nd grade and Ava started Kindergarten. Its so nice :)

Since we now work for ourselves, it makes it super easy to do whatever we want . . . like go to Colorado to see our BFF's . . . not once but TWICE! July and October. I love that state. I love road trips and I LOVE the Saunders/Hammonds. We're pretty much treated like VIP's by them. I never want to leave. As a matter of fact . . . I just might move in someday. I've become quite good at shacking up and mooching! Be prepared.
What a pleasant surprise it was to find out how well my little ladies could behave on a 20 hour drive (one way mind you). 80 hours of driving all together. No barfing. No fighting. Only a couple bouts of explosives (someone gave Toots Fiber One bars. Oops).

My Man turned 33 in September. Can you tell he was pretty excited about it?

On Thanksgiving Me and my girl Jen went to spin early. Spinning is my new love. Its just about the only thing I will wake up for at 5am. Who knew?

Jen has really big muscles. I have really big saddlebags. Soooooo . . . . It pretty much evens out.

Then there was an uneventful Thanksgiving dinner at our humble home. It was so uneventful . . . I didn't even take any pictures. Hmmmmmm . . . .

December 5th we hopped on a plane to Hawaii. Our old stomping grounds. We lived there for three years right after we got married. What a treat to go back and stay at Hotel Loder (Thank you guys. We owe you BIG TIME), lay on the beach for hours, visit with great friends, eat our brains out (I gained 6 pounds in one week . . . i know. . . pretty impressive), and spend some time together without our kids.

I think I'll go back soon.

Happy Birthday to me. I turned 33.
It doesn't feel any different than 32. Or even 22. I just look older.

Christmas 2010. Believe it or not, we actually DID NOT over do it this year. We kept it simple. Our kids were happy, we were happy, and we didn't spend gobs of money. Again . . . who knew?!

The end.

Five

Looking for a few good suggestions on how to throw the most ghetto-fabulous 5 year old birthday party? You're in luck. I just so happen to know someone who just got done not only planning . . . but executing one.

1. On your child's actual birthday, you forget to request the day off so you bum off your motherly responsibilities and have your husband take her to the waterpark and to Famous Daves with her sisters and cousins. He does willingly. . . because he's the best dad/husband in the world. You make sure to have him take pictures, but you forget to tell him NOT to dress them like orphans.

Ava's Favorite Aunties . . . here on her actual birthday!

2. Skip the invitations. No time for that. You send out a tacky group text. Text should say something like, "I'm having a short and sweet birthday party for Ava at my . . . . and when I say "my" I really mean "Mamie's" house. Monday 4-5.... We'll just play a few games outside and have cake and ice cream. You are more than welcome to bring all of your kids and you are also welcome to stay if you want. I know. . . . . I'm a party animal." The day of the party you remember how many people you forgot to invite.

3. Go ahead and procrastinate getting anything ready for the "short and sweet" party until the morning of . . . . . . . after you have been at the Dr. with a screaming baby for 2 hours. Then you head to . . . . wait for it . . . . . wait for it . . . . WALMART. . . . to get all of the essentials. You know . . . Pinata, gobs of candy, Pre-made cake, cake mix (you have to make sure you have enough because you forgot how many people you invited), frosting, and because you are super classy and want to save money on paper cups, you go ahead and get Capri Suns. Its like killing two birds with one stone.

4. You go home and plan on getting started, cause now you are down to 3 hours before ghetto fabulous party, and you still have to clean the house, make 48 cupcakes, and a vegetable tray for those of us with high cholesterol (dang). . . . . BUT . . . . Tootsies is exhausted from all of her screaming, so of course you have to lay her down for a nap, but she refuses to sleep unless you are snuggling her. Oops . . . You accidentally fall asleep for 45 minutes (come to find out . . . your fatigue is caused by lack of sleep). You wake up and jump out of Mamie's bed (you can't sleep in yours because its full of laundry and your room is so dirty you can barely walk through it) and realize that NOW you only have 1 hour 15 minutes to pull this off.

5. Scrambling, you do the best multi-tasking you have ever done, baking, peeling and slicing, cleaning . . . . you get it pretty much done with 5 minutes to spare, and are so grateful when Mamie and Kristy walk in through the garage and ask what they can do to help. Usually you would be too embarrassed and say . . . "oh nothing, I got it all" . . . . but you don't, so you have Mamie put the vegetable tray together and Kristy frost the cupcakes while you continue to scramble.

6. All of the kids show up and you play a quick game. . . . . on the wet grass of course. It would be a shame to keep their pants clean. The first game goes off pretty well. But you just know that the Pinata is gong to be a hit . . . . after all, all the other birthday parties you go to, it takes up plenty of time and the kids have so much fun . . . . And because you bought a special Princess Pinata at Walmart, what could go wrong?


7. You line all 20 kids up . . . Birthday girl first of course. Thinking you're gonna sit back and kill some time . . . And Birthday girl breaks that sucker down on her third swing. Which leads you to believe . . . 1. Walmart Pinatas Suck. Who knew? 2. You probably shouldn't use a metal bat 3. Overstuffing with candy can also hinder time killing, as it makes the pinata too heavy, allowing it to fall off the rope, helping it break easier. 4. Kids aren't too concerned with hitting the dang thing. They just want the candy. Geez. You should save yourself 20 bucks and throw the candy in the air and watch them scramble.

8. What the heck. You just move on to cake and ice cream. Except you are so caught up in all the chaos . . . that you forget not only to sing Happy Birthday and blow out candles . . . . but eat the blasted cake. Whatever. The cupcakes worked just fine, and you can put that cake in the freezer and give it to your Mother in Law the next day for her birthday. You're a big fan of re-gifting anyway. Even if it is tacky. You ARE tacky.

9. Speaking of tacky . . . you rush everyone out the door, because you have somewhere to be . . . a surprise birthday celebration for your friend that you need to get to STAT. And you leave the mess for your husband to clean up . (But you get home . . . and it hasn't been cleaned up).

10. You neglect posting it on your blog . . . . which is also your journal until 5 days after the actual birthday because you are too dang busy to do anything but raise children, help your husband run your new business, work at the greatest boutique ever, figure out what the heck is wrong with your shoulder/arm, church responsibilities, be super cool, and perhaps trying to fit in a few breaths now and then.

The End.

P.S. I'm full of ideas for D-Day Parties, Weddings, Bridal and Baby showers, etc. Feel free to give me a jingle and I'll help you out anytime.

P.P.S. I'm so sorry Ava. I'll do better next time. You are my beautiful, spunky, sassy, hilarious, blue eyed girl. Happy Birthday . . . . . MOMMY LOVES YOU!

Ladies

I'm really into Ladies . . . . not in the gay sort of way (I prefer men . . . the Damon type). . . . .however . . . I LOVE WOMEN. Women are who I relate with best . . . . as I am a one.

A VERY AMAZING woman wrote this blog, and I just fell in love with her even more because of it. I must share.

"Durable . . . . . .

...beauty.



How many times have I walked passed this little patch of pansies? They line the pathway to our front door. The little English garden is dead/dormant...except for this remarkable beauty. The weather this winter has been dry... but at times, bitterly cold. How beautiful and durable is this amazing plant?

Allow me, if you will, to be sentimental. Seeing this flower, smiling at me in the morning sun, reminded me of the durable beauty of the women in my life. How many women do you know who endure bitterly cold trials in their lives while maintaining amazing grace and beauty? Life around them may be falling apart yet there they stand with a smile on their face, if only for the benefit and morale of their loved ones. In Austenland (not the book but the general genre of literature) men described women as delicate flowers requiring careful attention and handling.

YUCK.

Women are, in fact, flowers. But the kind that push up through frozen earth, the kind that emerge unscathed from under three feet of snow, the kind that may go unnoticed because they don't need to be carefully attended to, they can handle themselves.

I am grateful for these flowers in my life."

I am so very grateful for all the "flowers" in my life as well . . . . . .

Who stick with me through thick and thin (literally),

love me despite my many faults,

love my children as their own daughters or grand-daughters ,

serve me and my family unselfishly, when they are the ones who really need the break,

pray for me and my sanity,

inspire me to become a better mother, wife, sister, daughter, and friend,

laugh with me when I am happy, laugh at me when I am an idiot, and on those rare occasions when I cry . . . . . cry with me,

listen when I just need to vent,

and just plain understand . . . . . what its like to be a woman.

I LOVE YOU MY LADIES . . . . .

. . . . . you know who you are.

Seven

Another Special Birthday Girl in our house! Beadsa turned 7 today. We've been hearing about this birthday for quite some time. The paper chain countdown (for about the last year), posters with tally marks, birthday wish-lists . . . . . the girl takes after her aunt Meghan . . . . She LOVES her birthday!

Since she had a big party last year, we decided to keep it simple. A few friends over after school, manicures and pedicures given by yours truly, cupcake decorating (many thanks to Tio and Tia for over-seeing that one), playing outside, eating way too much sugar, hot dogs (Edyn's choice) for dinner, more sugar, lots of great presents, and to top it all off, losing her third tooth! What a day!

Little Evan Man helping make the cupcakes while all the ladies played outside. I think it may have been a little overwhelming for him . . . . all those crazy girls!

We are pretty much party animals.

I want to throw up just looking at these. I sure hope all you parents brushed your kids teeth after I dropped them off!

I'm not nice, and I am for sure not a feet person . . . its just a good way to kill time!

You may notice a few things about this cake. 1. Toots demolished it. 2. Toots bit a huge chunk out of the Seven. 3. Toots chewed up said chunk, and proceeded to spit it back out to the right of the Seven. 4. Toots is gross. 5. No one wanted cake. 6. I ate half the cake when the party was over. But it was the half that didn't have Toots' regurgitated wax on it. I wouldn't go that far. . . . well . . . . maybe I would.

A new bike, scriptures, shirts, barbies, necklaces . . . . . every 7 year olds DREAM!

Again . . . . I'm so glad that Tia Bekie likes to pull teeth. Not something I ever want to do. Ewwww!!

Happy 7th Birthday Beadsa! MOMMY LOVES YOU!