hollyn and her walk around the block

San Diego--30th Birthday!

I have SO much that I would like to share on here, including:

-my 30th birthday celebrations/reflections

-our amazing trip to San Diego

-the most fabulous girls weekend ever!

-And some more that I keep forgetting...

But, I'll start with just a bit of our San Diego trip. I couldn't think of a better way to spend my birthday than with my little family and my parents in San Diego. It was absolutely perfect. I really wanted to be with my parents on a momentous birthday...they DID give me a life in the first place!

Some hilights! *Beach time*Exploring that great city*Touring the Midway*Yummy food & fantastic restaurants* Lighthouse* Sea World*Awesome family time*Seeing the scene of my parent's other life;)*JETS galore...up close and personal!!*

These are just a few of the many pictures we took on our trip.... go see the whole album here.

she's sort of awesome

I'm going to say this once...and I might be in trouble for saying it at all. Someone I love so much has a blog. She's quietly awesome. You'll see...

another award for me...

Sometimes I wonder if I am just here in the blog world to make all of you feel really good about yourself. Well, here I am again to fill your tank of confidence:) Really, who gave me permission to be responsible for three children? I clearly don't have it all together. I hope you can relate. And if you can't, keep your mouth shut. Thanks.

So I had a remarkable trip to Costco the other day. I don't know why, but I always think that a big shopping trip with all three kids has to be better than the last time. I mean, there is just no way we can repeat that tragic trip, right?! Right?!

Wrong. This time, Griffin was the star of the show.

On the way in, I was pleased that Griffin decided to sing Jesus Loves The Little Children in his outside voice...which actually sounds like the top of his lungs, but not quite. He sang all of the verses. I don't know how many verses, but I do know that we got some looks when he sang about shed blood and dying for children. I was proud. My little preacher. I was also relieved that he was singing instead of karate chopping his brother.

This is going to be a good trip. Nice work, Mama. Deep breaths.

Before even starting in on the list, I realize that Griffin has to pee. Of course, he doesn't tell me...I just notice that he is getting some stares because he happens to be ummm...grabbing. So, beeline to the bathrooms. Check. I even brought sanitizer with me to do double-duty on the hands.

Nice. Here we go!

Pleas for ice cream begin. Quick trip to get sundaes. Griff wants strawberries on top. Fine. Whatever will keep them happy while I cruise thru the list. After one bite, he announces that he doesn't like it and will not even carry it. So I put it in the cart, sorta propped up. Of course the strawberries find their way all over Griffin. Everywhere.

Of course. Shoot. Strike one. This might be a tough one...

But keep breathing. Smile. Pretend you aren't losing your mind already.

We actually sorta kinds cruise through the list without actually losing any kids. I almost did once, but they were just too loud...and I found them in the next aisle. And I almost don't notice the nasty looks and snickers and knowing glances. Almost.

Woo hoo. Gonna get out of here alive! Success. Almost. Just gotta navigate the parking lot and then I can really get a high five!

Oh, wait...got to check out first. Paying is good.

So I get in line while I breathe some relief and the boys argue about who is going to get what out of the cart and load it up on the conveyor belt. Is that what they are called? Anyway, I go up to the register while Hollyn stays in the cart and slightly panics because of the great distance between us. And the strangers, oh my! I hardly notice the boys because I was busy...you know, paying and stuff. Looking back, it might have been a good idea to pay attention. But hindsight is 20/20, right? Right.

I'm immediately brought back to reality when I notice Griffin unloading the 36 eggs from the cart.

MOVE AMY!!! Oh.my.gosh. Aaaaahhhh. No0000!!

You won't believe this...but the cashier (bless his heart, must be a parent or something) catches the carton of eggs before they hit the floor. Seriously. He really caught them...and no eggs were lost in the process! So cool. There were actually finger holes in the bottom of the carton from Griffin's little paws. Sort of cute.

Now THAT was a close one. Phew. Oh, man. Breathe. Nothing happened. Nice work.

Oh, but the best is yet to come.

Debit card swiped. No cash back, thank you. One box, please. Ok boys...ready to go.....Oh.my.gosh!!

I look back and see a sweet older woman come towards me with Griffin in hand..."He's hurt!"

Apparently, Griff had tried to carry the jar of almond butter and dropped it on the ground. He then decided to pick up the shattered glass to put it up on the conveyor belt. Almond butter everywhere. Just a big, beautiful mess.

My response, of course..."Oh, no...it is just the strawberry that is all over him, not blood. No, he's fine....really."

So I scurry out of that place after getting a new jar of almond butter, of course. Get the kids and groceries in the car and use the wipes to clean Griffin up.

Shoot, shoot, shoot...so embarrassing. Bad Amy! BAD!!! Pay attention to your kids. But why isn't the strawberry coming off of Griffin's hands and arms?? Stubborn stuff, this strawberry syrup! Oh no...not strawberry....BLOOD! SHARDS OF GLASS!! Amy, you should not be allowed out in public with three kids!!

Now, I'm going to end this story now....because it just doesn't get any better. Actually, the really good news is that Griffin is ok. And I'm recovering slowly. And the really awesome thing is that this is just an account of a average day...seriously! I'm a mess most of the time, really. Is this normal? It has to be, right?

Anyway, I hope that you feel better about yourself now...or at least maybe normal:)

i survived

Despite my dread, Hollyn Joy's birthday came and went...and we all survived! I feel much better now that it is over, to be honest!

But I think that Hollyn is a little bummed that it is all over--she LOVED her birthday SO MUCH! I really believe she just knew it was her special day/week. Is that a good thing? She just likes the spotlight a whole bunch. I wonder what that means for our future...

My sister has a great post about hollyn's birthday. Check it out here.

Here are some things that we know about Hollyn these days:

-she's a munchkin...not sure of her stats because someone forgot to schedule the one year appointment, but she is sure not a tall girl:)

-chatty! loud!

-pretends to be shy

-girly

-but can hold her own with her brothers

-she's a biter. yep.

-she eats just about anything

-loves spaghetti, avocados, bananas, cheese, ice cream

-dislikes sour foods

-has her daddy wrapped around her little finger...and she's so in love with him!

-enjoys Sesame Street characters

-likes to disappear....we often find her in Griffin's room playing kitchen or coloring

-gives awesome kisses, open mouth even!

-plays "where's hollyn"

-loves to dance...can already shake that booty of hers:)

-has a love/hate relationship with Griffin. He is either making her laugh hysterically or driving her nuts. But I think he feels the same way about her. Seriously, they are so loud together!

-likes Parker to read to her

-really, really dislikes getting dressed. She produced real tears whenever she has to be put through the torture of being dressed. Poor thing.

-Discreetly drops her food onto the floor and waits for a response. Really funny...she thinks.

-I know I'm going to think of so many more things after I hit publish...I'll add more later maybe.

-Oh, I know...I love her. I LOVE her. Oh man, that girl is so loved.

what birthday?

hollyn and mooma last week @ Parker's birthday

Denial. I'm pretty much denying the fact that hollyn will be one sometime next week. Seriously, I haven't even looked at the calendar to see what day May 3rd falls on. Third baby. Last one. It is so different. I looked forward to first birthdays for the boys. I LOVE one. I like toddlers more than babies, but I still can't bring myself to plan a party. I will. I'll get over it and move forward like a normal person but I'm sitting in my denial right now...until next week sometime;)

my new foot

I went with some dear friend to get the tattoos we've always wanted. So fun! I love it!

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Parker=6!!!

Our firstborn is six today!

The way I feel about our firstborn is complicated. I love him more than I could ever express and I don't even want to try to describe how I feel about our first baby because it sounds strange when I say it out loud. Maybe I'll try.

I do not have a favorite child whatsoever. But I do have to say that there is something unique about your first child. I dreamed of him for years before he

was born...he was the fulfillment of so many dreams. He was and is the test-drive kid for the rest of them. He had every ounce of our attention for a while...and

still does sometimes. I feel like I've invested so much time and effort into this kid. He taught me how to be a mom and paved a smoother way for his siblings. For me, this picture says everything I can't seem to express with words:

I've posted this picture numerous times on here. For the life of me, I can't seem to find anything attractive about this photo of me. Nothing. However, this moment just says it all....it was when I heard...

ITS A BOY!! YOU'RE A MOM!

for the very first time. That was my reaction.

And he has turned into such a sweet, polite, sensitive, inquisitive, and smart boy. So many adults tell me how much they love Parker and his sweet spirit. Me too.

However. Ahem. ;) As much as I adore Parker...he drives me absolutely crazy most days! I feel so connected to Parker, like he is a part of me. I feel like we're made of the same stuff. I get him. And this can be a good thing at times. There is a portion of his brain that is literally a carbon copy of mine. He knows exactly what to say and do to make me think I've gone mad. He outsmarts me all of the time. We can totally clash because we know how to get into each other's heads. Bad, bad, bad!!

Really, as I was preparing for his birthday yesterday, I was screaming horrible words in my head about how someone turned him into something evil! I was feeling dramatic. He brings out the worst in me.

But he also brings out the very best. Parker has been used to refine this heart of mine in some painful and beautiful ways. I'm right in the thick of child-rearing insanity and I can already see that he is and will continue to be a blessing.

I love you Parker David! With all of my crazy heart.

except God

How many times have i started a blog post like this? Here it goes again...

So, I was cleaning my floors (again)....and a thought came to me. A question that I think God put on my heart.

What if no one ever thought of me as successful again? What if no one noticed me or thought I was important. Ever. No one. Except God. What would that feel like? Would that be enough? Would it change the way I make my decisions? What would it do to pride? And so many more....they just keep coming and coming.

This week, I feel like I have a little clarity. Honestly, I feel like I often have none, so this is pretty crucial to record. It is so easy for me to forget what I'm doing and I confuse my life with things that don't matter. But it is SO simple. Kind of. Sort of. But I think if I step back and take a look at the big picture, it really can be.

Love God. Love other people.

Simple, right? ;)

Matthew 22:37 (The Message)

^37-40Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."

Parker's big week

Our little guy has had quite the week!

1. He was so, so sick. Honestly, over never seen any of my kids that sick for that long. Vomiting & diarrhea for 5 days straight! He couldn't even keep down a 1/2 teaspoon of medicine. So sad.

2. On a brighter note, he lost his first tooth!! He was so excited! And for the record, the Tooth Fairy showed up. She left some $$ & a poem...such a sweet fairy.

3. And then he got his first stitches. The boys were wrestling and things got a little out of hand, I guess. Split the back of his head open and had to go to the ER. He was so brave and charmed all of the nurses and doctors while they stitched him up. Of course...he's been doing that sort of thing since birth:)


Such a big week for our boy! I'm hoping for less action this time around :)

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lots of winter left

I'm trying my very hardest to resist the longing for spring. We really have a good amount of winter weather left...so I'm choosing to enjoy it. Today.

Griffin is the only one who got to enjoy the new snowfall outdoors today. He made snow castles. Sweet boy. The rest of us made do with the cozy fire.

This bottom picture of the cabins was taken this past weekend at Red Mountain. A lovely weekend worth a dedicated post with more pictures. I might have to steal them from my friends, though, because I was a slacker photographer! Maybe more to come?!

joy*hollyn*joy

So full of joy! So full of herself :)

She's mobile and curious. No longer "dolphin crawling", but doing the real thing these days. Trying to pull herself up on everything. She thinks she's big enough to practice stairs--she isn't:)

So vocal!! She has certainly perfected the art of making herself known. When the boys irritate her, she screeches and does this strange cough thingy. But most of the time she squeals with glee and chants "mama, dada, mama, dada! "

Bit of pipsqueak. Just over 17 lbs at her 9 month apt. Small but mighty:)

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on the road

We're on the road...all packed in here cozy and snug. We're all doing our own thing but all together. Parker is writing sentences. Griffin is playing his leapster. Hollyn is sleeping. Joel is listening to his music.
And I am blogging ...and listening to my book club book...and looking outside at the beautiful mountains. We are heading up north to Canada for a weekend with friends and we happen to be driving thru the little town I grew up in. So strange how things haven't changed. But the landscape is so beautiful. It will always feel like home.

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collector

I love coffee. I love coffee cups. Really really a whole bunch. Just a few of my favorites are in this picture ... mixed in with the standard mugs from our wedding:) I remember everyone who has contributed to my overflowing cupboard...love to you!!

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new curtains

I just love my new curtains in our living room! The colors....oh, the colors!! As my mom said, nothing like a little redecorating to liven up the end of January. Hope you get to surround yourself with your favorite colors today...

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monday monday

Just a normal day around here. Hollyn is learning to sweep. Plenty of Little People are sleeping soundly in Noah's Ark. Griffin is always so calm and passive. We're feeding ourselves nutritious food. And we play nice, orderly games as a family....no one ever fights....

Yep, just normal ;)

bullets

I can't seem to complete a full sentence, but I sure can communicate in bullet points! Must be something I retained from my college days:)

Life keeps rolling along.

Life is good. Life is messy. Life is hard. Life is fun. Life is mundane. Life is exceptional. Life is blessed, don't you think?

Here are some random thoughts floating around in my head:

• I think I made decaf coffee this morning. Not a good idea...sorry Joel! I made a real pot mid-morning to make me feel alive.
• I want to go on a family vacation so bad. We are so lucky that we get to go on lots of trips with family and do fun things together, but our little family has rarely done any type of trip alone. But I tend to want a lot of things.
• I love real seasons. If it is winter, I want it to be snowy! In the summer, I expect heat! It has been quite snowy this winter...but now we're in the beginning of a thaw. So yucky. Water is shooting out of our gutters like a river!
• We've been here over a year and I am just now thinking about putting up curtains. I'm slow.
• Parker started basketball and it is the cutest thing ever. They even get to run through a fog machine/tunnel and get they're name announced. His next game is tomorrow and I'm already so excited!
• Hollyn has been sick for months straight. I feel like it has been her entire life, but I've been known to exaggerate. Needless to say, this mama is tired. And my poor little girl could really use some relief.
• I'm in total awe of God's healing of little Ella. I've never witnessed a miracle even close to this and it has truly changed my life. She had NO CHANCE of living. And now she is two months old. Read this. But start at the beginning, because it is that good.
• Joel is going to turn 33 in a matter of weeks. Whoa. Even though I am still in my twenties, I feel like WE are now in our mid-thirties;)
• I have a new little computer. I'm on my netbook right now. Have I mentioned that it is mine?
• Griffin wants to be karate kid. He says he is starting on Saturday. What?! I hate to see what that boy could destroy with some skills!

And now, a random picture for your enjoyment.

my one idea

I'm no creative genius...at all. But I did come up with one good idea in 2010. I love Christmas cards more than anything. I LOVE that most people send pictures these days. But then I have the dilemma of what to do with them after Christmas. I can't throw them away!

So I just covered all of my 09 cards with contact paper, punched a hole in a corner & then used a binder ring to keep them all together. Voila! Now you have a book you can look thru all year and isn't a mess! Hollyn even enjoys looking at all the pictures and licking the faces:) Love it! This is a picture of some of last year's cards...this year is going to be even better because you all sent the most fabulous pictures!!

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more

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frozen beauty

Can't really capture this kind of beauty with a camera phone... but, my goodness!! Feeling pretty blessed to call this my home sweet home.

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