A Little Late

Oops...I am a little late getting this post out tonight. I made a commitment to post something about Little Miss Princess every day until her sixth bday...I think I'm getting off to a rough start. In my defense it has been a long day. Anyway...

This is from just a few days ago while camping at Trillium Lake. What a fun time we had. The water was chilly but the day was hot so the combo was perfect. LMP was a fish as usual. She loves the water just like her daddy. Too bad he wasn't able to be with us. I love how much alike they are and yet how totally individual this little gem of a girl is. I couldn't be more excited to see what she will one day become. But for now...I mean seriously...how adorable is this little lady?! I could just squeeze her!!! Oh wait...I do. And that makes me so lucky. 😀

Out with the Old

In with the...6!

So, wow. Does anyone else just feel like summer is flying by about as fast as a jet plane? I sure do. We have truly been making every moment count. It started with our family creating a summer bucket list and the littles have been having such a fun time trying to hit all the big things on the list. For instance, one of our items was going camping 3 times this summer. We just got back from our 2nd trip but this time it was just me, the girls, and our pooch. This was a little crazy and I couldn't have done it without my sister and her mom. But...I digress.

What exactly do I mean by "in with the 6"? Well...it's August 1st, y'all. That means it's the first day of the month my 2nd daughter was born! So, in honor of her I will be counting down the days with pics and/or stories of my darling daughter. Little Miss Princess is turning 6!!! What?!?!

And not to negate her upcoming birthday but her littlest sis will be turning 1!!!! Double What?!?!?!?! So partway through the month I'll be adding in a few little what-nots about her too since her big day is coming up early in September.

For our first little walk down memory lane I present to you, Little Miss Princess just a couple years ago. I can't believe how much she's grown since then...

Just a thought

In the midst of cleaning, and reorganizing rooms, and sorting through items I took a little break to feed the baby and the older girls. The girls finished up and headed to work while I was sitting with Gretchen. As I stared at this beautiful girl who was, at that moment, thinking of sleep with droopy eyes, rosy cheeks, a full belly, and a comforting snuggle my heart just ached. Tears filled my eyes as I wondered at how I could be so lucky to have been given this littlest gift to care for. 

She popped up about then with a giant, sleepy grin ready to explore the world for as long as I would let her before taking her to bed. Holding on to the couch with one hand standing on wobbly legs taking tender steps to curious parts of this enormous world (really just the small living room in a simple home), she enthusiastically began her trek. Her smile that lights up not just her whole being but our entire home and everyone she comes in contact with. Her sisters, completely enamored with her even after 10 months, look for reasons to come, smile, and play waiting for that giant glow of happiness that they provided for their littlest sister-a glow that radiates through Gretchen into those around her. I watch as each of her older sisters puff up with joy and pride and turn around heading back to the mundane job they are working on.

I can't express how much we all feel so blessed to have "little G" in our midst each and every day. 

These simple words cannot truly express those awesome feelings but I hope it gives just a glimpse into us. Just a glimpse into one of my thoughts on a regular, boring day in summer. 

Happy creations,

Jennifer

Reflecting on Cinderella

We finally went to see the live action Cinderella movie with my daughters over the weekend. We love going to see movies in the theater. It is something my husband and I loved to do pre-kids. Nowadays we go a lot less and tend to go mostly to the cheap theater. (It's the same great theater experience but much less money.) This was a movie that was high on our "to see in the theater" list.

So we finally saw the movie and I adored it. And so did my girls.

As most of my readers know, our family is overrun by the female persuasion. My husband went with us to see this very feminine movie with not just me and his 4 daughters but also with another lovely lady added to the mix (a friend of my oldest). While my husband was, let's just say less than thrilled to be hitting the theater for this movie, he put a smile on his face and proudly entered that little room and selflessly helped 6 ladies pile into a row, help me get everyone situated, popcorn passed out, drinks sorted, seats arranged, baby settled, and popcorn refilled (the last two probably more of a joy to escape for just a moment). Once we had all settled and were watching the story unfold I stole a few looks at the row of little ladies I had in my midst and the strong man that was leading the crew.

Honestly, my darling husband would have likely picked any movie to see other than this one or even skipped going altogether except for one thing. That "thing" has him by the heart. It is our second daughter, Sophia. See, this is her favorite movie to watch at home (the Disney cartoon version) and when she found out there would be a live action version she was just floored. Our Sophia is quite the princess. She is always wearing dresses, loves having her hair done, changes outfits during the day to best suit the events of the moment (though I obviously don't like this), loves heels and make-up (which she only gets to wear during playtime), and everything to do with being a princess. She also loves when I get dressed up in "pretty clothes" and she always asks if she can pick out my earrings and if I'm going to wear lipstick (which is apparently the end all be all of the make up world). Her love for the movie is no surprise and her desire to see every single rendition of it is no surprise either.

Sheer excitement cannot even describe how excited she was when I told her we were going...finally. Sophia did not know that her daddy was having second and third and fourth thoughts about going. I was okay with him taking a pass, but he knew how much it would mean to be there for his daughter and so he went. And it wasn't just Sophia he was doing this for. All his girls were excited to see the movie, except maybe the baby. And all three of our girls were just so thrilled to be there...with both parents in tow.

It is the little things like this that my husband does that shows us the love he has for us, that makes all of us feel a little like Cinderella (on the 'happily-ever-after' part of the story). Even something as simple as taking a deep breath, hiding his aversion, and showing excitement for another very girly movie. Don't get me wrong, the man can be maddening. I would never try to say that he doesn't have his moments of pure insanity, we all do. But he definitely is one of the good ones. So good that he doesn't really have a clue how good even though I try to tell him and show him daily. He's always striving to be better, do better. No prince could give more.

To so many my life may not seem like a fairy-tale. We have a small house. Not a I'm-being-modest-our-house-is-really-2500 sq ft or larger house. We have a 1,000 sq ft house. We may not move from this house. Ever. And that's okay. We have a small house and small plot of land that that bank gladly accepts our payments for. We live on less than most people at our stage of life. We rarely take vacations. We rarely go out to dinner. We have debts that sometimes feel so overwhelming we want to give up. In these respects, it sure doesn't seem like happily ever after. But when you really look at my life, when you take the magnifying glass to it...gosh. There is so much more.

What we do have is a happy marriage. Sometimes it's messy. Sometimes we get annoyed. Sometimes we fight, but we always love. We always forgive. We always laugh.

We have a beautiful family that God has so graciously given to our care. Four incredibly individual daughters that keep us on our toes. That are full of challenges and will continue to push their parents to the brink of sanity (or maybe well beyond). But that also make us smile constantly, laugh unceasingly, and make us proud to be parents.

We have family that loves us. They may not always 'get' us but they love us. They respect us. They support us.

We have friends. Friends that are always there for us. That help us grow.

We live in an epically beautiful place. Seriously, we do. And we have all we need. Maybe not all we want all the time, but we always have all we need.

So here I was, watching this movie, crying at the sad parts, the sappy parts, the happy parts (cause I'm a girl and that's what I do) and all the time reflecting on what it meant to be Cinderella. I sure do feel like her sometimes, most of the time.

A while ago I was talking with someone close to me about how much Sophia loved "Cinderella." She told me she'd loved this movie as a child too but she was disappointed when she got older. She was worried that Sophia (and likewise all my girls) would feel that same disappointment. She said that no one ever told her that this was not how real life was. That real life was hard and often did not work out in a neat little bow. She said she felt cheated when she realized that not every girl meets her Prince Charming. That 'happily ever after' was not real.

I paused and thought about what she said and then my story flashed through my mind and I said with a smile, "Well, it is real for her because it's real for her parents. She sees it in them every day. I did meet Prince Charming and I married him."



Here's to happily ever after.


Happy Creations~
Jennifer

Tax Season is Almost Over!

As the tax season winds to an end, I found myself reflecting on what's really important. As a homeowner with 4 kids we obviously get a bit back on our taxes. We are getting more than we thought and so are able to pay down some debt but really, is it ever enough?

Probably not.

We are still strapped for cash, still living on a budget, still finding ways to make ends meet. We are like so many of you. As a stay at home mom I have always looked for ways to make something...anything to help lighten the burden. I just recently started as an Independent Consultant with Jamberry (and I really love it). Even so, I am not sure I have the time to devote to it to make the kind of money I would like. And yet...even when I just think there is no way we will ever have enough money, I am reminded of some important lessons.

1. Money is not evil, but the love of money is. So we try to make sure money is not what we strive for. Instead, we strive for contentment and the peace that comes with knowing we are responsibly handling our finances.

2. The only thing that really matters is people, specifically family and friends. We make a real effort to be with our family and friends because they are what truly brings us happiness.

3. Children are a blessing from God. What could be better than the precious gifts that God has given us? If you ask me, nothing. I am so lucky to have 4 beautiful daughters and I would feel the same way if we had one or 6 or any number. I just feel so lucky that God has given us a wonderful family. Even when finances get tight, our children don't seem bothered by it and our children are not the cause. We get creative and find things to do that either don't cost anything at all or have a very minimal cost.

There are many, many more things to be grateful for and many more lessons to remember. But these three seem pretty high up there for me. When I get down about money I just look at my little baby and revel in her smiles. Or I play Sudoku with my 8 year old. Maybe it's coloring with my (almost) 4 year old, or doing hair and playing dress up with my 5 year old. No matter what it is, these things make me see things a little more clearly and focus a little less on the things that really don't matter. After all, when I am at the end of my life I would like to look back and see a life full of love and family and friends. I don't want to regret spending too much time on work and stress and  chasing money cause none of that really matters.

Happy Crafting,
Jennifer

Reflecting on Christmas

School, activities, cleaning, laundry, cooking, visitors. Let's face it. This encompasses my whole day. Everyday. Well, minus the visitors. Our guests are usually here for special occasions or summer visits. In the case of this year it is for two things.
1. Gretchen Maria. Our newest, precious addition to our growing family. She brings such great joy to our lives and to those around us.
2. Holiday events. My two oldest darlings are performing in the Nutcracker this weekend and we are excited to be host again for that event.

And while the excitement of having visitors and fun things to do (like making Christmas cut out cookies, crafting gifts, sending packages, and decorating the tree) we should all try to remember why and what we are actually celebrating.

Christmas. It is not just a "Hallmark" holiday. We should try not to focus on the things. Let's remember that we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ who chose to be born into mortal flesh knowing He would die on a cross to bear our sins. Christmas is a wonderful day to celebrate the greatest gift mankind could receive from our loving God. It is a gift I intend not to squander.

So, while my husband and I enjoy finding gifts for the girls and for friends and family (a lot of which I choose to make). That is just an extra perk. An extra joy in our lives. Stressful at times. Frustrating at times. Exhausting at times. But fun and worth it for the joy it gives the giver and the receiver. It may not be the biggest, most expensive, or most sought after gift but it comes from the heart which is truly the reason for the Christmas season.

This is why, with the holiday fast approaching, my list of things to do quickly growing, my patience clearly ebbing, I must slow down and say thanks. Thanks for the visitors, the dinners, and the events. And thanks for the greatest gift of all.

My Crummy, Mundane, Amazing Day

Today started a little crazy.

Have you ever had a day like that? Where all you could think right from the start was, "Oh my gosh...this day is not starting out well and it's just going to get worse." And then it usually does.

Well, that is how my day started. After a very late night (like most of my nights these days-thank you, baby Gretchen) I had to start early. My 5 year old daughter had a doctors appointment that had all 5 of us girls leaving for the day earlier than normal. After some planning, I decided that an hour and a half should do the trick of getting everyone ready and out the door (this didn't include time for breakfast). So, I set my alarms accordingly...and yes, I said alarmS...as in the plural. I really didn't want to start my morning off badly.

So, this morning comes around and my oldest ends up with my phone (which is where my alarms are set) while I'm still in bed with the baby feeding her. I tell my oldest that she can use my phone quickly but needs to bring it back because I have my alarm set (I usually don't need an alarm thanks to my children). At this point, I'd had a nice long interrupted 3 hours of sleep, give or take. I was feeling wide awake. Hence the need for the alarms. I wanted to make sure I had back up in case I dozed off while feeding Gretchen. Which I did. I needed to have my phone to have my alarm to wake me up. Which I didn't...so I didn't...and I...didn't.Yep...when my brain fluttered back into full consciousness after being drowsy during the baby's feeding well, let's just say I knew something was wrong. I did not have an hour and a half to get everyone ready, I did not have an hour, I had about 35 minutes...

Oh sugar!! (That's my "bad" word-hey, I have kids people.)

That's where that phrase from earlier crept up on me. Crummy start to a crummy day. While getting ready I even inadvertently sprayed perfume in my eye...yeah. That felt great! It still does, in fact. I even got our dinner in the crock pot! In 45 minutes we made it to the van and onto the freeway. I made it to the doctor's office with about 1 minute to spare.

The rest of the day was running errands from one town to the next all seemingly just a touch behind schedule. Stress, frustration, stress. My 3 year old had many minor meltdowns due to a lack of nap, my 5 year old had some struggle with her sense of entitlement, my 7 year old was asking a billion questions that my brain and patience couldn't process not to mention her ability to pick on her sisters, and my one month old was sick of the carseat. All those things happened. All today. All with a very tired mamma.

But, I got to text and visit with a few friends that I haven't spent time with in a while. That was positive number one. And as I was driving home I realized many other positives. See, I have the privilege of being a mommy not once over but four times over. I get to see their beautiful faces every single day. I have the privilege of driving a mini van that I love (that my husband just did a bunch of work on and yeah, I know...I'm totally a mom). I have a wonderful husband. Period. And I have the grace of God who forgives my wrongs and guides me to do right, gently corrects me when I'm wrong, allows me to forgive and ask forgiveness, and literally fills my life with joy. 

My day started out crummy. It was full of the mundane. And it was absolutely amazing!

Pretty neat, huh?