Happiest Place on Earth

Nooo, not Disney...my happiest place (in Tennessee, at least) is this outlet mall. We got some awesome deals, and the best part was that it was "Tax-free Weekend"...how lucky is that? I have raised some good shoppers; Elijah, Isabel and even Gabriel had a great time going from shop to shop, although all Gabe really wanted was a "ooo Hot Wheel". I promised him a visit to KB Toys if he was a good boy, and it worked! One of my favorite stores is The Children's Place; it is the best I have ever seen. For $134, I filled a huge bag with outfits for all three kids...summer stuff, fall stuff, and pajamas! There is something so satisfying about getting a great deal! We didn't just shop, though; we rode carousels, ate ice cream from a vending machine (the kids thought that was so cool, for some reason), relaxed and had coffee and hot cocoa at Starbucks, and generally had a great time. God bless Tanger Outlet Mall :)

These next pics were actually from our last day, when Daddy and Papaw took the boys to the Go-Karts and the girls spent some more time at the outlet mall. Isabel was feeling very grown-up...she is just too darn sweet, that girl. After buying her some new earrings at Claire's, she said to me "Now we need to find something for you, Mom". How many 8-year old's are that mature? Not many, I imagine. I did finally find a few things for myself, although the search for the perfect bathing suit did not pan out. I HATE trying on bathing suits! Just when I think I am looking pretty good, working out three days a week and eating fairly well...then I get in that dressing room with those fluorescent lights, and I want to cry. Well, I digress...The rest of this day was great, and our ride home was uneventful, except for Gabe's tears when he realized that "Bo-vaction" was over and we were back at our house. Poor baby, I know how he feels. Vacation is fun.

I loved this picture of the two of us. I hope we have many more moments like this, just being together and enjoying the day and loving being mother and daughter. I am so blessed...I'm sure I sound like a broken record, but I feel that it's so important to count your blessings. Do you know that old church hymn, "Count Your Blessings"? One of my favorites. Here are the words:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,Count your many blessings, name them one by one,And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,Count your blessings, see what God hath done!Count your blessings, name them one by one,And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,And you will keep singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their lands and gold,Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buyYour reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,Do not be disheartened, God is over all;Count your many blessings, angels will attend,Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

All I can say is "Amen" to that.

Saturday: The Hike

More vacation...Saturday dawned with a beautiful sunrise, which I captured just before the sun peeked over the clouds. The view from our cabin was awesome; I can't wait to do something special with this picture.



After a yummy, home-cooked breakfast (the advantage of staying in a cabin over a hotel room: being able to cook instead of eating out for every meal), we loaded up in the van (again!) and headed for the Smoky Mountains National Park. The best trail for the kids and Mamaw was the paved Laurel Hills hike, 1.3 miles one way to a very pretty waterfall at the top. It even wore Gabe out! We climbed rocks, saw a millipede, looked for bears, touched the waterfall, pretended to swing on vines and just had a great time making memories. The last time we did this hike, Isabel was Gabe's age and Elijah was five years old. Man, the years do sneak up on you. That's one thing I love about coming back to the mountains over and over; comparing the memories then to the ones we are making now. Isabel didn't remember this hike, but Elijah did. I wonder if Gabe will. If not, then at least we have the photos and scrapbooks to remind him :)

Setting off up the mountain, Gabe in the lead (though not for long...he was distracted by every puddle, rock, bug and stick in sight!)

Once at the top of the climb, Gabe did not want to cooperate with us taking pictures. I was a nervous wreck, imagining him falling down the side of that mountain. There were Danger signs posted everywhere, and one older man slipped and fell right in front of us. Quite enough adventure for me...I was ready to face the excitement of the outlet malls after this!

Papaw didn't make the hike...after 1/10th of a mile, he started feeling short of breath and having chest pain, so he turned around and went back to the van. He is in utter denial about his health, which is extremely frustrating for the nurse in me. He cancelled his appointment for an angiogram last year, and hasn't gone back to the cardiologist since. What can you do with someone like that? He is the last grandpa my kids have, since losing my dad, my grandpa, and Joe's grandpa all in the same year ('05). I pray for him to come to his senses.

I have one more set of pics to post tomorrow...hope you enjoy sharing in our vacation. Gabe is still begging to go back to "Bo-cation" every day, and I have to agree with him; this was our best one yet! Now off to the real world of laundry, cooking dinner and taking kids to after-school events. Ahh, life.

Road Trip! (Day One...)

Friday morning dawned drizzly and overcast, but we didn't care...we were headed to "Bo-cation" (Gabe's version of vacation) in Tennessee! Only half an hour off schedule, we hit the road at 6:30am, hoping to miss downtown Cincinnati rush hour. Here's my view from the back seat, nestled between Gabe and Isabel, with the puppy at my feet. I know that God was with us on this entire trip. How, you may ask? Here is how I know:

No car problems (other than gas costing $3.50 per gallon)
No fighting (between the kids OR the adults)
Good weather on two out of the three days we were there
Beautiful scenery and an awesome cabin
We were all healthy (except for Bob's period of chest pain, which resolved itself)
We made great memories, and none of us wanted to come home, especially Gabe




The first thing the kids wanted to do was jump into our hot tub. The cabin had a wrap-around porch, and Gabe ran about three miles a day, taking laps round and round. Definitely one of the kids' favorite things to do.

When Gabe saw this firehouse putt-putt golf, there was no talking him down. We ate dinner first, telling him it wasn't open until after all bellies were full. I don't really think he bought that, though, because he fussed all through the meal, begging everyone in sight to please please play dolf! (even our waitress, who totally backed up our story on having to eat dinner first).

Love this action shot! Once he figured out to turn the club upwards, he had it. He even got two genuine hole-in-one's!

What a great shot! Joe didn't play with us, but he got some really good pictures from the sidelines. The course was in the center of a shopping area, so Mamaw, Isabel and Daddy shopped while we played. Papaw and Elijah played a round on their own, so the antics of Gabe didn't stress anyone out. I just had a terrific time watching him have so much fun. I can't wait to scrapbook these pics!

Parting shot.

More to come later. Now I have a pile of laundry as big as Mount Everest looming before me (how does that happen in four short days? Definitely a mystery to me). TTFN.

Smokies or bust!

Yay, vacation! We are escaping for a three-day weekend to the Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, and we are so excited! I have about three million things to do today, so I'm sure this will be my last post until we get back. Promise to put some pics on here next week.

Gatlinburg is hosting an annual wildflower show while we are there, so I'll bet it will be beautiful. Out of all the seasons that we have visited, spring is by far my favorite. Autumn is pretty, too, but I just love seeing the explosion of color after a winter of dreary gray. There is so much to do for families...hiking, eating, shopping, playing games and cards, lounging in the hot tub at the cabin, and best of all...reconnecting and just being together as a family. Vacation is a LOT of work for the mommy, but so worth it in the memories we are making.

Please pray for traveling mercies as we make the five hour drive in a van filled with four adults, three kids and a puppy :) Thanking God for our TV/DVD player in said van...when you think about it, five hours is only three movies away!

Loving "Gymnaskicks"

I finally decided to sign Gabe up for a session of gymnastics at our awesome YMCA here in Lebanon last month. He had been begging to go into that magic room of balance beams and rings and bars for the past year...a three-year-old's paradise. His teacher, Miss Nicole, had to have been hand-picked for him; she is the mother of twin boys similar to Gabe in age and energy level (one of her son's names is even Gabe). Although following directions and taking turns turned out to be quite a challenge, he did great and was always very excited to go to the Y on Tuesday mornings. I loved to hear him talk to Mamaw and Papaw and Elijah and Isabel about Miss "Cole" in "gymnaskicks". I took these pictures at parent observation day, the last day of class. And even though he really liked it, I think we may try soccer skills for the next session. That boy has so much energy to burn!




Waiting (patiently) for Miss Nicole to come and open the door at the start of class.

Learning to log roll...not too shabby.

I love the expression on his face. "Balance, Gabe, balance!"

One of Gabe's favorites: hopscotch!

We are blessed to live so close (5 minutes) to our Countryside YMCA. Check back this summer; I'm sure I will be posting lots of pics of us from the pool there. We go at least three times a week, and the kids never get tired of it. Gabe has even started swimming underwater at the inside pool, so I know he will be loving it this summer!

Now I'm off to bed...I worked last night and went to work out with Becky this morning, and I can finally admit to being tired. (But I will still see you tomorrow, Becky!). Have a great day!

Spring has finally sprung!

When I was in grade school, kids would say "Heather Feather knows the Weather"...pretty goofy, but you know the humor of a bunch of 8 and 9 year-olds. Well, if I could just copy and paste this forecast for the next two months, I would be ecstatic! Spring has finally arrived here in Lebanon! My tulips are blooming, my honeysuckle are covered with pale green leaves, and my strawberry plants are overflowing out of their planter box. I love it! Stepping out onto the deck and hearing the birds sing, catching the scent of our neighbor's freshly cut grass, being able to go outside without a coat/hat/gloves; these are the best things about living in Ohio. I would so miss the change of the seasons if we moved someplace warmer; although if winter was a little shorter, I would not complain.

I had a great time at Stamp Camp yesterday. I will post some pics of the cards we made later...I forgot to get my camera out, I was having so much fun. It's so nice to get the chance to be creative and relax and talk with other people while making some really cute spring cards (and eating yummy Ghiradelli brownies!). Can't wait to do it again next month.

Off to the Y to work off said brownies (and the Smokey Bones pulled pork BBQ that Joe brought home). Get out and enjoy the weather, y'all!

Time flies!

One year; three-hundred and sixty-five days; a whole bunch of hours (I could calculate that out, but who really wants to know?) So much life can be lived in one year. So many changes. Lost teeth; a new puppy; different schools for different grades with new teachers; new glasses; vacations and trips with family and friends...thank goodness Mommy takes lots of pictures or so many things would be forgotten! This is the stuff that memories are made of!

Just browsing through some of my favorite pics from last year, and these made the cut.

Elijah turning nine, celebrating with the fam at one of our fave restaurants, Outback. Yum!



Gabe, ready to watch Sissy sing at her school concert.

Isabel, looking absolutely gorgeous (bandaids and all) during our family vacation to Myrtle Beach.

Standing in awe at the polar bear exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo, where we went with Aunt Rhonda and Katlyn and Kylee for the day (I even let the kids skip school to go...am I a cool mom or what?)

A special thanks to Jen the Honorary Indian, for posting such nice things on my blog, and even putting a link from her blog to mine. I am flattered, although yours is much cuter than mine :)http://www.threelittleindians.blogspot.com , for those of you who have never seen her blog.

Have a great weekend! I'll try to remember to take some pics at my stamp camp on Sunday and post some card ideas, in case you're interested. Until then, as Tigger would say, TTFN!

Discovery

Not the best photograph...a little blurry and poor lighting...but I love it. I love how Isabel is trying to show Gabe where the squirrel is hiding in the tree at our church. I love the memories of this tree...from late spring through the fall, when the branches are covered with leaves that hang like a curtain around the trunk, this is a hiding spot for my kids. Every Sunday when we are leaving church, all three of them make a run for it, hiding from Joe and me and playing tag with each other. There are always squirrels trying to escape from Gabe's curious grasp, and birds flitting in and out of the branches, probably trying to scare them away from their nest. I wish we had a tree like this in our back yard, but I'm glad they have such a great time playing in this one. I know that's one fun memory they will have of our church when they are grown.

Isn't that such a big part of motherhood? Making sure your kids will have happy memories of their childhoods? It's so hard to remember that some days, when life threatens to overwhelm you with the daily grind of just maintaining a household. Then you have a beautiful day like today, when the sunshine beckons and the backyard is a place of discovery. Worms and pill bugs and birds and even wasps. Newly blossommed pink tulips and purple phlox and yellow daffodils and white sprigs of flowers on the pear tree out front. Blowing bubbles and riding bikes and walking the puppy. Finally being warm! Living in the moment and capturing it with my camera. Holding onto these moments and tucking them away in my mind, so I can pull them back out and remember. I pray that I can be a better mom this week. That I can be more patient and kind and just appreciate the little moments that are making up their childhood. That I can slow down and not feel overwhelmed. I know that God can and will answer prayer...I just hope He answers this one soon.

Catching Up...

This is what my life feels like today.
Trying to catch up. Trying to keep up.
Where does the time go? I have so many things to do, little things that really won't take long or aren't a big deal, but when you add them up, they feel so overwhelming.
Housework.
Paperwork.
Stampin' Up! orders.
Planning for Stamp Camp on Sunday.
Laundry.
Work at the hospital again tonight.
Sleep.
Take care of my kids.
Clean out their rooms; put away winter clothes; get out spring/summer clothes and see what still fits.
Organize...my house, my scrapbook room, my life!

Yes, I should feel blessed to have so many things in my life, and I do; really, I do. I just wish I had a fairy godmother who would sweep in and take of care of everything for me, just for one day (okay, maybe a week...or a month?).

Why do I sit here blogging about it instead of doing it? I only have ten minutes before I need to shower and get ready for work. I could be catching up on something. Sometimes its easier to complain about it than to do it, know what I mean?

Tomorrow...I'll catch up tomorrow.

Family Portrait Day

Last Thursday was our day to get our family portrait done for the church directory. Per the photographer's instruction, we dressed in similar outfits. To avoid having to buy five new outfits, I scoured our closets to find clothes that matched. Brown and beige were the winners, and although Joe had his doubts, I thought they turned out pretty well. After running around the house in a mad rush to get everyone (including myself) ready and looking presentable and trying to get out the door to make our 5pm appointment (what was I thinking, doing this at the "witching hour" for kids...tired and hungry and not wanting to smile?), we drove to the church running every stop sign and stop light. Okay, not really, just wanted to see if you were paying attention :) We barely made it to the church (only a minute to spare) for our scheduled sitting time, to find that they were running behind and we had to wait for 35 minutes to have our photos done. No problem, right? We only have three starving kids to keep entertained and clean and happy. Ugggh! Actually, the kids did great, Gabe even cooperated, and we had a great time afterwards in front of our church taking these snapshops with my camera. I think I like these pics better than the stiff, posed pictures the photographer took. When we were all smiled-out, we took the kids to Olive Garden to celebrate their awesome report cards and ate ourselves silly! And despite my pessimistic thoughts about the photo session, we really had a great evening and made some good memories. Hope you enjoy the pics. Check out the look on the boys' faces in some of these. Hunger pains, maybe?




Mommy, age 34; Isabel, age 8; Gabriel, age 3; Elijah, age 9...equals one happy family!

Isabel and I had a lot of fun making silly poses for each other. One great thing about a digital camera...you can be goofy without worrying about wasting film if they don't turn out. These were some of my favorites :)

Happy Sunday!

Although the weather is cold, it is a beautiful day on this glorious Sunday! I have so many things to be grateful for today...a good night's sleep; being prepared for my stamp camp this afternoon; my health; my kids' health; getting to go to church today (I've missed so much these past few months due to my weekend work schedule)...there are many more, but I won't list them all. It's enough to say that I am so praising God today for all He has blessed me with in my life...when you are able to find a quiet moment, think about your own blessings; you will be amazed at how many truly great things you have in your life when you notice them!

Enjoy this Jeremy Camp song, "Sweetly Broken". It's one of my favorites. Hope you have a great Sunday, too!

How to Blog...

Computer on: check
Digital camera charged: check
Coffee at hand: check
Kids off to school: check
Now you're ready to blog! Just go to blogger.com and get started!

Lots of people who read my blog think I must be a computer expert. NOT! But once Joe taught me how to download photos from my camera onto my laptop, and added a music player onto my blog, I pretty much had it from there. I wish my blog was as cute as some of the others that I have seen (yes, I'm talking about you, "Three Little Indians"), but for now it's the best that I can do. I love that people look at my pics and read my posts, if only to catch up on what's going on in my extremely interesting life (LOL).

I hope I can stay faithful to posting during the summer months...life will be even crazier with my whole family being off for the summer! I'm hoping Joe will decide after the first month to go find a part time job...otherwise, I'll be picking up some hours at the hospital :) We'll see. Only 1 1/2 months of school left; my kids are out on the 31st of May, and they are counting down the days!

Going to go fix lunch and prepare for my stamp camp...enjoy the last warm day for awhile! And stay dry!

Laundry Help?

How do they come up with these crazy ideas? This was Gabe's version of "helping" me with laundry...I'm pretty sure my closet rods are not strong enough to handle these hangers :)

Not much to say today (who, me? I know what you're thinking...you just hush!). I'm trying to come up with good card ideas for my next Stamp Camp, which will include a mix of experienced stampers and people who have never done it before. It's hard to find cards that won't be too simple or too frustrating...hmm, better spend some time on www.splitcoaststampers.com and see what I can come up with. I have an event this Sunday with a co-worker, and then a camp at my house on the 20th. If anyone is interested, give me a call or drop me a line. You can leave a comment here, or email me if you have my address. I promise they will be adorable, no matter what I decide. Spring is the theme, and I have lots of cute spring stamps and paper. I still have to get downstairs to my scrappin' room and unpack from the weekend. The weather has just been too darn nice to stay inside, and I worked most of the day yesterday (12n to 8p).

Hope to see some of you at Stamp Camp. For those of you who can't make it, I'll post some pics of the cards we made so you can copy them if you want. Have a great day!

My New "Do" and Cottage pics

Okay, I can't stand it, the housework can wait...here are the pics I promised. Michelle and I had so much fun this weekend...we can't wait to do it again! I did not get as much accomplished as I had hoped (my goal was three scrapbooks completed; I didn't even finish one). It was hard to get too much done with all the eating that was going on! Breakfast at 9, lunch at noon, tea at 4, dinner at 7, snacks at 10. I haven't eaten that much in months! But, boy, was it good...chicken marsala, french toast with apples, quiche, chocolate cake, lasagna, yummy bread, lots of salad and fresh fruit, and lots and lots of fresh-brewed coffee. Are you hungry yet? Anyway, it was the perfect getaway for two friends/sisters to reconnect and laugh and scrapbook to our hearts' content. We met some great people (three other nurses at our tables!), and one of the girls even lives close-by and is coming to my next stamp camp. I love it! Enjoy looking at the pics. By the way, the first one is of my new hair-do. I got all my hair chopped on Friday before leaving for the retreat, and I love not having to mess with it too much. A great spring do, if you ask me.



Michelle and I out front of the "cottage". Love this cute sign. People were honking at us as they drove by...clearly, not too much excitement going on in Richmond, IN, if this was a good time for them :)

Our scrappin' "ballroom"...all the rooms were beautifully decorated and well-lit.

Tea party time...

While we were downstairs at the tea party, our hostess put pearl necklaces on each of our scrapbook tables, along with an invitation to a "Pearls and PJs" dinner party. When we came down to dinner, these hats were at our chairs. We all had a great time that night!

The other three nurses at the cottage. We had so much fun sharing our "gross-est" stories, and I was designated the official spell-checker of our group. Merry Chirstmas, Lisa!

Michelle and I can't wait to go back, but it will have to be next year before we have enough time and money to return. My kids missed me like crazy, but thanks to everyone's prayers, they survived the weekend with their dad (although there was a minor flood due to a stopped-up toilet due to an unattended three-year-old; I'm not naming any names, but...). My totes are still waiting to be unpacked, but it's supposed to be 70 degrees and sunny today, so I think they will have to wait until the rain comes tomorrow. Enjoy your day, and thanks for looking!

I'm Back!

I'm back from my weekend, and I can't wait to share my pics with you! However, I have about a million things to do before I can even think about finding my camera and downloading the photos onto my computer. The kids need to be fed, lunches need to be packed, the puppy taken out, the dishes done, the laundry started, my floors swept, and I have to get to the gym to work off the extra pounds I put on eating all that delicious food! So...I promise that I will get to it later today, when Gabe is napping and I have put a dent in my to-do list. Really, I promise!

Sisters and Weekend getaway

These are the most recent pics I have of me and my big sisters (not big, just older). Rhonda in the middle, Michelle on the right. I am so excited today! At 3pm, I am packing up my van full of my scrapbooking supplies and heading over to get Michelle, and then we are driving to Richmond, IN, for our scrappin' weekend! Yay! I have all my albums organized and my goal is to get two of them completed. I am WAY behind on pictures, so I hope I can do it. Any which way, I know we will have a great time together. I am so blessed to have these women in my life...they have loved me since I was born, and have spoiled me rotten with love and attention ever since. Michelle was 9 years old when Mom had me, and she was the little momma (kinda like Isabel with Gabe). She has always been my rock...there for me in a minute, no matter what was going on in her life. I am so glad we have some similar interests, because it gets us together often enough to not lose that closeness.

Pray for my husband and my babies that they survive the weekend without me :)

I'll post some pics when I get back.

Backyard Break

Driving to the YMCA for my workout yesterday, Gabe was in the backseat hollering "SUNSHINE!" over and over. Yes, indeed, we had an entire day of sunshine, though the temp was only 50 degrees (I'm not complaining, really, just wishing for sun and say, seventy degrees?). Anyway, after a fun Cracker Barrel lunch with Mamaw Kay, we headed to our backyard and played and played. Gabe was in the modeling mood, telling me to "take a pitcher" on everything different thing he did. He is so freakin' cute, and those of you who know me, know the rest of the sentence..."it saves his life". Gabe is my busiest baby by far; I just hope he settles down enough to do well in school. He is adorable, sweet, funny and so loving and friendly to everyone, but wow, does he keep me on my toes! Trying to get housework done this past Monday was like climbing Mt.Everest with a three-year-old on my back, know what I mean? I was the meanest mommy ever by 4pm, yelling and ready to cry myself. That being said, I was determined to have a FUN day yesterday, and for the most part, it worked out just fine. No time outs, no yelling, just laughing and talking and hugging and playing. Today, more housework. Gabe woke up in a river of pee, despite the overnight pull-up, so I've already done a load of laundry, packed lunches, cooked breakfast and got the older kids off to school. A cup of coffee and my computer, with Dora on in the background...my day has begun. Remember sleeping in until 10am on your days off? Those days are so gone they don't even seem real. Strange how kids can totally change your life, isn't it? Not that I would have it any other way! Really, I wouldn't!

Hope your day is filled with more fun and less pee-soaked laundry than mine :)