MY LOVES

Just feeling like I need to shout out....I.LOVE.MY.KIDS!!! They make me feel so proud to be their momma. That's it....all I needed to say!!

Love you:
Aidan Riley
Finley Patrick
Breslyn Claire
Owen Brady

XOXOXO,
momma

Aidan's First Day of 3rd Grade

Look at him!! Such a sweet wonderful big boy going to 3rd grade!!

His new TEXAS RANGERS backpack {thanks Gaga}!!
It was filled with LOTS of school supplies {thanks Memaw}!!

Yummy breakfast....biscuits and jelly....and water!! He's such a goood boy!

Aidan really was gonna miss his littlest sibling! After school last year...EVERY SINGLE DAY he would run in and love on Breslyn as fast as he could...now he has two littles to love on {and Finn, but Finn doesn't usually want to be hugged on!!}

He's sooo tall...and yes, that is biscuit stuck to his shorts!! I got it off before he got on the bus!!

Sweet sweet sweet!

Mommy and Aidan...do you see my sadness?

I think he was trying to pretend I wasn't there with him at the bus stop!! Ha!

Beautiful sunrise! Last year he had to be at the bus stop at 7:24...this year 7:05!! OMGosh...it's terrible, but he doesn't seem to mind.

This is when I started to feel my heart leaving my chest and watched it getting on this Peterman bus. I don't know Peterman, but I trust him wholly to take care of my little man. ;)

There he goes....and as I walked home I realized something was wrong with my eyes...they were watering up! I love you Aidan. Daddy and I are proud of all you have done and will do!! You rock big boy!!

If all else fails....sleep

last week this is how I found Finn. yes, we had had a fight. yes, he stormed off angry. yes, I heard him grunting and crying. yes, I noticed he became very quiet. and yes, this is what i found upon entering his room.....

he almost looks like an angel...don't be fooled!
well, maybe he isn't ALL bad! ;)

{a side note: when finn has decided he is going to be angry about something, and he knows he might throw a fit (or get in his bed and hide under his pillows), he first takes his glasses off and carefully puts them on Aidan's desk!! That's why he isn't wearing said glasses in any of these pics...little runt!! Teehee!}

Our Family Diner

{help...I am not computer savvy....how do I start typing above my first picture??}

Okay, so family diner it's not, but we have discovered Logan's Roadhouse restaurant and have decided it is "our" family restaurant!! We always have a coupon, B and Finn always share a kids meal and the prices are already pretty cheap. A month or so ago we made a trip to L, and I snapped a few pics of our dinner...look at this sweet family {minus me...forgot to take my own pic, since nobody else ever volunteers to take mine!} :)

Joseph Patrick and his namesake Finley Patrick.

Daddy and Aidan {also know as Bubba around our house}.

Okay...please tell me you died laughing at this pic? Hahahaha!! I have a better pic from that night, but this one is HILARIOUS!! I love it and it is now my wallpaper on my laptop!! Teehee!

Big Brother loves his little sister Breslyn Claire...and I think the feeling is mutual.

We are pretty lucky that our kiddos really behave themselves when we're out and about! Love this sweet little {HUGE} family!!

Vain or Value

I am SOOO honored, thrilled and humbled EVERY single time another blog features me. I get this incredible rush...my cheeks turn red, my heart starts pounding, and okay...I get a little proud!! Just getting comments makes me seriously giddy as well. Anyone that has a blog appreciates that other people take time to check out their blog and especially when they leave comments. Upon noticing someone has taken time to read my blog I feel validated for taking time to write lengthy passages, or when I have posted seriously long tutorials on my latest craft. Ha!

I am even sad when I have not had the time to write a post or make a craft and link up to "linky parties". Some weeks go by and I have not had time or energy to update the blog...during those times I genuinely feel sad. Sad that I have "probably" not had any {me} time in the past few days, sad that I will go another week without a comment from someone else...is anyone gonna read my blog this week and sad that I find validation from such an insignificant source.

Sometimes I feel like I should be ashamed of myself for enjoying the "attention" I get from others when they visit my site. I know that joy does not/should not come from such things....it should come from Jesus, from watching your child smile, from reading some thought-provoking Bible verse, from laying on the floor playing Lego's with my littles, from raising my children 'in the way they should go', etc, etc, etc.

And maybe some days it is a bit trifle to seek those sweet compliments and I am completely aware that it really means nothing in the grand scheme of things. BUT...on the days that I have cleaned up throw up, wiped 6 snotty noses {one right after the other}, changed 10 diapers, read 20 board books and served 5 different styles of sandwiches.....well, on those days it's nice to reach out and read what other adults in the world are doing. I may go hours and hours without adult interaction...so very often "blogland" is all that I have to connect with the REAL WORLD.

So maybe just maybe I am not completely vain and maybe my values don't lie in things that will perish...maybe I just like to feel good about myself, my craft and my family and I get that reassurance from this blog and from the wonderful people who frequent it.

I am so very grateful for this outlet....for the opportunity to express myself in many different ways, for the chance to capture sweet pictures and moments spent with family on this, my digital scrapbook. :)

Paper Wreath Perfect Place

Ain't she purdy? I think so. I know this has been done so many times in Blogland, but I am just now getting the chance to make one!! So here goes...
I cannot find my first couple of pics. I bought a wreath from the dollar tree, an OLD encyclopedia {letter B} and gathered my acrylic brown paint. I painted the exposed sides of the book, let it dry, and then ripped the pages out. I got out my glue gun and sticks {used a million of them}, rolled my pages and glued em down!! That easy. Okay, not that easy. I did burn myself about 30 times...no kidding. :(

This is eventually gonna be the back. Roll the paper and then hot glue it down. Done. Ha! Complete a row before moving on. They will get uneven if you don't...trust me, I know!!

{a little out of order, but here are my pages torn from the book...to let you in on a secret, I did eventually run out of paper!! Yikes. I had to go STEAL a book from my son to finish out the project. Luckily I found one of his books that he has already read and if fit with the color scheme of the other book.}

Keep going...roll or scrunch, glue, and go again. :)

Now flip the thing over. If it won't lay down, put a book on it for a little while. Now start the next layer. Roll, scrunch AND fold a tab over. Put the glue on the tab and stick it on {pictures below}.

Here you can see the folded over tabs. It really is easy and fast.

Start a new layer. It will stick out farther, but won't look weird when the wreath is finished..no worries!

Here she is taking shape!! You can see lots of holes which you will fill in a different way than making tabs.

See that space above? Now you JUST roll the paper and put hot glue over the bottom of the piece. You just stick it in the holes. It will attach to the other paper instead of the Styrofoam.

So then I decided why not burn the edges...okay, not really. I totally stole this part of the idea from another blogger {themillersground.wordpress.com}. Um, hey...it actually catches FIRE!! HA!! It was all under control, but scary for about.a.second!! I do like the detail of the burn on the end of some of the pages.

I'm not gonna hang her outside, but the best light was cascading across our front door...so I hung her there for a few pictures.!! {BTW- forgot to take a pic of how you hang her. I used ribbon and straight pins. It is totally covered so however you want to hang it will be fine!}

I am totally giddy with how pretty it turned out. I would LOVE to leave it on the front door, but I really don't think it would hold up to the elements!! Teehee!! I struggled on where to put her until...I.went.potty!! I was in the kids bathroom and realized that the color palette matched the wreath perfectly!! Whoohoo!

She is big, but I think she is perfect in here...with all the other lovelies!!

Years ago I bought the shower curtain you will see below {just a tiny picture of it...stupid me}. I was searching for decoration to go with it. I ended up in my parents barn and saw these O.L.D Highlights magazines!! They were falling apart, but I didn't care. I looked through them, picked out my favorite pages and framed them!! I am pretty proud of the bathroom! Do you remember Highlights? I loved them so much, and I am glad that I get to see these each time I am in this room.

I am SUPER DUPER thrilled with it. I just realized it brings a little girlie-ness to the bathroom. It was a bit boyish before. I hope you enjoy her purdiness online and if you visit!! Oh, and if you do visit, feel free to pick off any hot glue strings you might see inside OR hanging off of this little beauty!!! ;)

Not a Wordless Wednesday

It has been THAT day!
I wish I could say that "THAT" day was the definition of the best day ever.
I cannot say that...
...oh, and it is only 12:30pm.

You try me, my child.
My children, you test me in every area possible.
My character is forever changed from raising you.
You have shown me how much I can love another person.

I want to shout with the loudest boom
but that doesn't faze you.
I spank with an iron fist
you follow with screams, but continue doing the same.

You bring me to tears...currently and continuously.
You follow me into the bathroom
a place of privacy no longer.

You bring a smile to my face.
Those freckles make me giggle.
Hugs are frequent and needed.


I am tired from taking care of an infant all night. My emotions are on high because I am forcing my body to stop producing milk....my hormones are CRAZY and wondering what I am doing to my own body. I am happy for the first day of school, yet I am gonna miss my big helper every day. I feel taken advantage of. No one else is gonna do my job....because it IS MY JOB. I miss being happy, productive, healthy, satisfied. I miss Christ and having a church home.

I am in awe of this wonderful family I have. I still go into shock when I count how many kids I have! I have such great support...family and friends. Being able to throw myself into hobbies makes "me" time so wonderful. Reading comments on my blog from perfect strangers makes me completely giddy!! Ha!

I need to focus on the important and what will make me happy again. I will not let my children define me completely. I will love on my husband and my kiddos and make the best of every single day.

Ahhhh. Getting all that out makes me feel so much better.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Another day is coming.

Wordless Wednesday

{part of our summer vacation...trip to the OMNI to see Toy Story 3 in IMAX!!! Super cool!!}