3.21.16

Thankful this week that.....

we got the kid's spring break planned. AZ here they come... minus momma.... insert ALL the crying your eyes out emojis... for real....

we got to witness a baptism of a 25 year old believer

were able to trade  in our cute, fun, amazing on gas passat... for a more practical for this stage of our lives... minivan. So far we are impressed and the kids. They are all freaking out about the SPACE  they have yet again and the dvd perks are fun too

Easter bunny duties complete. {Minus peeps and jelly beans that can't be bought this far in advance or else midnight snackin' and stealin' may occur }

Easter PJS arrived, thank you Gymboree and Ebay. and yes as long as our sweet 10 year old lets me buy him skinny pj's, he will wear them on Easter eve to bed each year ;)

Easter outfits are done. Thank you Ebay for mommy daughter dresses & Etsy for Hudson's birthday shirt.

Easter week devotions.



Birthday presents are bought ( amazing Amazon yet again) and wrapped.
A birthday on a holiday makes it extra special but extra busy!

that packages after packages from my DonorsChoose grant have been arriving. This looks like many many little legos, big legos, books, ant farm, butterfly farm, markers galore, Clorox wipes and many many manipulatives, LakeShore has not shipped there stuff yet, but guys this is seriously like Christmas in March. It's such a God thing and it's still so incredible!!

 {The magnet tiles are SO awesome!!}

very very very thankful for only 3 days at work this week... between an IEP meeting for Hudson which I took off for & Good Friday, this week will be a BREEZE :)

 

{Since we are studying Clouds in week 2 of March's Science Unit - these real life pictures were perfect!}

{Marchin' On through March}

Thankful this week....

that our awesome sitter Frankie was available, so we could go out on a much needed impromptu date night.

for Matt's love of sushi. We went out Friday night to a newly opened spot by the movies, and although our server Kim was AHMAZING (and comped us on a few items!), Matt's sushi taste buds weren't happy ;) So off we went on Saturday afternoon to his old work area to Sushi Ya. And there my friends, we had sushi. Worth the 45 minute drive each way :)

{these were from our Friday night date- yes that sushi is on fire! Fun right!?}



for Under Armours ADORABLE toddler clothes!!
So my momma heart has to break a little here because I secretly vowed my kids would never be "that" kid in sweats or workout clothes- always preppy and classy.... until Harrison wouldn't  let me dress him anymore in 1st grade :) I shifted. {Hannah loves her girly girl dresses and wears all things dressy to every occasion.} But now with Hudson, he is ALL boy & classic polos and cute shoes & custom resells are SO lost on him (and maybe I am getting more chill, a tad lazy in my ebay stalking of said custom resells & smarter with the green stuff ;)).  

 Thankful for a free trip to the Children Museum with the fam jam.
 {Loved that we got some free family pictures outta the deal too & can not wait to see them once the sweet lady sends them! One was with all 5 looking the same direction, with real smiles, and colored pom poms flying through the air! Pure Joy!} But for now... Big H's head in a Trex skull is all we got

 for Harrison's 1st baseball practice going super well. Matt met the coaches and loves them. He loves how much time they take with each player learning certain techniques and the encouragement they shared with Harrison.
{Parents, you know the struggle is real. Sports are awesome- they teach such great life values like teamwork, getting along and meeting new friends, while getting better athletically too- BUT the coach makes or breaks it.. and we have had a lazy coach year 1, a great coach year 2 and now year 3... we were really hoping for even better this time around since the league shifts at this age range and the stakes are a bit higher... and week 1 was awesome, so here's to real prayers that this team of coaches will encourage, inspire and help model good characteristics for our son.} #ittakesavillage

{Little sis cannot handle the late practice}

THIS. IS. TOO. PRETTY. TO. EAT,
{This was my group's treat at our recent field trip to Navy Pier's IMAX theater. Seriously delish and split 5 ways wasn't THAT much of a calorie killer ;)}

Thankful for peace in the journey :) Sleep little lovers and fighters. They love hard. They fight hard. They sleep hard. Let them sleep. Oh, please, let them sleep. 

Thankful for a new bible study, a block from home! We are reading an NIV version of the NT, and it reads like a book- no margins, side notes, verse numbers etc. And in 40 days we will have read the NT. Excited for new fellowship!

Thankful that the mop of hair you see above with Hudson is GONEZO baby! 

A trip to PigTails & Crewcuts was pretty successful. Hudson still despises the buzzer, but he let the lady do her thang & was not sweaty and red upon departure, like last time :) 

Thankful for DONORS CHOOSE!! My donation request of $1300 worth of goods is FULLY FUNDED!! By total strangers, when I was completely Doubting Thomas. 

I figured, I have the ability to request stuff.... so I will.. the prayers were real yet some days wavering... and then literally on a hard day ...on a day that Satan was attacking my heart in very real ways... this news popped up.... God's hugs are real. And needed. And come in unexpected ways on the most needed days.. 

3.7.16

Thankful this week for...

a hubby who loves to cook and created an amazing healthy shepherds pie... with a cinnamon heart.. yes yes he did.... xo

Hannah's huge appreciative heart. After a fun mom daughter date at Dick's Sporting goods, she was just all smiles and brimming over with excitement over her goods, especially the pink sparkly bat and pink water bottle. "Thank you mom so much. I just love how the bat matches my nails." Are you even serious!? Thank you Lord. THAT is what I totally envisioned when I 1st heard the Doc say "Its a Girl" :)

breakfast with friends who care, who pray and who listen. (Although Hudson has a habit of humbling us in public, we enjoyed a 2 hour convo :))

joy in the journey.

for a friends heart to encourage and send love via snail mail. Thanks Heather!! Cannot wait to frame it & hang it on our gallery wall xo

Harrison's spelling bee debut! He got placed as an alternate and to his happy surprise, someone backed out so in he went! He studied for a couple days and tried endlessly to enlist us all as quizzers at all hours of the day ( patience tested), and then boom. There he was. Behind the podium. 4 judges seated, staring intently. He got through round 3 out of 5. He misspelled 'forecaster'- leaving out that middle e. He was like "my heart was beating so fast". He did it. He loved it. He felt awesome getting up there and trying hard things. His love of learning and all things good- is so awesome.

Book 1 of my 2016 reading list is checked off! Love Does is finished, and what a book! It is a MUST read. It will leave you with "aha" moments and laughs and then personal challenges on how we do more , talk less.


Hudson's curiosity. Because he brings us to our knees more than we thought our precious innocent third child ever would ;)  Because this boy... this boy.. is in to ALL THINGS.... this week was Protein Powder ( an expensive replacement to sand and VERY messy to clean up :( ), and broken siracha bottle at breakfast with glass and hot sauce everywhere... sigh...



for Amazon delivering the cutest potty chair we ever did see... (and no -our other 2 kids never got catered too in this area- they had to deal with the adult toilet... but ... but I just had to buy it ... it "choo choos" when you pee!! Cmonnnnn :))
So this.. this is what we have as our big March plans... the P-T word... let the good times begin ;) We think that Potty training with our unique crazy amazingly cute pumpkin will be anything ..

but ordinary :) Hopefully Thomas can help :)

Just like that.... February is done!

How is this the last day of February!? Feels literally like yesterday I was excited that my favorite Pink Glittery Love Month was here... .
Whoa...

Thankful this week that my aunt was able to take time off work and be our nanny, housecleaner, cook, organizer and tree house maker :)

Thankful that we are now back to our version of normal, with Dad home and routines back.

Thankful that Matt was able to be encouraged and grow spiritually while he was with Ross.

Thankful that friends from church were able to donate their time on a Friday to come read to my class

Thankful that  my class WON for the PreK-2nd age group in most books read and most quizzes taken ( Love Accelerated Reader!!)

Thankful for  good friends in AZ who sacrifice time and space to help pick up and store a new to us quad :) 

Thankful Hudson getting 2 speech sessions a week and for an improvement in communication. 

Thankful for Hannah getting invited to her 1st Kindergarten Birthday Party. 

{After last week when Harrison got 2 birthday invites .... Hannah was feeling pretty blue... but now .... it's a different story}

Thankful for this AHHMAZING weather!! Sun and warmer temps makes me a whole new person! 

Thankful to be reminded about God's handiwork each time I drive into the sunrise. There is such beauty literally all around us... take the time to see it and be thankful for it... 

 Hudson LOVED watching Auntie Paula get creamed

 We love our new pie game (thanks Jill for the recommendation!!) Hannah, not one to like anything smooshy on her face, opts for the sponge not the whipped cream. 

 Penguin Jammies and waffles with Cool Whip

 Yes Yes Yes

2.22.16

Thankful for praying friends.

Thankful for bringing Hannah on a field trip with me! It was so much fun having her with our class and watching her play with my kiddos. Quality time is one of her love languages for sure.

Thankful for a playdate with Uncle Dusty & Auntie Mila at Dave and Busters.
 (We got home at like 6pm & look these "we are NOT tired moooom" Snuggled up... too cute)

Thankful that Harrison won at that giant claw "waste of money" game!! 1st time anyone from our clan has won at that!! Woot Woot!!

Thankful for birthday parties galore- great distraction from missing Dad!

Thankful for Matt's heart to help others & travel to Texas to encourage another preaching friend. The spanish assembly there was encouraged and what a blessing to witness a baptism in the Gulf! These outta the norm experiences are seriously one of a kind... and only happen when we "step out of the boat" in faith and trust God.

Thankful for our close knit church family.

Thankful thankful thankful for the inspiring All In book. I am so close to being done! Each paragraph literally hits me as an " I know right!?!?" moment. Love it.


Thankful for organization. Our space is small, so having a place for everything is tricky- but after 8 months we have made some serious progress & enjoy the simplicity.
 
(BEFORE... cringe...)                     (After,,,sigh...yay... the gold details are SO fun right!? :)


Thankful for the 100th day of School! {Seems like just yesterday I was walking into the unknown world of Room 108... colorless... empty walls... strange faces in the halls... now we are like family & the life that my room has ... is beautiful! Thank you for all the support, my dear bloggie pals!!}




 Random Life:

 Yay for Susanna and her fab babysitting skills! It called for a break & a Red Robin date! (Yum!!!)

 ( We love counting eyeballs and making eye ball pizza during my days off :)) 

 True Story. This outfit happened. :)

 Goodbye white couch (that we could never keep white. Pottery Barn how can I ever have your WHITE couch!?! And keep it white!?! Someday???)

Sunday School Pictures from Texas... Arrival home in T Minus 4 days!! WAHOOOOO

 Ross and a friend singing

 I will never complain about my Sunday school room again. This. Is. Real. Life.