Missed a week, so I'll make up with a few pictures

We FINALLY uploaded some pictures and since I missed last week I put a few up today :)

Five Minute Friday

Well nothing like an expensive car repair to throw your week off :( Gggggrrrrrrrrrrrrr...Things could always be worse, but I need a moment to be frustrated. It's a new day and a new month. A birthday month in our house makes it even better. Two weeks left of having a "baby" in our house.i I haven't posted any pictures in awhile and for sure need to upload them from the camera, but I will leave with a couple of faces I woke up to the other day. The big kids decided to give each other tattoos...ooookkkkkaaaayyyy?????

A Day Late

This last week flew by. We are getting some projects crossed off our list of to do's and our home is getting cozier by the minute. Last weekend we had some friends here with their kids so total our kids' ages were 1,2,3,4,5,6 and everyone did so great! Rylan is officially registered for kindergarten and Elle will be registered for PreK in a couple weeks. Where are were did my little dog go, errr where or where did my little babes go? Hard to believe it will just be Blakey and me for a few hours every week, although I did get a little taste of it today and it was sweet to have one child to focus on. I definitely need to do some more one on one time out and about with all of the kids. The biggest news is that I have started the application process to go back to school. So many things about this scare me but a teensy weensy part of me is excited :) The school/program I'm looking at is geared at towards working students with most classes being at night and I'm hoping online. Although it's just two years left it may take me closer to four. We have a few things to get in order and checked off before I have anything else to report but I am cautiously optimistic that before the end of the year something will be in place.

Five Minute Friday

Picking up from last week...After my grandparents and dad left my mom stayed through Sunday and we had a great time. Mom and I even got away on Saturday for some shopping in San Marcos and met up with Aunt Leslie and Lindsay. We have had TERRIBLE allergies but have found some medicine that helps with the majority of the symptoms making life so much better. We are enjoying cooler weather and had a nice little Valentines day. This weekend some of our friends that visited last month are coming and we are looking forward to having a fun weekend with them-one giant sleeper over, all ten of us under one roof, yup ten! I am feeling much better about being in Texas this last week. Grateful for the opportunity here and my heart is changing about it all. Still desperately miss the beauty and family in California but feeling like its okay to have both feet planted here. Blake is talking up a storm, repeating so many words. Our baby will be two in a month and next year both "big" kids will be in school five days a week, heart wrenching :( To end this on a positive note, we are hopefully getting to spend some time with most of my extended family this summer in Washington and I am thrilled at the possibility for my kids to be with everyone and get a break from the Texas heat in July!

Five Mintue Friday

My trip to California was perfect! I got to see the ocean almost all the way from San Diego to San Francisco, even though it broke my heart I was so happy to glimpse of the San Francisco bay, Central Coastline, the Channel Islands, and Coronado. The drive from Oakland to Eureka was beautiful as well, even getting a peak at some snow in the mountains as we drove north. In the previous blog I mentioned one special friend would be absent from our gathering, BUT guess what??? She surprised me and drove up! Best little reunion EVER, EVER! The shower for Charlie Grace niecey niece to be and her mama was perfect! It looked pretty, we had good food, she has some wonderful friends that were very generous with special gifts, and I couldn't be more excited to meet this baby girl. Added bonus, I got to sleep THROUGH the night (even if it was a couple 5 hr nights-totally worth the lack of sleep) and I had no time crunch on getting ready. One more bonus, I got to snuggle the lovie Mr.Jax. Goodness gracious I could have hugged, and swayed, and loved on him for hours and hours. I missed my four at home and so appreciated the hugs and cries for mama as I walked down to the baggage claim. My parents came back with me and my grandparents came from Washington a couple hours later. Such a sweet time to all be together and it was the first time Blakey and my grandparents had met. Of course we took them to some Texas bbq and had a special treat after picking Rylan up from school all together and going to ice cream. Just realized I have about a million things to do before school drop off and I've gone way over my five minutes ;) so I'll finish next week.

A Little Late/ A Little Early For Five Minute Friday

I'm so excited to put my feet down on California soil tomorrow, but I know the ache that will come with being away from three of the most precious faces. I have been thinking a lot about friendship lately, how it changes, how it grows, how you never need it any less. I am grateful to see friends that have made it through the years, 2nd grade, 5th grade, and 9th grade and eight babies! I will be missing one little love I met in 7th grade after tripping over a bag of PE uniforms at our pre jr high sports physicals ;) I am also grateful for the incredible friends I've made since. The ones that were started in San Luis Obispo through work and school and have carried on through many moves, marriages, and yes more babies. While the West Coast holds the bulk of my friends-California, Oregon, and Washington, I have been seriously hooked up with friends in Texas too! One being a couple of hours and away and soon to be much further-I'm sad to see them go but so stoked on what the opportunity means for her family. I have neighborhood girlfriends again which are priceless. A friend I will watch The Bachelor for because she is that amazing to be with, but I'll need some spiked hot chocolate-for The Bachelor part, a girlfriend that can and has been my personal stylist, a friend that makes the yummiest food and always shares her recipes, ladies that I can laugh with as easily as I can cry with, and new friendships that have been brought together through our children. Friendships with family members are especially dear and I'm lucky to have those as well. That sweet little girl scout song about friendship couldn't be more true. Friends near and far,sprinkled across the country and even in Sweden-forgive me for when it feels distant, laugh with me when I make a fool of myself, cry with me when I just can't help it, and know I am doing the same for you, even if I'm buried under clean unfolded laundry in peanut butter smeared pajamas with the every present ponytail in place because I love you and always wish there was more time for us to be together. I'll never need you all any less and I can't imagine having better friends. Cheers loves!

Five Minute Friday

Blake is starting to say so many words! She is so fun, I wish you could play with her. Elle and I had another round of colds or whatever and we are slowly moving into the better category. We had a lot of rain this week that was so refreshing although I wasn't sad for a dry day yesterday to get the kids outside to play and feel the sunshine. My sister came last weekend and the kids had lots of fun making silly faces on the computer and looking through all her pictures. Rylan is still enjoying his prek class and I'm amazed how much he is learning in those three hours everyday. Elle is in full force a tumultuous three year old phase. I can only imagine how many deep breaths I'll have to take seven to eight years from now if this is a glimpse, sheesh! Maybe it's because she's been sick for so long she's over it-and yes she has told me she's over it when she doesn't like my answer and she has also called all of us haters at least once the last month. My New Year's resolution is in this year to find my new peaceful place, my place of solitude, my new Avila in Texas. It's a giant state, there's gotta be a diamond in the rough waiting for me to discover! I need it, I miss home!

I Made It Happen On a Friday Finally

It seems like the last few weeks could be summed up with illness, illness, illness. I was sick on Thanksgiving so we had Jack in the Box-don't judge, Elle has had three ear infections, Rylan has/had strep, scarlet fever, and an ear infection, Blake has an ear infection and the flu, and I have bronchitis and a sinus infection. I managed to make Christmas dinner for Kenny in shifts but when I wasn't in the kitchen I was in bed. Catching up on other things-I surpassed my goal with my Cotton Candy sale, thank you to all that made purchases last month. I was grateful to take it all to the bank yesterday and put together a bigger than expected money order(tearful story to follow). We are excited some neighborhood friends from California that moved to Keller Texas about a year ago are coming to spend the day with us tomorrow. They have three stair step babes like us and it will be so good for both families to have a little taste of home for an afternoon. I had a great birthday a couple weeks ago. Shopping and lunch with girlfriends, a date with my man, an all too quick lunch with a bestie, and time to myself! Oh and we moved October 30th! Love the new place and most importantly the kids couldn't be happier, probably even get along better with more space, an awesome playroom, and a great backyard. Now the teary part...




If you have been reading our blog I hope you have been following Noa's story and praying for the Rose family. As I said before I was doing a fundraiser sale at Cotton Candy to donate to the Roses. Many gave above and beyond their purchase totals and I know some donated directly via their blog. I hoped for a set amount and easily doubled it. My heart was full that strangers and friends were supporting our friends financially and prayerfully. I have "rough drafted" part of this post at least a dozen times with the words just out of reach. Noa's story did not end the way my heart longed for, but God's plan is not our own and my heart just hasn't come to terms with that yet. I struggle to share because I know words on a screen often don't come across the way we intend. I am by no means making this about myself, it is just such a delicate time and I don't want to taint it with my limited ability to put the right words together. Even this very moment I pause and pray that the words read here reveal the tender truth and nothing more. Getting back to yesterday. It took me longer than I expected to go to the bank, sick mom, sick kids, holiday obligations(silly), whatever else, but mostly I think I just was reluctant to go because I wished so desperately that I didn't have to. That all of this didn't need to be in the first place. That Noa's beautiful life was being shared with her family this side of heaven. I had three transactions to do at the bank and the money order was the last because I knew I would spill if they at all asked who it was going to or what it was for. When I gave the teller the amount she looked quizzical and when she said she waved the normal fee I expressed my gratitude and began to share just a tiny bit of Noa's story. I noticed the woman working at the drive up window was listening and starting to tear up. As the transaction was almost completed she walked to the woman helping me and said hold on a second and went to the back. She came out and stood next to me and handed the teller some cash and said, "I'm a customer at this bank and I want to add to this money order" I hardly had a voice and hugged her and said thank you. Now both of us were crying and I shared with her how amazed I was with her generosity and about the Cotton Candy fundraiser. She said she wished she could do more. She took a minute to compose herself before going back to her desk at the window. I expressed my appreciation again and how much it meant that a complete stranger was touched and acted upon it. I have never been in this branch before so she has never seen me. I was floored that with just a few words, honestly maybe thirty seconds of sharing she opened her heart and her wallet-literally. Maybe because I'm a girl and a crier, the whole thing was more tender, but it felt like a movie scene. It was fluid and beautiful as if someone had scripted it. And you know what, I believe that. I believe that the God that cares about the very hairs on my head, cares even more about my heart. Our family and friends have had some tragic and painful loss the last few months, losing a husband/father and a child are nothing I know first hand but my heart has been burdened for the people I love hurting so deeply. I started the season not feeling very into it because we did not have family coming nor were we going anywhere to be with family and after some rushed and crabby holiday shoppers, and the tragedy in Connecticut, the weeks before Christmas weren't especially cheery. The woman at Chase bank renewed my spirit in people and that there was actually good in the world. I believe I had a divine appointment that day with Stephanie at Chase bank on 620 and Wyoming Springs, I just didn't have it on my calendar, but thankfully He did. I love how He loves children. While the money was given to bless the Roses, it blessed me the same. I saw on facebook this idea of starting with an empty jar at the beginning of the year and putting notes of good things that happen through the year and reading them at the end of that year. I will absolutely be starting this in a few days and yesterday will probably go in, a few days early but oh well. It will be in the jar but I don't think I will ever forget it-I can see it like it's a movie I've watched over and over. I don't know her motivation for doing this but I am grateful.I am grateful for her generosity and I'm grateful for the restoration in my heart and to the one who orchestrated it all. Just as Mary pondered these things and treasured them in her heart, I am doing the same tonight. Happy New Year dear ones!

5 Minute Fridays

...will be back this week :)

To Help the Roses

Shop Cotton Candy's 50% off sale with all proceeds going to the Rose family, buy a shirt or sweatshirt or donate directly! Go here https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cotton-Candy/142733862431785 or here http://prayingfornoa.bigcartel.com/about or here www.noascdh.blogspot.com