I don't know where this Winter break has gone. Well ...actually ... I know for certain that one of the nights was spent on/in front of my toilet, expunging the flu from my system. A few days were spent celebrating 5 Christmases ...yeah, FIVE! Another day was spent gutting the girls' room of unused toys to make room for all the new stuff they got from their FIVE Christmases. Spent a day working. Spent a few days packing. And will spend the rest of the weekend surrounded by my girls & husband and amazing friends! Ciao.

Once in a while I throw an outfit together and it just feels good. And then I end up wearing it a couple of times throughout the week. I try not to repeat it around people I have already seen for the week ... as if anyone is actually looking at or caring what I wear. Today marks day three in the comfy outfit. Thank goodness it's been cold ...cuts down on the b.o. factor.

I think there is something to beginning each day with prayer. It puts the day (the day WE have planned) into perspective and allows God's plan for the day to actually, maybe, by chance, happen. I am only three for three with this new plan of waking up each morning and praying before even my favorite tea hits my lips ...and yesterday Aspen greeted me while I was on my way to pray so my plans were redirected ...but I think that it is still a good goal.

For the record, I did end up putting away my pile of clothes the other night.

This morning I woke up, drank tea, got Sage ready for school, worked out, forgot to pack Sage a lunch, told Sage she would be buying lunch today, showered, ate breakfast, worked at church for a bit, then hopped over to Sage's class to help 16 kindergartners make 16 cotton ball Santas, then back to church for a bit, then home to scarf down a pesto & chicken panini sandwhich, then back to school to pick Sage up (on bike, buggy/Aspen in tow ...with the clouds threatening rain) and now waiting for the coffee to brew so I can chug-o-lug-it and gear up for a sugar cookie decorating party at my mom's house ...she did all the prep work ...so the afternoon should be full of lots of sugar and laughter.

P.S. There is a small pile of clothes on the couch that started its growth process this morning. Ugh.

I have never been good at putting my clothes away. I am good for a little while and then poof! ...a pile appears out of nowhere ; ) And once the small pile forms it's all over. Most days I transfer the pile to the bed with the hopes of putting the clothes away during the day. Nope. I just have to put the pile back on the floor when it is time for bed. And then at some point I can't find my favorite shirt or jeans or UNDERWEAR! and then I go crazy and put it all away. It's my approach to laundry. It works for me.

I just got finished catching up on about 40 blog posts. My Google Reader has been sadly neglected for weeks. Cabin life has allowed me to slow down a bit and just SIT. Yesterday I didn't get out of my pj's until 1:30p.m. Then we ventured out for an amazing hike complete with beautiful sandy beaches and snow covered trails and priceless conversations with the kids. And today has already been full of lots of sitting and hopefully more adventures this afternoon : )

A good friend can call you and dump her worries in your lap.

But a very very good friend will call you, dump her worries in your lap, then take a breath and ask what worries of yours she might help bare the burden of today.

Reciprocal friendship is a treasure.

Lops

I walk into the living room this morning as the kids are watching Diego ...

Aspen: Mom. Loot! We are watching the one with the mommy lop, the daddy lop and the baby lop.

Me (have just woken up, no tea): ???? What ????

Sage kindly interprets: Sloth, Mom. Mommy sloth. Daddy sloth. Baby sloth.

Me: Ohhhhhhhhhh ...


Time for some tea.

I just paid the bills. I am up early and feeling like I might be able to conquer the world or something like that. I go to cross off "pay bills" from my ever growing list of things to do. "Pay bills" is no where to be found. No satisfaction.

So ...the girls and I are in the car on the way home from the park yesterday and the topic of kindergarten comes up. We are 4 days and counting. Almost every Friday for 2 years both my girls have gone up to my dad's and then I go off to "work." (okay ...it's really a day off since I only work 4 hours at the most, but, whatever).

Me: Sage, tomorrow is your last day of going up to Papa's on Fridays because on Tuesday you start school!
Sage (disgruntled): I thought I got Friday's off.
Me: Um ...no honey, you will go to school Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday.
Sage (still disgruntled): Do I get any days off?
Me: Yes dear, Saturday & Sunday

Too funny.

6/4

Dear Sage,
Words really cannot express how much I love you. Five years ago you came into this world and transformed my life. I am so thankful that today we get to celebrate your 5th birthday and eat strawberry cake and celebrate your life. You are a beautiful and brilliant little girl. My heart is yours little one.
Love,
Mom

Song of Hope ...

I ended my morning run with this song...


Song of Hope
by Robbie Seay Band

All things bright and beautiful You are
All things wise and wonderful You are
In my darkest night, You brighten up the skies
A song will rise

I will sing a song of hope
Sing along
God of heaven come down
Heaven come down
Just to know that You are near is enough
God of heaven come down, heaven come down

All things new
I can start again
Creator, God
Calling me Your friend
Sing praise, my soul
To the Maker of the skies
A song will rise

I will sing a song of hope
Sing along
God of heaven come down
Heaven come down
Just to know You and be loved is enough
God of heaven come down, heaven come down

Hallelujah, sing
Hallelujah, sing
Hallelujah, sing

Birthday Pics ...

Fun Birthday!

Well ... I was going to post some amazing pictures from all of my birthday festivities but the stink'n computer keeps saying, "connection interrupted ..." So ... you'll have to wait for the pics. However, the week has been amazing, despite a small case of the sniffles and sneezes. Tuesday night Ryan and I got to go for a night on the town, cruising in no less than a (borrowed) CLK Mercedes Convertible : ) We cruised Ventura until 7:15, at which point we dined at the Watermark -- which I highly recommend. Wednesday (the actual bday), we took a family trip to the Santa Barbarbara Museum of Art. The kids were facinated and it was a very fun but mellow outing. Wednesday night my sisters and mom took me out for sushi and some good laughs : ) AND ... this weekend I am heading down to L.A. to stay with a good friend for a few days -- SOLO! I will miss my husband and girls like crazy but I am so looking forward to the quiet train (YES -- I'M TAKING THE TRAIN) ride and weekend without meal making and dish cleaning : ) Off I go ...

Things we use ...

So last night I was putting the dishes away and, well, you know when you try to squeeze those everyday-use serving utensils back into the utensils drawer and inevitably SOMETHING is stuck in the back of the drawer, preventing it from closing? And I say SOMETHING because you haven't looked in the back of the drawer for um ... let's just say 5 years and so you really don't know what useful items might be back there -- clogging up the drawer mechanics. SO ... I proceeded to empty and empty and empty that little drawer and Oh My Gosh! I filled an entire grocery bag worth of unused utensils ... pie servers (?), a baster, a boiled egg slicer ... hahaha, I just have to laugh thinking about it. Okay -- so what is in the drawer now? Everthing that I do in fact use: 2 spatuals, 2 wooden spoons, wine bottle opener (!), salad tongs and 2 can openers. Back to the basics.

Hanging On

Just today I cleaned out yet another drawer of "stuff" that is never used but that I have kept around since (well, in this case) almost 8 years. Yep. Wedding registry gifts are somehow difficult to part with. Whoever I was when I picked out those satinny blue and off-white doily placemats ... well, that girl is gone. Not sure how those things ever made it on the registry -- but they did and I think I used them all of ... um ... 2 times. So, off they go to the thrift store. Still, I'm not sure what comfort was brought to me by hanging onto those ugly things. Today I was more than ready to part with them.

Ditch the Toys?

How many toys do you really think a child needs? Lately I am thinking 2 toys + a stuffed animal might be PERFECT. This is due to my utter hatred toward picking up and putting away and picking up and putting away and so on and so forth. So ... I want to know your thoughts ... do we really need toys? What are the best kind of toys? I am reminded of Laura Rhodes (missionary in Kenya) explaining that they didn't have toys (for their 4 children), and whatever "toys" they had were handmade. So ... let the discussing begin.

I am really wondering ...

...what life would look like with both a live-in maid & chef. Don't ask me why I have been thinking/dreaming/salivating over these thoughts lately. And yet so much of me is the housework and cooking and cleaning and home managing. Who would I become? Would I be more patient with the kids? Would I go out more, knowing that all is taken care of at home? Would I read to my kids more? I just keep chewing on this idea ... working it around in my head ... envisioning (or trying to) life without household duties. More interesting than my own jumbled thoughts are yours. So, please, do tell -- what would YOUR life look like? Would you enjoy it? Would you still feel like you had purpose?

Bring It!

That has become the new phrase in our house ... "Bring It!" Yes, we started P90X (otherwise known as Beach Body) on Jan. 2. Today marks 2 weeks that we have survived the program. We are getting so good at all the dvds that we are thinking of making our own workout dvd series ... ha! No way! We were thinking of doing that just for laughs though because a lot of the time we look pretty hilarious. BUT -- our bodies are being challenged in ways they haven't been for years, so all is well ... and a bit sore, I might add. It's a 90 day program ... we were hoping to complete 30 days ... but what they hey? Just go for 90 and the six pack! Bring it!

Worth it!

I will be paying for it later, but Ryan and I stayed up until midnight watching some fabulous youtube videos of Britain's Got Talent (show) ... which is basically American Idol with a lot more flare and excitement. You will not be disappointed....