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....

7 Grandkids

7 Grandkids under the age of 5 .....

Self Portraits

My dad & I

Holly & I

Ginger & I

Ninny & I

Meema & I

I am convinced that family photos are out and self portraits are in. With 7 grandkids keeping us all busy, it is all but impossible to get our 5 siblings together for a family photo .... (sorry Jed -- missed ya!)

Merry Christmas and Merry Christmas!

Well ... our 4 Christmas celebrations were wonderful. We got home from our final Christmas celebration with my mom yesterday afternoon and enjoyed a relaxing Christmas Day afternoon followed by a quiet yet delicious Christmas dinner. After dinner Martha fed all the animals and shortly after informed us that one of our pregnant goats was indeed in labor. I went to bed around 11 p.m. after helping Martha prep the goat pen for delivery (make it warmer!). "Little Fluffy Guy," (named by Sage) came around 1 a.m.

Merry Christmas!

Dead Camera

A while back the lcd screen on our Cannon-Elf camera cracked. No biggie -- still took decent pictures and I enjoyed it's small size and easy-to-store-in-my-purse quality, and have still been using it for quite sometime ...even without the benefit of knowing if you caught a good pic or not. Then yesterday I took it out of my purse to take a pic and noticed the "click" button was missing. Yeah -- that's kind of the most important part of the camera -- gotta be able to push "click." I tried pushing my fingernail down the hole to see if I still might get it to work...nope! Oh well. I think I have gotten the most out of this little camera. Now it's time to save for a new one ...

I had one of those moments today ...

while looking across the table at my two girls chowing down In-N-Out french fries and burgers, covered in katsup and washing it all down with a chocolate milk shake. It's one of those moments when you are overwhelmed with amazement and wonder at how quickly kids really do grow up. It's such a cliche -- "Enjoy it now -- they'll be grown up before you know it." That's usually coming from a seasoned grandmother and said to a sleep deprived mother, who thinks, "HUH?" how could THIS go by any slower than it already is? It's like my sister said a while back, while the years fly by, the days seem to pass ever so slowly. So, I had my moment today. And I'm sure I'll have many, many more.

I'm not an architect ...

I am a bookkeeper for an architect, but actually designing structures?? -- nope! We assembled a gingerbread house at my mom's tonight along with two graham cracker houses (shacks, really). After lots of laughs and some frustration over a crooked frame and a slipping roof, we finished it! The girls did all of the decorations with little help from me. I felt sick from eating so much icing ... can't even imagine what they feel like since they ate the icing by the spoonfuls in between samplings of the candies. All good fun.

Christmas Fun

Christmas cookie fun! We are having fun making Christmas crafts and baking and eating and then exercising most of it off : ) Yes -- that's a Christmas Tree made out of sugar cookies. My mom had the cookie cut-outs for it, so we made it for a party I attended last week. That was fun and funny to make. It only toppled over a couple of times before I removed a few layers so it would stay upright.
I am so enjoying the crisp, cool weather lately. We have been going on lots of walks -- well, really it's me sprinting after Sage who speeds on her bicycle down the bike path and me pushing Aspen in the jogger, dog in toe, trying to keep up! We live in a truly beautiful place here. We stop for a snack and break half way through our walk and the mountain view is breathtaking.
We have really scaled back our Christmas consumerism this year which has made the entire season wonderfully relaxing.

I am ready...

...to be sitting by the campfire, bundled up, eating marshmallows and sipping wine. Dumont is here and I am so glad that 99% of the packing and planning is finished. I would show you my list and check marks and scribbles but you might actually get a little nauseated. I do. Anyhoo. I hope everyone has a lovely Thanksgiving holiday! See ya!

Burp Cloths for Jake

I love being an auntie. My youngest nephew was born just over a week ago and I still have yet to see him. I tried to go see him on Saturday but the fires prevented travel. I am hoping I get to see him tomorrow and am excited to gift him (and my sister) with these darn special burp cloths! I found this pattern on-line and was actually successful in executing it -- that's always a plus after all the cutting and sewing.