random.

Lots of things done and crossed off my to-do-list this weekend.

Started with a girl's night Friday night with some of my favorite girls... shoe store, Abuelo's and Target. What's not to love?

But somehow, we had only been in Target about 10 minutes and heard the "We will be closing in 15 minutes" announcement. Seriously?! So I only got about half the things on my list and had no time to browse. I love to browse at Target!! I was so close to buying an awesome metal breadbox. Just couldn't decide what color (green, red, yellow or turquoise) and really didn't know what I would do with it. (But I loved it!) My friend said later that she saw it and almost bought one, too. I asked her what she would do with it. Her answer? "Put it in my kitchen and keep my bread in it." Huh. Honestly... in all my brainstorming of what I could do with it... putting bread in it never crossed my mind.

Finally cleaned the windows Sophie and Lawson decorated weeks ago.

Lots of loving on this sweet baby.

5 loads of laundry today. Washed, dryed and folded. Only 1 load has actually been put away, but the folding part is impressive, I thought.

Changed out all the kids artwork on their bulletin boards.

Vacuumed up all the mud that Sophie, Lawson and the neighbor kids tracked all over the carpet in the loft. Grrr. Still waiting on Corey to finish some trim so that I can post pictures of the loft!

More loving on this sweet baby. Thanks for my cute, new outfit, Meagan!


Balanced the checkbook... always fun. But since starting our new budget system and being more intentional about planning meals... the balance is larger than what it usually is!

Marley got a much needed haircut.

Before...

After...

Played a game of "Trouble" with Sophie and Lawson. Got super annoyed with them and their silliness and sent them both to bed before the game was over.

Argued with Sophie about shoes. We're taking a mommy/Sophie trip to a shoe store sometime soon. We need some fun time together.

Listened to Sophie read her books from school.

Drove across town to see the new water town all lit up.

Then stopped at Sonic for dessert.

Now to head upstairs and try to figure out why this sweet baby isn't sleeping well tonight!

i feel like a dinosaur.

Birthdays... anniversaries... bills...

lots of stuff falling through the cracks right now.

Hate that.

4 months.

sweet feet.

bath time.

This little miss has loved bath time since the day we brought her home.

Seriously... I don't think she has cried one time.

I spend the most time washing under her neck. All those rolls collect drool and spit-up and tend to get a little stinky.

The only thing sweeter than baby feet...

is wrinkly baby feet.

Snuggling with a just bathed, sweet smelling baby...

is one of my favorite things.

cooking dinner can be tough...

when you have an ice cream truck in your kitchen.

funny.

As my kids were coming back from PE today, one of them looks a little teary and is rubbing her nose. The little guy in front of her tells me, "We are comforting Chloe because she got hit in the face with a coffee pot."

What?

Little guy: "No wait. Actually... it might have been a hockey puck."

sweats.

I remembered "Wellness Wednesday" today and got to wear my sweats to school. So nice. So comfy. I'm positive I could still be a good teacher if I wore these everyday.

Funny though... the first few kids in my classroom this morning didn't recognize me. I had my hair all pulled back in a ponytail (which I do all the time at home... but I guess I haven't worn it quite like that to school... several people commented on my hair today. Hmm... the day I get compliments on my hair is the day that I do nothing to it.)

So here's the conversation with one of my more amusing kiddos... he's still looking at me kind of funny... like he's still not really sure it's me.

Me: Do I really look that different?

Kid: Yeah. I think it's that black thing you have on the back of your head.

Me: You mean my ponytail?

Kid: Yeah... cuz you don't normally do that.

Bummer though... only 2 other teachers remembered that it was "Wellness Wednesday" and dressed accordingly. And I'm pretty sure our principal forgot, too. So I'll probably be getting an email in a day or two about not dressing professionally. :)

gretchie.

Big eyes...

and big smiles...

So in love with this little miss.

swaddle baby.

I bought Gretchen one of those swaddle blankets when she was tiny.

It has the velcro straps that really keep her cozy and snug.

Corey always thinks she hates it.

She really looks unhappy, doesn't she?!

traci.

I have been thinking about my friend, Traci, so much lately.

I was watching tv the other night and ran across the show, "8 Simple Rules."

John Ritter was the dad on the show... married, with 3 teenagers.

During the middle of the season, John Ritter died suddenly and unexpectedly. Since they were right in the middle of taping a season, they had to write it into the show. The dad goes out one morning to buy milk... and never comes home.

I sat here, watching the wife and kids react to the news of his death... the funeral... trying to understand how... and why... and what their life is going to be like now. (I remember hearing that the actors didn't really have to act during these scenes. Their emotions were real.) I sat here watching... with tears streaming down my face. All I could think of was Traci.

Josh went with his dad to his uncle's ranch in Texas... and he never came home.

Traci is surviving. She's struggling each day with the realization that her best friend is really gone. He's not coming home. She is so excited to meet their twins... her precious girls who will only know their daddy through pictures and stories. They will forever be a piece of him that she can love and hold on to. She can't wait for their arrival. But she's struggling, too, wondering how she's going to raise them on her own.

Thank you to those of you who have been praying for her. I asked Traci's permission to post a picture of her and Josh here... so that those of you who don't know her can have a face to go along with your prayers. This is straight from her: "I actually really appreciate the shout out and all of the prayers that are coming because of it, so THANK YOU. I can truly feel them unlike I ever have before. In a time where God isn't my best friend (but still a close friend :) ) I get a tremendous comfort from knowing how many people are praying and helping me get back to that best friend status. I look forward to finding normal in an un-normal world..."

Praying for you, Traci.

weekend.

Happy 93rd Birthday, Great Grandma!

one year.

One year ago today... Cora went to be with Jesus.



While sweet baby Levi has brought joy back to these heartbroken parents... their hearts will forever ache over the loss of their baby girl. Pray for Joel and Jess... their families... baby Levi... and all the people who's lives were changed by the story of this precious baby girl.


Thinking of you today, Jess.
And saying lots of prayers.
Love you.

tweaks.

We went on a road-trip with some friends last weekend. (Who knew going to respect calls could be so much fun?!) We started talking about New Year's Resolutions. One friend suggested we call them "tweaks." Not big things to completely change about yourself... that's too hard. Just things that need "tweaking." Little changes. Improvements.

So... even though it's February... here are my "tweaks" for 2010:

1. Exercise... not because I want to, but because I really need to.

2. Plan meals and shop smart. (This is actually going really well!)

3. Say "yes" more often. But only to the important people... my kids and Corey.

4. Follow my own rule about being "a polite listener" and look at my kids when they are talking to me.

5. Create a budget and work on following it. (Found a program that I think I'm going to LOVE!)

6. Pray more. And more intentionally.

7. Get acquainted with Him again... because I've drifted and He misses me.

8. Scrapbook... because I love to do it and it makes me happy... and I haven't done it in over a year.

more prayers needed.

Our staff is getting slammed with prayer requests through emails lately.
Two very early tiny, tiny grandbabies.
Hospitilizations.
Students.

Now today...
one of our paras had been trying for awhile to have a baby.
They made the exciting annoucement this fall!
Then... they found out she was expecting twins!
They found out last night that they are having two little girls.
We were so thrilled for them!

Then we got the email this morning...
last night her husband was killed in a dune buggy accident.

I truly cannot even imagine.
Please pray for Traci.
And those two precious babies.

cold.

I got this email forward today. It's a bit of a stretch, but rather appropriate for this year...

What is Cold?

65 above zero:
Floridians turn on the heat.
People in Kansas plant gardens.

60 above zero:
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Kansas sunbathe.

50 above zero:
Italian & English cars won't start.
People in Kansas drive with the windows down.

40 above zero:
Georgians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, wool hats.
People in Kansas throw on a flannel shirt.

35 above zero:
New York landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Kansas have the last cookout before it gets cold.

20 above Zero:
People in Miami all die.
Kansans close the windows.

Zero:
Californians fly away to Mexico .
People in Kansas get out their winter coats.

10 below zero:
Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Kansas are selling cookies door to door.

20 below zero:
Washington DC runs out of hot air.
People in Kansas let the dogs sleep indoors.

30 below zero:
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Kansans get upset because they can't start the Snow-mobile.

40 below zero:
ALL atomic motion stops.
People in Kansas start saying...'Cold enough for ya?'

50 below zero:
Hell freezes over.
Kansas public schools will open 2 hours late

he's happy.

He's not with me.

He's not with his classmates.

But he's happy.

Which is good.

Keep praying for him.

He's has a confusing road ahead of him.

And I really want to see him again.

Really want to hug him again.

I'm so glad he's happy.

But I'm still hoping I'll get him back.

heavy heart.

Friday:
One of my kiddos comes up and gives me a big hug and says...

I love you, Mrs. Jones.
You look really thin today.

Seriously love this kid.
Seriously.
For so many reasons.
Not just because he called me thin. (But that did score him some points)



Monday:
Mom dropped him off at SRS and said she didn't want him anymore.


Please pray for this little guy.
Pray for his heart and his broken spirit.
His little voice that said, "I don't know what happened."
Pray that he will be able to come back to my class.
Pray that he will find a family who will love him and hug him and tell him about Jesus.
Pray hard for this little guy.