Oh the Bliss!

I Love This Boy and he loves me too. But who does he love the MOST? (watch the video to find out...)

That last post seems a liiiiiiiiiitle melodramatic for my liking. But I don't want to remove it altogether because in the moment of when I wrote it, it was very much how I felt; spent on all accounts. That's usually how I feel every night around 8:30. Like all day I've been a vending machine/slave/genie in a bottle, but not the sexy - Christina Aguilera - genie in a bottle, more like a "POOF! What do you want? POOF! What do you want" genie. Not nearly as cool. We took (or attempted to take, rather) a family walk last weekend and about 50 steps into it, (50 steps, 100 stops, 12 snacks, 4 melt downs, and 24 water breaks), Mark looked at me and said, "Constant Maintenance". He hit the nail on the head with that one. Someone always needs something. But don't let me steer you wrong here, maintenance isn't necessarily a bad thing. I might even go as far to say it's a pretty good thing. It's my job to serve, and to serve with a joyful heart eve...

My house. My kids. My marriage. My soul. There is always something. That's all I got.

Beautiful days lead to long afternoons at the park or in the yard, playing hard. Which lead to later bedtimes. Which lead to an exhausted me. Have patience with this blogger, I will write again soon...

Go Irish.

No! Au Pair! As in, au pair [oh pair] –noun 1. a person, usually a young foreign visitor, employed to take care of children, do housework, etc., in exchange for room and board: We sent the children to the beach with the au pair. Au pair. As in, au AWESOME. And we got one! That's right friends. This summer we will be the proud owners (borrowers, really) of a shiny new au pair, straight from Germany! (Shiny, like a beautiful new something, not shiny like The Twins definition of shiny. Don't ask). We are so excited to be hosting a fantastic gal for two months this summer who comes highly spoken of by Mark's parents and their very good friends. She is studying child development and was looking for a family with kids to live with for a couple of months in order to get some hands on experience and see more of California (she's been here multiple times and is fluent in English, as well as two or three other languages). And have we got kids or have we got kids? So, yes please! ...

She's the squishyist I can't get enough sleeping pictures Sleeping again aaaaaaaand again but she's so cute when she's sleeping! I can't help it! And I know this butterball stage of sleeping on chests will only last for a few more weeks, so I'm soaking it up and taking lots of pictures to remind me when... bliss.

Remember a few days ago when I said this? "I started pleading with him to tell me, begging, jumping up and down like a little kid whose daddy has a fantastic surprise behind his back and I just can't figure out which hand it's in. I know in due time he'll open his hands..." Well today I read this... " You open your hand ; you satisfy the desire of every living thing." Psalm 145:16 How cool is that?!!

One Month Old... yes, already. :-( Mark's birthday dinner with Gma and Nonny A hint of smiles to come Ben showing his devout reverence for the Lord The ladies

Troy is feeling better and back to his adorable self, yay!! I've been trying to get his oh-so-cute voice on video... these aren't the best, but they are a hint of his adorableness, just a hint. To get a chance to take Troy in in all his glory is one you should not pass up. He's hilarious, (as most 18month olds are) and he warms my heart to no end. Now that he's fun again I like to tell him he's back to being my favorite and if there's an earthquake I'd choose him. What? Don't tell me you don't think about which kid you'd save in an emergency!

A lot of things are changing my perspective these days. I got a little lost in "blog world" the other night and ended up reading for hours about women, moms particularly, who are doing amazing things. AMAZING THINGS. Like this woman and her friend . These moms were just going about their comfy little lives when the Lord started to move and speak and they let him. (Oh that I will let him!) And of course I am floored, quite literally, by the work the Lord is doing through this girl . I just sat back and thought, Lord, what are you stirring here? I know it's something, I've been feeling it for a while, and I know I'm not alone in this feeling, so what are you doing? I started pleading with him to tell me, begging, jumping up and down like a little kid whose daddy has a fantastic surprise behind his back and I just can't figure out which hand it's in. I know in due time he'll open his hands, I'm just getting so excited! Is anyone else feeling this?...

Want to know what I do to loss weight? It's really easy, you can do it too! All you need are my youngest three children. First, get a plate of delicious looking dinner. Dinner that you've waited for all day because the next part of the program has already happened at breakfast. And lunch. Second, sit down next to Troy, who - although has an entire tray full of food, will only eat off your plate. Give him your plate. Realize it's time to feed Mia, so sit down and feed her. Twenty-five minutes later see that it's time for the kids to be bathed and put to bed. Proceed with that task. Forty-five minutes later get a new plate of not as delicious looking dinner and pop it in the microwave. Next take your re-heated plate and walk by Addison's room where she's "sleeping". Her terrific sense of smell will rouse her and cause her to, very cutely, come out of her room and ask, "whatcha eating?". Try and deny her your food. Just try. Give her your plat...