HopeAbound

Snack Time with Sissy

2013-05-23T20:23:00.000-04:00

If you ask her what her name is, she'll respond with "Sissy." She's serious too. Not baby, Savannah, munchkin, or pigeon. Sissy. End of discussion. To be honest, I kind of like it.

Today she woke up from nap before Hope. She's got a memory on her for things that she wants to remember. Like how I said that? Yeah. I told her to pick up her toys and hurry to nap so that she could have a cookie and milk for snack. Yup. She hurried all right...even hurried to wake up. Can I blame her? Well, no! The cookies were awesome in flavor and she remembered that too. Therefore we sat so humbly at the table and divided out the remaining cookies so that each of us would get one.

She so kindly informed me that this one was sissy Hopes, this was hers, and this was Momas. I called her a cookie monster and she corrected me real quick with "No, I Sissy!"

Sissy is the spitting image of me. I see my attitude and sense of humor in her eyes when she looks back at me. She plays the same way I did and pretends with the most imaginable imagination ever. She's wild and heart and tame in spirit. I could seriously eat. her. up. She'll literally go from this...to this in seconds. She's my little spit fire!

happy things

2013-05-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Just like all days, there are good parts and then those that are undesirable. Today has been rough, but when I stopped and took a breath of sunshine, I saw the joy in it all. So here's what I found....

Big sister teaching baby girl about the foundation of building a castle.

Little feet growing too fast.

Innocence.

Learning to make homemade goodness. Melt in my mouth yummy!!

Color trains. From here to there and everywhere. :)

A growing appetite.

These are definitely some Happy Happy Things. I want to and need to be thankful for, enjoy, and remember all of these parts of my life.

They're passing by way to quickly.

Thrifting

2013-05-17T17:00:00.000-04:00

I ventured out again.

This time with the ladies in tow.

My intent was to drop off some of their outgrown clothes.

But I just couldn't help my curiosity.

I had to see what else might be hiding in the store waiting for me to rescue it.

So I caved.

As soon as I saw the tin box, I snatched it up like nobody's biz-ness!
Too bad Christmas is like 6 months away.

I saw the vintage sheet gleaming through a pile of miscellaneous what-nots.

I thought of a springy curtain or some pillow covers for my bed.

Not sure.

Can you believe this shower curtain.

I'm know I've seen it somewhere before but I can't remember where.

Don't you hate it when that happens?

When I saw this vanity tray and about flipped out.

Pretty dainty am I right?

It will relocate to the girls' room once they outgrow their destructive stage.

For now it has found a home in the living room.

I know... another oval frame.

I can't help myself... it was super CHEAP.

And the frame was already a nice color.

You can't beat that people!

Lastly,

This little Hollie Hobbie tote

has just solved my hair storage problem.

I'm always chasing the girls around to

brush their hair and can never remember where the brush is the next time.

So when I saw this, I knew right away it had to come home with us.

Their favorite blankets have a garden girl that resembles Miss HH.

It'll fit quite nicely in their room and make hair assembly less stressful.

{happy dance}

So Lovely

2013-05-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

Weather lately has been a total rock star.
Spring has delivered this year and the girls will tell you it's the berries.

Blooms

Lemon balm

Rain boots

Chalk

Lavender

Signs of promise.

It's all so lovely.

If Spring brought all of this joy, oh how I look forward to summer.

Breakfast with Hope

2013-05-15T07:33:00.000-04:00

Early mornings. Lately it's becoming a trend that Hope mosies out oh solitaire. More and more she's waking up before her twin and joining me in the front room for the beginning of our day. She greets me with her sleepy smile then transforms into something spectacular. She almost fools me into thinking she's not a morning person. That is until she starts to talk. And boy does she talk. A LOT. She eats her cereal, waffles or pancakes, more so pancakes. With butter I cannot forget. She mutters little phrases in between her bites of food and I sit there and listen while I sip my coffee nodding in response.

While there are mornings I'd love to sleep all thanks to middle of the night occurrences. I am loving these morning snippets I get with my silly girl.

2013-05-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

I wouldn't go as far as to say she was an uh oh baby, but her timing was all the Lords not ours. If it would've been up to us she would've been a summer baby.This girl is a gem. I call her Gigdet because shes so spunky. Her smile washes all the gray away and brings glimmer to any dark skies. In fact she smiles all.the.time. There's hardly a moment that I catch her not smiling. Sleep is the exception.

There have been times I've seen her smiling at nothing. No picture, sound to be heard, just her and herself. And she'll smile. Not a quick smile but a smile of acknowledgment. And it makes me wonder, what does she see?

I guess where I'm getting at is, do you think that babies, out of pure innocence, can see angels? Do you think that these moments that a random smile is brought on is the conversation between them and an angel? But it makes my heart wonder. If so, who is it that's there?

Her granddaddy?

Her grandmother?

Or better yet,

her sister?

I'm just curious as to what y'all think.

Am I crazy or just extremely sentimental?

She's six months now. That's half a year already that's tucked away for memory sake. Little Gidget, you are my sunshine. Not my only sunshine of course, but definitely a strong ray that's for sure. I'm grateful for your presence in my heart and the steadiness you bring to my ever wandering heart. Keep smiling your beam and you'll continue to bless us and the Lord. For you are a strong ray of HOPE!

Dress Up Organizing

2013-05-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

My girls, they love playing dress up. It is not unusual for me to trip over dresses and princess shoes multiple times throughout the day. They have an overabundance of dress up clothes, shoes, bracelets, and whatever a little princess fills her wardrobe with. With a small room and closet, there's not so much room to store their dazzling collection in addition to their daily clothes. So it usually ends up looking similar to this...

I knew that if I wanted them to keep their room in order and keep from braking my ankle, I had to help them with organizing their stuff. So after helping them pick up one day, I looked at this empty wall and thought it would be perfect as a little dress-up station.

I took an old mirror I had and hung it up for them. Every dress up area needs a mirror. Savannah made sure it worked just right. She loves showing off for the camera.

They have quite a few bracelets and odds and end type pieces so I knew I needed some hooks for them to hang those. I picked up some of the newer Command strips. I'm all about less holes in the walls...if at all possible.

Hope helped me once I got all the hooks in place. She hung up all the bracelets and purses and made sure that they all worked right. I think she has a niche for organizing or maybe she was excited I was playing with her stuff.

Not too shabby, huh?

Now for their dresses. This little guy has been with us since we moved to South Carolina. I have held on to it knowing that one day I would need it. I know I said that I'm all about less holes, but I knew that it would be used later for purses or sweaters even once they outgrow their dress up stage.

A few screws and some more help from my girls , and everything was ready to go. I pulled a bucket to hold all of their shoes and crowns and called it a day.

Here's a look.

Now when I tell them to go clean up, they know where everything goes and that everything actually has a hook, bucket, box, whatever. No more stuffing things under the beds. Makes for happy girls and one very happy Moma.

Hello Monday

2013-05-06T13:32:00.004-04:00

Hello Monday.

Hello busy week ahead.

Hello meal planning. You are a life saver and a quintessential aspect of our budget lately

Hello baby.

Enjoying the warm sun I see.

Hello orange toes.

You make me feel all springy inside.

Hello gymnastics night.

All three of my girls zeroed in on the flips and tumbles.

Just like their Moma.

Hello awesome Chic Fil-A cookie.

Your seal makes me chuckle. Oh...and...

You rock!

Hello new kitchen addition.

I'm loving your presence thus far.

Hello day.

I'm ready to begin!

Linking up with Lisa and Carissa today.

The Small Garden

2013-05-03T08:30:00.000-04:00

Super quick...

So yesterday.

It was one of those days where I ~~was woken up~~ woke up and just felt out of it.

The girls woke up early and started my day off way too early in my book.

Darth Vader type breathing in my face around 5:30 a.m.

Yes.

So after making cookies with them before lunch,

I may or may not have eaten 3 ~~or four~~ my lunch.

All in which probably accounted for my daily caloric intake.

You know what?

That's ok.

It's ok.

It's going to be ok.

You know why?

They were AWE-SOME!!!

*smile*

No really.

I've learned there will be

good days

great days

rough days

bad days

sad days

lonely days

and however else you want to describe your days.

But all in all, they are still YOUR day.

So rock it!

Chocolate chip cookies and all!

Moving on...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Girls and their garden this year.

They love it.

But it needed something cute.

I told them they needed a name and in full toddler fashion, I got all sorts of silly and crazy names thrown at me. Totally not what I had in mind ya know.

Toddler Cove sounded cute to me but they wont be toddlers much longer so I moved on.

That is until I saw this...

Source: kathrynwhyte.blogspot.com via Jill on Pinterest

One of the last chilly days we had in March, we went outside and I let them paint some pieces of scrap wood from one of our pile so we could get our creative juices flowing. But since we all got so sick last month, we couldn't finish and our little craft project was put on hold.

Since we're all feeling oh so much better, I figured it was high time their little garden got it's name. I got busy during nap time last week and finished up their sign. With my inspiration on my tablet, I got to work.

I first free handed the words in pencil so I could have something to work with. I'm not very good at just painting as I go, so I have to have some sort of visual template. And with no Silhouette or Cricut machine to print out vinyl letters, I work with what I've got...my polka dot pencil.

After drawing it all out, I got out my black paint and used the smallest brush I had to paint over the letters. I think all together I spent 10 minutes.

I love the way it turned out and can't be happier with the saying. I think it fits their little garden so well.

Sometimes it's the little things.

Amen.

If You Follow Me

2013-05-03T06:30:00.002-04:00

Do I need to tell you how bad I want to bust out in "I will make you fishers of men?" Do I? I'll spare you my lack of tone. *smile* Consider yourself blessed. Moving on.

So I'm not really great with all the technical aspects of blogging. Codes and such throw me for a loop and anything that takes more than 4 steps to accomplish sends me off the roadside real quick. Anyhoo...If you need some new ways to keep up with my lovely, messy, crazy life...here's a few extra.

1. Subscribe to Hope Abound
2. Follow my blog with Bloglovin
3. Instagram

Thrifting

2013-05-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

This doesn't happen very often.

Just me.

Solo.

At Goodwill.

I've been looking for some picture frames.

Big chunky ones.

I have this idea in my head that I'm wanting so badly to play out for my master bedroom.

What I've learned? They're way overpriced at a normal store.

Duh! I know.

Call me cheap but I even hate paying more than 6-7 bucks for them.

So on my solo scaventure today (like my new word?)

I saw this black frame and I snatched it up quick.

For $2 I could not pass it up.

And then the others just hopped into my buggy out of the blue.

Did I cry?

Goodness no!

(I've been reading Pete the Cat waaaay too much I think!)

Then...

I saw this basket.

Have I told you how much I love baskets?

Just ask the Mr.

He'll tell you.

Perfection at $4...SOLD!!

I checked this brand when I got home.

Peterboro Basket Company.

Yeah...brand new they run around $50-60.

Talk about happy happy!

I also came across this lovely trio.

It's true what they say...

Good things come to those who wait.

I've wanted a set of these birds for quite a while.

One for each of my kiddos ya know. I may or may not have been spotted doing the happy dance in the home-goods aisle on my solo thrifting scaventure.

That was all I really found that made it home with me.

I love my finding things to bring character and pizzazz to our home.
I don't always find something.

There are times I leave empty handed.

Others I'm overloaded with thrifty scores.

That's the fun in it though.

Do you like to thrift shop?

What are your latest finds?

Firsts

2013-04-30T05:59:00.001-04:00

Watermelon.

First time trying it out.

Wait for it...

I'm thinking she kind of likes it.

Um...yes. She loves it!

What do you think?

"Can I have seconds please??"

Blessed

2013-04-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

It's not very often we're blessed with the company of friends and family. Off and on through out the year, ones will venture our way and find temporary comfort in our humble abode. This weekend just happened to be one of those exciting points of our year. One of the Mr.'s high school buddies stopped by for a short yet sweet visit on their way home from a week at Disney.

Potato salad, burgers and hot dogs. Some beautiful weather, friends and family and a few mosquitoes. All makes for what I call a perfect weekend. Talk about a full house...and I don't mean just full of people. Our windows were busting at the seams with laughter, girly squeals, silly baby babble, long lost stories of old, Moma jibber jabber, and so on and so on. We had such a great time.

It was so much fun to watch all the kids play together and have so much fun. More so, it was nice to sit back and chat with other adults. We don't do that enough. They didn't stay very long as it was a pit-stop type visit after all, but man we enjoyed them being here. I think I even saw some tears in the girlies eyes when we were saying our goodbyes. So sweet.

After they left, we picked up the house, tossed the kids in bed for naps, and sat back and relaxed a little. I mean I was in total relax mode. Feet up on the couch and all. This my friends, happens only once every now and then. My feet our usually running-a-muck all over the house trying to keep up with my Mommy brain to-do-list. You know? So this was very different for me. I think I may try it again soon. Maybe even today or tomorrow. Who knows? *wink*

So today we're taking it slow and easy. Getting back into routine after a day or two of unwinding and free falling. I'm working on a post to share how we succeeded in potty training. So those of you interested, stay posted. Maybe by Friday??? Not sure.

It's a busy week ahead and I'm gearing up to tackle all of its blessings in disguise Menu laid out and a grocery list ready to tackle and conquer Cleaning to be tidied and some laundry to toss and tumble. It should be interesting. What's it look like in your corner?

A Good Crazy

2013-04-19T10:16:00.000-04:00

Hi there!

How are you today?

This week has been a crazy one. A good crazy though. The Mr. Has been with us all week and the pace of the house has been slightly altered due to his presence; in conjunction with potty training. He had a little surgery on Monday, so he's been recovering from that. We are all finally feeling supercalafragalistic and I'm feeling superb about that. It feels lovely to stay tucked away in our own little world instead of treading the waters at the doctors office.

The sunshine has made her presence and we greet her each morning as we creek open the blinds and feel her warmth on our skin. I'm soaking up her gentleness for I know the brutality that comes with her summer heat. Embrace. That's what I remind myself. Which in all actuality is what I've been reminding myself more and more lately So much you'd think that it was my word for the year. Anyhoo...

I went to see my new therapist yesterday evening. It was a very interesting introduction. I had one of those, I feel as if we've met type moments. *Smile* Ok, so I didn't go see a therapist. But, I somehow managed to get a good 45 minutes all to myself yesterday to piddle in the garden. When the Mr told me to go outside and plant some flowers, he looked quite shocked when I obliged. I snatched up my iPod and literally ran out the door. I cranked up my new downloads and got busy.

I cant believe just how much I forgot that I truly enjoy getting my hands dirty and creating something out of nothing. I announced that more flowers were necessary because I needed more moments like this. It felt so good to completely let go and unwind outside. I found my new outlet. Now to find some room in the budget to keep going, this Moma has a big backyard to spruce up and some more stress to let go of.

My girls have had an awesome week. Potty training. Total success! I'm in total awe of my little ladies,. We even tackled the scary public bathroom at home depot this week. I mean, 10 days into this new thing and my girls are rocking it out. I am beaming with pride. And that my friends and family is a total understatement. It has made me wonder, what was I so scared of?

Ellie now sleeps in her room all the time. She has turned into a full time belly sleeper. Takes after her Moma on that one thank you. I've given her some bananas and avocado to introduce her to some solids. She's not too crazy about bananas and makes a silly face like she's eating a lemon or something sour. She is napping 3 times a day and sleeps about8-10 hours a night.

She's just now getting her chunk on. We're taking her this weekend to get her ears pierced--hopefully. She's trying so hard to move around. Keeping up with sisters is going to be what motivates her to crawl soon. Shes getting so big! *tear*

I've got some crazy ideas swarming around in this head of mine. some which involve some of this...

I'm excited and hopefully I can share soon. So that's pretty much it. I'm going to go enjoy my coffee now. I hear Ellie stirring from her nap. Happy Friday!!!

2013-04-15T09:02:00.003-04:00

Via

I sat last night after everyone was asleep. The girls tucked into their big beds. The Mr. passed out from a busy day. Ellie softly breathing in my arms with a full belly. There I was sitting in my rocker. The rain started softly and got heavier withing minutes. The only way that moment would be any better was if there was a tin roof to play its melody. Usually I'm in such a rush to get to bed in attempt to snag as much sleep as possible. For some reason though, I was perfectly content in the moment I was in.

The entire house was quiet. Tucked away. Nothing calling out for tending. All toys and gestures aside. No requests or demands. Just simple quiet. I don't get moments like that too often. Maybe I'll start staying awake like this more often. It was good for my heart.

Hello Monday. You have snuck in so softly after a very nice weekend.

Hello snuggles. You're becoming more and more frequent these days.

Hello new treats. You are very tasty indeed.

Hello ME time. Thankful for extended naps and worn out ladies. All allowing me to enjoy some art time on my own.

Hello creative spirits. Your cousin would be so proud.

Hello sweet basil. I'm having dreams of you alrady.

Ah...hello sweet girl. You're filling out more and more.

Hello little reminder. I think you're quite fitting.

Source: 4.bp.blogspot.com via Kristen on Pinterest

This week I'm working on slow. Step by step. One at a time. Breath in, breath out. Look up and believe. Leap of faith. It makes a big difference in the everyday. So, hello Monday. Hello friends. Hello new week.

Linking up with with Lisa, and Carissa

Happy Days

2013-04-12T10:28:00.005-04:00

Our week didn't start off so cheery. That I will admit.

We started potty training and everyone knows the amount of gray in that picture. Not much sunshine to be found. We've had many accidents but let's not get me started on how frustrating that is. I'm staying positive that this is it. No more diapers! I keep telling myself...GOD has this under control. Honestly, I've lost count on the number of times I've had to remind myself of this and how many times I've handed out treats and coins.
We've distracted ourselves with other things. Focusing on the other helps. So, we dance around the kitchen and out to the living room. Doing a little jump and jive at our best. Flaring our arms around like crazies and letting our silly shine through. Daddy's over on the computer doing his homework...a music class assignment on Max Roach. Quite the musician I say. The girls really get into the steady beats and like to mimic my every move whether it's worthy of or not. (mine are mostly not).

It's fun to let lose and be completely silly. The girls are great at letting go. Ellie is picking up on it and her eyes tell exactly how much she yearns to pick up her feet and jazz out with us. All too soon, I'm sure. *sigh* For now she flaps her arms like a bird and kicks her feet. She's got rhythm, "who could ask for anything more..."

Life's serious moments can can be just that at times. All too serious if you ask me. ~~~Potty Break~~~~ So, anyhoo, I'm thankful for this silly dance we do. That I have girls that like to make the air lighter and fill our home with jazzy sparkle and flair. Sunshine always seems to find it's way in.

You know how I know...this is day four of potty training and we're having solid performances.*smirk* I tell my pretties that they're rock stars and myself that maybe I'm not so bad at this Moma thing after all. It's been a long road and there are a lot more bumps to ride out and bridges to cross. This is just the beginning. Springy toes for Happy Days.

Hair Cuts

2013-04-11T05:30:00.000-04:00

About two weeks ago, I took the girls for their first haircut. I meant to post about it sooner, but we've been so sick. Yes, this was really their first hair cut. I've trimmed their bangs when they were tiny, but this is the first cut they've had. Their hair was beautiful. Long and blonde. Straight and soft. So pretty. I really hated cutting it but when you have two heads of tangles to comb through every single morning, after every bath, after every cup of yogurt...you get where I'm going with this. A hair cut was a must in my case.

I took them to a little place called Carnival Cuts in the histroic district of Summerville. A kid salon that was adorable and perfect for my girls. There were animals everywhere and Snow White was playing.

The girls did so well.

Savannah

Hope wasn't too thrilled about the ordeal. After all, she did have Rapunzel hair. *smile* I told her that no matter how long or short her hair was that she was still a princess of the King. That didn't help too much, but she did sit there like a good girl. She asked me after, "Moma, I'm still pretty?" What do you say to that besides

always and forever!

While the girls were being pampered, Ellie sat on the sidelines trying to convince me to let her get extensions. It didn't work but her cooing and goo goo eyes were almost convincing.

I didn't get an after picture right away, but the girls begged for one the next day. A treat for them while walking through Target. An Icee will make anyone happy happy. Am I right?!?!

I miss their long locks. It was seriously almost down to their bottoms. But man, hair management in our house has improved greatly! I think they look pretty cute with their new length, but I am the Moma after all I guess it's OK to be a tad bias.

Ten on Ten

2013-04-10T18:00:00.000-04:00

Today was a really fun day. It's been a while since I've joined in on the Ten on Ten party and thought that today would suite perfect to hop back on the wagon. Life has been hectic lately and not much time to dedicate to focusing on something else besides...well...life. Today's a bit different. This marks day two of potty training so I have a lot of extra time to pick up my camera and click away. I realized how much I miss capturing all of the randoms through the day. It's fun to be able to look back hour by hour and see what was going on...or what wasn't. *smile*

6:57 am

7:57 am

8:57 am

9:57 am

10:57 am

11:57 am

12:57 pm

1:57 pm

2:57 pm

Showing off a little hand-stitched bday gift from my Arizona friend.

3:57 pm

That was our day. I know the twins are M.I.A. but I figured I'd give show them some grace since they've spent most of the day knickers down and bums sitting firmly on the potty. They're doing so well!!

I'm Learning

2013-04-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

Today I am grateful for struggles. The things I've learned and continue to learn from them make me humble so much it's overflowing. These struggles that sometimes feel so overwhelming are teaching me about myself; as a Moma, as a wife, as a friend, daughter and about my God. These struggles are teaching me to reach outside of my comfort zone, outside of this little box I like to stay in because quite frankly, I need it. These struggles are teaching me to ask for help. To reach out to others that tell me they care and are willing to help. These struggles are teaching me to be strong and how to love in new ways. They show me how weak I'd be without my Savior and how to lean on Him more than ever before.

Today I'm grateful. My friend came over to visit. Just to say hello. I think we all need that random visitor time to time despite the tornado trail our house may resemble. I'm grateful for the time she sat and talked with me. For a split second, I was distracted from the usual crazy that runs around me 24-7 and was able to view it all in a different perspective. She listened to my girls go on about the sun, the planes, the flowers at the store that looked like giraffes. Things I've heard time and time again. She admired the crafts and art work spread through out the house. She cared. Genuinely. She overlooked the stains on the couch, the crayon marks on the wall, the pile of dishes in the sink, the broom and dust pan propped up in the corner and the baby spit-up running down my shoulder. She admired it all. Sometimes it takes someone else's outlook to open your eyes and remind you that your chaos isn't always so chaotic. She made me see exactly how lucky I am. I'm grateful for our crazy and wouldn't trade it for anything.

What keeps me going?

The hearts that roam outside of my being. That's what. I'm slowly learning that. I've only been a Moma for 3 1/2 years, so I'm far from being a novice. But I do know where to turn when I feel like I'm lacking. I've told you before how I keep reminders everywhere to help me when times are tough.

It's hard to remember He's got your back when the girls are fighting, the baby's crying, and the dogs are barking at the exact same woman that walks by the house everyday at 3:30. Patience and strength can be hard to find. But it's there.

Proverbs 15:18

A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel. (NIV)

--I'm learning to keep a soft tone. Getting frustrated and loud will only teach my girls to react in such a manner. Learning to stay calm is tough, but I'm seeing it's rewards.

Isaiah 40:31

But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. (NKJV)

--My prayers, at times, feel as if they're going unanswered. I'm learning though, by waiting for HIS timing, I'm seeing them answered in ways I didn't think of. So, keep an open heart.

Galatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (NIV)

--I want to be a strong woman of God. I want my girls to know that it's important to try always and never underestimate themselves.

Psalm 86:15

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. (NIV)

--I'm learning to forgive my children. Oh! They can make me sooo angry, but I'm learning to let go. The only way they're going to learn to love and show love is by example. I'm that.

Romans 12:12

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (NIV)

--Pray. Always. At the sink, during bath time, OUT LOUD, at the stove, in the pick-up line, at the dry-cleaners...PRAY!!! He'll hear you.

I'm learning.

Everyday.

Something new.

Something different.

Something else that helps me become stronger, wiser, and better at life.

2013-04-08T06:19:00.001-04:00

Hello Monday.

Hello to you sweet friends. How was your weekend?

Hello to a new week. This Moma is tired. Allergies.
That. Is. All. *smirk*

Hello to quirky little turtles that arrived from Kentucky. Beady lil' eyes. so "spawkly" is what I've been told. *laugh laugh*

Hello Spring. It's about time you joined the party. Although, I would have been just as happy about your arrival if you'd have left the 23 layers of pollen at the front door. Just sayin'.

Hello to some craft time. You've been truly missed.

Hello sunshine. We've been waiting for you to warm up our souls from this chittery winter we've had.

Hello to my Spring Cleaning List that seems a mile and forever long. No, for real. Is there a way to vacuum the ceiling If so, please share the process.

Hello to ENERGY and simply being out of the house. It's time to run foot lose and fancy free through ~~the foothills of our twenty acres of land placed in the middle of No-Where Tennessee~~ our backyard. *smirk* We're finally feeling better around here. I think we've paid enough dues to the SICK Bank to cover the rest of the year.

Hello to new adventures. YMCA Tots cheer-leading. Otherwise known as some socialization for my shy toddlers.

Hello sweet dandelion. Your disguise is so convincing. You're lucky the girls love you so much. The man of the house has plans for your demise.

Hello blue eyes. You melt my heart. Done.

Linking up with Lisa for the first time...EVER!!

Marching Forward

2013-04-04T07:21:00.002-04:00

March.
It seems as if you decided to do a fly by this year. Leaving a Moma more educated on the tender hearts of those little ones she watches over day-to-day. A couple of weeks ago at one of my weaker moments, I prayed for strength. It's funny how God answers prayers. A case of strep throat, ear infections, pneumonia RSV, and one last stomach virus up roar just for giggles and I've definitely learned how to be stronger. I'm no master at it, but I've come a long way. My snuggles are stronger, my sugar is stronger, my go-with-the-flow-because-I'm-not-in-control is a lot stronger, my take-it-all-in is stronger, but most of all, my love for the lord is stronger. It's because of him and only him that I made it to April in one ~~collection of~~ pieces.

March is for watching baby slumber in the quiet hours of the day.

March is for...enjoying the company of friends.

March is for cheery flowers that bring warmth to our days.

March is for a bowl of hot soup to ease the not-so-goods.

March is for ~~a whole-lotta~~ some catch-up reading.

March is forgetting your birthday because you're exhausted from vomiting all night (is that TMI?) and having a friend bring you a cake and balloons to remind you.

March is for cuddling and side-sleeping.

Aside from being such an incredibly sick household, our march was overall good. I'm praying we're healthier for April. So far, so good.

Here's to marching forward to see what's waiting for us around the corner...like a four year anniversary to share with my main man. You are what keeps me going and feeling fun and fancy free. Oh how I love you so!!!

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.

—William Shakespeare

Weekend Favorites

2013-03-25T14:04:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite parts of the day.

I swear...this was not forced. All on their own. Pinky Promise

Afternoon jumping. Loving our crazy hair.

Anything to get Sissy to smile.

Working on letter sounds. Silly facial expressions are a must you know.

A sparkly sort of day.

Scoring some thrifty finds for the summer wardrobe. LOVE it!!

Showing off the Easter goodies we made for our cousins.

Actually getting them boxed and off in the mail....ON TIME!

Me time with Sonic. Strawberry Limeade...nuff said!

Cheers!

Craft Storage

2013-03-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Since we typically craft and make something everyday (or try to at least) , it only makes sense for our supplies to be reachable. Our house is very limited on storage space so I used to keep all of our art supplies in the linen closet. It worked for a little while, but the bigger the girls get, the bigger our supply collection becomes. Plus, when the girls got their big beds, their sheets took some of that prime craft storage space away from our supplies.

So I had to move some of the supplies elsewhere. That's when the basket came along. A large basket filled with recycled soup and tomato cans, mason jars, and a bucket. Perfect for holding most artsy essentials. This worked great and made it easy to pick up supplies and go craft anywhere in the house. However, the girls started picking bits and pieces out while I wasn't looking. Who was I kidding?! They're still toddlers full of mischief. Prior to this craft supply redo, the basket looked more like this thanks to them...

I had to rack my brain on what to use to keep their fingers out of the supplies. That's when I thought of this Snapware Container. I bought mine at Wal-Mart but you can also purchase them on Amazon in several sizes. Mine came with a bonus container which was perfect to hold our glitter bottles.

I really like how all of our supplies are together and I even used some simple dollar store bins to group the likes together. On the bottom tray we keep the watercolors and brushes, color pencils and the wondrous markers.

On the top tray we keep the dot markers, glitter, glue, and some extra paint.

Now all of our most used supplies are within reach arms to Moma and safe from sticky fingers.

This craft box fits perfect on the shelf in our dining room. It is very easy to pull out and use when craft time arrives. I ended up moving this cubicle shelf that used to be in the playroom /now Ellie's room into the dining room. It definitely isn't the prettiest of solutions, but like I said, we're limited on storage space in our house. The hubby and I agreed that if we use something everyday, then it only makes sense to have it accessible. Having it neatly organized makes it easy on the eyes too.

The small baskets up top hold things the girls can grab at any time. The girls are really good with keeping track of the crayons, so I allowed them to have a crayon basket so they can grab and go whenever they feel.

The other basket holds the main activity for the day. Today it's filled with our flash cards. Tomorrow it may be a certain puzzle or two. The next maybe some shape activities and such. It's our go-to basket. The books are obvious. I like to keep them out in the main area. We're out there more so it only makes sense. The bottom baskets are fairly new. The have one or two coloring books stored so far.

So that's that. My nifty solution to limited craft storage. Having most everything within arms reach of our craft space makes doing activities much more fun and easy.

We're Rolling!

2013-03-20T16:58:00.000-04:00

The girl has officially gotten the hang of it. I can't keep her still any longer!!!

Dreams and Sparkles

2013-03-18T06:30:00.000-04:00

SOURCE

My dreams are filled with many notions. What it would be like to have a closet filled with beautiful clothes, a kitchen filled with the with the niftiest of gadgets enclosed by the prettiest of cabinets, a daily positive attitude, long wavy hair, matching furniture, acres for miles for my children to run through...need I go on? Oh! and every morning my bed is magically thrown together to mimic a Pottery Barn magazine set up. That's not so bad, right? Well, I'm fully aware that that is far from reality for me. Not that these dreams are completely out of reach, I've just decided to see what's worth reaching for and what's not. All in all, I'm choosing to be more deliberate.

Getting up and choosing happiness instead of showcasing my exhaustion has been my first step. I decided that after seeing this on Pinterest...

My husband is amazing at knowing what he wants and working towards it. I on the other hand like to sit back and wait to see if the opportunity arrives before I attempt to reach for it. Not the best approach now that I'm looking at it from a distance.

So now, I take the time to be deliberate in the small things because in the end they are what create the big. I wake up and make my bed. HELLO Morning!! I start the day before I get caught up in it's busy-ness. I greet my girls with a smile and some sugar. I let the messes be messes while play is involved. I eat cookies for lunch and breakfast for supper. I'm looking up instead of down and searching for the sparkle that God has sprinkled so carefully in the every day.

I know that change isn't immediate. This all hasn't happened over night. More often than not, my hair is up and my play clothes are the item for the day. I get mad and angry often but have learned that He's forgiving as so are my girls and He will guide me to better decisions next time. It will get easier.

I've learned...this is my life and with each day that passes it's starting to look more and more like the dreams I dreamt about long ago. Even if I didn't realize it back then.

This Moma is HAPPY!!!

Bit's from our weekend...