The Farmer's Nest

Coloring in the lines

2013-05-02T17:22:00.001-07:00

I've got to be honest....we haven't spent much time inside doing lessons or activities lately. With the weather as nice as it's been we have gone outside right after breakfast and stayed out there right up until lunch and then comes naps. then they wake up from naps and have dinner and go back outside until bedtime and repeat. It takes a dreary day and a uncomfortably pregnant Mama to keep us inside and today we experienced both. It ended up being such a wonderful morning of sleeping in late, eating a delicious breakfast and then working at the table together. Today also marked a big milestone for Little Miss....she tried her hardest to color inside the lines and did a fantastic job.
I don't ever want to forget how proud she was with her picture.

When Bubby doesn't take a nap

2013-04-15T08:10:00.001-07:00

All week this boy has been on a very weird schedule of gigling and playing during nap-time. He's usually the one I can count on to nap without fail every.single.day, until this week.

Want to know the good thing about a baby that doesn't sleep during the day? They fall asleep in your arms. The older they get the less frequent these moments occur and when they do it is so special.

I'm so thankful I walked in his room last night and found Matt reading to him while he had already drifted off to sleep. I can't express how much I love these moments. God is good!

Bubby's Birthday {two}

2013-04-11T13:03:00.003-07:00

At exactly this time two years ago I was unloading the dishwasher during nap-time and noticed my "Braxton Hicks" contractions were so much stronger than usual. Being that we had already set an induction date for a week later I didn't even think it was possible to go into labor on my own and early for that matter. I kept doing some house chores until it got to the point that I could hardly breathe through the contractions. I called my doctors office and told the nurse all of my symptoms and she insisted that I was most likely in labor and needed to get to the hospital. Me, still in doubt I laid down for a bit and at that point there was no denying it....I was in labor. I called Matt and he didn't answer his phone= panic attack. I called our friend Kim who was on Little Miss duty and she came over right away. I called Matt again and told him I was in labor and he came home but kinda thought it was a false alarm. When Matt came home I was standing in the kitchen crying to Kim at the realization that Little Miss was still taking her nap and I was about to rush off and leave her for the first time and when I would return it wouldn't just be her anymore. I was also super emotional about the fact that I thought I still had a few more days.....and let's just see I was emotional. Matt came in and hugged me and assured me everything would be fine because in the back of his head he figured we would be driving back from the hospital that evening from a false alarm. So we packed our bags and headed to the hospital. We checked in and sure enough I was progressing well and just needed to walk the hallways to move things along. Matt went to JJ's to get my favorite sno-cone while I basically ran through the hospital hall. I'm not even kidding....I was walking so fast that Matt with his college course in speed walking couldn't keep up with me. I checked back in with the nurses after two hours of walking and within two hours I met my sweet little baby boy.

Bubby,
You are such a joy to our family! Your passion is such a gift and I can't way to see how the Lord will use that in your life. You are such a softie. I love the way you curl your lip down when you know you have disappointed us and when you are sad. As soon as you do something you are not supposed to you instantly dive in our arms for hugs and reassurance. I love your laugh and your smile. I love that it doesn't take much to make you laugh and it echoes through our home all day long. I pray protection over you. No, seriously, no matter what we are going you seem to manage a way to get injured in the rarest ways. I so enjoy watching the way you and your Sissy share such a special bond. We tell y'all all of the time that you are best friends and that is our prayer for you. And sweet boy you need to get ready because you are about to be sandwiched between two sisters that will most likely mother you and take care of you even when you would rather them not. We love you more and more each and every day.

This morning on your second Birthday you gave your Mama a special gift by sleeping in until 9:45. Maybe you were making up for all of those extra feedings in the wee hours? Any child that lets me sleep until after 9:00 most certainly deserves ice cream for their Birthday breakfast! We love you and today we celebrate you and hope to make you feel extra special.

Cowboy Party

2013-04-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

Saturday we celebrated Bubby turning two with a very simple cowboy/horse theme. It was easy to decide on a horse theme because he is in love with all things horses. For the past few months he has turned everything into a stick horse from a coat hanger to a kitchen spoon and rides it around the house in the best little gallop you've ever seen. We rented out the local carousel in town, made my favorite carrot cake into cupcakes, poured goldfish into a turned over cowboy hat and served fruit on a stick. It was perfect for this 7 months pregnant Mama.

It was at this point that we lost him.

I loved everything about this day that we celebrated for him and I'm so thankful for the friends and family that came out to celebrate with us. I know he felt special!

Making things simple is what allows me to enjoy occasions like this. I absolutely love cute parties with everything that matches and goes with a theme but it's not my gift. Party planning or managing many projects at once is not a talent of mine and knowing that about myself has changed the way I approach these occasions. I want to keep the focus on them and not on my stress level. If party planning is not your thing then don't worry about all of those details that can get overwhelming. Don't wear yourself out Mama's.....they know they are loved and the day will go best when you don't overload yourself.

Rainy Day Reading

2013-04-04T21:15:00.001-07:00

This week has brought about a few days of rainy and chilly weather. With all of the beautiful outside time we have had I have no complaints about being stuck indoors for a few days. To be honest I totally forget about things like laundry when we are outside all day until the Hubby reminds me he isn't wearing socks with his shoes because they are all dirty. So needless to say I have been catching up on some of my household duties and the littles have been playing library story time and watching their newly discovered Mary Poppins. It's been pretty nice!

Those lashes! They get me!

And of course it doesn't take long for them to want the same book at the same time. That's life!

Tomorrow we will spend the day getting things ready for Bubby's second Birthday. I am keeping things really simple so the prep will mostly intel a trip to the grocery store and some fruit washing and kabobing. Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Easter {2013}

2013-04-02T20:48:00.008-07:00

We attended a community wide Easter egg hunt the Thursday before Easter where this boy learned about the candy that was inside of the egg. When Easter Sunday rolled around and we did a hunt before church he saw no purpose in collecting the plastic eggs in his basket and went straight to picking up an egg, opening the egg, taking the candy out of the egg and throwing the plastic egg on the ground and moving on. I like his style!

Family Pictures {2013}

2013-03-27T20:49:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago we had our family session with Ryan Price Photography to capture this time in our lives. Of course I wasn't stoked about the idea of taking pictures while feeling big and pregnant with our third baby but I didn't want to miss this moment. Although it didn't feel like perfect timing I knew I would never regret the pictures and only regret NOT taking them. So often we wait until everything is perfect before we schedule family pictures and let me be the first to tell you that everything will never be perfect.
You will get a pimple the day before the session.
You might not be able to shed those extra pounds.
Coordinating the perfect outfits might be tricky to plan but all is worth it in the end.
You want to capture real life. You don't want to miss the moment that you are in. So if you have been on the fence about family pictures I urge you to call your favorite photographer and setup a session for this Spring. I promise you won't regret!

Here are a few of the images from our session.

Now I can't wait to take more pictures when our Junebug arrives!

{Link Love}

2013-03-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

Mama's you need to go read THIS article "In Defense of the iphone Mom. It's a good one.

I'm planning Bubby's second Birthday party....first of all how is he already TWO? That's crazy to me! He is in love with horses and can pretty much turn anything from a coat hanger to a stick into a horse so he is having a horse themed party. I am going to try and use THIS tutorial to make some horses for the party.

I'm pretty sure THESE will be in my oven at some point today.

I'm really wanting to get Junebug a pair of Gracious May shoes. They are just so adorbale!

I'm loving THIS fabric. Maybe for some bibs for little one?

Have you read Jen Hatmakers Blog? You need to go read THIS post.

I plan to make THIS recipe for Baked Artichoke Chicken for dinner tonight.

Hope y'all have a great day! I think we are going to spend the day outside planting some veggies and flowers.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites {Recipe}

2013-03-14T19:28:00.001-07:00

The title really should be Nutella oatmeal chocolate peanut butter coconut cookie dough bites but we will go with the above title.

One of the things I always like to do during a break is to stock up on healthy and convenient snacks.
You see, my husband is not a planner when it comes to going places and I need to be ready to jump in the car at a moments notice and have easy snacks to throw together to take with us wherever we go. I have made homemade granola bars before but didn't have a creative way to package them and my kids didn't seem to finish the entire bar so when I saw energy bites I knew we needed to give them a try. Little did I know they would taste like cookie dough and we would go through a batch within a 24 hour period. Needless to say these have been a huge hit to take with us whenever we are out and about and even when the kids need a small snack to hold them over until meal time. These are delicious and packed with protein and your kids will love them!

Ingredients:
2 cups of old fashioned oatmeal oats
1.5 cups of shredded coconut
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
2-3 Tablespoons of Nutella
1/4 cup of honey
1/4-1/2 cup of peanut butter & chocolate chip morsels
1 tsp vanilla
2-4 Tablespoons of chia seeds or flax seeds (I used chia)

*yields 48 bites the size of a tablespoon

Mix all dry ingredients first.

Then add sticky ingredients. The honey I used was VERY thick and helped hold it all together. If yours need more of a binding agent don't hesitat to add more peanut butter.

Mix in the vanilla while the mixer is mixing so that it spreads evenly.

Scoop them up and roll them tight.

There you have it! Now go make a batch and add in anything your hearts desire or whatever is in your kitchen pantry.
Original recipe found here.

Spring Break is here!

2013-03-12T14:57:00.007-07:00

It's Spring Break and for this coaching/teacher family that means Daddy is home with us all week long! We love being all together as a family, spending our days relaxing without an agenda, eating yummy snacks and taking spontaneous trips. Yesterday we headed out to the lake to hike on some of the trials and picnic by the water. It was crazy windy!!! Like flip your plate over into your lap, chips scattered in the dirt, children crying kinda windy. Once we finished our picnic we headed for the trails and had a great time exploring. It was so nice to get away into nature and feel the Lords presence. I love sharing the beauty of his creation with our little ones and I think they enjoyed it as well.

I hope y'all are having a great spring break! I love looking at everybody's pictures to see how you are spending your week. Today we got the itch to work on the house a bit and who knows what tomorrow will bring!

Baby #3 {7 month update}

2013-03-08T09:32:00.002-08:00

This poor little one hasn't got much attention on the blog up to this point. I didn't have any bump progress ideas this time around and it has really made it hard for me to keep up with taking pictures of my growing belly. Oh well! I honestly feel like I've looked 5 months pregnant from the beginning and now I'm just getting bigger and bigger every day. June seems so far away even though it will be here before we know it.

Cravings:
Anything peanut butter
Grapefruit
Chocolate (mini-m&m's)
Fruit, yogurt and granola
Passion blueberry tea lemonade
New American Pasta Salad
And Donuts on Friday's!

Our little Junebug does have a name but we will wait until she arrives to announce it. We have found it's best share the name once the baby arrives to avoid unwanted opinions, once they see that sweet little baby nobody has anything to say about the name. So until then we call her Junebug;)

Bubby is absolutely smitten over this baby! He kisses and loves on my belly any chance he can. He even gets his blanky and lays his head on my stomach just to be next to her. I can't wait to see him with her!

Little Miss is of course is over the moon about another baby in the house. I have a feeling I'm going to have plenty of competition when it comes to holding and loving on Junebug.

What are my plans for the nursery you ask? Well......have you seen my pack-n-play? The plan is to keep her in our room as long as possible so the big two can transition one change at a time and once Junebug needs her own space then the big two will share a room. I'm honestly excited about the big two sharing a room but I need just a little bit more time before we make the transition. Because we're not working on a nursery we're focusing our efforts on the rest of our house and sprucing things up a bit. Our bedroom being at the top of the list...oh and a new couch! More on that soon!

Okay...I've rambled long enough;) Hope y'all have a great weekend and a relaxing spring break.

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes {Recipe}

2013-03-06T06:07:00.000-08:00

I don't know about y'all but here in the Farmer home we love breakfast....it's pretty much my favorite meal of the day and might just be the only reason I get out of bed early. There's nothing I love more than a hot, moist, fluffy pancake. I have tweaked many recipes along the way and have come up with something that is my absolute favorite. Anything that can get me out of bed before the kiddos is a recipe worth sharing.

Basic Pancake Recipe:

1.5 c of flour

1/4 c sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons of melted butter

1 1/4 c of whole milk

1 egg

1/4 c yogurt - key ingredient that makes this pancake so moist and fluffy

Sometimes we get a little adventurous and want to add a new twist to an old favorite....and that is what brings me to this one.....Lemon Blueberry Pancakes. Yeah, they rock my world and are pretty much just a disguise for me to eat dessert for breakfast.

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes:

1.5 c of flour

1/4 c sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons of melted butter

1 1/4 c of whole milk

1 egg

1/4 c yogurt

Zest from 1 lemon

1 Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

1/2 c of blueberries

Tips

*I do not add the blueberries to the batter but rather place them in each pancake right after I pour the batter onto the griddle. This insures that each pancake will have an even amount of blueberries rather than just the batter at the bottom of the bowl.

*Sift all dry ingredients together and mix all wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Then pour the two together and stir gently, just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Over-mixing leads to tough pancakes because the gluten in the flour begins to develop as soon as liquid touches it, and the more you mix, the tougher the gluten becomes.

* Lumps in the batter are a good thing. I promise you won't get a big bite of flour in your pancake. Repeat after me, "lumps are a good thing."

*If you like super fluffy pancakes you can separate the white from your egg and beat the egg white in a mixer until fluffy and then fold it into your batter.

I can guarantee you that once you make these you can never go back to anything else. We have pancakes so often that I can whip up a batch before the kids finish their milk in the morning. If I'm extra prepared I will have all the dry ingredients already in a bowl the night before so that all I have to do is mix the wet ingredients.

It's totally worth this!

What is your favorite breakfast meal? I love hearing what gets other families going in the morning!

$200 Anthropologie Giveaway

2013-03-03T22:03:00.001-08:00

Fourteen of us bloggers have gotten together to bless one of you with a special treat!
We're giving away a

$200 Gift Card to Anthropologie!!!

There is only one mandatory entry.
We just want you to let us know what you would spend the gift card on!

And the other entries are bonus entries to up your chances of winning!

The giveaway ends on March 15th.

-Ashley@The Vanilla Tulip-

-Laura@Bits of Splendor-

-Kaylee@Life Chasers-

-Nat@Take the Cannoli-

-Annie@The Farrar Four-

-Aly@Blossom and Vine-

-Kristen&Allison@Lullaby Lubbock-

-Jenna@Day of Knight-

-Wynne@Gloriously Ruined-
-Robyn@The Farmers Nest-
-Alex@Peppermint Plum-

-Carina@Lovely Little Whimsy-

-Danielle@Take Heart-

-Natalie@ NS Pottery-

a Rafflecopter giveaway

500th post {reflecting}

2013-02-27T20:53:00.002-08:00

That's crazy! I just logged into my blogger account and realized that this marks the 500th post for The Farmer's Nest. I really don't know how that happened. One thing I have learned over the course of this blogging thing is that my patterns are always changing and this blog serves as many different outlets. Sometimes I get on a roll sharing recipes and crafts and other times all I want to do is document life and share pictures of my kids so that one day they can look back and have a memory book of their life.

What I've come to realize is that both are good for me. I want to be intentional in the areas that I feel I have an opportunity to have an impact. I want to share our life but at the same time not be focused on myself. I'm learning how to do this in a way that honors God and that's giving me so much freedom. I want to share a craft, recipe or idea and not leave another with feelings of inadequacy. I want to be a blessing. I want this blog to be a blessing both to my family and to others. I have also learned over the last year that if I don't blog or don't feel up to it then that's just fine. There was a point and time where I was posting almost every weekday and in my own little head it set the standard that that was normal or that's what a "good" blogger does; as you can tell I have tossed that idea to the curb. I'm thankful for this blog in every season.

I'm thankful for the way it helped me connect to other stay at home moms when I was alone with a new baby that first year of my motherhood journey.
I'm thankful for the way it has brought to life a love for photography.
I'm thankful for the way it has helped me to grow creatively.
I'm thankful for the real friendships I have gained along the way.
I'm thankful for the way God has used it to help me address certain idols in my life.
I'm thankful for what's to come in the future.

So here I am....reflecting and asking the Lord to show me how he wants to use me and this blog. Thank you for being on this journey with me and being an encouragement!

And just like life there are days where this blog is nothing more than me licking the window of life. Because you just gotta do what comes natural to ya!

I'm Back!

2013-02-24T20:54:00.000-08:00

I know I've been MIA for the last two weeks but I have good reason. About two to three weeks ago my computer started acting up and became non-responsive so I quickly backed all of my images up to my external hard drive in preparation for it to crash, which it did. I took it into our local computer repair shop and they confirmed that the hard drive was a goner. I wasn't too worried because I knew I had everything backed up onto my external hard drive, right? Well they called me later that day to tell me the news that not only had my computer crashed but so did my external hard drive. Picture me tossing back m&m's by the handful and crying crocodile tears. With a lot of hard work on their behalf and many phone calls from us explaining to them that our lives were in their hands, they were able to recover the images for us. Praise the Lord!

That same day our garage door broke, like completely unusable broke, the vacuum broke and the mailman lost the new computer that I ordered. All that stuff happened in the same week. It was almost funny how it all came crashing down all at once. And honestly I'm thankful that it did because if it hadn't I would have bought the Dyson vacuum cleaner that I now can't afford. So the dust buster it is!

So I just got my new computer as of late last week and I'm trying to get up and running again....while learning how to use a Mac. Everyone told me it was the only way to go but I'm having a really hard time adjusting to it. The mouse and it's tricky moves is the biggest of my frustrations at this point and I'm hoping to figure it all out soon.

So a quick recap of the last few weeks......

I got to attend the MomHeart Conference with two of my lovely friends. This was my second year to attend and such an encouraging weekend as a Mama.

This little cutie went on her first Valentines date with Daddy. Her choice......the blue bell ice cream parlor right down the street.

These two just can't seem to get enough of each other.

This guy adores his Daddy!

I have so much more to share with you guys. Lots happening with our little family and a giveaway on the blog that you will not want to miss.

Valentine's Day Tree {DIY}

2013-02-07T20:51:00.000-08:00

The other day I was sitting outside watching the kids play when I spotted some fallen branches that instantly sparked a creative idea. I feel like it's been a while that I have come up with an easy idea that could be done within a few minutes time so I knew I should act on it. Right now the ideas flowing to my brain are more of a result of nesting and involve painting entire rooms and sewing large amounts of fabric....so a quick and easy project sounded like fun.

I call this the Valentine's Day "Things I love about you" Tree. Basically, any time one of us thinks of something we love about one another we jot it down on a paper heart and hang it on the tree. It's easy and has been a special part of our day.

Here's what you need:
Branches
Spray paint
Floral Foam
Moss
Container
Craft paper
String

Place the floral foam firmly in the container. I cut the piece a little large so it wouldn't wiggle around. Then stick the painted branches in the arrangement that you like.

Cover the foam up with moss. You can find this in the floral department of any craft store.

Scrounge around for some paper supplies, buttons, lace and whatever else you would like to add.

I have this plate sitting in the center of our table so that it's easy to access when we are ready to jot a love note down.

When the holiday is over I plan to collect all of the notes and paste them onto scrapbook paper for our keepsake book.

This little corner of the house just makes me happy! Don't you love adding such girly colors and items to your home for Valentine's Day? I know I do!

{For the Hard Days}

2013-01-30T20:05:00.002-08:00

Today was not the easiest of days. I can't put my finger on any particular situation or moment, it was just one of those days that the little things wore me down. The endless requests of "more" and "help" just seemed to overwhelm me. It's days like this that I am watching the clock and looking forward to bedtime. Once we bathed the littles, got their jammies on and started the nighttime routine I briefly reflected on how fast today went; in spite of it's challenges the day was gone in a flash.

Sometimes it takes every last bit of energy I have to read nighttime stories to Little Miss but when I close the book, tuck the covers around her tiny little body and turn out the light I know that these are the days that I will remember and wish I could go back and have one more night of a three-year old nighttime routine.

When I hold Bubby close to me with his fleece blanket wrapped around him as snug as a bug I cherish that he is still my little baby boy and let's me hold and rock him. This time is fleeting. This time is hard and that's very real but I need to remind myself to not wish the days away. I will never regret taking the extra time to hold these babies, someday they won't need me to hold them.

I'm choosing to see the good it's creating in me to sacrifice and pour into these little people. Rather than seeing it as an inconvenience to my schedule. I'm choosing to be refined by motherhood rather than to grow frustrated and bitter. It's easy to forget that this life of motherhood is the one I always wanted. This world and the things around me tell me otherwise all too often. While reading Desperate yesterday this really spoke to me.

I am praying hard for more obedience in all of these areas. I want to approach this battle of life, motherhood and womanhood with joy and obedience. If you're reading Desperate you need to click HERE so you can join in on the online book club.

My Journey with a Nursery Rhyme

2013-01-28T13:01:00.002-08:00

A few months ago I had taken the kids to story-time at the library and the librarian began singing a song that included hand motions and participation from the kiddos. It was one of those comparing, guilt, "oh no I've missed the mark," moments as a Mama. My kids sat there clueless as to what was going on while the other children eagerly participated. It never surprises me how the enemy can use the seemingly simple and meaningless things to bring me down and make me feel like I've failed. I was tempted to go towards thoughts of:
"My kids are missing out."
"I'm not as fun and involved as I planned on being."
"How did I overlook such a fun childhood activity like singing nursery rhymes?"

And the list could go on and on. Thankfully the Lord spoke truth into my heart before I traveled down that road of destruction and God reminded me that:
I am enough.
My children are dearly loved and cared for.
They are not yet grown and I didn't miss the opportunity to sing fun nursery rhymes with them.
Start today!

I know this whole situation might seem silly but in reality I am battling silly thoughts like this all of the time. The enemy wants us to go down the path of destruction where we tear ourselves apart to the point that we can't seem to muster the strength to get back on track. We allow the thoughts in our head to have more power than the truths of the scriptures. So this reminds me to have grace for myself. I will make mistakes, I won't look, do and act the same as others and that's ok. Whether it be a nursery rhythm or what I feed my children I need to depend on the Lord for that guidance and wisdom over any other voice in my head or what I perceive others might say or think.

So in light of that situation we now have music time right after breakfast. I turn on Pandora to the toddler station or children's nursery rhymes and we sing and dance for a good half hour. It truly is a highlight in their day and a happy way to start the morning off. It also allows me some time to clean up breakfast while they dance their hearts.

"The God of our Lord Jesus Christ , may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to ward us who believe." Ephesians 1:17-19

Bubby and Sissy

2013-01-24T19:33:00.001-08:00

This week these two grew in love for each other. They played with peace and joy. Of course there were moments of differences but overall it was a beautiful week of growth. Bubby is learning to embrace his sisters affection and need for physical touch. Little Miss is learning to respect when she's pushing his limits. The day in, day out training, guiding, redirecting, love and prayers are showing fruits that are so encouraging. There are days I grow weary of repeating the same tasks and teachings and then there are days that God encourages me in my efforts, this week he blessed me with such encouragement.

This might be one of those moments she was pushing it;)

While I'm on the topic of being encouraged...have you heard of Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson's new book Desperate? If you don't have a copy I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend you stop what you are doing and order a copy. I'm only on chapter 5 and I already feel that strong about it. If you're a Mama to little ones you will not only relate to this book but will be so encouraged and find yourself searching your heart in many areas. It's stirring my heart and I hope to share more with you. Let me know if you order a copy!

On a side note, some of you know that I bought a thumbguard to help Little Miss stop sucking her thumb. From the pictures above I'm sure you can tell how well it's going. To add to it Bubby has taken to his thumb during the day all of the sudden. I'm not sure if it's because there has been an extra focus on thumbs around here lately but it kinda makes me laugh. Two steps forward....three steps back! Y'all have a good weekend!

A Few Things

2013-01-22T12:02:00.001-08:00

First of all thank you all so much for all of your sweet comments regarding our announcement of another baby girl! We are so excited and are thankful for your excitement for us.

I had just a few random thoughts in my head that I thought I would share with you all today.

1. If I were rich I would wear a brand new pair of socks every.single.day. I broke down and bought some super nice socks last week and it totally changed my days. I know that sounds weird but it had a huge impact on my mood.

2. I wear pearl earrings all the time. I'm not much of a jewelry person but pearl earrings are a sure thing for me.

3. I feel most beautiful at the end of the day right after I wash my face using the oil cleaning method. The warm water flushes my face with the slight amount of redness on my clean skin that just makes me feel naturally pretty.

4. When I wake up in the morning I'm so discouraged that my efforts from the day before that involved about one hour of showering, makeup, and blow-drying my hair can't carry me through more than 24 hours. I mean really?! Every day I have to do this long routine and it's only good for less than 24 hours? I just hate it! As a mom my time is not really my own and this part of the day just seems like a waste sometimes. I wish I could just wake up and look decent.

5. I bought Girl Scout cookies again this year. Every year I buy them and regret it because I have no self control when it comes to thin mints right out of the freezer. I can easily down a sleeve in one sitting and not even think twice about it.

6. I recently started watching Parenthood and Downton Abbey. Are you guys watching either of these shows? What do you think?

7. I'm working on turning our memories on the blog into a book with Blurb. So far it says I have 889 pages and I need to narrow it down a bit. Yikes! I think I can narrow it down or make multiple books, I'm just thrilled that there is a service to print it off and create a memory book.

That's it for today. It's a beautiful day and we spent all morning outside and now this Mama is tired. I think I might actually try for a nap today. Hope yours is going great!

It's a.....

2013-01-16T12:15:00.002-08:00

Well...this morning we woke up and headed to the Doctor to find out the gender. We waited and waited and waited some more. Of course it was the craziest and busiest day the office had ever experienced. We got to see our sweet little one and all of those precious little part and it didn't take long for us to notice what we would soon be having.

We can't wait to celebrate more pink birthdays! Little Miss got the biggest smile on her face when we explained to her that she was now going to have a little sister. We are overjoyed for another sweet baby girl!

So I have a 3-0 record now, Mama's always right. I told Matt he needed to keep that in mind;)

Boy or Girl

2013-01-15T19:54:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow morning we go in for the big ultrasound and find out if we are having another little girl or another little boy. There was a part of me that didn't want to find out because we already have one of each I would be prepared either way but the closer I came to my 20 week appointment the more excited I have been to find out. There's something so exciting about that moment they tell you, "it's a girl!" or "you see that little thing right there?" that helps you wrap your mind around this little person that will forever have your heart. I love to dream of holding this sweet little one. I love to think about if Little Miss will have sister to bond with and what that will look like. I love to think about Bubby having a best friend to roll around on the floor and build forts with. Either way we are so excited. I'm 100% sold that it's a girl, Matt thinks it's a boy, Little Miss thinks it's a baby sister and Bubby thinks it's a brother. Matt and I have never been on the same page with gender predictions and I have been correct both times so we will see. The tradition will continue, if I'm correct I get to choose lunch and if Matt's correct he chooses lunch, so if we are eating buffalo wings tomorrow you should know the gender;)

Looking in on nap time

2013-01-10T11:44:00.002-08:00

One of the things that brings me great Joy is to watch my kiddos in action when they are to themselves without an audience. I love to see their imaginations play out. I love to hear the things they say to their pretend friends and listen to the stories they tell. It's entertaining and enlightening. It is yet another reminder of my impact and role in their lives. I'm encouraged and feel truly blessed to live this beautiful life. These children are a blessing. So many times I focus on the things I'm doing wrong and what I still need to work on. These children with their gentle spirits and hearts full of love encourage me to continue on in this journey in learning as I go and to focus on one moment at a time.

Rainy Day Happenings

2013-01-08T12:20:00.003-08:00

It's a cold and rainy day over here. The perfect weather for busting out busy bag activities for the little ones. I've always wanted to get things together for a busy bag swap party, have any of you done one? I think it would be a great way to stock up on lots of activities. I'm thankful that last year I went to a yard sale of a pre-k teacher that was retiring and she was selling all of her supplies for pennies on the dollar. Today has been the perfect day for those. I'm learning that parenting is easier when it's pretty outside. This Texas weather has led me to believe that I'm a well planned Mama with fun and games for the kiddos but in reality we just go play outside. Rainy weather..inside for days and days....that stretches me and makes me realize how much more planning I need to do. I'm not much of a planner and really want to work on that. Last week when the kids were sick we watched tons of movies because they really didn't feel up to anything other than vegging. I have to admit that when I saw a rainy forecast for this week I started to panic with what to do and knew that I needed to come up with something other than the tv. It takes more effort to plan, facilitate and engage with activities all day but that's my job and I want to do it to the best of my abilities. Even as a mom we can get stuck in a rut and with what's easy. I'm challenging myself to do less of what's easy for me and do more of whats good for these little ones.
Saying "yes" when she asks if she can help me bake.
Getting out the play-dough even if he's just going to eat it.
Playing games that have 100 pieces.
Sitting on the floor to play with them with my phone out of reach.

What are some ways you keep your kids engaged with indoor activities?

The Flu

2013-01-05T13:02:00.003-08:00

Whew...I'm not really sure what day it is or what is going on with the world. We have been battling the flu one Farmer at a time ever since the day after Christmas. It started with Little Miss then went to Daddy and then to Mommy and now to Bubby. I am thankful we didn't all have it at once because I'm not sure we would all be alive to tell about it.
Sickness + cold and rainy weather has made things a bit of a challenge, especially when the kids got a trampoline for Christmas and one was able to jump on it while the other stayed inside and watched from the window. Soon enough this will pass and we will be back to normal. Thank you for prayers of healing during this time.