adventures with 4 under 4

giving up on good adventures: sunday morning church

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:44:00 +0000

you know how sometimes there are good things in life that just aren't the best things for your family?!

well recently, we've discovered going to church on sunday mornings isn't the best thing for us.

now, wait a sec!

it's not that we are skipping church altogether. we are just choosing to go on saturday nights instead. and it's been an awesome surprise!

truth: for several years, i went to church out of duty.

the duty of a good christian woman. the duty of a pastor's wife.

the duty of a mom trying to raise God-loving little men.

and that was all fine.

sometimes i think you have to just get up & go even if you don't want to or feel like it.

but i longed for more...

now that matt isn't preoccupied on sundays, i thought things would change...until he got asked to play on the worship team. i knew it would only be a matter of time. i just hoped it would take longer i guess. either way, it's happened. in all honesty, him being a part of the worship team is what helped make our shift from sunday morning church-goers, to saturday night church-goers.

when it comes down to the facts, saturday night allows him to be more available to help me with the unloading/loading up of kids. the church also serves a family meal before service. so we meet matt there {as he's gone ahead for practice}, eat dinner together, put the kids in childcare available for the worship team, and then i sit. i sit & unwind. i'm able to prepare my heart before worship. it's been a long time since i've been in a place where i'm ready for what God has in store before service starts.

y'all this was me on mother's day weekend...before church.
awesomeness!

y'all know what i'm talking about right?! the hustle & bustle that seemingly only comes on sunday mornings as you bust out the door, usually running just a little late. yeah, that. and doing that for years by myself with my growing tribe of boys {and my trusty sidekick of a stroller}...it exhausts me to think about it.

but now our sundays leave room for rest & recouping from our saturday family adventures. we hang out, watch cartoons, pick up toys, catch up on laundry & go to our small group. i suppose in essence that our sundays have turned into what most do on saturdays. and coming from a season where we never really had weekends, this is a new experience.

i'd say that now we are in a season of refreshing. and that includes things like worship team childcare. and saturday night dinners & church. and small group meetings. and no more single-parent sundays.

adventures as His chosen people

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

sometimes we all just need a little reminder...

that He chose us.

that we are HIS.

that He calls us out of the darkness

and when we respond, we walk with Him in truth & light.

He speaks all of these things to us in

1 peter 2:9

what a great counter to the negative thoughts that can eat through us so quickly.
the ones that say we don't belong.
we don't deserve.
we are condemned & hopeless.

because they are all lies!
our lives were created with purpose & destiny.
we are blessed beyond measure with no other reason
than we are His.
and that is reason enough to declare His praises!!

i've always loved this verse. and i often times couldn't recall it correctly.

and then my amazingly talented husband wrote {& recorded} this song.

go on now...click it & listen!

chosen people by matt ruckel

now you all can join with me as it gets stuck in your head.... and hopefully your heart as well!

you're welcome!!

some of my adventures the past 29 years

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:10:00 +0000

long ago i had started a list of things i wanted to do in life by the time i turned 30.

that was back when i thought life was taking me on a MUCH different course & that 30 was old.

it definitely included things like start having kids & save money to buy a house.

welp...it's more like

be done having kids

and find our 3rd house to buy.

i tried to come up with a list of things i wanted to do in this last year of my 20's. the last year of fun, or like my sister said, before i have to be responsible. but truth be told, i've lived a lot in my short 29 years. and frankly, i think i've already made a list of goals for the year & amendments to that list.

so instead here are parts of my life that i want to celebrate!

29 things i've done...no particular order

1. graduated from high school & college

2. travelled outside of the US {mexico, guatemala & spain}

3. lived in 4 different states

4. bought {and SOLD!} 2 houses

5. worked a full-time job

6. bought myself a car

7. been in a beauty pageant

8. learned to ride a bike

9. raced my dad's corvette around the texas motorspeedway

10. travelled to 34/50 states...maybe its 35

11. been proposed to

12. got married to the love of my life

13. got pregnant & birthed babies 3x

{yes only 4...remember, the last time was twins?!}

14. was a pastor's kid & then a pastor's wife

15. had cancer invade my life

16. experienced not 1, but 2 miraculous healings of my body

17. been a passenger in a car accident

18. been pulled over

19. driven at speeds over 100mph {see#9}

20. dyed my hair

21. learned how to snow & water skiing

22. played soccer

23. looked at colleges as a soccer recruit

{even thought i didn't end up playing}

24. was a model

25. learned how to develop & print film

26. got my boating license

27. learned to play the guitar

28. also played basketball, softball, volleyball & ran track

29. started a business of my own

8 more days to vote!

adventures in the law of twins

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:49:00 +0000

does this happen to anyone else?!

i mean how am i suppose to keep up with twin toddlers without a fence?!

it's gotta be the

law of twins:

move in the opposite direction of your sibling,
without stopping & as fast as possible.

thankfully, i have found a park with a fence!
it's a rarity & such a blessing.

bonus:
bathrooms & a picnic shelter

i'm calling it my little slice of heaven on earth.

at least with a fence i have a fighting chance of keeping up.
and the only way i can take all 4 boys to the park by myself.

{and if you've ever wondered how i lost my baby weight...
this should give you an idea how. haha! }

psst! help us make the top 25!
you can vote 1x each day until may 23!!

raising boys: fighting sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:04:00 +0000

when you're a little boy

you're days are full of:

running

jumping

climbing

wrestling

playing cars/trains

drinking milk

and you fight sleep...

until that moment it just overcomes you.

psst!!
help us get into the top 25
by voting 1x daily until may 23!

adventures finding purpose in alone time

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:30:00 +0000

y'all i've had a revelation...

it's not just about getting me time away from my kids.

it's about doing something good, fun, productive, purposeful...in my time away from my kids.

yes, there is always the floor to vacuum, dishes to do, laundry to fold & toys to put away. or tv to watch, stores to window shop & the internet to surf.

but truthfully aren't those things part of our everyday routine?!

i realized i was jealous of matt when he would slip out to the garage to work on "his stuff"...and i'd be sitting on the couch. alone. zoning out watching tv.

he's out there playing music, making cables, working on editing music for others.

his time had purpose.

i wanted purpose.

i wanted to be sure of that purpose.

i wanted to have something to "work on".

and i felt like i was 5 years old...i wanted a job to do.

{y'all with kids know what i'm talking about!}

now i realize that not everyone understands where i'm coming from.

i was there in the not-so-distant past. and i was totally ok with it.

my boys. my husband. my house. my friends. they were all more than enough.

but as i found myself in a new place, both physically & spiritually, i longed for something more.

and i just added this to the list of things i was searching for...

something to call my own.

there are few things i know about myself & it's that i'm no painter, seamstress, or crafty lady.

so an opportunity was presented to me.

it's something i NEVER thought i'd do. nev.er!

and yet, it seemed to fit more than 1 of the things on my list.

i'll be honest...i'm pretty stoked about it.

i've signed on to the stella & dot team!

it's boutique style jewelry sold at in-home {and online} trunk shows.

i'm in love!

and since i have pretty things to wear, i'm doing it more often.

i have several WHY's for diving head first into this.

but for right now, at this moment, it's a hobby.

i'm not in this to become top sales lady.

if by chance that does come eventually, then great.

but for now, it's time for me to have purpose &

to have some girl time-apart from my boys.

so i'd love to introduce you to their great products.

here are some collections i've put together of my fav pieces.

{maybe you'll even find some mother's day inspiration!}

while i know that this move is a bit extreme for some...
what are you doing with your time to make it purposeful?!
do you craft, knit, paint, sew?

**psst! here's a little reminder:

vote for us to be a part of circle of moms top 25 blogs for moms of multiples

vote 1x daily until may 23!

adventures in the top 25!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:17:00 +0000

We've been nominated for the 2012 edition of

Circle of Moms Top 25 Moms of Multiples blogs!

and we're so honored!
thank you to all of our readers...yes, all of you!
{even you closet readers. you know who you are!}

you can vote 1x every day, now up until May 23!

oh how i love may!

let me count the ways...
*may day!
*mother's day
*my birthday!! {the big 2-9}
*stella & dot kickoff
*memorial day
and now this!!

adventures in mommy style: denim shorts

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

as part of a follow up to my post the other day...i'm rediscovering my personal style

here's my 1st what i wore post...and i by no means declare myself a fashion diva.

i mean i'm about to talk about jean shorts of all things. so not fashion forward!

i am trying to find cute stuff that fits into my lifestyle. for instance, i live in florida. it gets hot...and humid. and i'm outside corralling or chasing down boys on the reg. or lifting a giant double stroller out of the car. therefore, i need clothing that makes these things easier, but still allow me to look put together & feel cute.
ya know what i mean?!

while i love summer dresses & skirts, sometimes a skirt ends up being one too many things to have to worry about.
{like on a windy day while hauling the stroller out of the car}

i'm not really a shorts-lovin-kinda-gal, but i suppose it's time to embrace them.

so i've been on the quest for some shorts i like...jean/denim shorts specifically.

{i have no good ones to cut off or else i would have done so first!}

i failed.

i shopped every store at the outlets & the mall. and while yes, there were shorts aplenty, none that fit my specific criteria. you know, that list that you have made up in your head while searching for the perfect item...yeah, that one. it can get lengthy & thrown out altogether sometimes, but it's nice to know what you're looking for too. it's a process to say the least!

and then after i'd given up & when i wasn't really looking

...i found these...

LC Cuffed Denim $24.99

they may not have been exactly what i thought i wanted, but

i love them so much, i've worn them 2x since buying them.

i would say that is SUCCESS!

and since, i was already stepping out of my comfort zone,

i grabbed this shirt too.

LC Asymmetrical Ruffle Shirt $16.99

it's totally not me...with the ruffles AND the floral print.
{i know some of you are quite shocked! hang with me!}

don't mind the bad phone pic or the cute photo bomber!

but i must say, it looks better on me than the mannequin.

those ruffles do a girl right & hide all kinds of wrong.

and that v-neck is the perfect length for a momma who is always picking up little boys.

how cute is this outfit?!

i paired it with some cute white sandals.

try some like these

SO Sandals in white $23.99

totally able to run errands around town,

play with the boys at the park

and make dinner

wearing this outfit!

so tell me, when was the last time you stepped outside your style comfort zone?

it's worth the risk!

adventures in mommyhood: rediscovering things about myself

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:10:00 +0000

i'm definitely in a phase of life where

i'm searching for & reevaluating a lot of things.

i'm searching my heart & God's heart for me...for what He's calling me to do & who I am in Him.

{i have drafts of posts that i've repeatedly tried to write for the last couple of months.}

and thus far, i've come up with these things:

my style as a mom of 4 active little boys.

i'm no longer pregnant. i'm not longer breastfeeding babies. and i'm no longer just hanging out in my pj's every day just trying to survive. i turn 29 in a couple of weeks, so i need to remember to be age appropriate but still cute & stylish. and...i just moved a super humid climate. so what does my wardrobe look like now?

friends.

i realize i keep saying that i don't have friends. that is INCORRECT. i DO have friends, a lot of them...all over the country. i realize that i'm longing for friends here. someone to go out with: see a movie, grab dinner, or a shopping buddy. so far, my loving & willing husband has filled these rolls. but i cannot expect him to always do this or want to do this. but when you're at home or always have 4 little guys {literally} running around you in circles, how in the world do you meet people that want to be your friend?!

a little something i can call my own.

not sure if you know this, but i live in a house with 5 other people who all happen to be male. yep, it's true. and for the most part i love doing the things that they love, yet part of me is yearning for more. i never thought i'd say this...but looking for something apart from them. something that just for me...yet within my very limited available resources of time & money.

a creative outlet of self expression.

i love having a creative outlet & that looks different depending on the stage of life i'm in. i do not find myself artistic by any means but i have a good sense of design {what's pleasing to the eye}. confusing? well i mean, i can picture things in my head, but i can't always make things to appear as in my vision...does that make sense? in the past i've dabbled with doodling, photography, a little digital editing, home projects. so in short i like to re-edit or arrange not create from scratch. {you can follow me on instagram @kristiruckel}

rediscovering my what my strengths are & defining my passions.

i recently started to follow hailey at the tiny twig because she started a series about finding our passion in life. one of her posts was about discerning your strengths to help define your passion. i didn't take any tests this time, but from past tests & knowing my personality i'd say some of my bigger strengths are being relatable/relevant, adaptability & learning {or trying} something new. now i'll be honest, my personality is one that is seemingly always trying to figure out what i'm passionate about. but in the end, i know it's young women...building relationship & through that being able to speak God's love into their life. i've come to understand that i only know these things in part because i still am not in the place for the Lord to fully reveal his plan to me. but i will embrace these things as i know them & continue to always seek them out.

working on my weaknesses

ready for some truth?! i believe that we need all identify our personal weakness, otherwise, they can be an easy foothold to be used against us. i'm a slight introvert. meaning, instead of just running from one party to the next, i need some quiet to recharge before the next event. it also causes me to withdraw when things get overwhelming. these things are a constant battle, but one i know i can win with the right tools: a little quiet, a little bible time & some coffee. i've learned that i'm wanting some of the things above to help me overcome some of my weaknesses. and usually that means battling it out head on.

so maybe this is my readjustment of my new year's goals. things for me to work & focus on. i'll be writing on these areas of life in the near future. that means some what i wore & mommy style posts. hopefully some posts of playdates & things i'm doing to meet & develop relationship with new people.

what about you...what are some things that you are searching for?

When adventures come to an end a legacy is left

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:25:00 +0000

This past Saturday the Ruckel family lost a wonderful man, C. wWalter Ruckel, jr., at the age of 85. Although he is gone, his legacy of family, generosity & activity in a community he loved will remain implanted in the hearts of those he left behind. We are honored to now be raising our family in this town he obviously loved & cared for.

we've been remembering & celebrating papa walt this week. we've had beautiful services held in his honor & got to share lots of stories of this man, the legend that he is. the church was literally standing room only and i'd say that, in & of itself, shows the mutual love & respect between this man and this town.

click picture for his obituary

and what i've learned from his life:

may we all have the zeal to live life to its fullest & make the choice to adventure whenever possible.

click picture for article & more pictures on his funeral services

preschool adventures: breaking into the mommy circle

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:30:00 +0000

after i pick ben up from school i let the big boys run around in this little sliver of green space by the school {otherwise known as a drainage ditch} with other kids from school & their siblings. it's become a part of our day that we look forward to. a little exercise, a little socialization and all for just a short 5-10 minutes. works for me!

the other day, after a confrontation between gabe & another younger sibling of a classmate of ben's, i broke into the mommy circle. {aka, the other moms that stand around chatting with one another after school} i said something along the lines of little boys & how they become friends by hitting or staring each other down, therefore winning respect & establishing that it's cool they can be friends. i didn't say i get it, i'm just stating the facts. anyways, one of the moms was apparently impressed & said

"wow. you seem to have it all together."

i can honestly say, that was a shocker. i certainly don't feel like i have it together, but i guess the lack of gabe {or ben for that matter} retaliating was enough to send that vibe. i smiled & began to assure them that i didn't have it all together. yes i had on a cotton dress, sandals & my big sunnies, but all of those things hide a multitude of sins! my hair was a day old & i had on no makeup. to which the same lady {who was in workout clothes} replied

"oh good, i won't have to turn my back to you."

of course i just laughed it off. but really?! i decided to take it as a joke that just came out wrong, but it struck something in me. after i processed it later, i realized what it was. i have learned to be content in who i am. sure i have things that make me feel self-conscious of who i am not or the skin that i'm in, but don't we all?! it's just that these things are fewer & i've learned the things i can and cannot change...and with comes a self-confidence. and a truth be told, a joy too. amazing the change in attitude you can have when you don't let things hold you down.

what i didn't expect was the other side of this coin...being the seed for the negative attention. it's heartbreaking really, seeing these women holding themselves captive by the smallest of things. and it seems, until Jesus comes back, we will always either be the one who is envious or the cause of the envy.

why can't we all just act like little boys? and again, i say it...boys just hit, stare each other down & then they're cool. and i know this because my boys do it all the time. i for sure do NOT, i repeat, DO NOT, have it all together. but i'm glad my kids can be well behaved for 5 minutes. now that DOES bless my heart. can't we all just celebrate together on this one?!

"stop comparing yourself to everyone else. make peace with who God made you to be."~joyce meyer

so mommas, i ask you, have you cast your doubt onto someone else? be sure to life up those other mommas & maybe, just maybe, even try to glean some info on how to make it happen for you to.

flashback adventure: happy birthday matt!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:55:00 +0000

giving thanks for this guy today. because today he turns 29!

i love his ambitions & his ability to not just dream big, but go hard after those dreams.

i love his personal sense of style...which is normally comfort over trendy fashion.

i love his loyalty & sincere heart for people...especially his friends.

i love that he has always created a special place for me in his life.

one that cannot be taken or refilled with something else.

i love that he has helped me live life a little more vibrantly.

i love watching him love on (& wrestle with) our boys.

his father's heart blesses & moves me daily.

i love how we've come so far from this birthday celebration last year...

i can't believe that much life happened in just one year?!

i fell in love with him when we were still kids.

and i have loved watching him become the man that he is today as he turns 29.

here's to the last year of our 20's...the best one yet!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE ONE & ONLY, MATT RUCKEL!

found: brothers playing together

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:29:00 +0000

found: brothers nicely playing together

It's these types of moments of motherhood that I love...finding the boys quietly playing together.

And also make me ever so thankful for my iPhone!

because these moments are fleeting.

literally they all started crying not 2 minutes after i snapped this picture.

but when i'm old & grey and sharing memories of their childhood with my grandkids,

i want to share these moments, not the fussy, whiny, hot messes they can be on the regular.
we've got plenty of that to go around.
amen & amen!

He hears my heart that cries out for a tight bond of friendship amongst these boys.
He gives me glimpses of peace in their relationship reassuring me that it won't always
be full of battles & striving to out do one another.

beach adventures: embracing routine

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:14:00 +0000

wow! it's been a crazy couple of weeks full of visitors, a getaway to the beach & even some sick buddies in the mix. and this morning as we fall back into our normal, our routine, i find myself at peace. because as nice as vacation is, the lack of routine nearly breaks us all.

i can honestly say that i never thought i'd get to this place in life. i've always bucked schedules. i personally feel they're too restrictive. BUT i have found a place in my heart (& life) for routine. in fact, i've come to see that not only do my boys thrive on routine, but so do i. now i'm not talking about a daily schedule laid out by the minute. i'm more referring to the outline of a day, things to be expected...there will be meals, naps & picking {ben} up from school. i do think it was having twins that created this need in me...that and having 4 kids.

but it is still my goal in life to never be tied down to a schedule. although, i'm sure that will ebb & flow as {ben} enters kindergarten next fall & the others start preschool. i mean i can only be in denial of the inevitable for so long, but i'll enjoy it while it lasts.

but i guess that also means i have yet to figure out how to get regular posts up. still working on that new year's resolution. until then, i leave you with some shots of our little getaway at the beach house.

flashback adventure: finding out baby #3 was a boy & so was #4

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:58:00 +0000

it was this week 2 years ago that we got some life-changing news...
it almost seems as though it was this news was the beginning of a string of ultimate life changes.
A LOT can happen in 2 years. and it's all been covered in God's grace & peace.

since i want to keep the original post labeled & marked as it was when i did it, i'll just copy it here & make your job of finding it a little easier. may this easter season you be overwhelmed by God's grace & love...cause when i remember this time in my life, i still feel overwhelmed by HIM!

ok so here it is folks, my reactions to our life changing news last week...

it's been almost a week now and i'd say the reality of the situation has settled in as best as it possibly can, for now. i have 2 babies in my belly. which to say the least explains A LOT! it came as a total shocker even though my belly is huge already. we had an ultrasound at 7 weeks and there was no mention of there being 2 babies. i've also had a few doctor's appointments since then and again, no mention of 2 heartbeats. i guess God had some things for me to deal with and work through first. :)

and not only were we doubly blessed, but they are both boys! LOL! my Cook cousins i'm sure are laughing. to clue everyone else in, all my cousins on my dad's side have only had boys-i think it's like 16 great-grandsons! i always knew that i'd be a mom of 4 boys. call it intuition or self-fulfilling prophecy, either way, i'm there. and to answer a big question, yes, fraternal twins do run in my mom's family, BUT, i'm having identical twins and that could happen to anyone. :) and since twins run in my mom's family i always 'joked' that i'd be the one to have the twins...and again, here i am. i just kinda chuckle when i think about those statements of years ago. i guess the Lord knew then i would need a long time of mental preparation since i wouldn't actually find out i was having twins til half way thru the pregnancy!

i took last friday to just 'enjoy' the news and not let myself get all worked up into the details. it was a bizarre day and nothing much got accomplished besides phone calls, texts and facebook updating. it wore this little introvert out! but i'm glad i took that day. i was able to think so much more clearly the next day. because throughout the day, and continuing still, the Lord reveals himself and his ways to me. He has showed me so many things, from the grand to the small, that He had already begun doing to prepare me for this time. my original thought was "how in the world do you accidentally get pregnant with twins?!" the short answer is: you don't! God had these boys planned for such a time as now and has prepared me, like i've said before, throughout my lifetime. i could look back and say 'maybe' He did this or that, but i know without a doubt that they were all done and orchestrated for me for this time. these boys have a destiny that can't be denied! for instance, just yesterday i was so thankful that i played soccer for like 14 years and got the strong legs to prove it! or how i needed to wait until we found out what the baby was to figure out a name. or the sense of transition and the Lord asking me to 'grow up' a few months ago. or the need to be more proactive about play dates for ben & gabe. or even something simple like all the baby things we have that i made matt put in storage rather than selling. or maybe the fact that the doctor told me i need to gain at least 40 lbs and lo and behold that's exactly what i gained (and lost!) with both the other boys. or maybe it's the fact that my parents will be moving to the east coast this summer and my mom will be in between jobs rather than just taking vacation when she comes to help.

i mean really how can i be fearful when i can see all He has done for me and my family already. His perfect love has truly cast out all fear. i was asked if i'd cried yet...and the answer is no. i mean, i know i will have my moments, but right now, all i can feel is God's love and purpose. there is certainly no fear. we are surrounded with people who truly love and care for us. and will do anything for us. apparently i needed a lesson in humility and letting people help me. i'm not looking forward to the days of impending bed rest or taking it slow. i worry mostly for the big boys and my pregnancy. i know there will be help once the twins come, but it's the stress of the pregnancy and the likelihood of pre-term labor or complications. and just letting gabe stay a baby as long as he needs to. poor buddy won't know what hit him soon enough! and my big benny and all the energy he will need to run out. oh the life of little boys is definitely not full of sitting and playing inside, at least not ben's.

these little lives will be here before i know it. my goal is to make it to 36 weeks. my doctor said their window for delivery is between 34-37 weeks which puts their appearance 4-6 weeks ahead of the original due date of august 17. so july babies they will be. and even though it shortens the time frame, i'm procrastinator and do better when it's 'go time' rather than waiting, so again, i guess God knew best!

thank you for all of your love, encouragement, support & generosity already!

with love,

kristi...and my 5 guys

what do you get an adventurous boy for his 3rd birthday?!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:26:00 +0000

last friday was our {gaber} boy's 3rd birthday. and we had a fun-filled weekend for sure.

{matt} & i made our inaugural step into parenthood as we stayed up late and put together our first "big" present. like we started at 10pm & it took us just about 2 hours. and well, it was probably the largest gift they may ever get. and i say they, cause it serves as {ben}s birthday present too.

this pic made me laugh. when you're feeling nostalgic about your kids growing up too quickly and getting too big...just buy them large gifts to put their size perspective. ok, so that may not really be the reason why we got them the trampoline, but that's what this picture made me think of. we bought it because we have boys, well 4 boys, that possess this amazing amount of energy. and they all love it. oh and the baby gates, you like that touch?! yeah, we had to ensure that little curious boys wouldn't wander into a certain death trap.

and bonus...the neighbors set this slide out for trash pickup on his birthday. major score!

we had a party for the ~~little~~ big guy on saturday. when i asked what kind he wanted...all he said was a "gabers party". so i just let him pick out plates, napkins & streamers from the party section at walmart. the party was complete with lots of sunshine, friends, jumping & cupcakes. well, a maybe a few bumps & bruises along the way.

and so thankful for the friends & family that made this day perfect & extra special for our buddy. my parents were in town for the weekend which made it even more fun.

embracing the camera:: gabe's turning 3

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:19:00 +0000

i'm embracing the camera this week with my {gabers}

in honor of his 3rd birthday tomorrow!
(cause people, it's important to have memories with mom included!)

he is the photobooth king. he asks to do it all the time. and while i'm sure that some of it is just being able to watch himself, he likes having his picture taken. at least for now he does!

part of our new routine is putting the twins down for a morning nap & then i spend some quality time with {gabe}. these are from one of our 1-on-1 mornings this week.

we usually do a variety of things...but trains are usually involved since there are no godzilla twins on the loose.

his favorite part is when i let him click the button & then the count down...3...2...1!

he's usually a lover, but i had to hold him still to get a kiss.

he wanted to watch the countdown.

when you became a mom did your permanent place become behind the camera? me too. so i'm trying to embrace being in front of the camera more....even if it's just a photobooth sesh with my buddies.

dear paci adventures::it's time to go!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:05:00 +0000

its official folks, we are leaving the baby stages behind.

there are no more paci's in our house! and while i am thrilled about it...part of me is sad to no longer see a paci simply because it is a visible sign that they are still babies. cause people, i've only ever had babies in my house for the last 4 years. and it's the end of an era...

we have truly loved the pacifier in our house. all the boys have had one. {matty} liked his the least & only took it for the first few months. while {ben} being the first & all loved his tremendously & had his til he turned 3.

no i have no real magic tricks that keep a child from screaming bloddy murder at night or nap time the first day. or even an occasional night weeks later. that being said, there's never "a perfect time" to do it. just decide to stick with it. i've done it 2 ways...a planned intervention with {ben} & just plain cold turkey with {sam} & {gabe}.

both have their pros & cons, although i'm a glutton for punishment and would say i prefer to just make the transition after i've lost every paci in the house. and this last time i did it while {matt} was away on a trip in january. i'm crazy like that. i didn't have time to stress about the process because let's be honest, it's always harder on us moms. i'm not entirely sure why. maybe it's the crying we know will accompany or the lack of sleep & grumpy babies. or maybe its the fact that it is a visible mark which loudly proclaims, I'M NOT A BABY ANYMORE! *sigh*

and usually about the time you decide to take away the pacifier, there's always some other baby item that is getting transitioned out as well...diapers, bottles or maybe even a crib.

a few things to remember...

* once you start, just stick with it
* they will cry...and scream

* it will end...usually much sooner than you expected

* make sure there are no secret stashes of hiding pacis...cause they will be found, by you or your child

* PRAISE THEM! as humans, we all want/need to know that the pain we are enduring is worthwhile in the end!

sidenote: i'm pretty sure i'll still find a paci hiding in some long forgotten place in months to come

the adventure of making new friends

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:43:00 +0000

we are definitely in the hard part of this transition. we are feeling settled at home, but yet still don't have much outside of our home. and we are all yearning for it. craving it. ready to put in the effort of making & building new friendships.
but we are just taking one step at a time. making the effort & going through the process it takes to meet people, join a church, build relationships. and let's be honest, there's no easy way out or shortcut when it comes to these things. because it's not just about {matt} & i anymore...our boys need friends to play with and places to go as well. and i'll be honest, that makes me want to push harder. it breaks my heart that next friday is {gabe}s 3rd birthday & there aren't many friends to invite. he's asked for a party & cake & friends. i mean come one, how could i not?! especially when he says it in his sweet little lispy voice. so we'll be having a small party for him even though i have no idea what that looks like & it's a week away. typical me!

little gabers in his tent

in the last 2.5 months we've been here, we've pushed hard to establish ourselves. the light at the end of the tunnel is nearing. we've joined a small group & officially become members at our new church. {ben} is making friends at school, even though he's can't remember their names most days, he gets that from his dad. we've registered the big boys for a preschool soccer team thing through the church where {ben} is at school. and...it's birthday season for us. which means lots of parties. for the next 8 weeks starting next friday with {gabe} are 4 of our birthdays...plus easter & mother's day. and the first half of april we also have out of town visitors!

and while i know this has been a dry season for friendships, it's been a great time for {matt} & i to reconnect. we've had the non-negotiable opportunity to truly become a marriage-centered family again. we've had a couple of date nights here & there. but our favorite new thing is loading up the kids & going for a bike ride. it's nice to be active, but it's not about physical exercise, it's about being able to focus & talk to one another. we give the boys a 'picnic' dinner, put them in the bike trailers & they sit quietly while we cruise around. and we just get to talk...like friends. and there are so many things about knowing that we are truly still friends that makes my heart leap & in turn fall in love with him more.

{matt} pulls the guys on the left
and i pull the ones on the right. still not convinced that i didn't get the heavier load.

twins naptime adventures

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:21:00 +0000

and in case you didn't get the drift of what it means to be tag-teamed by the twins...well, here's is a video.

before this video was shot we had already been into the room to resettle & put them back to bed. then we set {matt}s iphone up in their room to see exactly what was happening during nap time. this is a little snippet of it...what you didn't see is the 3 other times that {matt} or i came in to put someone back into their crib.

we totally were laughing. {matty} is so strong! my favorite part is {sam} putting his arm around {matty} as he climbs out, as if he were saying "stay & snuggle some more." but don't let his sweetness fool you...he climbs out in the middle of the night. he's been known to sneak into our bed & kiss his dad in hopes of convincing {matt} it's ok to let him stay. and it usually works. {sam}s also been known to just sit & play toys if he can't get the door open...yes, in the dark of the middle of the night.

i'm more than ready for these canine teeth to finish cutting. that's what seems to be keeping them up. *fingers crossed* they'll stop after all their teeth are in.

Current adventures:: twinnie tag teamin'

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:02:00 +0000

things have just been crazy lately. And trying to keep up with these twins may be the death of me.
There's been some during-nap-closet climbing...

A little hair-pulling-while-trying-to-take-a-picture

...this...twinnie tag team at its finest

And more closet climbing. this time wallowing in the extra blankets.

So if you need me...you can find me hiding in the kitchen sneaking some chocolate cake.

- Posted from my iPhone

i choose an adventurous life of living with urgency

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:08:00 +0000

i've been reminded lots this week of a message we heard in church last week. sidenote:we are definitely still in the process of finding a home church, but thankfully it's taken the step from casual sunday visits to seeing if there is a place for us to connect. it was about living life with urgency.and not the flustered kind that we conjure up when we are unprepared, but the life-giving kind that guides, directs & often times changes our steps. it spoke to the deep places of my heart. it was like the Lord was telling me that i wasn't insane after all. help me discover that our life does indeed have a calling, an urgent one to follow where & what the Lord is asking of us. there's a powerful peace in that.

the pastor actually talked about noah and how he had been divinely warned way ahead of time hebrews 11:7. noah was given a glimpse of the future...im sure that noah would have rather had the flood come sooner than it did, but he still trusted in the Lord's timing & faithfulness. i think the Lord has given most, if not all, of us a glimpse of our future at some point. but maybe we've dismissed it or have lost touch with that life. but why? we should all live our lives with an urgency to serve the Lord...even if we must be like noah & wait 100 years until it comes to pass. but in order to get there you have to ask yourself some real questions...hard, eye-opening, heart-examining questions.

are you becoming who you are suppose to become-so you can do what you are called to do?
noah decided it was more important to save his family than to listen to other's gossip and ~~ignorant~~ uninformed comments of his doings. he knew he was called to be in the world building that boat but with a heavenly mindset on glorifying the Lord. i think that lifestyle made his family respect him more and be willing to go along with him in the end. cause don't you think that during those boys younger years they too didn't have the same faith their father did. so if you want to use family as an excuse as to why you aren't becoming that person, find a new excuse people.

are you living in & being fueled by God's grace...or are you still relying on comparison to motivate you to get things done?
if noah had looked at the others around him & asked the WHY ME question...well, there wouldn't have been an ark. if he had looked at enoch and realized that enoch just ascended into the heavens, yet there he was year after year building that ark & waiting, he would have grown discouraged. and while i know noah was human and i'm sure he had his times of weakness & discouragement, in the end, noah chose to be fueled by God's amazing grace-not the worldly equivalent of comparison. that's real folks. we have to chose every day, even multiple times a day. there are charts to compare our kids on. tests in schools. jobs. salaries. houses. cars. boats. clothes. the list can go on & on. but when we securely live in grace, we tend to not notice or let those things hold power over us.

think of it this way...comparison holds power over us & holds us down. grace fuels us & pushes us forward. i prefer to not to allow myself to be held down, how about you?

comparison us

us grace

what adjustments are you making in order to make room to live the life God has asked of you?
first things first...it's a process & it doesn't just happen overnight. i mean noah waited more than i lifetime, but the grace reward that he received in the end was more than worth it don't you think? having his family safe & sound is pretty awesome...plus he was able to actually prove all the haters wrong. ok, back to the process...check it out, jeremiah 1:10 says:

"uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow, to build and plant. "

yes, that's a lot of steps and only 1 of them is something that we like to do. you can't have one planting without the other uprooting and vice versa. pruning is a necessary evil & the Lord does all things with purpose. i can say after several years we are finally in a place of building again. let that be a testimony of God's faithfulness, that you can make it through all of these things and still love the Lord & be in a good place.

everyone around you is screaming "NO! DON'T DO IT! YOU'RE CRAZY!" ...but in your heart you can't shake it?!
if noah had listened to all the nay-sayers, disbelievers & haters, he literally would have drowned. if he had decided that those people were certainly right, he would have missed out big time! he may even have argued that he didn't have supplies, help or knowledge to build an ark, but guess what...the Lord provided. for most of my life, i feel like i've met some version of this-the world trying to drown me, to drown out the whispers of the Lord in my heart. i've been discouraged. i've doubted. i've even tried to abandon the call of my heart and listen to those around me. well, as i'm sure you know, God doesn't take no for an answer. so hear this, remember that time in high school or college or at a worship night at church last year when you said, "God use me...use me in whatever way you can." yeah, He's a knocking on that door. when you beg God to use you as a tool to touch people, ya don't get to ask or give preference of how he chooses to do so. God is the potter & you are the clay. if the potter chooses to use the clay to make a bowl, who is the clay to ask to be a bowl. yes, the Lord does know the desires of our heart & won't use us in ways that we won't work. but maybe if it's seeming too hard, the Lord is just wanting you to trust him more.

as humans, we all want the good in life...but it's never as sweet with out the hard work & sometimes heart break. but choosing to live a life of urgency after God brings a much sweeter reward. so now, i ask you, are you living a life of urgency?

trailblazing adventures

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:06:00 +0000

after going through several personal trials during high school/ college, i realized that the way the Lord wanted to use me was as an trailblazer, an encouragement to those who followed the path behind me. and i wanted all the personal pain i suffered to not be for nothing...i wanted to help & share my experiences so that others didn't have to go through life alone. i asked the Lord to bring people into my life that were about to walk down the same road that i had just been down. i wanted to be able to encourage them in the Lord, be a testimony of God's faithfulness & promises that He never leaves us. and i have. i have always had someone to share with directly after i've walked through the dark, shadowy valley of death. and in the particular instance of my health/ cancer scare last month, i literally was walking in the valley of death. and while i do not feel like i've cleared it or escaped it, i have been on a hill basking in the life-giving sunshine. what i didn't expect was someone to have someone follow me down that path & into that same valley so quickly.

"But after I am raised up, I, your Shepherd, will go ahead of you..."

matthew 26:32

the end of 2011 was full of crazy health issues in our family. first {matt} got crazy sick, the boys all got nasty sick, then there's me. and well, then came {grammie} my mom...

she finally decided to go to the doctor to figure out why she was experiencing shortness of breath...while just sitting sometimes. they ran a slue of tests, including CT & PET scans. the tests turned up empty on answers for the shortness of breath, so they called it asthma. but they did find something on her scans...spots, masses, lisions, call em what ya want but in the end they are things that should not be there! a few spots on her lung and even one on the kidney. my entire family was caught completely off guard. for 1 thing, she never smoked regularly...or even at all. and 2, she can't drink a glass of anything sort of alcohol without getting giddy-she's a lightweight-so a closet alcoholic she is not. and 3...i was the one who had just been told & untold i had cancer.

long story short, they are indeed calling these spots cancer. mainly because non-cancerous masses would not take the dye for the PET or CT scan like these did. she underwent surgery last week to remove the spots on her lung. all went according to plan. although they did find a few smaller spots, once they got in there, that did not show up on the scans. that meant a longer incision, a longer surgery time, a longer recovery time. the doctor said it was all stage 1 cancer and they got it all....meaning no need/talk of follow-up radiation therapy. she did lose 20% of her lung capacity. which means keeping up with my boys will be a little harder, but the snuggles from them will be even sweeter.

as for the kidney spots, the plan is to get those taken out in march or april. but i think that will depend on how she recovers from this surgery. so prayers & thoughts of a speedy recovery and fullness of health are more than appreciated...they are coveted!

i'm never sure why i walk through trials before someone else does, i just know that is how the Lord uses me. and i don't think i'll ever figure out his schedule...especially with this scenario. but whatever buffer or encouragement i was able to serve for my mom, i'd do it again in a heart beat. but this time there's a sweetness of knowing i get to do this adventure along side my mom.

all that being said, i'm off to visit a doctor here. turns out i didn't end up being able to get the MRI biopsy done the day we left virginia. that was a blessing in disguise! {matt}s grandmother recommended a great local breast specialist. so we'll head off to see her today. i will try to update things here on the blog when we hear anything. i know that people are checking in on me via this sweet place of mine here on the interwebs.

so please, come on back for info. or comment with questions for me or about my mom. and if you're incredibly shocked at this cause i haven't told many people at all, then shoot me an email: kristiruckel [at] gmail [dot] com. so thankful for this community i've found here!

inspired adventures

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:31:00 +0000

as you can probably tell from my post earlier this week, i've found some creative juices...and i'm trying to keep them flowing. it's harder to do than i'd expected. there are 4 little interruptions of life & normal daily tasks that break that flow regularly. and once said interruptions are down for the night...i struggle to regroup, even to just veg & watch tv.

alas, earlier this week while {matt} was out of town, i rallied & sat down to intentionally be creative. upon picking up some of the toys & mess of the day, i came across our copy of The Giving Tree by shel silverstein. this book sits on our living room shelf instead of the bookshelf in the boys room. why? because it was my wedding gift to {matt}. just before our wedding we had talked about childhood memories and what we wanted our family to look like...and this book came up. therefore, i wanted to have a tangible reminder in our house. that we are to love other & put them before ourselves.

i was reminded of one of my favorite quotes from this book

and she loved a little boy very, very much-even more than she loved herself.

but as i was trying to recall it exactly, i found it wasn't in this edition of the book...it must have just been from my childhood. so i scoured google to see if what i was recalling was correct. indeed it was...or it had been. i have yet to nail down when the wording changed in the books, but there are plenty of pictures of the page in question these older editions. even found a few tattoos of it, so i think it's safe to say, my memory really is serving me right.

so i decided to make my own version of the quote.

because simply loving just one boy is outta the question!

the frame i already had. it was up on the wall already with a picture in it. i wasn't really lovin' how it looked on the wall, so i decided to put something new in it. low & behold, i was able to make this print in photoshop the exact size needed. perfect!

and i must say...i love the way it turned out! definitely a true portrait of what i think motherhood is.

and it has definitely kept the fire of creativity ignited & burning. still working on some rooms in the house so that is definitely needed!

what's got you inspired?!

livin' with less::settling into our new digs

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi Ruckel) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

in an attempt to add some more 'me' to our little home i asked for some scripture prints from this fabulous etsy shop for christmas. it is time to replace some of our wedding pics & stuff we used to stage the houses with some new stuff. i mean it's been 6 1/2 years of marriage, almost 5 years with kids & we have no pictures of our kids framed or hung. i'd like to think it's because we were de-personalizing the house getting it ready to sell, but really it's cause i'm horrible at committing to decisions & getting stuff printed.

it may also be the fact that i like to just put things off. i'm used to having friends that would come over & kick my butt into gear. sadly, those friends all 1000 miles away now. and as much i wish they were here...to help, to visit, to settle me into this new casa...i'm regaining my independence from the tight grasp of my babies-who are no longer teeny tiny babes. i can actually accomplish some tasks during the day. the {twins} are old enough now to be distracted by the tv or toys or brothers which means i can do some work. and while there are dishes piling up in my sink, i really need to do something fun. something creative. plus, i'm helping work on one of my goals for this year. score!

don't mind the scattering of toys...its totally normal.

so there was this big, long, empty wall in the middle of our living room just begging for some attention. we had tried a couple different furniture pieces in this space, but it is the major thoroughfare in our house so it ended up being more in the way than anything else. so stuff on the walls was the only way to go. i wanted it to be a collection of us...our ~~little~~ family of 6.

but there's this little...catch...there isn't a lot of money to work with. ya know, especially with the move & all.

i took old pictures out of frames i wanted to re-use.
i grabbed a can of black spray paint which we had in the garage to make sure all the frames were the same color. it helps visually to unify the mismatched frames. see you didn't even notice they weren't all the same style!
i also found a pack of photo paper and figured it was time that i committed to getting some stuff printed.
the only money i spent was on a few new frames that were required in specific quantity & size.
and i dug through boxes of stuff to find the non-picture items to hang up. they all had previous lives somewhere else & i think they represent us pretty well. i love to use things that hold special meaning to us, gives it an even more cozy/ homey feeling i think.

and i present to you...my ~~finished~~ work-in-progress product

here's what i used:

mirror: came from {matt}s childhood bedroom

pictures: i chose recent shots from the past 6 months or so & plan to add some of our classic shots later

scripture prints: from here or here

the antlers: shot by {matt}s grandfather

the R: from my dad who works for a company that makes letters for signs

ukele: well, my husband is a musician after all. you could say it was just laying around.

pewter cross: we got it on a trip to mexico

clock: no real story there. every home needs a good clock right?!

it feels good to decorate...get my creative juices flowing.

it makes a house, whether you own or rent, feel more like a home.

and it totally does feel so much cozier in here.

i'll try to get some pictures of the other finished rooms up soon.

and eventually a whole house tour for those of you who have asked. keep your pants on!