i am constantly reminded of the important things in life. i am really guilty of getting wrapped up in the superficial details, media, other's perceptions, so on and so forth... but something or someone comes around and reminds me of what really matters, puts me in my place.
i was stressing earlier this week about my list of things to do, christmas parties, birthday party, christmas eve dinner and more silly things. i was telling my dad i thought we might try and make the 10 am candle light service so it wouldn't interfere with dinner and family time if we went in the evening as usual. he responded with, just do what you want to, don't alter you plans around me, i will probably be in the hospital for christmas eve.
say what? why?
(this is the same dad i almost lost last year to a dissected aorta on his birthday)
well, i guess when doing his routine cat scan to check how his aortic valve and other various replacement parts were working, they saw a nodule in his chest. they did a pet scan thursday and have scheduled surgery to remove it on dec 23rd. moving kind of fast in my opinion, so they must be worried. crap. are you telling me that after miraculously surviving a fatal dissection he could have cancer? that just doesn't seem fair.
anyhow... the point of the story... be thankful for everything in your life, small to big.

don't worry about what time you will sit down for christmas dinner, just be thankful your family will be sitting down for that dinner.

don't fret that your babies are fighting, fussing and making you crazy, just be thankful that they are fighting fussing and you are around to be crazy.

in that same thought, a friend of mine was fretting over how she may have screwed up as a mom because her son hated to go to sleep without being loved on and rocked to sleep first. don't you ever for a second fret about that. i know there are always people who have children who give up the binky on time, go to bed right at 8, sleep all night, nap on time, give up the bottle on time, and that is great! but don't you ever fret because you love your baby so much you feel the need to hold them until they sleep. i promise you won't regret it.
just don't get so busy making sure you are doing everything right that you miss out on the doing of it all.
can anybody tell that my baby is way too quickly approaching two years old and my oldest will shortly be eight? im way emotional over it.

snow days

merry christmas!!

snow

there is nothing like the first big snow. i love how magical it is, how it gets you in the mood for the holidays and makes you want to turn on the fireplace and snuggle up on the couch with a good book and cup of hot cocoa.



oh wait, that is so not my life. the first snow gets me in the mood to squeeze eight snow boots on eight little feet, eight mittens, four hats, four coats and four pair of snow pants on four little squirmy bodies. reverse all of that in about 20 minutes, throw all of the wet stuff into the dryer to get ready for the next round that will come directly after they get hot cocoa and warm their little bodies back up.



i know there will be a day when i get to watch the snow falling from my living room while reading my book by the fire, sipping my hot cocoa in peace - and i will remember days like today when i had all those little bodies to watch giggling and playing in the snow.

don't try this at home

when they tell you not to use bubble bath with your whirlpool tub, they probably are speaking from experience.

this is how my husband got the kids super clean while i gabbed on the phone with friend of mine.

funny, our conversation was about if she should have a third kid or not... come on girl, have a couple more.

prayers

Please pray for the Vest family this Christmas season. Stephanie lost her battle with cancer yesterday. Pray for her husband and children most importantly, but also for all of her friends and family she has that also are grieving. I can't even try to wrap my mind around their sadness right now.
http://rainkitephotography.typepad.com/stephanie_vest/

its almost time

its almost time for christmas - my absolute favorite holiday in the whole wide world. i love everthing about it, the snow, homeade bread, candy, presents, jesus, angels, good cheer, family, friends, parties, santa claus... all of it. what i don't like is how fast it goes by. once we hit "black friday", things really start moving along. before you know it poof - its all over and you are stuck taking down the lights and the tree, shoving them into bins and carting them to the basement.

so, this year i am going to make sure i enjoy the whole month of december, take time to do things with the kids and really get into the meaning and the fun things surrounding christmas.
some goals -

-the crown center crayolaland
-make homeade bread and actually let the kids help this time, like really let eight little hands get in and knead the dough and mess flour all over the floor without cursing or complaining about it.
-make sugar cookies and gingerbread men from scratch, again letting them decorate and mess.
-drive the family around looking at lights and listening to christmas music
-take each child out and let them pick out presents for their siblings, not directing or influencing their decisions in any way
-watch "its a wonderful life" i have never seen it.
-go to see the christmas production my friend jen's husband composes, creates and directs at woods chapel church
-read the christmas story to the children, in the living room in front the tree and the fireplace

so, does anyone have other ideas i must do? i know these are lofty aspirations and there will be always be stress, but i plan on absorbing the moments more and stressing less. good advice for anyone.

more rambling

so i have still been running/walking every single day since last may. i am up to running eight songs in a row, which is around two miles i guess. guess how much weight i have lost in the last seven months -- drum roll please --- two whole pounds!!! woo hoo --- seven months of dedicated sweating every day for two pounds. ridiculous. anyhow, i figure it must be doing something good for my heart maybe, so i will continue my life long quest to be of "average" weight.

so here is what happened the other night at my house. my boys and i were wrestling around on my bed, just being silly while molly, maggie and jeff observed. my son tackled me like the sissy i really am and after landing on my back, my tee shirt came up enough to show my oh so attractive recently stretched out by four children stomach. (has anyone seen jon and kate where she shows her belly button prior to surgery? really closely resembles that. there is a mental picture for you.) so carson immediately grabs my flabby belly and pushes it together around my belly button and starts the whole "hi, my name is chubby. my mommy is chubby, my daddy is chubby, even my baby sister is chubby."

oh my gosh carson - that is sooooo mean. you do not make your mother's fat belly button start talking!!! my sweet husband was laughing, molly was laughing, which only encouraged more.

thanks, that was soooooo good for my ego.