this is how we celebrate

As promised, photos of our 4,520 birthday celebrations.  Or maybe it was just 5. I don't even think I have photos of all of them.

But here are our oldest and youngest, turning 7 and 2.

Lily, telling you that she's "2"

Crazy kiddos!  (our buddy Bear is in a tux, because he was going to a fancy party after ours)

Favorite activity lately: Plasma Cars.  

This one isn't ours, but I actually bought each girl one for her birthday this year and they will arrive this year.  Gracie will be getting an early birthday present.  The kids fight over these and they go up to 200lbs, so they'll last a long time.

HAPPY TO YOU! 

She absolutely reveled in her birthday song and I was really surprised that she blew out the candles on her own!

Miss Rose's cupcakes 

(I'm also happy to say, I'm getting closer and closer to replicating my favorite icing from a local bakery.  It's one of my most important life goals.  Once I perfect it, I'll share the recipe.)  Notice the creative carrying boxes--a team effort by Bean & I.  A postal shipping box and toy box with the tops cut off.  Pretty good when you don't want to spend the $$ for a cupcake carrier!

Birthday girl hiding behind her cupcakes at school.

Fro Yo on her birthday night!  

We have a fun yogurt shop down the hill from us that has a huge screen playing kids movies.

The highlight of her birthday gifts...Paper Jamz. 

 I must say, I am pretty impressed with this toy.  All the girls love playing with it.  I'm pretty sure this photo was taken prior to 7am the morning after her birthday.

Sweet Lily Cate's birthday cookie!

Me and my last baby. *tear*

Miss Rose & besties

notice the cousins, in their matching purple skinny jeans :)

The golfing gang

Is that enough pictures for you?  Notice, I didn't even take any of the family celebration we had for Miss Rose.  Or maybe I took one and I just haven't downloaded it yet.

Can you tell why I was tired??

Miss Rose and Lily loved it all and felt special and that's what really matters!

best laid plans

I made a small mistake, with the best of intentions.

Instead of 2 birthdays in one week, I ended up celebrating 5 times in one week.

What was I thinking???  Bean and I were supposed to be out of town this past Saturday, so we celebrated Lily's birthday with a handful of people a week early.  Even though it was a small celebration, I still wanted it to be special for her.  She has enough cousins to constitute a decent-sized birthday party, so of course we needed snacks and decorations.  (turned out we weren't out of town, so we could have streamlined more, but the change in plans came too late)

Miss Rose's actual birthday was Wednesday.  She wanted it to be a special day, but she really had no idea what she wanted.  It was a school day, a work day for me and a 12-hour workday for Bean.  Which didn't leave us with a lot of options.  I made cupcakes the night before and we brought them to school that morning.  She chose to have pizza and frozen yogurt that night--it was just me and the little girls and there is a story of how the night was almost a disaster, but I'll save that for another time.  You may need to remind me though, if you are curious.

Then, Lily's actual birthday was Friday.  It was a pretty basic day.  Sometimes on the weekends, when Bean and my brother-in-law are working, my sister-in-law and I get together for dinner.  We spend much of the evening breaking up arguments, telling kids to share, feeding picky kids and cleaning up their messes--we have 7 between us.  But at least we get to have snippets of adult conversation in the middle of the chaos, which is a nice break from being alone in the chaos.

I picked up a cookie cake from the grocery store (if you have Albertson's, they make really good cookie-cakes--large pizza sized cookies that are soft and delicious).  We ate pizza (I know, we are eating a lot of that lately) and sang before we ate the cookie.

Then, on Saturday I took Miss Rose, her cousin and best-neighbor-friend and Gracie to Boomer's--a local place with miniature golf, go-karts, bumper boats and an arcade.  She'd never been before and that's what she wanted for her "party."  It was fun, but exhausting too.  Gracie was moody and spent more time running around the golf course.  Miss Rose got hit in the head with a golf club at one point.  The girls had a great time, although true to form Miss Rose found a few reasons to melt down at the end.

Oh wait, we're not done yet!  Saturday night we had family over for Miss Rose's birthday.  As if the rest of it wasn't enough.  Some of our family was sick, so it was my parents and bro & sis-in-law and their 4 kids.  It was just what Miss Rose needed though, to complete her birthday fun.

It was overload though, of the best intentions.

This celebrating two birthdays that come in two days, is quite a challenge.  I want to make their birthdays  special and unique.  I don't want them to feel like their birthday was lost in the mix.  Oh, and this year it was real fun to help Gracie understand why it wasn't her birthday too.

Maybe I over-did it just a bit.  This is only my second year balancing these two birthdays.  So I learned what not to do.  Last year, Lily didn't understand birthdays yet, so it was a bit easier.

I'm already thinking about what to do next year.  We may just do a huge double birthday at the park.  We'll go Gosselin style and sing twice, once to each girl to make it special.  That way family only has to come to one event and I'm done in one shot.

And have I mentioned that Bean's birthday is in two weeks?  And Valentine's Day.

We don't do things the easy way around here.

Stay tuned later for a photo post of all the fun!

happy to you!

Dear Miss Lily Cate,



You turned 2 on Friday.  Yes, I'm a few days late on writing about your special day, but that's life!

You LOVED your birthday this year.  You love "happy to you".  When we sang to you, you thought it was pretty much the best thing ever and you even knew how to blow your candles out.  It was so fun to celebrate with you this year.

I can't believe you are two.  Sometimes I still can't believe I have a third child, who came so close after my second.  These past few years have been such a whirlwind, and you've been such a sweet blessing.  My special surprise.

You are a bit like sweet and sour sauce.  You are the sweetest girl, most of the time.  You love your family so much.  When we drive up from being anywhere, you immediately ask "Daddy?" wanting to know if he's home.  Upon waking in the morning or from a nap, you ask for your sisters.  Just like your big sisters, when I get home from work, you run to me yelling "mommy" and hug my legs.  It's pretty much the best part of my day.

Yet, the sour side.  You are a feisty little one!  I think it comes from having two older sisters.  You learn bad habits from them at times, and fight to hold your place in the family and have a say in how things go.  You and Gracie argue over the same toys often.  Usually one of you is taking a toy from the other, just to be a stinker.  When frustrated, or just feeling feisty, you have a tendency to hit and throw things.  Because you see your sisters go to time out in the corner, you understand the punishment.  And you have to go in time out quite a bit.  Lately, when told to go to time out, you look me square in the eye and flat out tell me "no."  It's hard not to laugh at your attempts to rebel.

Copying your sisters, for better or for worse, is a favorite.  It happens a lot at dinner, towards the end of the meal when everyone starts getting goofy.  If one of your sisters does something silly (and usually is reprimanded for it) you immediately copy them.  A few nights ago Miss Rose was playing her new Paper Jamz guitar and Gracie was dancing.  You went back and forth between copying what Miss Rose was singing and saying, and mimicing Gracie's dance moves.  It is a great teaching point to your sisters, how important it is for them to be obedient because they are setting an example for you.

Lily, you communicate very well.  You started speaking words strongly and clearly a few months ago.  What amuses me is that you mostly use single words to communicate, but you have a lot of words in your vocabulary.  You simply don't find it necessary to use them together, when one word said loudly or strongly communicates your desires or opinions.

You do use a few phrases such as "hold you" and "me too."  That's my favorite one right now, that you recently started saying.  If we are preparing to leave, if someone gets a snack or whatever I am doing at the moment you always say "me too, me too."  Sometimes you even raise your hand to emphasize the moment.  So adorable!

Some words that you say frequently are: snack, juice, milk, eat, baby, rock-a-baby, blanket, brush, shower, fast, ball, cheese, treat, cookie, cupcake, pretzel, lap, open, button, animal, book, shoes on, socks, barrette and so many more.

It still seems like there is a good chance you will be left-handed.  You typically color and eat using your left hand and when you raise your hand, you raise your left hand.  I figure in the next year, we'll really see how this develops.

True to form of your overall development, you are bigger than Gracie was at this age, but smaller than Miss Rose.  Mommy fell way behind with your doctor appointments, so we won't know exact measurements for a few months still.  Your hair seems to be exactly the same as theirs, which means it will be pretty curly by your third birthday.

You have the cutest way of speaking out of one side of your mouth and also pursing your lips when you speak for emphasis.  Your face is very expressive.  Sometimes, it's almost like you are using "baby talk" already to express your wishes.

I am still not ready for you to grow up.  I am not ready to not have a baby.  You aren't really a baby any longer, but you still need a lot of attention.  You ask to be held all the time and it's still easier to carry you around when we are out and about because you don't walk that fast--and you still fall a lot, like most toddlers.  I know that by this time next year, you will be talking in complete sentences, potty-trained, more independent and your personality will really shine through.  There are good things that come with this too.  But your baby-loving mama doesn't mind that you are still her baby right now.

Lily Cate, I love you so much and I can't imagine our lives without you.   I still vividly remember the events surrounding your birth.  Given my birth history, a successful pregnancy and healthy birth really was a miracle.  You were a blessing, a gift from God and I can't wait to see all that he has in store for your life!

Love,
Your Mama

(I'll share some pics soon...no time tonight!)

fit friday randoms

I haven't kept up too well with Fit Friday since the holidays.  I have been keeping up with it in my own life for the most part though, which is a positive thing.

For today, here's some random notes and thoughts on fitness.

...I am SO spoiled to live in Southern California, where it was winter for all of three minutes so far.  Our weather has been so warm, while other parts of the country are snowed in.  I ran in shorts today.  And I had to find more short-sleeved clothes for my kids.

...my jogging stroller is getting heavy!  I guess that's what happens when your kids grown.  I'm pushing 80ish pounds.  Sea World has a huge walk-on scale in one of the exhibits.  Next time I'm there, I'm definitely pushing the stroller on it with the kids to see how heavy it truly is.

...there is a reason why I don't pay for a gym membership.  I was excited to win a 3 month membership, which I activated mid-December.  I think I've gone 3 times.  It just doesn't fit into my life right now.

...my 2-year old LOVES running lately.  Anytime I have running related clothes on, she says "fast?"  And she'll pretend to run in the house pushing her doll stroller.  It's adorable.  She pumps her arms and her chubby cheeks bounce up and down.

...I'm a cardio-junkie.  But to see the results I want, I need to incorporate more strength.

...I really like Jillian Michaels 6 Week 6 Pack Abs DVD.  In fact, I plan to do it in the morning.

...I love giving a big smile to others pushing a jogging stroller while I'm doing the same.

And, that's all she wrote!

I hope 7 is heaven

Dear Miss Rose,

At 8:25am this morning, you are officially 7 years old.  You have a lot of expectations for this birthday, but you aren't quite sure what they should be.  You just know birthdays are special and you want your day to feel special.  Which is kind of hard when your birthday falls in the middle of the week!  But I'm going to do the best I can.

You continue to grow tall and strong.  Your head almost reaches my armpit and I'm pretty sure you'll be taller than me by the time you are a teenager.  But you still love to cuddle and be hugged.  You want to be carried to bed like your younger sisters, and we indulge sometimes.  Every morning when you wake up, you hug me.  When I get home from work or I pick you up from school, you still greet me with an excited "mommy!" and a big hug.  I love that.

I'm not going to lie, this last year has been challenging with you.  Your attitude has been in full swing.  You are so strong-willed and too intelligent for your own good.  There has been more crying, yelling and discipline then I would like.  But we are responsible to raise you right, and we'll fight for it when necessary.

I'm really hoping that age 7 is much easier for you.  In fact, the past few weeks have been markedly better.  I'd like for age 7 to be like heaven!

You have taken more of an interest in pop music and you learned to look up videos on You-Tube this year (with supervision of course).  You and your cousin love to have dance parties and put on dance shows.  You continue to experiment more with your feminine side.

You love to read and write and play school.  You are an amazing big sister, always willing to help your sisters and they love you in return.  You love outdoor activities.  You are rarely cold and many nights (even though I'm usually freezing) you take off all your pajamas and sleep in your underwear.

Speaking of underwear, you think it's hilarious to run around the house naked before your shower and when I point out the huge windows in the living room, you do a little jig in front of them.  I'm just waiting for the day someone walks up at just that moment!

Miss Rose, we love you so much and we are so proud of you.  Yes, we have our difficult days, but your performance and behavior at school is so exemplary that we know you have incredible potential to be the same way at home.  You are such a unique individual and my prayer is that God guides us in raising you to be who he created you to be.  We don't want to break your spirit or force you into a mold.  We do want you to be submitted to Christ and live in the fulness of his grace.

We love being your parents!

birthday eve

7 years ago, it was my last evening before becoming a mother.

Miss Rose had not cooperated and was comfy with her head up in my ribs, close to my beating heart.  She would make her debut through the surgeon's cut.

Bean and I went out to dinner that night and saw the movie Big Fish.  I made sure everything was ready and packed for my early morning wake up.  I took my trusty Tylenol PM because I knew there was no way I'd fall asleep quickly.

I spent years dreaming about becoming a mother.  Imagining what it would be like to have a baby of my own.  Once that first baby was growing in my belly, I dreamed about her.  Wondered what she would look like.

Would she have darker skin like her dad?  Or the lighter skin that would be in 75% of her genes.  Would her hair be curly like mine?  What color would her eyes be?


I already loved her.  I was already her mom.

She was my dream come true.

I remember that night like it was yesterday.  I remember waking up the next morning, so excited for what the day would hold, even if it wasn't going to be the birth I had hoped for.

Regardless of the means, my baby was going to be born.  I would hold her in my arms and nurse her at my breast.

I waited my whole life for that day.

It's been everything I hoped it would and so much I never knew it would be.

Motherhood is the best and the hardest thing I've done in my life.

On this, my firstborn's birthday eve, I think back to that night.  I think back on the last 7 years.

And I love it.  Being a mom is the greatest gift.

One thousand

I'm on a journey to embrace each day, to find joy in the mundane, to live as if this is the day the Lord has made, even when the day doesn't hold what I'd like it to.  I'm a few chapters into the book, and it truly is impacting me.  Already I am finding small things to be thankful for.  I hope it keeps changing me.  I want it to change me.



9. A good rubberband for my hair

10. The yellow blanket that's warmed my family since I was a child and warms not just my body but my soul

11. My minivan (can't believe I'm saying that)

12. Sunshine in January

13. Singing. And worship

14. The unconditional love of my husband

15. The barren rose bushes outside our office that will be full of blooms come spring

16. My three girls sitting on their dads lap tonight

17. Favor, and grace

I'm linking up here.  Today's post is incredible.  Such a testament to this idea, this way of living.  Take the time to soak it in.