A "Berry" Good Day

I wish I got some better pictures of our play day this morning but this is the best one. This summer we started up the play days every week so that us moms can get out and let the little ones play with someone their own height. Honestly, I think it's more for the moms than the kids. It was so nice to talk with great friends and have time to relax. Valerie made an incredible lunch for the kids and the moms (thanks Valerie!!) and we all had a great time. Just had to put in a picture of my daughter's big smile. She loves smiling! However, she has been somewhat of a leech the last few days. Any time she is not attached to me in some way, there are sounds of protest. Daddy got to hold her last night to give me a little break. We went to pick berries at my parent's house since they're out of town for a few days and the berries are ripe. We got quite a few but along with the berries came a stain that rivaled my fingerpainting days....or is that blood? (I just couldn't resist taking that picture) Seriously, if anyone has had any experience picking blackberries, you know that the thorns on those suckers are daunting enough to let the sweet things stay where they are. That and the unnerving reality that there are more bugs in the places you can't see than those you can and reaching for that elusive berry might rustle up some unwelcome attention. I settled on just 2 bags this time.

Last night we had a wonderful visit from Jenna and Joey. While Will and I sat on the couch, our guests were inundated with toddler talking and clinging. It was kind of like having a babysitter while we were home. Aunt Jenna and Uncle Joey were a big hit and it was so nice of them to take time out to come see us. Even though we live so close, lives get so busy that we hardly see each other.

Since it was bedtime, Tyler had to have his "mush" book read to him but this time he wanted Uncle Joey to do the deed. It was so cute to see the 4 of them immersed in "Good Night Moon." They didn't want to go to bed but, eventually, we rounded them up and tucked them in (Mikayla and Tyler, that is).

Then Lynnea had Uncle Joey all to herself. She seemed to enjoy sucking on his nose for a brief moment but then, of course, had to go back to mommy. UGH....*this too shall pass*

The Weekend...a little late

Due to the lack of "my own time" lately I've had to post the weekend activities a little late. Even as I do it, my youngest is sitting in my lap (the only place she wants to be at this stage).

Before I begin, I, like all of my friends who have posted before me, would like to thank the service men and women of our country who give of themselves to guarantee our freedom. We, as Americans, can never repay you for your sacrifice but we honor you this weekend and every weekend.

I went to my mom's house this last week to get in one more hang out time before they went to Hawaii for the next 2 weeks and she had bought these bug "houses" for the kids. We were laughing because Tyler filled his with worms and then proceeded to walk around the yard with his worm "necklace" of which he was so proud. As most of you loyal readers know, I graduated with a degree in graphic design/art. I just wanted to show you what that looks like in this stage of my life. Please tell me you know what this is...

It's a bird's nest complete with eggs, baby bird and mommy and daddy bird. The best part is that I did it in under 2 minutes....all that education for this. *sigh*

But on to more interesting things. My Aunt Nancy and Uncle Gary came into town for the weekend to drive my cousin back home from college so they stayed the weekend here and then we celebrated Cheryl's birthday on Saturday. Aunt Nancy was my lifesaver and put Lynnea to sleep. For some reason, it's hard for the one who provides the milk 24/7 to put a baby to sleep. Something about the baby wanting to eat all the time..hmmm...

Along with a yummy grilled hot dog dinner, wagon rides outside in the backyard and a delicious chocolate birthday cake made by Cara in the shape of a camera, Cheryl opened her gifts from all of us. It was fun to be with everyone, especially when we found out that our cousin Julie had her baby while we were together. What a fun memory!

Here's Uncle Gary with Mikayla. My kids love Uncle Gary!

In other weekend happenings, I actually attempted some manual labor! Will and I have been wanting to finish our backyard and all that we have left is the corner (sitting area) and the side yard. For a few hours, we finally got out there and raked, shoveled and weeded those areas and the result looks pretty good. Our plan is to cover it with a weed-stop carpet and then cover that with rocks. Hopefully it comes out how I've planned it.
The side yard. In the end it will have berry bushes, a vegetable garden and a storage shed. We have high expectactions.. =)Playhouses were on sale this weekend at Toys R Us so we finally broke down and bought one. I really wanted the kids to have a playhouse outside but they were so expensive. When we got this one for only $199, we knew it was a great deal and will be used for years to come. It will eventually go in the sitting area but, for now, it sits on our back patio.

We had a great weekend. I can't believe it's already Thursday and almost the end of the week. It's that day off that makes the week fly by I guess.

On Tuesday, I went out to my sister's house and babysat her 2 boys so she could get her hair done. It was a lot of fun to be with the boys since I hadn't spent a lot of alone time with them. The kids all play together really well but, I must say, 5 kids under the age of 5 is a little overwhelming at lunchtime. I felt like I was a waitress at a busy restaurant! I had a good time but it is reassurance that I'm done with 3...

God Knew...

This weekend, a true miracle happened...and God knew every moment of it.

God knew...that my cousin Julie's water would break the day after her last day of this stage of chemotherapy, when she and her body are the strongest.

God knew...that it would be in the same hospital as my Papa who is struggling with health problems of his own, my Nana by his side.

God knew...my parents, sister, Aunt, Uncle and cousin would be at my parent's house celebrating my cousin Cheryl's birthday and be able to hear the news of the new baby together.

God knew...that my family needed a new life to celebrate this year after all of the heartbreak we've had.

God knew...baby Ryan James before he entered the world, that he'd be healthy (except for a few pre-term problems) and loved beyond all measure.

Thank you, God, for answered prayers...

Do You Really Want To Know??

My beautiful friend, Emily, tagged me with a few questions. Let's see if I can come up with some exciting answers for all of you faithful readers.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
Where have the years gone? I was going to say "in high school" and once I counted back I realized that 10 years ago, I was almost graduating college!! I'm so old...anyway, I was finishing up in college as a graphic design major and dating a great guy (Will, for those of you who haven't figured it out). I was actually watching all of my friends graduate because I still had a semester to go (that darn Bible major.. actually it was so worth it!)

2. 5 things on my to do list today?
-go to Dim Sum with the in-laws
-work on the backyard digging out all those vicious weeds
-eat
-watch a movie with the family
-finish all of the cappucino popcorn that my sister made for me (it is SOO good)

3. Snacks I enjoy?
What a coincidence! One yummy snack is Cara's many flavors of popcorn made with her Whirly Pop. I am also a drink person. No, not alcoholic but anything related to sugary coffees or slushies or, my favorite, Coke Zero. I've also got to throw in the chips and dip. Although, now that I think about it, I don't snack too often unless I get a hot chocolate or something. I'm big into drinks!

4. Things I would do if I were a millionaire?
Buy a vacation home either in the mountains or by the ocean. Of course, tithe 10% and give to a charity close to my heart, invest some for later and get my hair and nails done on a regular basis. =)

5. Places I lived?
A little city named Enumclaw somewhere north of here and a few cities in Southern CA

I guess it's my turn to tag someone else. It's a quick one so, if you're reading, I tag Cara, Heidi, and Kristy.

Lynnea's Laws

Some of the rules Lynnea lives by, regardless of how mommy feels.

#1. If there is a finger, it must be sucked (preferably the thumb). All of my friends out there know how much I tried to get this girl to like a binky. Oh, she'll take one but she'll chew the life out of it and suck it for 2 minutes, then spit it out. The finger tastes so much better. It looks like I'll have 2 kids that will have to be weaned off of the thumb. #2. When you have as much hair as Lynnea does, it will look like a sweaty mess and be stuck to your head when you wake up from your nap. And, with all of that hair, it must be "managed." How many moms out there can say that they almost have to blow dry their 5 month old's hair when she takes a bath?

#3. When mommy really needs some sleep and is running on adrenaline, that's the perfect time to run a fever of 101.5 and stay awake until 3am. Yep, this is the face that greeted me at 1am after 3 hours of Tylenol, rocking and watching tv. Conveniently, it was the night Will went out with the boys to see the new Indiana Jones movie. I was glad that he chose this particular night to go-he would have been awake anyway...

#4. There must always be a person in the room if Lynnea's in it. She is as social as her sister and needs constant interaction and entertainment. I'm having flashbacks to Mikayla...it might be a loooong next couple of months.

#5. The best of Lynnea's Laws is the last one-she always wakes up happy. We get the biggest smiles of the day in the morning. Of course, we have to brush aside the hair to see it...

A Mops Goodbye-among other things

Yes, my husband is strange in his adorable, funny way. Lynnea kept looking at me, bending down and then sucking this light-up butterfly toy so Will started mimicking her. It was eery how similar they were in facial expression. He has some pretty strong genes. My mom came over the other day to help out with the baby so I could get some last minute things done for MOPS. It was nice just to have her there as another adult to talk to and she was a big help.

My mom brought with her all of the keepsakes that I had wanted from Nana and Papa's house (for now) before Nana packed them up to move to Sacramento. I got a figurine that reminded me of Nana, my great-grandmother's complete china set from 1949 and a few little pitchers that were a part of my Nana's collection. They will be treasured possessions in my household but the one item that has the most memories for me is this ancient Barbie Car.

My cousins, my sister and I played and tortured this thing every time we went to Nana and Papa's house. It is technically a Barbie car (come on, would Barbie really choose orange?) but it was used to ride on most of the time. Here, Lynnea is carrying on the tradition. Mom brought it home for me to let my kids carry on the tradition.

And then the bigger kids tried it out....and it still rolls!

My last MOPS was Tuesday and all but one of the girls at my table came. I have enjoyed getting to know them more and more each week. It's so much fun to be a table leader. Next year I am going to have the priviledge of being Discussion Group Coordinator. Basically, I will be in charge of all of the discussion group leaders in our group. I'm so excited to work with Emily who is taking over the position of MOPS coordinator (the top dog!). We're going to have a great year. I just love encouraging other moms and being encouraged by them as well. Anyway, back to my table. We all brought food to share and then, after the speaker, I shared my testimony with the girls. I had already shared it last year so I just shared my growth this past year in my faith and hope for the future. I'm definitely not the most eloquent of speakers and I did get a tad emotional but I hope it was well received.

I have the best girls at my table. Aly, Crystal, and Christie are in the top photo and then Sara is next to Christie below. I've had the priviledge of having Aly with me at all of my MOPS tables. For some reason, MOPS isn't complete without her. She has become a close friend and someone I know I can just call and talk to about anything. Crystal was so much fun to meet. She has a bit of sarcasm just like me and I enjoyed her sense of humor. Christie is a great friend as well. I know her outside of MOPS and I love our conversations and her heart for the Lord. Sara has been at my table for the last 2 years and I admire her quiet strength. I hope she comes back for another year even though her son enters kindergarten this year.

Janee was another new addition this last semester. (sorry for the picture, Janee. I didn't take another one!) I've known Janee since 6th grade and love her strength and honesty. She is so much fun to talk to and I was so glad that she came to MOPS and, better yet, was put at my table. How fortunate am I??

Last but not least, my mentor mom. At each table, they place a woman who has "been there, done that" and that was Leslie for me. She was absolutely amazing to be with and has so much wisdom to share. We got along so well and I will miss her if she ends up at another table next year. Thank you, Leslie, for all of the help and encouragement this last year.

Here's to the next year of MOPS, may it be as rewarding as this year.

Burned out

I love being a mom...I really do. But sometimes it just seems like I don't get a break...from being a mom. When I don't feel like I have any time to breathe, things just start going wrong. Going wrong, you might ask? What does that mean exactly? Well, my life is definitely blessed- I am healthy, my kids are healthy, and God has provided for all of my family's needs. What I mean by "going wrong" centers mainly around what happens in my brain. Or, in this case, what doesn't happen. Here are the top 5 things that have made me wonder where my brain has vacationed to these last few weeks. And, yes, all of these things have happened very recently.

1. Cooking...it's fairly easy for me. However, the other day I was cooking some fish. How common, you may say. Not so. I had turned up the burner so high that when I placed the fish into the oil, it went everywhere. I wasn't wearing an apron. I had no lid. All I could do was stare...at the splashing oil going all over the floor, the counter, my important paperwork, my clothes. After, what seemed like an eternity, my hand reached out to take the pan off of the burner. Not knowing where to place the snapping fish, I held it over the floor, then set it on another burner. Now, you might wonder where the brain lapse was in this whole thing. It happened afterward. Oh, I knew that there was grease on the floor. I knew I had bare feet. I knew it might track all over the kitchen. Did I care at the moment? no. I tracked about 100 sets of footprints from the stove to the table in my haste to set the table, get the food on the kid's plates, and eventually sit down to eat myself. My poor husband had to get out the hardwood floor cleaner and clean up the mass of footprints caused by my absolute disinterest.

2. White pants...I know, why buy them, right? Why, when you have children, do you invest in a pair of WHITE PANTS?? Well, I did. And I got them dirty, the first day they were worn. As a good housewife does, I sprayed them and washed them and they came out great!!! So confident, was I, that nothing ill would befall my newly washed pants that I held them in my hand while I did a few chores. Can you just hear the stain coming? Then it happened. Tyler's stinky diaper. I changed it and carried the pants (that I hadn't put away yet) out to the trash can to throw away the dirty diaper. Yes, I did think twice about opening the dirty outside door with new, white pants. In the end, I decided that I could manouever in such a way that the pants would not touch the dirty door. Well, we all can guess what happened. My pants got dirty again (I still don't know how they touched it). They are now waiting to be washed...again. I tell you, it's the diminishing brain cells that made me do it.

3 & 4. I broke both pairs of my cheap sunglasses. The first one wasn't my fault. The screw fell out. I tried to screw it in but it wasn't worth my time. The second loss was much more personal. The sunglasses were a great shape (you all know how much time it takes to pick out the perfect pair of sunglasses), my sister had "blinged" them up for me, and they were comfortable. It just leads to disaster, doesn't it? We went to Downtown Disney for a little family time and I had thrown the glasses into my seat, from the back, so I didn't have to carry them at night. My brain went blank when I went back to the car a few hours later. I opened the door (carrying the baby and all of her items) and sat right on top of them. I thought they had bounced onto the floor. I thought wrong. Now I have to go, sunglass-less, in the car until I have the time to buy some new ones.

5. Sorry this is so long but this last one takes the cake. Costco. The world of cheap food and large carts. Cheap food being the $1.50 hot dog and coke that I craved this afternoon while I took the kids to get loaves of bread for sandwiches I had to make for MOPS. I could already taste the sweet bubbly Coke flavor as I pulled out my debit card to pay the bill. "I'm sorry, ma'am, we only take cash." I had no cash. I had no check. I got no food. The kids got no berry smoothie. The baby is screaming. I enter Costco, practically running for the bread. Baby is screaming. People give sympathetic looks. Kids are running after me. I try not to lose them. Grab bread. Go to checkout. Get receipt. Walk out. Baby still screaming, a little softer. Buckle kids in belt. See Costco man coming toward me...with my Costco card. Then this comes out of his mouth. "I knew I'd be able to find you. I figured someone with that many kids wouldn't get out of the parking lot that fast."

Enough said.

Party of the Year! (literally)

In Korean culture, the one year birthday is a big one! Some friends of ours, Patrick and Nancy, invited us to celebrate with them when their little girl, Charlene, turned one. We were spoiled! We feasted on salmon, various pasta salads, prime rib, and cake. The kids even got their own special meals of chicken strips and fries. It was spectacular but the thing I was most impressed with was the balloon sculpture at the place of honor. Check it out...

Isn't this just adorable? I've never seen balloon bees and stems shaped like that. And the name done in balloons?? It was just too cute for words.

Here's Mikayla and daddy enjoying the chaos before the food was served.Our friends hired a balloon "twister" (for lack of a better word) to make balloons for all of the kids and wow, was it well received. After about a half an hour, just enough time for all of the kids to get their own balloon sword, the war began. There were kids everywhere, swinging swords and trying to avoid each other in the pandemonium. It was truly a party atmosphere. I was so proud of Mikayla. She actually sat and waited her turn for the balloon man to make her a balloon. She sat there so long, with Tyler, that I actually had to go up and ask the man to make her a balloon because she was letting everyone go ahead of her. I can brag and say that she was patient (which was a big part of it) but I can also say that I know she was afraid to ask for her own creation. She told me later she was afraid that he would say no. She has such a sweet heart and she will make an incredible lady someday.
Once Tyler got his sword, he was all business. This was the "war" face that he had on him from the moment he got his sword.

Unfortunately, his mouth doesn't look the same as last night. While playing with their balloons and the fan in the living room, Tyler's mouth connected with Mikayla's head and shoved 2 teeth behind where they should be. Conveniently, the friend who invited us to the party last night is a dentist so we called him to see what we should do. After I pulled the tooth back into place, he graciously came by to check it out. Thanks Patrick!!!! He told me it would take about 4-6 weeks for the fractured bone to heal but that kids are pretty resilient. I just have to be careful and not let him bite on tough foods for a while. My poor, clumsy son.

Beasts at the Beach (not the kids)

We hit the beach today. My cousin Cheryl accompanied us and we met up with my sister, Cara, and her brood at the coolest beach around. The kids had so much fun playing with their cousins and we had enough adults around that we didn't fear losing any of them in the wild waves (can you see how high those ripples are??) Just kidding-I'm feeling a little sarcastic today and have to get it out somewhere.

When we got there, we were the only ones at the beach. A little while later, only 2 more groups joined us but it was so quiet and relaxing. Here are my 2 hamming it up for the camera. Cheryl is my saving grace at the beach. Since little Miss Lynnea was being what we call HM (High Maintenance and needy), I couldn't go out and play with the older kids in the wild waves so I stayed back on the blanket and observed from a distance. Oh, I forgot to mention the fact that half of the reason I didn't go out in the water was due to lack of a swimsuit (you're kidding me if you think I'm going to squeeze my body into a pre-pregnancy swimsuit and feel good in it.) Nope, Riva went to the beach in a tank top and shorts, thank you very much.

The CUTEST picture of Austin with his sand bucket. You just want to pinch those cheeks. Go ahead, pinch 'em, PINCH 'em!!!

Sorry, got a little carried away. The next picture was so precious you should have seen us. It was like Cara, Cheryl and I were on a photo shoot. I think we caught every angle, bougar, sand speck and drool on this shot. But isn't it SO CUTE!! Austin is going to be a great catch when he gets to dating age (sorry to make you think that far into the future, Cara. Deep breaths). He is so gentle with Lynnea and she loves him (even though she has that look of complete boredom).

Today was the day for wild sea life. First, a man caught a sea snail and threw it back before our children could see it. After I asked if Mikayla could see it, I think he felt bad and went to look for another one, meanwhile pointing out this small crab that found his way onto the shore. Poor thing...he just about ran his little legs off when he discovered that he'd meandered upon 3 toddlers who thought he was the coolest thing ever. He was lucky he wasn't manhandled.

The same man who had found the first snail found another one and, God bless him, came back to show our little ones what it looked like. He was the sweetest guy (a grandpa of another little one on the beach). The kids loved seeing it and, of course, Mikayla wanted to find her own and keep it as a pet. Yuck. So went our day at the beach....I'm looking forward to doing it again! (that definitely isn't sarcasm!)

New Friends

This post is really about a dear friend of mine that just had a baby but I also wanted to point out my daughter's new friends-her toes. She's taken to sucking them when nothing else is around. I don't know about you but I find it pretty amazing that she can bend in half like that. Ooo, I get a bad back just thinking about it. Her 5 month platypus picture. Note the open mouth....no, it's not a scream, it's a smile. We usually get this before we get a normal smile and it's just so cute, I had to post it.

Now on to the title of the post. My wonderful friend from junior high (yes, it's been that long), Jennifer, just had her little girl named London about 2 months ago. It's so strange to hold a baby that is fair with blue eyes and blond hair! I'm not used to seeing blue eyes! It was fun holding such a little baby. It's also fun to see Jen as a mom, which she is very good at I might add. She was always my friend in junior high who was determined to have a jet-setting career and maybe never have kids. My, how times change.

Yes, she's a little sleep-deprived. Can't we all remember that, moms? But look, the baby is sleeping peacefully, the true happiness of any mother.

Blogger turned this picture weird but here it is anyway. Such a stark contrast between Lynnea and London. Friends for life, like their mommies.

A "Healthy" Appetite

Gerber starts us out right. As infants, we are trained to love veggies, to smack our toothless gums on pureed garden goodness and enjoy it. Lynnea sure did. I pray that it continues to be an exciting food group for her, unlike her siblings whose favorite word is "candy." Yes, my children eat pretty healthy foods but they also love their sugar-laden fruit snacks and sips of soda. I'm hoping that, with the last one, the love of vegetables will stay true and constant (come on, let me dream, won't you?)

Here is my darling daughter before her expedition into tasting the lovely green concoction. All smiles. Yum!! She actually likes it. As a matter of fact, between bites (because mommy isn't fast enough), she starts sucking her bib like I've starved her for the past 5 months. If you were within a few houses of mine, you'd hear it for sure.

After we were done shoveling it in, we had to rid ourselves of the offensive shirt, now covered in a green slime that simply could not be worn for the rest of the day. That was the part she didn't like so much...

And, of course, I must add in a picture of my son and his newly grown mustache. Little did we know that, at 2 1/2, he had the maturity to grow a fu-man-chu mustache but the fudgesicle made him grow up fast. He was quite proud of his achievement. After this, daddy gave him a bath quickly due to the fact that the "mustache" had spread to other parts of the body.

My Role Model

It's Mother's Day!! I hope all of you had a memorable day full of joy and gratefulness if God has blessed you with children. Every Mother's Day, I try to tell my mom what she means to me and I feel like I always fall short. I can never express in words all of the lessons she has taught me and all of the ways I wish I were like her. As she sits at my grandparent's house sorting through past memories and boxing up treasures, I pray for her. I hope she knows she is not alone and that I wish I were with her. I hope she knows that I consider her one of my closest friends. I hope she knows how much my children value her and desire to be near her whenever they possibly can. Mom, you are a gift from God to me. I don't have near enough pictures of you in my albums but here are a few I've found. The song's lyrics express my gratitude to you for all you've done.

This morning, in our adult fellowship, all of the men cooked us breakfast. It was so delicious. Here is the festive table with some wonderful friends!
This was yesterday but I had to put it in because I had to have a picture with my kids (although Lynnea wasn't cooperating). I'm so happy to be a mom. Each of my kids are so different and so special.
Lynnea is doing really well sitting up lately. My loving husband took me to Black Angus tonight for a Mother's Day dinner. It was nice to have the kids with us so they could help us finish the appetizer plate and the dessert.Tyler has been so funny lately. He'll smile for the camera but I also wanted to show you the face we've been getting lately when he wants to be "angry" (see below picture).
We try not to laugh but this is pretty funny...Happy Mother's Day everyone!