Friday, November 19, 2010

Unexpected Joy!

I looked out the window a minute ago and this is what I saw.......







Unexpected Joy! For me, for them! Here were my two oldest riding down the hill on this little sled together. Not fighting, running back up the hill together with GIANT grins on their faces! It's hard to tell but I think I am grinning even bigger! What a blessed gift! Hope it adds a little joy to others too! Never knew that a heart could smile until I had these kids, oh how this makes me fill up with joy until it's bubbling out!

Ode to my Piles

To honor fully this place in my life, I do not want this blog to exclude the mess....

I really should be in the kitchen picking it all up. If I were a much braver person, I would post a picture or pictures of this house in all it's glory. But, I am not. No, the mess I call my own will remain that. I do try. Oh how I try. But somehow, there is always something better to do than to start on it. Part of this is that in order to accomplish what I want done, there will be a MUCH bigger mess. I am talking dumpster full of crap that I just don't want to deal with anymore. Yes, I have a pile on the counter to be sorted under the phone. That stuff is to keep. Just need to know where I am keeping it. Then I have the pile on the counter that is the mail. It just keeps coming in each day and there is never time to sort it and be done. (And a certain husband is unable to sort out junk mail). So that waits. Then there are a couple bags of returns to make to the stores. Ugh. Hate having to return things. And then there is the clutter from cooking/cleaning/serving all these meals to my kids. 3 times a day! Plus snacks! Oh how I hate that there are dishes required in cooking/serving food. So, there is always some kind of dish that is waiting. And let me add that I find that when I am done with dishes I turn around and trip over a dropped sippy cup or that there is a mystery dish sitting on the table.


Lucky for me, I do not need to blog about the laundry pile. That's because yesterday I did it all........all 10 loads of laundry! So, those piles are magically gone! But there are winter clothes strewn around in random spots, and there are toys that a little rugrat is dragging around the house. And a pile of Legos. (I secretly hope I always have a pile of Legos). My boy and Legos...gives me a great big smile.

So, here is the post to remind me of the mess I live in and with. I hate it. Every day I hate it. I am the one that would get angry about roommates in college using the wrong towel for dishes and here I sit in a messy/cluttered home. This I thank the 3rd born child for. I have yet to hit my rhythm. I keep promising myself that come January with 12 hour days I will find it. I will have a cleaner home. We will get organized. We will host the world's biggest garage sale. We will not have piles. Well, they might be smaller. Let's not get carried away here.

Be warned you piles, you are on your way out. I have a plan to be rid of you. I am bigger and at some point will be in charge again. So, until then, sit where you are. Please don't fall to the floor and be colored on by a random child. I see posts on Facebook from an old classmate that does organizing...she just posted the other day that she was cleaning a counter that had not been cleaned off for 8 years. Makes me smile, did it make you? Actually it made me giggle that mine are not in that poor of state. Made me feel pretty darn good. Because, let's admit, I am doing my best. I fall back on what a good friend told me who's children are grown.....Thank you Nancy for your wisdom. I will leave you with her words; "Relax Beth, the chores will wait and be there, but your children won't".

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Winter Wonderland

Ah yes, welcome winter!!! The first snow has fallen!






At all of 8:25 am the kidlets were bundled and outside....not just ours, but most all the neighbors. So, with coffee in hand I stood and watched out the window to witness their joy. Pure JOY!!! My son has been waiting for snow. Asking on occasion when it would fall so that he could eat it! I did venture out onto our patio to snap a few shots of the kids and even some out the window and then decided today I had to join them. We built a snowman,

Tess was given her first taste of snow (by Cale, THE connoisseur of snow eating!)

I tried the kiddy snowboard and did not break any bones, and then I took my bigguns sledding. Absolutely WONDERFUL! Might I also add that I happened to capture one of my all time favorite pictures yet? My three adorably beautiful snowkids. I love them!



I just love that picture, all 3 happy babes!!

And here last of all, is Tess first official time outside playing in the snow.

Isn't she just so cute?