A Ridiculously Rad Night

Our church turned 30 years old yesterday!  Their very first church service was on March 2, 1986 so we celebrated with an 80s theme party – totally rad!

Wrex and I got to come up with a photo booth for the event and since we had a 3 piece backdrop system, we decided to do three different backdrops for people to choose from.

Didn't they turn out cute?!
Didn’t they turn out cute?!

We, of course, had to do a splatter paint background.  I didn’t know how easy it would be to do but let me tell ya – it was easy.  We didn’t even end up using brushes, we just kinda dabbled our paint containers and it worked out so well!

Cutest little 80's girl I know!
Cutest little 80’s girl I know!

The other easier one we did was the one with bright colored lines.  We just used neon duct tape and went to town laying down strips of color. I really liked how it turned out, especially for the photo booth.

Simple and fun!
Simple and fun!

The favorite of the night was the PacMan backdrop!  It is pretty cool, isn’t it?!  I dyed the sheet black (and got it grey -ha!) and then my mathematician husband took the photo I found online and scaled it and we got to work.  We used duct tape for the game board and then I just used cardstock for all of the characters and circles.  It really turned out great for not a lot of cost, just time.

Pacman!
Pacman!

We wanted a few bigger props so we made a giant rubix cube using a cardboard box, poster board and a LOT of black tape…

Awesomeness...
Awesomeness…

a giant Etch-a-Sketch out of an old red frame we had…

Oh man, he's cute!
Oh man, he’s cute!

and no 80’s party is complete without a boombox, courtesy of a Pampers box, some duct tape and some cardstock!

Boom.
Boom.

We blew up some pictures at Staples and did our faux canvas work and hung those up for everyone to giggle at…

Back in the day...
Back in the day…

A fellow church goer decorated the fellowship hall and turned it into a totally bodacious space!

Fun!
Fun!

There was cake and live music – just a lot of fun!

Yum!
Yum!

It was just a REALLY fun night!  It was easy and laid back and people totally got into the 80s spirit…it was just a really nice night to fellowship and be thankful for such a wonderful church family.

My crew got all dressed up for the event, of course.

It's 80s night!
It’s 80s night!

Sawyer looked so cute, she could be in style no matter what the decade…

So cute!
So cute!

Same for Sayble…

:)
🙂

and Wryder, too!  His outfit was hard for me to come up with…but then I remembered that I had some of Wrex’s clothes FROM 1986ish and so Wryder wore Wrex’s old shirt and jacket and looked CUTE.AS.A.BUTTON!

Oh man, he's cute!
Oh man, he’s cute!

I was the last to get dressed of course and did the best I could!  I’m pretty sure the 80s color palette is not my favorite, but I worked it!

One of every color...
One of every color…

The winner…hands down…was Wrex!

He's all mine, ladies....
He’s all mine, ladies….

I found this windsuit at the local thrift for $3!!!  The tag said it had been there since September.  THANKFULLY, I snatched it just in time!

His beard had been bothering him for a while now but we all really like it.  He decided last night was a good night to shave it off…and leave mutton chops. *ahem*

Yeeeeaaaahhh...
Yeeeeaaaahhh…

I’m pretty sure some people will never be the same after seeing all that…

Oh.  My.  Goodness.
Oh. My. Goodness.

It was a ton of fun, despite the facial hair madness that he STILL hasn’t fixed yet.

Yesterday was also a special guy’s birthday!  One of our favorite friends and pastors had a birthday yesterday and Sawyer wanted to make him a cake, so we did!  She did 98% of the work herself!  He wanted chocolate cake so we turned Grandma’s delicious chocolate sheet cake into a layer cake…

Making the batter...
Making the batter…
Letting them cool...
Letting them cool…

She REALLY to do sprinkles and candy hearts so we tried to limit them to just a few 🙂 and then she made a birthday banner for the birthday boy and delivered it with balloons, to boot!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Bill!
Happy Birthday, Mr. Bill!

Today, we’re all recuperating.  I did the math and Sayble’s about 6 hours of sleep behind schedule – ha!  Don’t call us between 1-4…we’ll all be napping!

Some Days are Hard

Some days are hard.

Being a mom is the best job I’ve ever had, and it’s the hardest.  Send me 1,000 volunteers and 200 staff and 43 databases and I’ll manage them all day long, but sometimes managing three wee ones gets the best of me.

Today?  Is one of those days.

The morning started with the kids saying something that wasn’t meant to be mean or hateful (I can only assume) but it touched on a brokenness inside my heart that hasn’t healed…and it hurt as I tried not to show them that it did.  Ever have those moments?  Maybe it’s just me.

Being a stay-at-home parent has more advantages than disadvantages and I fully believe that that is what the Lord has assigned for our family…but it doesn’t always make you the “fun” or “popular” parent.  I’m with them 24 hours a day and have the responsibility to correct and teach and guide.  I’m the one that has to spread my time between each of my littles and cooking three meals a day and feeding Sayble more meals than that and changing diapers and clothes and make sure I’m eating properly so I don’t send myself down the blood sugar spiral and getting the laundry done and making sure this place isn’t a pig sty and teaching school – none of which I hate, it just doesn’t always leave a lot of room for outrageous, spontaneous memories or experiences.

And I’m not one of those moms that thinks that every hour should be spent doing a new Pinterest activity or playing in a sensory box;  I’m a HUGE believer in independent, creative play – especially outside – I just want to best use my time to leave a legacy worth leaving with my kids.

My hope is that despite all of my misgivings and failures as a mom, that one day my kids will truly understand all I did for them…understand all I did because I loved them…understand that we tried our best to be fair and consistent and loving in our discipline…understand that being a parent is hard work and that I went to bed most nights wishing I could do the day over again…understand that there is nothing I wouldn’t attempt to do for them or because of them…understand that my love for them knows no bounds or limits or conditions…understand that even on the hard days, I wouldn’t trade what I do for the world.

I don’t know if there has been anything in my life that has made me crawl to the cross more than being a mom…

Last week, Wrex heard the Eric Church song called Three Year Old.  He had me listen and I was a blubbering mess because it reminded me so much of Wryder.  I was outside playing with the kids at the time and they asked why I was crying and I was attempting to explain to them how much I loved them.  Wryder stopped everything he was doing and in the sweetest little voice said, “We wuv you too, mommy.”  The rest of the day, he was extra attentive to me and it was so sweet and so needed.

That night at supper, he kept putting his little arm around me and his hands felt so sweet and tiny.  He wanted to take an usie and even though I look rough in this picture, I will treasure it always…

That face...
That face…

 

We’ve made it through lunch.  That counts for something, right? 

Nap time is here.  I’ll collect myself and pull up my boot straps and tackle the afternoon.  That’s what we do, isn’t it?

To all you mommies out there who might be struggling with me today, I salute you!  You’re doing a good job.

Keep pointing their hearts toward Jesus.

Keep loving them no matter what.

Keep teaching them and training them and guiding them in the ways that they should go.

Keep your eyes on the Perfect Parent.

Keep singing, “Oh, Lord I need you.  Every hour I need you.  My one defense.  My righteousness.  I need you, oh I need you.”  (If you ever hear me mumbling this, now you know…)

And drink a Dr. Pepper.  That’s the best advice I’ve got.

Worth 1,000 Words: Park Play

Sometimes we wished we lived closer to the rest of our family; a lot of them live in Oklahoma now and all of my family is still in Texas.  I love Texas, for the most part.  It’s a bit hot…and humid in some places.  Oklahoma is much the same, just throw in some extra tornadoes ALL YEAR ROUND.  Not a fan.

I still remember being in Stillwater 5 years ago this July…Wrex and I went outside at 10:30 at night and our Colorado brains had us fooled that it would be somewhere between 60-70 degrees out.  Nope.  After the wave of thick, wet heat slapped us across the face, we jumped on the weather app.  93 degrees.  STILL.  At 10:30 at night.  Who the heck would wanna live there?! 

My sister-in-law says you get used to it and I suppose you do.  We’re just spoiled rotten up here in this mild, no humidity, very little severe weather climate.

Today was no exception.  Tomorrow won’t be either.  It’s February.  And we did have a blizzard a few weeks back…but today?  It’s 61 and gorgeous out.  Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 70s, down to 60s the rest of the week.  Sublime.

With that in mind, we did what any logical stay at home mom would do – we had a picnic at the park!  And then we skipped naps – well, the bigger two did – because it was just to purdy to stay inside…

Swinging is FUN!
Swinging is FUN!
She's such an awesome big sister!
She’s such an awesome big sister!
Sayble's first big slide ride
Sayble’s first big slide ride
I *think* she liked it...
I *think* she liked it…
This boy...love his adventurous spirit!
This boy…love his adventurous spirit
Isn't she just the sweetest?!
Isn’t she just the sweetest?!
My heart on a rock
My heart on a rock

These guys are out exploring and I’m about to go prep the trim on the front of the house for a little paint.  Enjoy this beautiful day…because you know we’ll get a snow storm in May…

I Heart Heart Day

I know I’ve mentioned it before – I’m a sucker for Valentine’s Day!  Hate all you want; I think setting aside a day to really go out of our way to show someone we love them is a fine way to spend our time.  Who doesn’t love that?!

For Fun Friday, the kids helped make cupcakes!

Lining the pan
Lining the pan
Getting hers done, too!
Getting hers done, too!
My mixer
My mixer

Decorating them is obviously the best part…and I always feel like SUCH a good mom afterwards because it really pushes me outside of my comfort zone.  I’m not the biggest fan of messes or 501 little, round sprinkles all over the place but I do it because I love them.  And it’s fun.

Intensity
Intensity
Yep, those are the ones...
Yep, those are the ones…
They turned out REALLY cute!
They turned out REALLY cute!

And, of course, Wryder had to be rewarded for his efforts…

YUM!
YUM!

Our sweet friend/mail lady, Pam, brought goodies to the house in the form of chocolate bars (which Wryder inhaled!) and mail from friends.  We sent her home with a cupcake, too!

On Saturday, I woke up to this gorgeousness…

Swoon.
Swoon.

I LOVE getting flowers!  I vow not to be the woman who thinks they’re a waste of money because all they do is die.  They are life and they bring life – I’m a big fan.  🙂

I loved the balloon, too!  I remember when I was growing up that I always, always wanted a helium, mylar balloon, though I don’t know that I ever asked for one.  It was either my tenth or twelfth birthday, my parents got me several and I was over the moon!  I kept them deflated and pinned to my bulletin board until I left for college.  I kinda wish I still had them… 

Wrexy knew my love for them and surprised me with a huge one!  Wryder and Sawyer though we should practice letting the cat jump through the center.  I vetoed that.  *ahem*

We were saving our steak dinner for Valentine’s day so I decided to make heart hamburgers (with bacon, of course) for lunch.

Nothing says love like beef...
Nothing says love like beef…
and bacon!
and bacon!

The kids LOVED this!  Especially the bacon part – a treat around here!

YUM!
YUM!

Sawyer, of course, dressed for the occasion – heels and all!

Oh, this girl...
Oh, this girl…

Sunday, we went to church and ate a little chinese food for lunch…

Those sweet smiles!!!
Those sweet smiles!!!
Handsome!
Handsome!

We found out Sayble REALLY likes ice cream like her PaPa!

Get that spoon over here!
Get that spoon over here!
Oh yeah...that's more like it!
Oh yeah…that’s more like it!

Then we came home to check on the gentlemen working on our shop and barn.  The shabby chic will soon be no more as we’re getting tin put on.  The shop is almost done and then they’ll throw the sides of the barn on.

The shop, minus the trim and doors
The shop, minus the trim and doors
I'm afraid I may miss this guy's worn, weathered look...
I’m afraid I may miss this guy’s worn, weathered look…

We have scrimped and saved and my hubby has worked his tail off so we could do this little project; we are so excited that it’s getting closer to done!  It’s gonna look pretty fancy around here…or at least a little less shabby.

It was a good weekend!  I posted this on Facebook but I’ll post it here, too.

In the midst of all of our Valentine shenanigans, Sawyer made a crown and hung it on the wall at our dinner table.

King of Kings
King of Kings

She said it was so we would remember that Jesus loves us.

My heart delights that she knows this already and I pray she takes Him at His word. He LOVES us…without condition or premise…and despite our past (or even our present) situations!

He IS the lover of our souls; the lead role in the greatest love story ever told. We can’t outrun His love, friends – it will always find us…  Let him…

Random Rambles

The  snow is finally starting to melt a bit around here.  There’s no telling how long I’ll be dealing with mud instead.  I’m not sure which is worse when it comes to keeping kids and shoes and floors and cars clean…

It's everywhere!
It’s everywhere!

I’d say we had about a foot of snow but some of the craziest drifts we’ve ever had.  In our almost five years here, we’ve never had to have the neighbors rescue us but we had to call in the big dogs this time.

Thankful for such wonderful neighbors!
Thankful for such wonderful neighbors!

The high winds have blown even more snow around and our road has blown shut at least four times.  Needless to say, we finally got out today to buy groceries and run a few errands.

The kids have sure had a ball playing on the big mounds daddy made, though!

King and queen of the mountain!
King and queen of the mountain!

We also took time to make some snow ice cream!  We made a picture scavenger hunt for the kids using our cell phones.  We’d text them a picture of something in the house like this:

??
??

and they’d have to figure out where exactly it was.  There, they’d find an ingredient needed to make snow ice cream!

YUM!
YUM!
Making memories
Making memories
She LOVED it!
She LOVED it!

****************

You know those friends who don’t feel like friends at all?  The ones that feel like you’re long lost sisters or, at the very least, sisters of the heart?  Yeah.  Those.  I’m quite fortunate to have a few of those in my life and it saddens me that none of them live close to me.  My head and heart have yet to reconcile how the Lord can so lovingly plop someone in your life and then makes you live so far from each other…..

My friend Emily is one of those friends.  I met her at a trade show when we were in Denver and there was just that instant connection.  She is so kind and spunky, a marketing maven and an event planner extraordinaire…and she has red hair!  (Just a wee bit jealous, I am!)  She has the sweetest husband and parents and kids!  Oh, and if you wanna build a house and have it decorated to the hilt, call this girl!

We had the privilege to attend a Super Bowl party in their new digs – SO. MUCH. FUN.  Their house is BEAUTIFUL and so warm and inviting and she IS the hostess with the mostest.

She had a photo booth and games for the kids…

CUTIES!
CUTIES!
Wryder giving it a try...
Wryder giving it a try…
Sawyer's turn!
Sawyer’s turn!

We had food out the wazoo and everything was sooooo goooood!  I made a few of these guys…

Be still my sweet tooth
Be still my sweet tooth

The kids LOVED Emily and her family!

Two of the sweetest girls I know!
Two of the sweetest girls I know!

Wryder took a special liking to Papa.  They shared bowls and bowls and bowls of caramel corn and stories on the couch.

SO sweet!
SO sweet!

The night only got better with that Bronco win!  These guys had a ball and looked cute doing it!

Not sure she REALLY knew what was going on...
Not sure she REALLY knew what was going on…
But this guy did!
But this guy did!
As did this little fan!
As did this little fan!

THANK YOU, Justin and Emily for such a wonderful night!  I’m voting with the kids that we just move on down to Wild Horse, too…

****************

Someone has joined the thumb-sucker ranks around here.

EEP!
EEP!

We fought the battle hard with Wryder and thankfully he just sucks his thumb as he goes to sleep; not ideal, but at least it’s not all day, every day.

Sayble has surprised us.  She’s a closet thumb sucker……but it’s so. darn. cute.

Tell me that's not cute?!
Tell me that’s not cute?!

****************

Sawyer was looking so cute in a little outfit the other night and I wanted to snap a quick pic of her.  Of course, she pulled out all of her poses….  Good grief, I love this girl!

IMG_7221IMG_7220IMG_7219IMG_7218****************

Wrex and I have been teaching a Financial Peace University class at the local community college on Tuesday nights and it has been SO cool!  Dave Ramsey’s directives helped us get out debt and we wanted to share the wealth of knowledge we’ve amassed and give others some HOPE for their financial situations, too!

I firmly believe the Lord had us teach this so that we could further our journey to even more financial freedom, wealth building and extravagant giving.  We feel so renewed and reinvigorated regarding our finances.  Bring it on, 2016!

****************

For my “midnight” snack last night, I had some almonds and a fruit and veggie smoothie.  I’ll be the first to admit that it didn’t LOOK very appetizing.

Hmmmmm
Hmmmmm

I used spinach, kale, blackberries, chia seeds and a little unsweetened almond milk.  Even though it didn’t look very tasty, it really was!

Wrex humored me and took a little taste.  He choked it down but swore it wasn’t as good as the frosty he had at lunch.  Oh, to be able to eat 8,000 calories a day and still be at my fighting weight….

****************

Sawyer’s been wanting to sew lately, so we got out her little sewing machine yesterday and she went to town!  She made these shorts for Wryder.

:)
🙂

They ended up a little small but her decorative elements made up for it, don’t ya think?!

****************

This family of mine is just the bees knees.  Days with them are the best days……

Kids Say the Darnedest Things

Our kids crack me up!  I often wonder what we did for entertainment before their joy knocked us off of our feet with belly laughs.  Enjoy a few quotable moments from the past few weeks…

*****************

I walk into the mudroom and I could tell by the smell that the cat had just finished it’s business in the litter box.

Me: “Oh my word!  Oh my gosh!  It stinks awful out here!  Oh, sick…”  (There may or may not have been some dry heaving…)

Sawyer: “What?  Is Wryder out there?”

*****************

In discussing our neighbors pregnancy, Sawyer and I were attempting to guess whether we thought she was having a boy or a girl.

Sawyer: “If it’s a girl, she’s in luck.  If it’s a boy……she better watch out!”

*****************

After I had gone to the doctor last week, we ran to Ogallala to grab my prescription and get some lunch.  I wasn’t feeling well and we sat in the Wendy’s drive-thru for what felt like forever.  Apparently, Sawyer thought so, too…

Sawyer: “For such a small car, they’re sure ordering a lot of food!”

*****************

After we pray with the kids before bed, we always let them choose a little song for us to sing to them.  Silent Night was a pretty popular one around Christmas (still is!) and we would often sing more than one verse.

Wrex: “What song do you want to sing tonight?”

Wryder: “The diaper one!  The diaper one!”

Wrex: wracking his brain to figure out which one it is, going over lyrics in his head…

Wryder: “Daddy, you know how it goes. Jesus, Lord of diaper…

Or ‘Lord of THY BIRTH…either one…

*****************

Apparently, truly understanding lyrics for a two year old can be quite difficult.  He loves “Springsteen” by Eric Church because he loves the “whoa, whoa, whoa–o–o–” part.

Wryder: “Mom, what’s bong-a-rong mean?”

Me, puzzled: “Bong-a-rong…where did you hear it at?”

Wryder: “On the whoa-whoa song.  ‘I’m on fire and bong-a-rong’…”

Or, born to run…again, either one.

*****************

Little Wryder does keep us on our toes!  After one of his shenanigans the other day…

Sawyer: “Good job having that kid!  He’s hilarious!”

*****************

Eating Cherrios one morning for breakfast…which he’s done at least once a week since he was 18 months old…

Wryder, whining: “I can’t eaaaaaat these!”

Me: “Why???”

Wryder: “Because they have HOLES in them!”

Oh, the agony…

*****************

While watching part of the NFL honors…

Sawyer: “What was that guy’s name again?  John Noodle?”

It was either Cam Newton or Anquan Boldin – still not sure who she meant!  You can only guess what her new nickname is around here….

*****************

Eating lunch in Subway and this cute, middle-aged blonde lady comes in wearing a little, white Bronco’s jacket.  Sawyer and I were talking about how cute it was and she must’ve heard Sawyer going on and on about it, so she came over to chat with the kids after she got her food.

I could tell pretty quickly that Wryder thought she was about right so he started pulling out all the stops, flirting with her.

Wryder: “Hi!  I’m Wryder…WD, that’s me!  I’m 2 and I have spikey hair.”

Sweet/cute blonde lady:  “Well, hi Wryder.  I like your spikey hair.”

Wryder: “Hey, do you wanna hear a Bible verse?  For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me.  They shall call him Immanuel which means, God with us.  Depart from evil and do good.  Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.   Hey, do you wanna hear a Broncos cheer?  B-R-O-N-C-O-S, Broncos are the best!”

I think she was smitten.  😉  Wrex and I often worry about his way with the ladies, but we’re hoping that if his pick-up lines continue to be Bible verses, we might be ok…

*****************

Seriously, they are funny, right?!

Little Plus Little Plus Little Equals Big

Guys, I don’t even know what to tell you about 2016.  We’re entering the second week of February and it’s been a ride already!  I’ve always heard that following the Lord is an adventure and life has proven that very thing, time and time again.

I’ve been doing the Precept study – which you KNOW I love! –  on the life of Abraham.  It starts us right where the Lord calls Abram (soon to be Abraham) away from the place he and his family have known…away from every familiar and comfortable thing…to follow Him to a land that He would show Him…a land that the Lord promises to bless through the many descendants that shall come from the house of Abram.

Intriguing offer – would you do it?  We’d all like to think we would, wouldn’t we?  But sometimes, it’s not so easy.  There are memories and relationships and impossibilities (seemingly, of course) and details to hash out and things to pack and things to mull over and think about and ideas to bounce off of our friends and confirmations to get and and and!   But Abram made it look easy; the text simply says, “So Abram went…”  What faith, yes?!  I feel like I can definitely relate to this part of the story because it reminds me so much of how we got to where we are now…  We had $5000 in a savings account, nowhere to live, nowhere to go and no job waiting for us; all we knew was we were supposed to go, so go we did.

One of the many things that I love about the story of Abram besides his faithfulness to the Lord, is the Lord’s faithfulness to Him.  Even in his sin and his lies and poor decisions, the Lord still acts on His behalf and kept leading Him on in the way he already said that he would go…

It has been such a beautiful reminder for me the past couple of weeks.  I so badly want to be obedient to Him – isn’t it the least that I could do?  Isn’t the blessing that comes from obedience worth the discomfort of a new thing?

In that search for knowing obedience and knowing His will, Abram settles my soul that should I misstep, should I have heard wrong, should I have made the poor choice…He’s not leaving me.  He’s not forsaking me.  Should I willfully disobey, He will HATE my sin of disobedience but continue to love me just as He has done before my birth.  That’s a beautiful thing, yes?

Sometimes waiting on the Lord is strenuous…especially for a control freak person who is very type A and likes to have all of their ducks in a row and have them in a row immediately.  Don’t ask me how I know.  *ahem* 

I’m at the point that I just wanna do what He wants me to do and I don’t even care what that is.  Not a bad place to be, eh?

I look at Abram’s story and it’s wrapped up in such a nice little bow that it makes the obedience part look easy.  The Lord said, “do this,” so Abram did.  He traveled here and built an altar…he traveled there until the Lord spoke again…he went on his merry way until the Lord gave Him some more instructions.  Well, that sounds easy enough – no wonder he was faithful! 

But when you look at the great distance he actually traveled (on foot, mind you) and all he must have encountered – all of the little hardships and happenings and rocks in the road and people he happened upon – he continually had to make choices for obedience that we don’t hear about in the text, even just in the daily grind.  It wasn’t like he magically appeared in the next town because that’s where the text picks up; he actually had to GET there and that alone wasn’t always an easy feat.

Isn’t it the day to day choices for obedience that usually get us?  I find myself begging for Him to reveal what I’m to do in the big decisions…am I good at letting Him govern the small ones, too?  When Wryder poops in his pants for the thousandth time since we started potty training, do I choose grace (obedience) and talk to him levelly or do I raise my voice?  When Sawyer continually guesses at words instead of sounding them out, do I teach her how to do it properly (obedience) or do I lose my cool?  When Sayble is fussy do I stop everything I’m doing and comfort her (obedience) or do I act inconvenienced?  When Wrex asks for my help outside and the wind is howling, so I jump up to help him with a good attitude (obedience) or complain and tell him to make it snappy?  Well, that was all fun to write… *ahem*

I just can’t help but think that if it blesses His heart that we wait on Him before we make the big decisions in our life, how much MORE does it bless Him when we call on Him for EVERY decision in our life?  It’s why we have to stay hooked up. It’s why we have to be in the Word.  It’s why we have to have Scripture memorized and dropped in our hearts.  It’s why we have to respond and not react.  It’s why we have to consciously choose obedience in all the little things just as carefully as we would for the big things…because all the little things?  They become the big things…

Lord, help me to have a heart that chases after you in ALL things.  You are worthy of my obedience in every phase and every stage and every minute…

Can’t Get Enough

We’ve had daddy home for 10 of the past 11 days (thank you, sale barns!) and tomorrow we must give him up to the sale barn again.  We have had such a good time together; no amount of days off would be “enough” for me.

Being a wife to my handsome hubby and a mom to my three cuties is better than I ever imagined it would be…better than I ever could have dreamt it…  Are there hard days?  Of course.  Are there days when I need to run to town just for a little bit of quiet?  Sure.  Are there times when Wrexy and I need to recharge and get back to the basics of our marriage?  Absolutely…but being a wife and mom are the best jobs I’ve ever had.  My soul is satisfied with this calling…

While daddy was home, we…

went on a family date…

They loved their root beer in a boot - boot beer!
They loved their root beer in a boot – boot beer!
Wryder kept her entertained long after her sweet potatoes were gone...
Wryder kept her entertained long after her sweet potatoes were gone…

had family fun day where Sawyer and I got pedicures while the boys (and Sayble) had ice cream and went to Menards…

Sweet little feet
Sweet little feet

celebrated with Sawyer as she finally earned that Barbie Pop-Up Camper!  We are so proud of her!

With her completed chore chart!
With her completed chore chart!
They had one in stock!
They had one in stock!
Taking it to the truck
Taking it to the truck

We had concerts…

They're gonna be famous...
They’re gonna be famous…

checked out the nativity scene in the neighboring town…

So excited!
So excited!
I love my babies...and baby Jesus
I love my babies…and baby Jesus

took selfies where mom’s arm didn’t quite reach…

Help!
Help!

played Paw Patrol, farm version…

This made me laugh!
This made me laugh!

ridden horses…

He's really gentle...
He’s really gentle…

crawled around with this cutie…

She has mastered the army crawl...
She has mastered the army crawl…

worked on trailers, took down Christmas decorations, played a mound of games, listened to at least 15 episodes of Adventure in Odyssey, watched a ton of football and just enjoyed being together!

I remember my parents telling (and re-telling) the story of me opening gifts at my grandparents’ house one Christmas.  They always did things BIG and I had opened gifts for a bit and I laid back in a pile of wrinkled wrapping paper and said, “Oh, the more I get the more I want!”  I’ve come a long way since then. *ahem*

I feel this way about my family, though; the more time I get with them, the more I desire!  They are my best friends, my closest confidants, the ones I get to minister to and the ones who minister to me.  They know me better and love me more than anyone on the planet and for that alone, I am so grateful.

My hearts....minus the baby who was sleeping.
My hearts….minus the baby who was sleeping.

We will send daddy off with smiles tomorrow and eagerly await his return home.  I’m so thankful that while he’s off buying cows and providing for our fam, that I get to stay home and hang with these babies all day.

Sawyer and I have a date to play Barbie Pop-Up Camper WITH water in the pool and Wryder wants help making a card for Goo Goo and I have no doubt Sayble will want me to make funny noises and kiss her cheeks and snuggle her in the chair.  I love these guys…I just can’t get enough…

Random {Christmas} Rambles

A little recap of our Christmas holiday…

We got to see Santa and a couple of real live reindeer…

Petting the reindeer
Petting the reindeer
And again....
And again….
Telling Santa he wants a Paw Patroller
Telling Santa he wants a Paw Patroller
Hoping for a Barbie Pop-Up Camper
Hoping for a Barbie Pop-Up Camper

We ate a few chicken nuggets, went to the doctor for the FIFTH TIME IN 2 WEEKS and then came on home.

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Sweet Sayble is finally feeling a bit better.  She got croup just like brother but had two infected ears on top of it and now has a cold.  We did a lot of this around here…and I haven’t minded a bit to be honest…

Sweetest little (bald) thing...
Sweetest little (bald) thing…

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One of my FAVORITE things to bake is pumpkin bread and banana bread.  I’m not a fan of thick, dense, heavy bread and these two are moist and light and heavenly, if I do say so myself.

Since we had a little downtime with all the sickies, I cooked up 22 loaves for some of our sweet friends…

YUM-MO
YUM-MO

We ate two and took two the Phipps family Christmas and the kids were asking for some this morning.  Guess I shoulda made more…

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We always get the kids Christmas jammies as an early gift.  They got to open them before we went Christmas light looking and hot cocoa drinking last week.

We get to open a present?!
We get to open a present?!

They got changed immediately and looked ADORABLE!

Sisters
Sisters
He looks so protective in this one...
He looks so protective in this one…

We cruised around Holyoke and then came home for some popcorn and a little Apple Dumpling Gang watching!  This was one of Wrexy’s FAVORITE movies as a kid and our kids have fallen in love with it as well.

Popcorn!
Popcorn!

It was a REALLY good day…

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Sigh...
Sigh…

My home is truly a place of refuge for me.  The other evening we had the lights off and the Christmas tree was glowing and the candles were filling the air with sweet scents…the kids were playing joyfully in the other room and Sayble was cooing at an angel from the nativity scene…daddy was on his way home and supper was in the oven and I was just so at ease.  There is truly no place I’d rather be than HOME.

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Our sweet neighbors invited us over to have supper and have a little Christmas celebration.  The kids had a ball (per usual) and were bouncing off the walls in excitement.  (Pretty sure the Krueger house was a LOT quieter after we left!)

Mr. Rick built the kids a barn for all of their farm animals and toys and it. is. gorgeous!  The hay mow flips open and the barn doors slide; there’s glass in the windows and ‘Phipps’ is engraved in the side.  Seriously, you guys, it’s one of the kindest, most thoughtful gifts we’ve ever received.  The kids have played with it CONSTANTLY since then!

Twins - Mr. Rick and Sayble
Twins – Mr. Rick and Sayble
THE barn
THE barn
With his Charolais bull
With his Charolais bull
Sawyer posing and Wryder over-smiling...you know, the norm!
Sawyer posing and Wryder over-smiling…you know, the norm!

Wryder didn’t fully understand that the barn was ours to take home.  When it was time to go, he immediately started melting down and said, “Can I please come back and play with it sometime?”  Ms. Kristi jumped in and saved the day and helped him realize he got to take it home.  He stopped, dried his eyes and started jumping up and down with joy!  It was pretty cute.

Mr. Logan and sweet Sara got the kids an EQUALLY awesome gift – a membership to Adventures in Odyssey!  For the year, we can listen to any and every episode that we can!  With our living in the boonies and driving 30 miles+ to get anywhere, this is a GREAT gift!  The kids (and us!) love it!

With Logan and sweet Sara
With Logan and sweet Sara

We are blessed with some of the best friends, I tell ya…

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On Christmas Eve, we spent the day getting ready to head to Nebraska.  We still had laundry to do and suitcases to pack and a few last minute gifts to wrap.

We ate a yummy lunch of steak and potatoes – everybody’s favorite – and took communion as a family.  We are so thankful that Jesus was born!   We took time to thank Him for the ultimate sacrifice He made for us with His death and took time to remember the faithfulness He’s shown us in 2015.  We are a blessed people….

We went to Christmas Eve services at church and the kids got to get fancy!

Gorgeous!
Gorgeous!
My heart
My heart

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Sawyer and Wryder left Santa some cookies and milk and they left carrots for the reindeer.  🙂  Santa showed up and the kids didn’t even get up until 8:00 to check out their goods!

For Santa and friends

For Santa and friends

Barbie car for Sawyer
Barbie car for Sawyer
Microphone for WD and a push toy for Sayble
Microphone for WD and a push toy for Sayble

Wrexy snacked on the carrots and then threw them in the yard as if the reindeer ate them.  The kids found them this morning and were SO excited!

Ick.
Ick.

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They have been so kind and gracious and grateful this year…makes a momma’s heart happy.  They’ve wrapped “gifts” they’ve taken from their rooms and made gifts and then wrapped them all with whatever they could find.

Wrex was looking for his shoes to go to the barn the other day and Wryder had taken those, too!  We found them wrapped in tissues under the tree.  Their generosity and desire to bless blesses us…

Earrings Sawyer made me...her creativity is ASTOUNDING!
Earrings Sawyer made me…her creativity is ASTOUNDING!

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We headed to Nebraska on Christmas day to be with the Phipps family.  We had a WONDERFUL time being together.  The kids had so much fun playing with all of their cousins and we had fun with their cousins’ parents.  🙂

With RaRa and PaPa
With RaRa and PaPa

The boys got pajama pants and we took the mandatory modeling picture.  If you don’t hear from me for a while, it means one of these guys has killed me for posting this.  😉

A handsome crew!
A handsome crew!
Urkel style, just for fun
Urkel style, just for fun

All of us grandkids got to give Grandma Rusk a very special gift this year.  We wanted to make it the grand finale – the last gift to be opened – but we were all so excited we did it pretty much first thing!

A merry Christmas for a special lady...
A merry Christmas for a special lady…

It worked out well because the kids were all quiet and there weren’t a lot of other distractions.  This lady is something else and so deserving of every good thing.

We took time for everyone tell the family a big thing they felt like the Lord was doing or something they really needed prayer about in the new year.  During that time, Granny said that she’s gotten the same word two different times that the Lord has a mission for her in Stillwater. She was saying she didn’t really have a clue as to what it might be or have any preconceived notion what it was but she was ready to get there and get going! Lord I hope to be here and be that ready to serve the Kingdom at 80 years old…

We love this lady
We love this lady

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We finished up Christmas here today.  This year has been especially fun with the kids older and fully able to soak up the joy of the season.

Wryder with the Paw Patroller and Lookout
Wryder with the Paw Patroller and Lookout
Sawyer with her new doll
Sawyer with her new doll

We are so fortunate to have daddy home with us the rest of the week for Christmas vacation.  We plan to soak him up and watch fun shows and eat fun food and play games and enjoy being together…our favorite thing!

Oh, and nap.

:)
🙂

Christmas break is hard, y’all!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

Since we finally got the new carpet in, we finally got the tree up…the latest we’ve ever done so.  I didn’t want to put it up just to take it down or drag it around…

Our tree is covered in memories…special ornaments from when Wrex and I were little kids…ornaments from Grandma’s…ornaments our kids have made…ornaments we’ve given them each year…ornaments from our lean years and our years of plenty…  It has no rhyme or reason or theme and I LOVE it!

The tree...
The tree…
For real though...
For real though…
Wreathery...
Wreathery…

The kiddos get a special ornament from us each year that they’ll get to have for their own grown-up trees one day.  This year, Wryder got a golf cart to commemorate the cart from the elder WD.  He LOVED it and just wanted to drive it instead of hang it on the tree.

The cart...
The cart…

Sawyer got a very outlandish chihuahua decked out in a bow, necklace, tutu…much like my pretty princess dresses day to day.

See what I mean?
See what I mean?

Sayble got a sparkly gold boot…mainly because I just really liked it…but it’s kind of like a baby shoe…right?  Right.  She just wanted to eat it anyways….

Cute toot with a boot
Cute toot with a boot
Glitter is ok for babies, right?
Glitter is ok for babies, right?

We pulled out the cookie cutters and made gingerbread men and women and candy canes and stockings and pumpkins.  Yes, pumpkins.  Thank you, Wryder.

They had so much fun getting frosting up to their eyebrows…and sprinkles all over the floor.

My little caker-baker.  (Ignore the ugly electrical box.  I blew the breaker earlier in the day and never replaced the mirror you see in the corner.  Old farmhouse = subpar wiring.)
My little caker-baker. (Ignore the ugly electrical box. I blew the breaker earlier in the day and never replaced the mirror you see in the corner. Old farmhouse = subpar wiring.)
Makin' messes...
Makin’ messes…
Prim and proper...
Prim and proper…
Wryder giving it a go on his own...
Wryder giving it a go on his own…
He's awfully cute, isn't he?!
He’s awfully cute, isn’t he?!  And that apron.  Swoon.
The REALLY fun part!
The REALLY fun part!
The finished products!  (Note the pumpkin - ha!)
The finished products! (Note the pumpkin – ha!)
My personal favorites of the night...
My personal favorites of the night…

They ended the night like this…

Be still my heart...
Be still my heart…

Indeed.