Pretty happy funny real

"Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life"

Pretty

Happy

For Josie these days, happiness is putting on and taking off shoes. No matter who's shoes they happen to be :)

Funny

I said, "Blow out the candle Josie!"
(there wasn't actually a flame)  

Real

The girls eating happy meals. Hey, just smile, don't judge.
They ate apples, too. 

All these pictures were taken at my grandma's house, where we spent the day. I love the lighting and the colors there. The girls had a great time and so did I - though it was somewhat exhausting because I was running back and forth from the car mechanics'. Thank goodness our van does not need new brakes! (phew!) At the same time it was pretty amazing that my grandma got Josie to take a nap on her couch, and Louisa had fun with her great grandma. It was a good day over all. And I happen to bring my camera so now I have it recorded :)

If you hop on over to Like M Like D - you will get to see pictures from a wedding! Always a treat : ) Congratulations to Suki!

folklife

I love my city. There are parts of it I do not love so much - but overall I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. My grandma told me that her mother-in-law who traveled the world would always say there was no place more beautiful than the Northwest. I agree, the natural beauty here is stunning, and the climate is just right for someone like me who hates both hot and cold extremes.

Now as far as the culture here goes, you know there is plenty to to around. I get frustrated with some aspects of my city; from it's politics to it's hedonism. (Yes, I just said that) but there is also a lot of good, as is the case in every city you go to. Folklife is a festival that can really bring out the...we'll say 'interesting' - people from all around. I have always enjoyed people watching, and at places like this I always have to chuckle. It seems like so many folks try to outdo each other in weirdness. But my observation is that the stranger you try to be - the more you blend in! You know what I'm saying? The best thing, I have come to learn in my short 26 years on earth, is to just be yourself. Don't try too hard to impress. I have tried that in the past (I liked attention in high school :) but it never works because someone else will always end up getting more attention than you and you can never be satisfied! There are much more important things in life than to be "unique." And hey, you know what - we are all God's creation. So each individual person actually is unique and very much loved - no matter what clothes, make-up, piercings, or tattoos you decide to sport. I can rest assured knowing that I am a person that has a combination of qualities that no one else has, and that I am worthy of love and attention. As I was looking around at all the faces in the crowd, I said a little prayer hoping that they all would know that they too were so very loved that they had no need to do anything to deserve it.

It's fine to dress to your own liking and style. I still enjoy sporting a unique article of clothing that no one else has - it's just fun sometimes. I'm just saying to do this as long as you are not doing it out of a need to impress or to feel validation from anyone else. You might feel like you stand out in a sea of faces, but you do. You are you and no one else is.

Louisa

Lou blurbs

At 3 years old (and three months) Louisa Ann:

-is a slow waker-uper. Every morning she will come out with her blanket and book (she goes through attachments with different books) and sits for a while before getting animated enough to actually start her day. For this reason it's really bad to rush her for any reason, so if we have to go somewhere early I have to do my best to be super gentle with her.

-wants to be a window washer and a scuba diver when she grows up. (I love how it comes out "scuba diber")

-is potty trained (woo-hoo!)

-gets upset with cardigan sweaters and socks and shoes that won't "cooperate" with her (a new word she's been using :) and I mean really upset - I think she gets claustrophobic easily.

-likes to be chased (as I am typing this she is running away from Josie shrieking)

-buckles herself in her car seat

-sleeps all night unless her sister wakes her up. Also still wants and needs her nap time.

-is (finally) getting to be better at church. By this I mean she is not quite so wiggly and doesn't need to be taken out anymore. Sadly, she will tell us she doesn't want to go to church sometimes, but we know to not interpret this as her not being pious, just that she knows it's a lot of sitting and being quiet (2+ hours.) She does love Fr. Joseph though and talks about him often.

-smiles when daddy and I kiss

-throws tantrums (of course, she is 3) but is actually getting over them quicker (don't know if we can attribute it to us dealing better or her getting more self-control. Probably both)

-Sing songs on the radio. She likes Taylor Swift (people throw rocks at things that shine...) Sugarland, Adele, and a few other country artists. She can sing quite a few of daddy's Irish songs (I've been the Wild Rover...)

-loves Tessa dog

-enjoys watching Curious George above all other shows right now. (And mommy doesn't mind because that show is actually pretty darn cute)

-can be sensitive to criticism, especially from me. If I raise my voice sometimes she will be defiant but sometimes she gets sad and embarrassed.

-is still working on playing with Josie without getting frustrated with her. I can tell she wants Josie to talk more. I think their relationship will improve over the next few months as Josie communicates better.

-has super fine, light blond hair and beautiful blue eyes. She's already stunning, and I know she will continue to grow in beauty.

-loves all her relatives and talks about them often. Always wants one of her nana's to come over, says she wants to marry uncle Pat, wants uncle Dusty to come tickle her, asks for gumdrops and suckers from one papa and wants the other to show her videos on his phone, and talks about her cousins: John Finn and Jamie,  often.

...AND LOUISA ANN MAKES ME SMILE EVERY SINGLE DAY. She is my big girl and she knows it. She tells me she doesn't want me to go to work and that she loves me a lot. She frustrates me and forces me to grow in patience and unconditional love. She amazes me with her observations and new skills. She is my own flesh and blood.

What would I do without this little lady who made me a mother three years ago?

some spring color

 My mom brought over some nice flowers the other day for us to plant! We were finally able to sneak in a break from the rain and get some of them planted.

 Lou was all about the digging at first...

 And then the watering (even though it is raining quite a bit, I thought it would still be good for practice :) and are you so jealous of my beautiful watering can?

Josie was just really happy to be outdoors so she just ran around in the yard while we did our little bit of gardening.

I planted some hanging baskets as well. I already killed the plants I had gotten in here at first. I didn't realize how easily and quickly these baskets get dried out. You really have to water them every day! (And since they are under the cover they don't get much of the rain water)

So anyway, just a tiny little bit of gardening on a spring day, but it still felt good. Louisa is going to have to work up her tolerance for being dirty because after we planted about 4 flowers she started saying she needed to wash her hands! She may be somewhat like me (a bit of an indoor girl) but then again, maybe not. She really enjoyed a hike with her daddy this past weekend and keeps talking about it.

happy birthday daddy!

Well today is May 22nd and that means we get to celebrate the day my husband came into the world 27 years ago. Me and the girls (and the boy) couldn't be more grateful for him in our lives. As well as many other people who love him...

Lou got right to work on daddy's big computer

So we decided to surprise daddy at work with balloons and cupcakes. He was indeed surprised. And boy, there were several surprised looks on the people's faces who saw me walking down the streets of Seattle with balloons, cupcakes, a stroller, two toddlers, and a big pregnant belly. I was a sight myself! Seriously, I just barely made it the block over to his work without dropping the cupcakes or losing a kid!

We had some cupcakes (not homemade - I'm not that good!)

We walked to go get some lunch

lots of love for daddio

I just liked the art on the wall, we didn't actually go to Rainier Beer Brewery.
It's not even still there so I don't know if we could have gone if we wanted to...

Happy Birthday once again Michael bear! We love you lots!!!

 (Of course it is also Mike's twin brother Pat's birthday, so happy birthday to him as well!)

Quick takes (Is it just me or is this month flying by?)

Okay I just have to say - where has the month of May gone to? Already halfway over and I could have sworn it was just May 1st! I don't know but sometimes time really tricks me. I just know one day I'm going to wake up and I will no longer be a young mother but sending my youngest child out into the world! Eek - slow down world!

Anyways....on to 7 random things from the week that I felt like sharing with you lovely readers on a Friday night. I hope you enjoy, and Hey - I'm just going to throw this out there - feel free to leave a comment to let me know you are there! (I haven't been receiving many comments lately, boo hoo for me) I just feel like I'm hearing crickets :) Maybe I just need to write about more controversial subjects or something, eh?

-1-

Louisa drew me this flower this morning. I love it. It's her first flower. She could tell how happy I was and she immediately ran back in the kitchen to draw me three more : ) I love that little 3 year old person.

-2- 

Our bedroom got a spring make-over! Well, all I did was swap out the dark brown comforter with a lighter white one. It's been nicer weather lately and that big down comforter was getting too hot for us. I also changed out pillow cases to make it even more light and bright.

-3-

This weekend I'm a goin' a garage sale'n. I'm glad it's finally the season for it  - treasures untold!

-4-

Surprising news - we just found out our insurance covers 100% Chiropractic care and MASSAGES. Up to 12 visits a year. And my OB referred me to a Chiropractor she trusts who is trained in prenatal care &  massage. So what am I waiting for? I need to go make an appointment a.s.a.p! (Because I still have that darn sciatic nerve problem happening and I'm hoping somehow it will help) I have had exactly one professional massage in my life so this would be a real luxury to receive once a month!

-5-

Talk about BABY FEVER. There have been babies galore around here. Three in the last 3 weeks, I think, and one that is probably on it's way into the world right now as we speak! So therefore I have lots of sweet brand new faces to look at (most on facebook but still.) It's great. This also means I have lots of mothers to pray for which is another reason I have started a devotion to St. Gerard, the patron saint of motherhood, pregnancy, and childbirth. There are some really beautiful prayers in this particular novena that we started.

You know, I'm just so grateful for all my many pregnant friends, the newborn babies, and God's goodness in letting us be co-creators with him. Without all this new life I think I would be discouraged by all the scary bad stuff that is happening in the world!

-6-

Our Japanese Iris's are starting to bloom. They are very pretty, but we have four huge groups of them in our front yard. Last year, I confess I was a little sick of them by the end of the summer. We cut them down all the way, but of course they came back this year. They grow incredibly fast once they set their heart to it!

And the Peonies are on their way too! I love these guys so much but it frustrates me that I can't cut them and put them in the house as much as other flowers because the ants and other bugs are really attracted to the huge peony blooms. I am so squeamish when it comes to bugs so I hard time with even wanting to deal with it - even as much as I adore fresh flowers on my table all summer!

-7-

MY DAD AND BROTHER ARE FREAKN' GOING SKY DIVING TOMORROW. Ugh! Why? Why? Why? I'm sorry but I have absolutely no desire to do such a thing. I hope if you think of them around 3 pm tomorrow that you would say a little prayer for their safety! It's pretty unlikely anything bad will become of them but still. I gave my brother a St. Jude medal to wear around his neck. Yeah, for those of you who don't know, he is the patron saint of hopeless causes. Fits my brother to a T. In a good way. I love my brother. But I do not understand the jumping from a plane thing. Not at all. (Pray for them St. Jude!!!!!!)

* Have a great weekend ya'll! *

4 years

Gah!
It is truly the best most wonderful thing in the world to be tied so closely to another soul in marriage....

To love another person so deeply...

...to know someone is thinking about you all throughout the day....

 ...to share in life's sweet memories...

 ....to talk about your problems and insecurities with...who won't judge you even while you are judging yourself....

...to fall asleep with every night and wake up next to every morning (even when your hair looks terrible and you have bad breath....)

...to get mad at and then to forgive....

....to share in the sorrow and suffering that inevitably comes with the years.....

....To make and love children with....

 ...to pretend to be fancy with....

...to remind you that you are attractive and lovable, even at those times when you don't think you are....

...to plug in your cell phone charger because you always forget...

....to aim for heaven with....

....And to just be...together....

***

Alright alright, I could go on...but that is enough. I have to save some for the card :)

Sleep & Coffee

 So - getting enough sleep. It seems so elusive, but I need to make it a big priority because it's becoming clearer the older I get just how important it is! I have talked a lot about napping on here - but now I am actually talking about sleeping at night. I think one of the problems I've been having with this pregnancy is that I am not getting enough sleep at night! Ha; go figure. I've dealt with two newborns and am about to have another and I am just now figuring this out? Actually, with the exception of the first 3 months of Lou's life, I have always slept well with our little newborns. We co-sleep, so nursing my babies at night is a breeze, therefore I generally woke up feeling rested. What is going on now is more that I am staying up late to do chores, to watch shows, and to visit with Mike. All good things because they provide opportunities for rest and rejuvenation. However, not necessarily when they go until 12:30 at night. Mike and I both fell asleep two nights ago right at 11pm and we both woke up and were surprised at how good we felt. We are going to work on making it happen more often! (Also, making sure we say our prayers before doing all those other things, because then we totally slack in an effort to get to sleep!! Speaking of that we just started a novena to St. Gerard. It's so nice - he's the patron saint of pregnancy and childbirth) Not getting enough sleep seems to not only be affecting my physical self but my emotional self as well. These little funks I am getting into are starting to correlate with the times I'm not getting enough rest. Very interesting....and very much easier said than done!

Who can relate to this? How do you ensure you get a good night's sleep in?

Now, about the "Coffee" part of this post. Sleep & Coffee go together right? :) Maybe not so much but I also wanted to tell about a new place that I will be frequenting. It is the best! They have the yummiest coffee and it is very kid friendly (for a coffee shop) They have a train table and some books right near some big comfy grown up chairs. I can imagine going there even with a newborn. Maybe not with all three kids right at first, but eventually. It really is nice - I'm grateful to have found it right when I did. So if you want to make a coffee date with me sometime, I know the perfect place!

I <3 COFFEE. It makes me happy. (So does contented toddlers who let me drink my coffee!)

Oh, and yet another thing that makes me very happy is that 5 years ago today the love of my life proposed to me! Yaaaaaaaaay. I love him. (And tomorrow is our wedding anniversary, so be prepared for a super mushy post!!!)

Another weekend recap - soccer practice and Mother's day!

Cute shirts that say 'Saints in Training" and her name on the back!

So this weekend we went over to a friend's house for Lou's first soccer practice! Well, unfortunately we were super late and missed the whole actual practice....oops....but that was ok. Lou still kicked around the ball and played with her friends afterward. There will be other practices (our friend scheduled them all summer!) and Lou might not have warmed up right away anyway. She is a funny kid - very much her own person. Sometimes she jumps right into things and other times she tells me "mommy, I going to be shy" In a way she is like me - sometimes I would be inexplicably shy as a kid (really!), even though 98% of the time I wasn't. She does love playing with other kids though and I think her social skills are right on track.

future soccer stars

Speaking of that, I just have to say that I'm so sick of hearing about how homeschooling kids have it so bad because they are not socialized! Whatever. It makes no sense to me to brand homeschooled kids as being unsociable and regular school kids as being incredibly socially capable. First of all, you have to look at every individual kid. I know teacher friends of mine could probably tell me that some kids would flourish much better in a smaller classroom with less children, or one on one with another adult. Throwing a bunch of children the same age together in a classroom does not magically make them socially competent! Yes, that might be the easier route for most parents, as home schooling requires much more effort, but can we stop saying it is the best way to produce perfectly sociable kids? I can't say for sure, but I'm willing to bet that I would have been just as outgoing if I were homeschooled my whole life. Not to mention that there are plenty of anti-social public schooled kids (trust me!) I believe it has much more to do with one's personality and how they are raised, whether that means being educated at home or being a good parent to a public educated kid. Yes, socialization is a key part of childhood - but when did we all agree that the best way to do it is in a big classroom and adults who wander in and out of a child's life?

Anyway, sorry for the rant. Just, in the years to come, look at my children and tell me they are not getting socialized! (And, no public institutions necessary :)

...and some more future soccer stars & friends :)

Also, I have some really cool mama friends. We all just want the best for our children. One way we see giving them a great childhood is by living a family/faith centered life. We place much emphasis on living a godly, non-selfish life serving others. We also want our children to be well educated, lifelong lovers of learning, and socially capable individuals. So yes, as we raise our children we will be including plenty of socialization, for both them and us ;)

Lets see - so then later in the day my family came over for a Mother's day bbq. We had yet another gorgeous weekend weather-wise, so it was ideal to have everyone over to visit and bbq outside. My sister's boyfriend did most of the cooking and I have to say - he's a much better cook than I!

Lou taking pictures of handsome uncle Dusty

My mamacita watching her grandkids play

beautiful Mother's Day flowers from my sis

And my dad and lou playing with his smart phone.
He gets a kick out of entertaining her with it these days

Wow so I guess all this happened on Saturday. Sunday, of course, was Mother's Day. Sigh. Even though it was supposed to be 'my day' I pretty much ruined it with my pregnancy hormones, tiredness, and general misery. I was kind of a mess the whole day, from getting everyone ready for church in the morning to just wanting to lay in bed all afternoon to being snappy with both Mike and the girls :( It just wasn't a good day for me and there wasn't really a reason for it. Well yes, you could say it was because of my pregnancy and just feeling really emotional all of a sudden (read: irrational thoughts of inadequacy and mulling over relationship troubles with others) I am sorry and feel bad for my little family. They were trying to take care of me and I was just a big grump. I am still baffled at how I went from this sunny happy Saturday to a not-so-happy Sunday...but that is how it went. I especially feel bad for Mike who did so much for me. I am just starting to admit that I cannot do it all - I cannot have a perfectly clean house and perfectly dressed kids & playdates and husband dates and home cooked meals and still feel rested. At least not right now at 7 months pregnant. Some things are going to have to adjust in the next 8 weeks unless I want to keep running into days where I somewhat melt into a puddle....eek! (No more of those days, please!)

I am looking forward to Thursday (our Anniversary) and next week (his birthday) to try and make it up to Mike. I also have to thank my mom once again for playing with the girls all day today and being willing to watch them on Thursday so we can go out and celebrate. Happy Mothers day to you Mom! I also want to say Happy Mother's Day to Mike's mom who deserves an awful lot of credit for raising a great son. He has made me very happy and is an excellent father to our children. So, based on this, I would say you did good! :) 

oh, I wanted to include a great mother's day post that had me in tears. I love some of the advice given here, by Simcha's ma... for example: "Everybody's tired.  Nobody feels really well.  Everybody feels like they're no good at least some of the time.  Now please get up and go to work anyway."

***