Our theme song.

Had to make these part of my blog.

When I was little, we didn't have a trampoline. So it was such a treat to go to a friends house who had a trampoline. My favorite thing to do was put the sprinkler under it and do silly tricks. Well, some things never change. My kids do have a trampoline and they love to do the same thing I did so many years ago. I don't want to forget the joy on their faces or the funny things they can do. So I have to make these a part of my blog.

Plant and chicken update

Everything is coming up roses...and tomatoes and squash and peppers. The garden is in full swing. All of the seeds have taken off. Now we let the growing happen. We fertilized with fish emulsion today. Smells like a lake but veggies love it! Here is some info for my gardening buddies. http://www.the-organic-gardener.com/fish-emulsion.html

This is my picture journal of our progress.

Sweet little green beans saved from last year's crop!

Tiny cucumber that will make pickles for me!

Levi is very interested in the chicks. They have gotten much bigger and hungrier!

Marigolds that I grew from seed. I can't believe they made it!

This is as far as I go with flowers. A few pots to pretty up the porch and I'm happy.

Potato flower! We hope that means potatoes underground.

I love macro! One day I will get myself a lens.



These are just some pics of my silly little boys. They seem to grow plentiful around here.

I'm done

Just so you know, I'm done living a lie. I am done pretending. I am done acting like everything is fine. It's not fine. But it's okay. I'm not talking about life, marriage or motherhood. I am talking about my home. Commercials always show the neatly dressed moms Swiffering immaculate homes and picking up modest amounts of dirt from under a couch in a formal living area. I don't think they make Swiffers big enough for our dirt.
Other commercials depict the prim and proper soccer moms with hands on hips shaking their heads at the group of grass-stained kids or the dog tracking mud onto the stark, white carpet. Are they kidding? I would turn into crazy, scary mom with eyes bulging and hair askew. I would yell at the kids or kick at the dog to get him out the door. Then I would fall into a blubbering mess whispering, "Why doesn't anyone listen? Doesn't anyone care about me?"
I've decided to break down the stereo-type. We stay-at-home moms aren't perfect or even half that most of the time. We are normal people who get overwhelmed and who just want peace in our homes. I want to stop the mad dash to try to make my house look presentable when the doorbell rings. Who cares if the UPS guy sees the pile of laundry on my couch. Is he going to think I am a bad person because I still have my jammies on at noon? Maybe. But I think it's because we as women have perpetuated the mad cycle of comparisons. It's time we let our true living situations shine through. We need to give each other the grace to be messy in the midst of our child-rearing.
I will start. I am ripping off the band-aid. Here are pictures of my house. these have not been altered. There has been no pre-cleaning to make my mess more acceptable. I want you all to see the realness and beauty (hmmmm)of my life.

Ready... Please don't judge me... I really love a clean organized home... forget it... here it goes...

Not too bad, right? Just some homeschool stuff.

This is my desk. This is my junk.

This is the sunroom/mudroom. It is always like this. It is a catch-all.

The guest bathroom. It is ready for someone to be grossed out in. And yes, there are probably underwear in there somewhere.

This might be just a little shameful. Yep, it's a lot shameful. Not because it is there but because it has been there for a week.

Here is the livingroom. We do most of our living here. It's always a mess. If you came in for the close-up you would see lots of particles on the carpet. Who can vacuum with all of that laundry there?

Antique shelf with pretties and a bunch of Wii paraphernalia. Nice.

Oh the joy of a flat surface near the primary exit. Just dump your things here. They will stay there FOREVER!


But you know what? I will not look back when my babies are grown and say, "I just didn't spend enough time with them." No way. I sit on the floor with my baby and play all day! We all do. We go outside. We ride bikes. We cook. And sometimes, we clean. I do love those days when it all comes together and my house looks like a dream. But they are few and it's okay. I would much rather be caught up in this...


Just check out the fangs. I love it!

I hope you have been encouraged and I hope some of you can let go a little. I hope some of you are like me. But even if you are not I pray that you are encouraged in the areas that you struggle. If you are one of those who don't struggle, please come to my house. I have a few problems we can work on together!

I got a present!!!

My husband is such a thoughtful giver. He always surprises me with something I would never guess. For years, I have wanted a bike to ride with my family. This Mother's day my darling love bought me the best bike ever! This is not just any bike. This is a Cruiser. It is sweet. It even has a basket! Now admittedly, I will look like a dork riding it around but I DON'T CARE! I have already been pedaling through the neighborhood.


In other matters, I always feel nervous this time of year. My garden got planted yesterday. This is what it looks like.


Sad isn't it. I have a hard time imagining a lush and productive garden. It gets harder with the close up.

Poor tiny tomato plant. One day you will be strong and a glorious bearer of luscious summer goodness.

Take a moment to view one of my many failures. This is the sadness that comes from losing a transplant. Goodbye poor little plumb tree. We did not do right by you.


These are the other things I happen to be growing now...
Mounds of glorious taters!

Tiny carrots growing between the onions.

This is my favorite color of green.

Oh one pot of flowers to survive, how I love you!

But alas, this is what I love the most. Little stinkers.

My goodness.I'm in trouble.

The joys of fresh produce!

This afternoon, Matt and I had salads made with fresh stuff from the garden. Two kinds of lettuce, oregano and some green onion came directly from the dirt and into our bowls. We did add some tomatoes, avocado and cucumber from the store but it was still delicious. We added some feta cheese and a home made vinaigrette that made it perfect! It makes me excited for the bounty of summer. Here is a pic of the before. I meant to take a pic of the after but got too excited about eating and forgot.


It was a busy week last week. We had family come into town for a dance recital and a baseball game. It was so special to have friends and family to share the fun stuff with. We had a great time and Jolie did a fab job dancing. Asher had a good game and showed off for his grandparents. We feel so blessed to have these kiddos! Here are a few pics.










Our chicks are in the ugly teenager chicken phase. They are losing the cute chick fuzz and have sparse feathers growing in. It's pretty funny. They are fun to watch and are afraid of everything. I can't wait to get them outside!




My son.