Happiness Week, Day:1

For the next 7 days {barring anything big} I want to write down at least three things a day that make me happy or fills me with gratitude.

Life can become monotonous and feel filled with frustrations so for the next week I will be intentionally looking for the beautiful.

Join me!

1. The other day I fell down the rabbit hole that is the internets and found myself watching Youtube videos of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.

Mr. Rogers was an important part of my childhood, I have very vibrant memories of watching that show and really feeling special.

My girls heard his voice on my phone as I was watching it and were instantly sucked in.

My 10 and 5 year olds loved the show today as much as I did when I was a kiddo.

I admit to tearing up while watching it and then while watching an interview with Mr. Rogers.

2. Having moms that I can go to for questions or discussions while parenting.

I think it's so important to find other moms, whether online, in real life or even better BOTH.

To be able to share experiences {the good and the bad} and to ask for wisdom and prayer.

3. Salted Caramel Shakes.

I mentioned to K that I heard of them and they sounded good and without me asking he went out and got me one.

Let me tell ya, it did not disappoint. 

I love the combination of salty and sweet.

Delish.

K is an awesome husband, he knows my sweet tooth doesn't hit often but when it does he delivers.

What is making you happy today?

Are you there?

You know you've fallen off of the blogging wagon when your husband comments on the lack of posts.

Yes, I'm still here.

Yes, I'm still wanting to blog but feel ... I don't know, a lack of material.

Not to say that things have been dull around here, no, not one bit.

I've been keeping up with my Instagram lately, it's quick and right there on my phone.

Look me up http://instagram.com/dannabraun 

My profile is private simply because I post a ton-o-pics of the girls but send me a request on there and we can be pals.

So, this idea running through my mind lately was doing something like a gratitude week.

Every day writing three things that you are grateful for or happy about.

I think that might help get me out of my writing funk, care to join?

Please?
Pretty please???

Around here lately:

::last weekend it has been 7 years since we found out that Miss Emma Grace died.

It's hard sometimes, my heart can't forget, it has a need to remember her.

I don't want to forget, I want to remember her, it's hard though because life does move on.

Most important though is that my girls know her, they know that she's waiting in Heaven for them, that great-grandma is rocking her on her lap and talking to Jesus.

::we've had another bug run through our house, this time is a back-breaking cough that goes on and on and on.

I was so sick last Wednesday that B didn't come over and I didn't work in the nursery at church on Saturday night.

I ::hope:: I'm finally getting over this thing, Adison is also I think, we're the last two holdouts.

::my van is acting up again.

I wish we really did have a money tree growing out back because it would be really helpful.

If it's not one thing it's another.

::now that the weather is nice {although I heard the words snow and Thursday on the radio today}K and I have been talking about getting some work down outside.

We need to scrape and stain the front and back porches and paint the front porch beams.

I think that we are going to need to mow soon as well, we've been getting so much rain!

::K brought me some coconut popsickles from the store the other day.

Oh my word, they were soooo good!

I'll find out the brand and share, holy smokes y'all are going to want to get some.

::I'm super excited, I ordered some lip balm from one of my most favorite bloggers, Anna, tonight.

I have super sensitive lips {weird} and I can't wait to give her lip balms a try.

She has an Etsy store, check it out!

I think that's all I've got for now lovelies, my nighttime cough medicine is kicking in and I'm getting sleepy.

See ya on the flip side, xo

Trying to explain

this picture has nothing to do with this post, it just makes me smile

Bombings, terrorism, death, destruction, evil

We don't have cable in our house so I like to listen to the news in the car.

The bombing in Boston.

How do you explain to your children something like this?

There's no way to understand this evil, there's no explanation that makes sense.

There is evil in this world, it is a very real and true thing.

Our oldest asked about why we hear so much about the bad in the world and why there is so much of it.

There is evil, baby. We can't make sense of it and we won't be able to understand it, but it's there. There is also so much good out there, too. There is more good and more beauty then there is bad, we just have to remember that.

She then asked me why we never hear about the good in the news, I told her that we do sometimes but that even though we don't hear about it as much doesn't mean that it's not there.

We live in such uncertain times with so much pain and terror, I'm trying to teach my children to rely on and trust in the Lord.
He always is and always will be there, through the good and the bad.
He's there, holding our hands and comforting us.

Hold true to that dear friends, He is here, He's with us.

Can't handle the sweetness

Abby has decided that napping is for the birds.

Awesome: she's going to sleep easier at night.

Not awesome: she's a crank-a-saurous rex, hardcore.

Awesome: I feel like we can do more during the weekend.

Not awesome: she's a crank-a-saurous rex.

Tonight, after a busy day of playing with friends and fighting (oh the sibling tantrums!), homegirl passed out.

She came into my room under the guise of cuddling.
Two minutes later she was out.

Good night sweet girl, Mama loves you

Snapshots

I told myself that I would get better about blogging and I haven't.

::sigh::

Sorry friends.

I will try again to get better about posting everyday, even if its just a quick little blurb.

I have to remind myself that the reason that I write in this little space is for my kids someday.

They will be able to look back and see what our lives were like.

So, I need to get better about posting more regularly.

It's also good for me, I feel better when I can get all of the thoughts that jumble around in my mind out.

Ainsley had some productive quiet time a week or so ago.

While Abby and B nap, Ainsley and I have some quiet time.

On this day she lined up all of her Squinkies and then asked if she could take pictures of them.

Her little mind is so orderly, everything has a place.

She likes things to be tidy and just so.

She would get them lined up, ask me to look at them, then line them up another way, lather, rinse, repeat.

Last Saturday we had some errands to run.

The girls, without any prompting, all decided to wear pink.

Not just any pink though, it was the same color.

They were even feeling very friendly towards one another, I had to document the moment.

Mama, are they sparkly?

Sill goose.

She is so independent, the things that she already knows how to do or is willing to try is astonishing.

She's also so tiny that I often get comments about how daring she is.

Daring and sassy, an interesting combination.

I'm still chugging away at my "get in shape before summer" routine, but sometimes things need to be mixed up a bit.

Sometimes indulging is a nice thing to do, all things in moderation, right?

These Cheetos are delish.

They are my kind of snack food, cheese + salt + crunch = happy happy happy

The circle ones with the grid thing on them were the family fav, the kids ended up picking all of them out of the bag and eating them first.

I did some heavy duty deep cleaning on Sunday.

We had already done some spring cleaning on the main floor but the upstairs {the kids realm} was a disaster.

After asking them repeatedly {ad nauseum} to clean up there messes, I stepped in the get the job done.

The kids NEVER like it if K or I end up picking up there messes for them, many a thing gets thrown away.

My thought is that if I have asked repeatedly for something to get picked up and it hasn't been done, then it must not be that important.

Of course, that's not a blanket statement, I do actually pay attention to what get 86'ed but stuff does get tossed.

After 3 hours of exhaustive cleaning and working up a sweat, K went out to get me a treat.

It was delicious.

It seems like our car issues just keep a'comin'.

We got the van back a couple of weeks ago after having to replace the fuel pump among other things.

Cha-ching

On Friday I kept hearing something that sounded like I was dragging a twig under the van when I would go over a bump.

I looked under the van to see the bracket that holds the fuel tank up was hanging down.

They were able to get it in first thing Monday morning and get it fixed for free since it hadn't been attached properly.

Yay for free!

Also on Monday, K's cousin Tiffany, her husband and their two kiddos came in town.

While Eric was at meetings, Tiff and I got together with the kiddos.

Swimming at their hotel, lunch and playtime at an indoor playground.

The kids had a blast and it was fun to do life with Tiffany.

This pic is her oldest, Danny, and Abby.

The two of them get along like peas and carrots.

They are such little dolls.

Chloe, our oldest cat, is kind of a weirdo.

If you leave a hair tie out she will take it and put it in the cats' food bowl.

She doesn't eat them or anything, just hoards them like they are a treasure.

I can't tell you how many times I've caught her pushing things around on my nightstand looking for a hair tie.

If you catch her in the act she will let out a chirpy little meow and run away as fast as possible with her loot in her mouth.

I finally went to the gym today.

My photographic proof is this, a picture that I sent to K asking him what the name of this movie is.

But, I made it and worked it and burned off some calories.

Operation Get Ready for Summer at the Pool is still in effect.

I'm going to try to be here more often lovelies, how are y'all doing?

Not a wallflower among them

These girls are ours are not shrinking violets.

We don't have a quiet one in the bunch.

Sure, they can be shy when meeting someone new, but once the newness wears off watch out.

Prepare yourself for non-stop:

talking

bossing

laughing

arguing

more talking

more bossing

more laughing

and more arguing

Our house is very rarely quiet.

Mealtime and bedtime are about it.

Today after telling Ainsley that she couldn't have more candy due to her cough she told me:

I can't accept that.

Say what?

Yes, my 5 year old told me that.

My kids tend to say equally goofy, shocking things on a regular basis.

They are characters.

Pray for me, please, that K and I can keep up with these girls.

Seriously.