I might need a hand to hold or a shoulder to cry on

It's a list, I'm sorry, but after the crazy week that we've had, it's all I've got in me:

it's a 3 day weekend and while I'm looking forward to it my kids have been fighting like crazy. The little two have turned into a tag team temper tantrum duo {try saying that five times fast} and Adison is just annoyed with each and every single thing they do. Hold me or hand me a glass of wine, either work for me.

also, they have all turned into the tasmanian devils when it comes to the house. Holy smokes, they have been destroying/making a mess of everything. I think I have vacuumed the living room/dining room about 5 times in the last two days. Homegirls are messy.

we have some family members going through some health issues, so if you could please pray for them we would all be extremely grateful.

we found out yesterday that my dad will be having back surgery in a couple of weeks, again, prayers would be greatly appreciated.

there's more, but I'm sick of focusing on the frustrating and choose to focus on the good: my family, husband, children, parents, friends, life and for you all.

Have a lovely weekend, lovelies, xo

I have no idea how she thinks of such things

Ainsley: Abby, let me help you put your shorts on.

Abby: No, mama has to do it!

Ainsley: Mommy, why doesn't Abby ever let me help her?!?

Me: Ainsley, it's because I'm her mama.

Ainsley: Ugh, well, when you die then she'll have Adison help her and then when Adison dies THEN she'll let me help her!

It was/is slightly concerning as to how quickly her mind came up with that scenario and that she even thought that up in the first place.

Should I be concerned???

Right now I'm...

listening to the girls talk

urging myself to go get dinner ready {enchiladas!}

feeling the workout I did this morning, yowza!

starting the countdown until Pilates class tonight

waiting for my darling niece to come over

waiting for K to get home from work

enjoying my post-coffee alertness

so glad that I don't have another migraine like I did yesterday

feeling super pumped about running in The Color Run again, my brother will be running it with me this time. K and the girls as well as my mom, step-dad and dad will be there to cheer us on

in disbelief that tomorrow is Thursday already

feeling so very grateful for life and love and friends and family

itching to start reading another book

really hungry for the previously mentioned enchiladas

feeling ready for fall and blue jeans and boots and sweaters

What are you up to?

Can you spot the funny?

Yesterday I was going through pics on my phone, you guys, I had over 700 from my phone alone plus an extra 1,000 from the iCloud.

Picture overload.

Tangent: I have the hardest time deleting pictures off of my phone.

It's like I'm afraid that if I delete them that I will forget that moment.

Which, to be honest, is not that far off from truth, what is it about having kids that sucks your brain out?
What would I do without my smartphone other than forget absolutely everything and then double book everything else.

End tangent.

Back to pictures.

I meant to share this with you guys forever and a day ago, but then I got lazy because I would need to unplug the usb cable from my phone charger and plug it into my computer to then get the picture off of my phone.

Ridiculous, I know.

But then, due to me forgetting everything...what's my name again...when's my birthday...

I forgot, hence, me looking at old pictures on my phone, running across the beauty and remembering, Hey Self, remember when you wanted to share this picture with your lovelies and then totally got lazy then forgot?

REDEMPTION TIME!

Here you go my dears, I hope you get as many laughs from this pic as we did.

p.s. this was at the gorilla exhibit

Our life in pictures and words...and random tangents

Life has taken on a whole new level of busy now that Adison is in school during the day.

It also brings on a whole new level of exhaustion, mama is needing 2 cups o' coffee nowadays.

::yawn::

Little girls in matching tutus picking flowers, be still my heart.

Seriously, is there anything cuter?

They even wanted to wear matching bows and shoes.

I love having little girls!

Ainsley lost an earring last week.

It fell out sometime during the night and she didn't realize it was missing until almost 11 a.m.

uh oh

We ran up to the mall to pick up some new sterling silver earrings and I had to repierce her ear {gag, the hole had closed up a bit, end gag}.

She picked these out because they are sparkly and have pink AND purple in them.

So completely Lee it's not even funny.

She told me that she wants a pair of ladybug earring for her birthday, I think we can manage that one.

My poor Dad has a hernia in his back.

He is in major pain and the swelling has caused sciatica in his back.

The girls and I have been taking him to physical therapy three times a week and he has treated us to some ice cream treats.

I have no idea how she does it but Ainsley manages to get ice cream all over her face.

Puzzles are all the rage in our house right now.

Do your kids go through cycles with toys and such too?
Adison and I completed a 3D Finding Nemo puzzle yesterday, it was awesome.

Oh, did you hear that Finding Nemo is going to be back in the theaters in 3D?
I'm normally not a huge fan of 3D movies, I tend to get headaches and they are not normally worth the extra $$$, I think that we are going to have to see Nemo in 3D though.

{P.S. it was the first movie that Adison saw in the movie theater as a wee little toddler.}

Last week, on our way home from dropping Dad off at p/t there was a wreck on highway.

Luckily, no one was seriously hurt, but the highway was backed up for miles.

This bus was being towed and when Abby saw it get in line in front of us she burst into laughter.
I texted it to K to throw him for a loop, I'm happy to report that it worked and it had no clue what was going on.

Success!

K's mom and dad sent the girls some happy mail last week.

The girls got to open their gifts right after dinner.
They were so excited!

{Man, Adison's hair is getting so long! She refuses to get it trimmed, I've told her that as long as she takes care of it she can keep growing it out. I wonder how long she will grow it. Lee is growing out her's too and has decided that she is going to donate her hair to Locks of Love, such a sweetie!}

The dreaded laundry and clothing changes.

The kids are growing {which is great} and the seasons will be changing soon so I did the bi-annual clothing swap.

Storing clothes for later and weeding out clothes that don't fit anymore.

It is such a big job, I was beyond thrilled to get it done.

We had a new store open in our town recently.

Yesterday they had a big promotional sale and interesting attractions.

This guy doing the chainsaw, wood carvings was amazing.

The one that he is working on is an owl and the one in the foreground in an eagle.

Stunning.

He also had done a bear but I didn't get a picture of it.

I also spotted this beauty while we were walking to the car after the store opening.

I want one, this is beyond awesome.

I looked on ye old internet last night, but couldn't find the exact one.

Oh well, I'll keep searching.

This picture does not do it justice, but I noticed this massive bruise on my leg Saturday.

It's huge.

Plus, I have no idea how I got it.

At all.

It kind of {read REALLY} weirds me out.

In SUPER DUPER EXCITING DESERVING OF ALL UPPER CASES NEWS:

I am doing The Color Run AGAIN!

That's right baby, to 5Ks {and hopefully more!} in a year. 

I can't wait, super excited and I am determined to run the entire thing again and hopefully do even better than last time.

Backseat Conversation

For this conversation to make sense I am going to call Ainsley or Lee as she is often referred to as "L", Abby or Babs as she is often called will be B.

B: I'm the biggest.

L: No you're not, Papa {my Dad} is.

No, actually, Uncle Isaac is.

B: No, I'M the biggest.

L: No, Abby, Jesus is the biggest.

B: No, it's me.

L: No, it's Jesus, he's the biggest because He's in Heaven.

He has all sorts of neat things up there like books.

B: I love Jesus.

L: Me too, when we die we get to go to Heaven with Him.

B: Yeah, we get to go to Heaven with Him.

L: But, we have to die on the cross like He did.

B: Yeah, it'll make my knees hurt real bad.

I obviously corrected Lee that we don't have to die on the cross to get to Heaven, rather, it is through believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. That His sacrifice was and is enough and that we are saved by grace as we can never be good enough on our own to get in.

It cracks me up to hear how much they bicker about things yet ultimately work things out and come to a mutually satisfying result. They are such an amazing duo, the play well together, are best friends. Even though they fight sometimes they come together and are just a great team.

This conversation went on in the van on our way home. I often like to quietly listen to what they have to say. The back and forth flow of information and thoughts. To hear how stubborn and unyielding they both are but peace always prevails and ends with laughter.

Miss Emma Grace

Ainsley has been talking to me a lot about Emma lately.

She wants to know how old she would be.

{almost 6}

If she will have a birthday party in Heaven.

{She thinks we should make a cake and throw it up in the air as high as we can and maybe it will get to Heaven. I told her that I am sure that she will have a great party with Jesus as well as our loved ones already there.}

She wants to know what Emma looks like.

{When I tell her that I don't know she tells me that Emma has blue eyes, silver hair and a sparkly dress. She's also not a baby but a big girl.}

Ainsley wants to know if Emma wore certain shoes, then remembers that she died in my tummy.

{Be still my mama's heart, it hurts a lot sometimes.}

She tells Abby about Emma, tells other people about her, too.

Shares that she has sisters and brothers in Heaven, that they are with Jesus and that we will see them someday.

I love her openness, her willingness to share her sister and siblings that aren't with us.

At the same time though, it makes me so sad.

Sad to know that this sadness is such a part of her story.

You know what though, I know that Jesus will use this in her story, just as He has used it in mine.

There is no sadness or wistfulness in her voice when she talks to me about Emma, she's very matter-of-fact.

It's part of her, the same way that she has two other sisters, a mom and dad that love her and a Savior that is always there for her.

I'm looking forward to seeing how God uses this in Ainsley's life.

I know that it has given her empathy towards others, I have also witnessed her sharing Emma's story giving others the opportunity to share with us their trials and sadness.

God uses it all, the trials and the triumphs for good.

It is not always visible immediately, but it's there.