Tag- I'm It!

So the other day I was reading Megan's blog, enjoying reading her 6 fascinating things, and then I hit the end of the post and realized my name was included with a few other of our friends (who have not yet responded by the way), and thus I have been tagged. Coming up with 6 facts about myself is not as easy as it may sound, so I warn you that the facts to follow are by no means all that intriguing or fascinationg, but they are me!

1. Someday I would like to write a book- God has placed a lot of "challenges" in my life, and at some point I desire to be able to write a book that will glorify Him and allow others comfort and encouragement in the midst of trials and heartache.

2. I hate mustard- I don't even know if it is the taste really, or just the look and the smell, but I detest mustard! A knife that has not been rinsed, but rather just placed in the sink with the mustard still on it is enough to totally gross me out. Weird, I know.

3. My current goal is to be less lazy- I know I have plenty of excuses right now to not have a perfectly clean house or to spend adequate time in my bible study, but that is really what they are- excuses. Yes life is busy and even a little hectic at times, but I can afford to spend less time on the computer and in front of the TV and more time to be more productive around the house and more time to play with my kids. We have a neighbor in her 50's (Kacia calls her our "busy,busy bee neighbor") who works full time, but every weekend she is tackling a new project- yard work, re-roofing her shed, painting her trim, etc. That's what I want, a need for less "downtime" so that I can serve my family and others. I don't want idle hands, but it's so easy to always say "maybe tomorrow"!

4. I love December- The holidays are my absolute favorite time of the year! I love the music, the baking, the shopping! I love how all of the stores are decorated, and the pretty, red festive Starbucks cups. I love the Christmas lights, the parties, the wrapping! There is just something different about December, and even as an adult, I find it all just a little bit magical! And it's almost here- but don't blink because you'll miss it!

5. I could live on ice cream alone. I could eat ice cream everyday for all 3 meals and never tire of it. I might be 3x the size I am now, but I'm quite certain I would love it just as much as I do now. Oh, and perhaps saying ice cream alone is a little misleading since I would also need a small amount of milk poured on top.

6. Of all of my responsibilities around our house, I hate grocery shopping the most! I don't like trying to come up with a list, looking for a parking spot, always picking the cart that only wants to turn left, loading up my cart, standing in the ridiculously long lines so that I can unload my cart only to reload it all back in to bags that undoubtedly will rip, then unloading all of the bags into my car, listening to them tip over and spill out as I drive, unloading my car, and then cleaning out the fridge to make room for the final unloading. It all seems a bit redundant to me, but I suppose it is necessary, and it makes my family happy, but I still wait until we are out of everything before I do it all again.
There you have it, now it's my turn, so I tag Suzy, Robyn and my newest blogger, Kaitlin!

Four Months!

Time is flying by and Lincoln is now 4 months old! He weighs in the mid 13lbs. and is a true joy to our family! His hair continues to get lighter and crazier. I guess we're so used to it just being part of him, we don't even notice it, until we go anywhere. Then I hear, "Oh look at that baby's hair!" "Did you see that baby, he had so much hair!" "I love the hair!" "Look at the hair on that kid!" And even, "When are going to cut that hair?!" When I look at him, I'm just looking at his face, making eye contact as I interact with him, not even noticing the enormous crazy poofball on top of his cute little head, but the poofball is there and growing. Kevin is still against cutting the top for whatever reason, I'm not sure. Crazy hair and all, he is truly a very good baby. Yes, there are those moments when he's crying and I don't know why or what to do to make him stop. But unlike one of his sisters, these are just moments, and do not dominate our days. For the most part he is a very content, happy boy who gives the biggest smiles! He is a good sleeper, still loves his bouncy seat, loves his sisters, has discovered his toes and thumb, rolls over all the time, drools constantly, and likes the sound of his own voice. How truly blessed we are!

Our Version of an Adult Birthday Party

The 5 of Us

On top of the Hay Pyrimad

Getting the girls to sit still, smile and both look at the camera- nearly impossible!


My girls with their very favorite teenage girl

A canoe ride at the Pumpkin Patch, why not?

Jumpin' with Dad

Big kids like jumping too!

All of us, but Kev, the photographer

The Golden Fam

One of my favorites- Daddy and his girls!

So last Thursday was Breanna's birthday and so we decided to do one of our favorite fall things, go to the Pumpkin Patch. Not your typical birthday thing, but it allowed us to visit more than sitting around a crowded table at a restaurant, and the kids loved it. The girls don't quite get that adults don't always have "parties" like they do, so this was a good way for them to celebrate. Although Rylin got very upset in the car on the way home when she realized we didn't sing Breanna "Happy Birthday" and we didn't eat cake! But we had a really fun evening together and the weather was beautiful! We hope Breanna enjoyed her special day!

Retreat- A True Treat!

This last weekend I got to go on our annual Women's Retreat up in Ashland, Oregon. I was a little concerned as to how much of a "retreat" it would be since my mom duties were following me in the form of a truly cute 3 month old. Well, I was so impressed with how great Lincoln did! He is such a content an easy-going baby, he didn't really change the experience for me all that much. (Hopefully, my gracious roommates feel the same way!) Yes, I sat in the back of the conference room for most of the sessions, taking notes were out of the question, and as far as feeding in public settings go, I had to get over that, but all in all, I was still able to listen, worship, be with friends, and of course- shop! Our speaker did a wonderful job of using more Scripture than her own thoughts, and the focus was on God's Faithfulness, despite our faithlessness. I came home encouraged and ready to serve my family (until Monday hit, then I was ready to go back for just a little longer! Man, 5 year old attitudes are really something sometimes!)
And you want to know a real treat? When I came home, Kevin had cleaned the house! Based on past experiences this was quite the opposite of what I expected. And not only did he pick up, he got additional things done, light bulbs that had been out for awhile, a wobbly toilet seat that needed to be changed, cleaning out the fridge, separating the girls' bunkbeds... He was busy, he survived, and the girls had a lot of fun! All in all, a great weekend! (We missed you Meg!)