Silly Sayings

Kailey: Mom, for your birthday, do you want to do dishes, or go to the fair??
Mom: Go to the fair (not knowing if I should be happy I was given a fun choice or offended that such a non-fun choice is clearly perceived as being fun)
Kailey: Okay then we will go to the fair and daddy will drive cause you shouldn't have to drive on your birthday. (but I should have to, or rather 'want' to, do the dishes : )

LOVE her!!!

Smores

Kailey loves "firecamps", or so she calls campfires : ) Our neighbor Lissa introduced her to the art of roasting marshmallows and she is addicted. I was bummed that we didn't have a way to introduce her to one of my favorites; smores. Then I remembered a fabulous memory of my gramma. Not having a 'firecamp' herself, she was good at improvising. So that is just what I did!

I know!! You are all soooo jealous right now : ) And, yes, this is a kids shoe box with candles sticking out of it and chopsticks for skewers. They LOVED it and that was all the mattered to me. The smores were quite yummy!

I hope they have a fond memory of our silly escapades just like I did as a little girl.

Summer project

Hard to see?? Gotta have vision for this one people : ) This is our future vegetable garden. Oh yeah!! This is what they looked like when I picked them up from a lady giving them away on craigslist. Yes, can you believe she was giving these gems away! I have no funds for a summer project really so have to be creative to make it happen. Kailey loves this sort of thing and anything Lexi can make a mess of she is happy to do.

So off we go . . . I got two gallons of paint for $18 on clearance and mixed some to make different colors for decoration. Kailey is having a blast with this. It has been our evening girls time the past couple of nights.










Even Gramma Chloe got in on the fun!


Wish us luck!

My Little Pilgrim

I cannot believe it but my sweet little girl is graduating from Pre-K. She had a fun end of year program on Friday. It was so cute, they did all kinds of sign, posters and the works in their performance.

Mommy, Daddy, Papa, Gramma Kathy and sister were all their to cheer her on.

And it wouldn't have been the funnest year ever without her best friends at school with her. Daddy brought her roses to give her after her performance and she shared some of them with her little girlfriends Brielle, who is going to kindergarden with her, and our long-time buddy Reagan.

We are so proud of you Kailey-bug!!!!!

Lunch meat anyone?

What is this innocent, sweet little things up to now you ask?? That innocent smile is drawing your attention away from the lunchmeat to the left of the picture that she has stolen from mommy (I turned my back for ONE second I swear!!) Is the package nicely sitting there on the toy kitchen counter though? Of course not!

I am a creative girl and have managed to put lunch meat in EVERY nook and cranny of my pretend kitchen and container!
Not so innocent now am I : )

Inspiration

I watched Michael J Fox's special on the Adventures of an Incurable Optimist recently. This is a little bit on what he had to say that I found inspiring.

"The past 10 years, I found myself struggling with a strange new dynamic. I had to build myself a brand new life when I was already pretty happy with the old one. I had a wonderful life that I loved (career, wife, kids)
If I had to give up any part of this how could I possibly protect myself from losing all of it.The answer had very little to do with protection and everything to do with perspective.The only unavailable choice was whether or not to have Parkinson’s, everything else was up to me.
I could concentrate on the loss, or I could get on with my life and see if maybe those holes started filling in themselves.For everything this disease has taken, something of greater value has been given. Sometimes it is just a marker, pointing me in a new direction down a road I might not have otherwise traveled. So sure it maybe two steps forward and one step back, but after a time with Parkinson’s I have learned that what is important is making that one step count."

Wow!!! I found that to be such a great way to look at the struggles in your life. He wrote a book titled Always Looking Up and for me I feel such a double connotation to that title. I need to remember to keep my "chin up" and remain positive as the slogan goes, when life is hard. I also need to always look "up" to God to comfort and protect me and know that he promises so much for me. For everything that this world, this economy notably, has taken from me, God has given back. He promises to never give me more than I can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). He promises to comfort me when I am tired and overwhelmed - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) He promises that I am never alone in my struggles - "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10) He promises to take care of my needs if I just GIVE them to him - "....Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him. . . ." (Matthew 6:24)

Knowing these promises, how lucky am I really! God is my "all natural", "no preservatives added", "unlimited refills", "all expenses already paid" antidepressant. Does it get any better than that?

I have felt as though I had to go into a 'survival mode' that past 2 years to protect myself from the world as it self destructs around me, and market that impacted our family so heavily. God has taught me so many things through it though that I never want to forget. I teach my kids things that I should work on myself. I am sure at times God says, "Wendi, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit!" I tell my children that and expect them to accept it, but why is it so hard to comprehend and accept at the age of 30!! My life hasn't always taken me down roads I wished to travel and sometimes I do stomp my feet and throw a tantrum about it. But some of the most treacherous roads have build a character in me that I now cherish. In the past two years I have dealt with situations that literally broke my heart and tore me into pieces. God put me back together each heart break I encountered and I am stronger that I could have imagined I would be.

God has shown me the amazing support system he has put in my life to rely on. I have a better network than Verizon could ever boast! And that is no exaggeration. I have some truly beautiful people in my life. I love you all so much.


Another point that I feel God has shown me in recent times was summarized by a young boy, Christopher, in a story talking to his beloved friend, Pooh.

“You are braver than you believe.” “You are stronger than you seem.” “You are smarter than you think.” “Even when we are apart, I will always be with you.”

Thanks God, I needed that : )

Lexi is two!

Alexis Madison "Flower"

Lexi is two already! She is in LOVE with Abby from Sesame Street so she was wearing the headband and wings for her party all day Saturday. Every time I would ask her if she wanted to open her presents she would say "Abby". Then when if was time to open them, she looked in each bag for Abby. Apparently cause I told her we were having an Abby party she thought Abby would be there in person, so was trying to find her all day. So silly.

Instead of regular cupcakes, I made ice cream cones (with cupcakes on top and the frosting swirled so it looked like a cone from Mc D's) Lexi's had Abby ontop which she loved.

She does the silliest things. Instead of running in the sprinkler or on the slip n slide, she stood next to it and splashed hysterically till she was soaked! Wild Woman!!











So, since she hadn't had nearly enough sugar for the weekend, On her actual birthday, Sunday, we decided to take her to lunch at the Ram after church so she could have a Mile High Mud Pie. She thought that was a splendid idea!




The only thing she couldn't decide was if it was more efficient to use her spoon or fingers to shovel it in : )


After a good rejuvenating nap, we went to a birthday party for one of Kailey's pre-k buddies at the Little Gym. This was Lexi's first LG experience and she LOVED it! She is so funny about certain sensory things. For example, I have NEVER been able to change her diaper in a public bathroom cause being up in the air on those pull down tables FREAKS her out. You'd think I was performing surgery! The giant jump houses freak her out. She will only swing if it goes slow. Anything with air and movement or suspension involved together, she is not going for. (But she will climb up on counters or to the top of the monkey bars without qualms). I don't get it but it is what we would call in my OT world as a bit of gravitational insecurity. Not diagnosable, but interesting to an OT mom. At any rate, she HATED the air track (a long air filled giant mat that the kids run, tumble, jump etc on). But the high bar with a complete stranger working there's help, totally okay with that! I am baffled at her presentation of symptoms, but love her to death for sparking my curiosity and defying anything that fits into a box, as is par for her personality.



Aside from the high bar, the other highlight of this event for her was hide and seek. The kids had to line up and hide against a wall while the staff hid and they found them. She was so adorable sitting with a bunch of five year old's.




What's that Lexi? Sunday school, a Mile High Mud Pie and Little Gym party wasn't quite enough fun for the day? Sure we can go to the park with a buddy : ) So off we went with our Holmes friends to our favorite park.


Thank you Kerri for my Popcycle for my FINAL birthday treat : ) Wow, that was a lot of sugar in one weekend. But isn't she cute!!!






Again, gravitational insecurity? Huh?? And let's talk about out second favorite activity to climbing; feeding "baby" Casey. Here is evidence of her sneaking him her popcycle : ) Sorry Kerri!!



My birthday wouldn't be the same without my beautiful big sister to celebrate!

Happy Birthday "Flower Lexi"!

P.S. If you didn't know, or just forgot, Lexi got the nickname Flower from her big sister. That is what she was determined to name her while she was still in my tummy and we were deciding on a name. She would talk to Lexi in my tummy and call her "flower", when people would ask what we were naming the baby, she would answer for us "flower". So, she is our Lexi Flower : )

T Ball Fun!!

Kailey has been playing T ball this year with all her buddies.

It is a blast to watch ALL the kids dive for the same ball : ) Pigpile everytime. It is great.

Lexi is quite the cheerleader.

And big sister wouldn't have it any other way : ) I am so glad they are buddies!