2010-2011 school year

So summer came and went. We did Disney, tons of trips to visit my parents in Waco, a trip to Arkansas, and a trip to visit my grandma in Kerrville. So August came and it was time to start school! The girls were beyond excited!

Here are the big girls on the morning of the first day of school:

Madalyn and her 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Harp. She is switching classes this year, my sweet firstborn is growing up :o(
Loraly and her 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Cleveland! Mrs. Cleveland's daughter is in Madalyn's class! They have already become friends! I think this is going to be a great year.

So the 2 little ones and I have cleaned house, done laundry and ironing, organized closets, went grocery shopping, cleaned more...WOW what we can get done with only 2 little ones at home! Poor Sophie began missing her big sisters Thursday. It only took 3 days of them being gone :o)

We also started back to Wednesday night church this week also. They don't have class during the summer for the kids due to vacations, etc.

Well, my little baby Reese will be turning one in 2 weeks exactly! I can't believe it! Life is good, couldn't ask for more...

I know you are all dying to know these things about me :o)

1. I am 32
2. I have 4 daughters
3. Got married at 21
4. had firstborn at 23
5. Everything seems to happen to us on odd years. Got married at 21, had Madalyn at 23, Loraly at 25, Sophie at 29, Reese at 31.
6. I am the youngest in my family, but the first to get married
7. Mark and I have been married now for 11 years
8. I love the color RED
9. I am shy at first but once you get to know, I will tell you just about anything!
10. Mark is my only :o)
11. I have breastfed all 4 of my daughters
12. I went from being preggo with Sophie for 9 months, breastfeeding her for 13 months, to immediately finding out I was preggo with Reese, and am still breastfeeding her.
13. The longest I have been away from Reese was last Saturday when a friend and I took our older daughters to 6 Flags for the day. We were gone for 8 1/2 hrs! The longest away from Reese before that was 2 hours just to see a movie!
14. When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say a Mommy!
15. I don't believe in divorce.
16. Am not a pet person.
17. I love a clean house, but am not a clean freak
18. Will rewash something if it gets on the ground after washing.
19. I am superstitious.
20. find it funny that people think just cause we have 4 girls, that we were still trying for that BOY
21. believe strongly in God, love church, read the bible, pray very often, but feel funny when people try to *throw* their faith in your face.
22. when talking to my husband on the phone, we say we love each other probably 5 times before hanging up
23. believe that people need to live for the future, and not live and dwell in their pasts
24. literally thank God every morning for letting me, my husband, and girls wake up to live another day
25. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Even though I have 4 kids, (don't worry it cant happen, literally)I would love to have another baby in a few years :o)

Peace

I am at a time in my life where I feel as if this is just where God wants me to be. Mark and I rely on each other for so much, love, support, parental guidance, house work, making money, friendship, etc. Right now in life we are making it...and by this I mean we are making our children happy, making them healthy, providing them with what they NEED, our bills are paid on time, we have food in our pantry, we don't go hungry. We don't have much, but it doesn't matter because we are happy. I am trying to teach my children (and my husband) the difference between NEED and WANT. There are definitely things we want...beach vacation, new clothes, new shoes, a newer family car, a pedicure :o), to not have to ask for help :o( financially...We laugh together, we live together, and we love together as a family. We have more than some families, but we have a lot less than others...in the terms of tangible items. I feel that we have everything we could ever need, hope for, pray for, and dream of! We are so blessed to have what we do...love, 4 beautiful, healthy daughters, my parents who would drop everything for us, aunts, uncles, siblings, that are all willing to help with the children, friends who are amazing!, but most of all a God that leads us where he wants us to be, shows us how to love, shows us how to parent, and leads us each and everyday in His way.

We don't make a lot of money, but we do with it what we should, our bills get paid, our children have food, and a roof over their heads; its just hard to accept that life isn't about a new car, steak for dinner, name brand clothing, having a perfectly manicured flower bed, etc. but rather life is about the happiness, love, and laughter that you can find in our house (on most days).

Numbers 6:24-26"The LORD bless you and keep you;the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."

and He has given me peace.

God's hands

Tomorrow I will be handing my baby Reese over for the 2nd time for surgery...
I don't like doing this. It makes me feel incompetent, useless, and helpless. Reese has been through a lot in her sweet little 10 months of life. Her first 8 weeks she suffered daily with pain from 3 hernias. And since Christmas she has been in horrible pain with ear infections every 2 weeks! I want my baby to feel better! I pray that tomorrow will be a new day for her! She needs and deserves to feel GOOD and NORMAL. She has been the happiest, sweetest, Mommy's girl through it all! I want to give her all that happiness, sweetness, and love back in return that she so deserves!

It has been a rough week. I took Loraly in yesterday to have her 'bump' cut and biopsied. And then Reese's tomorrow. Last but not least, next Tuesday, the 3 older girls have dentist appointments followed by Loraly getting her stitches out. Should be a LONG and interesting day...

I pray for 'those' Mommies that have really sick children that have to do this all the time. I know they don't feel amazing, but let me tell you...THEY ARE God's Angels on earth!

I have 4 healthy, beautiful daughters! Thank God! I am so very blessed! All 4 of my girls have had surgery, and all 4 are very healthy! I thank God for the doctors, nurses, and my support from friends and family! God uses and chooses these special people to fulfill some of his miraculous work here on Earth.

He Is Amazing!

For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:10-12

Sophie after a long day at Disney :o)

Love these!

http://babybeblessed.blogspot.com/2010/05/yayfree-friday_28.html

Dried Baby Food

While sitting in church Sunday morning, I noticed a spot of dried baby food from Reese's breakfast on my arm. Yes, most normal people would have tried to get it off thinking how gross! I, on the other hand, savored in the moment. Reese was not with me...she was in the nursery. But in my heart, all I could think about was this spot of food dried to the hairs on my arm. I gently rubbed it with my hand thinking to myself how I didn't want these precious days to end.

Being a mother is the one and only thing I have ever imagined being. This little spot reminded me that once I wipe it away, these days will end just as soon. Silly to think about dried baby food this way, but for some reason my heart hurt for these days to stay.

I rubbed it gently throughout the service thinking about all these wonderful years I have had so far as a mother, and the years I have to come...

As soon as the service was over, Mark and I immediately went to get Reese. She was so ecstatic to see me! I love that about babies! They are always so happy to see you...even if you only left the room to use the restroom. As soon as you are back, they react to you as if they haven't seen you in forever!

We got the other girls, got in the car to head home. We were all talking about church, what the girls learned, listening to Sophie sing, stopping a couple arguments (like always), and just being together. In all the togetherness, I forgot about the dried baby food. Once we got home, my hand rubbed against that spot, and it was gone. I looked twice...and yes it was gone.

I thought to myself that how weird that I noticed this spot when my children weren't with me, but as soon as we were all back together again, it was gone.

I think God was telling me to enjoy even the smallest of things...like the baby food that Reese spits everywhere while I feed her and she blows raspberries!

Take in the small things in life and especially in motherhood...it goes by too quickly!