on the eve of forty-three

making stars while camping

love from the littlest lady

fear from the middle lady...that is, if you can even consider eldest female a lady....

on the cusp of motherhood...at 21

at the end of motherhood...no more babies for this gal

40 years ago...the beginning of my love of stripes in the wrong direction and turquoise

39 years ago...

can't imagine NOT spending the next 43 years with this guy...

or this guy....

and quite possibly a gaggle of these guys...

this dude and I. I love him...he's been my biggest challenge to mother but he's worth every single struggle.

I'm super nostalgic tonight....

I've been home ALLLLL day, first part working with David on YFF stuff in the conference room (our kitchen/living area)....then the rest was schooling and yelling at kids, making food to stock the fridge, replenishing homemade taco seasoning, making rice and taco meat, cleaning out the class/storage room, doing work for YFF in between, laundry, making bed, and I still have to work out tonight, read our Advent reading with whoever is home (not many tonight....all my older guys are out working)....and prepping for the day that I will turn FORTY-THREE.

I don't even like that number...it's just weird. 43.

I can't even believe I'm going to be this weird age. me?

yeah....other people are 43...not me.

Just a little update of sorts...I'm finally starting my Christmas shopping...by this weekend. Scary...I've been gathering some stuff along the way but the rubber meets the road here...I have one week.

I used to work better under pressure but as I age.....whew!!....it's just not as much fun. The thrill is gone ya know???

I'd appreciate any warm thoughts pointed in my direction. thanks ahead of time.

Another task I seem to be taking on, rather ridiculously in the midst of Christmastime but not really, is cleaning out the storage room....I'd really like to 1.) throw mostly everything away that is in there and 2.) make it just a craft/class room. Is that so wrong? This is where good organizational skills come in. I can copy anyone's craft space but I just have so much stuff and not a lot of space or creativity/organizational abilities. Seems like a good winter project....that, and curtains in Molly's room.

two days later..........

ok, so I started this post on the eve of my 43rd bday.....and got side-tracked as usual...

and now I'm 43...weird.

We spent the day with Piper, Nora, and eventually Becky...then Mel, the younger kids and I went to see my friend Jen's new abode, helped her with a load of stuff then proceeded to the Circle of Lights in the midst of frigid temps but warm hearts and lotsa pics...that I'll have to "steal" from my brother and other's and share here with y'all on my loving blog!

Until then, stay warm and get your shopping done!

Thanksgiving etc

Willow's flock of admirers..

Two sweet girls!

and now the obligatory turkey hat pictures...hope I didn't forget anyone...

two more sweet girls

turkey in a turkey hat...har har har

Aaron said he'd only wear it if he could look like he wasn't posing...

such a good sport my father in law is

and then this guy....always so fun to see what face he will make. this is one of my favorites. goof ball

and my mother in law is also a good sport. and made a delicious Thanksgiving meal! 

the original 3 stooges.

Bro in law Nick participated before walking out the door.

and a sleepy turkey

she has inherited, by no fault of her own, Ethan's ability to make some seriously goof-a-riffic facial expressions.

Anna is adorable, even in a gobbler hat. 

Sweet little Jay

So we had the king read some Advent stories to us. It was very majestic, I must say! Take a good look at Jack's JOY tree. 

The table I decorated for the Centerpiece of Christmas event at Southland. 

Just a smattering of our glorious server men! (I be loving my man in a bow tie)

Beautiful Molly at her Mulan cast party on 12/4/15

Just sitting here, watching some Netflix before bed...

Lots of stuff is breaking through currently, though I am not at liberty to speak...in time...in time.

Is anyone else struggling to choose JOY and embrace this upcoming holiday? I'm not struggling with the celebration of JESUS aspect of these days...it's the social expectations I'm struggling with...I want to do stuff for my kids and make this Christmas morning special but I refuse to ...
1.) buy them, specifically the younger kids, a bunch of crap just so they have stuff to open...when they can barely keep their stuff in order as it is. And also, they rarely play with the stuff anyways (except for Legos)
2.) give in to the idea that I'm not a good mom if I don't buy them a gob of toys and stuff.

I'd like to give them the four gifts idea...something they want, something they need, something they wear, something they read. I started getting them a children's book just last year, to build a library for their own kids and we always do the Christmas Eve jammies etc. Keep it simple.

and that is what I hope to do. And I have 9 days in which to do this....no pressure.

I've got this.

I've put my deep thoughts on hold from the ol' blog...I just can't blog like I used to...It seems like life is so much heavier than it used to be. Hard not to let fear sneak in and grab hold...

The one thing I know is true....God came to earth, put on flesh and dwelt among us...because of this, I can face tomorrow. That's ALL I know.

that's it.

good night...enjoy the goofy but joy-filled pix above. hope this finds you enjoying the beautiful sights, sounds and joy of this beautiful season...

Melanie's Senior Pictures

All of these amazing and beautiful pictures were taken by Melanie's aunt, Natalie, from NRS Photography. I think she did a lovely job depicting the sweet nature of our oldest daughter. 

Beautiful, inside and out.

sounds so cliche but it is such truth.

Mel takes her prayer, Bible, time with the Lord very seriously.

this face. the face of my first daughter. a true gift.

She has a sense of humor that rivals many....she's appropriate AND hilarious. Decent and thoughtful, through and through.

Just wanted to share some of the beautiful pix from the November 5 and 6, 2015 photo shoot.
Love the sweet, sassy, loving and kind spirit of Melanie Kate. She is one of the finest girls around and I'm not just saying that because she's my daughter.

In fact, I'm often times speechless because she is SO loving, kind, Godly AND MY daughter.

blown away.

She is a gift through and through.

Love you so much, Mel....Sunday, May 31, 1998, 4:06 am...a moment in my life that I will cherish FOREVER! It's a girl...and what a girl you are!!!!