i have to say...

yippee!

I discovered that I do not have to report to jury duty tomorrow so I am doing the happy dance!  It is not that I minded doing my civic duty, it is just that the timing was wrong, wrong, wrong.  So now my time is freed up to get ready for the weekend.  Blogging may still be slow-ish and a little fluffy, but I will be popping in to say "hi"!

***This weekend Aubry was playing with her horses and she made an exciting discovery that she had to share with Craig.

"Daddy, guess how you can tell that a horse is a girl or a boy?"

(Do I need to mention that my dear hubby was sweating a little bit at this point?)

"I don't know, Honey, how do you tell that the horse is a girl or a boy?", he inquired hesitantly.

"The girl has longer hair!", she relied smartly.

Just let me say that my hubby's relief was apparent at this point, and don't let anyone tell you that our kids aren't aware of the facts of life!

my girl likes books

Aubry has been learning to read this year and I have to say that she is coming along quite nicely.  Both of my older girls were easy students when it came to reading, but the boys, well, not so much.  The boys love reading and books, but the journey to learning to read was a little rocky.

For a week or so Aubry has been reading without my finger following along under the words and I only discovered that she could do this because I am hand-sewing at every opportunity (the craft fair, you know) and out of necessity she had to follow along on her own. 

Her step into the world of readers feels like a huge step for me.  Why is it that I thought she would never grow big?  As if she would stay tiny forever.  Ah, the wishing that we moms do.

A friend gave us a hand-me-down dress and Aubry was thrilled to find that it matches a dress in her Dick and Jane book.  Of course this prompted a hair styling session and some mommy-daughter reading time and naturally a few pictures.  Lucky for me this kid is used to my antics with a camera and even finds it kind of fun!  In her own quiet way, she loves being the center of attention. 

Watching my kids grow up and away is an amazing experience.  I can't help but wish that I could go back and do it all again, with more experience, patience and wisdom, but dwelling on the past blinds me to the joys of the present.  No, I don't have another one to diaper or teach the ABC's to, but I do have plenty of opportunities to teach and enjoy my kids every single day.  I am blessed beyond measure.

Life is very busy right now.  Crafts to finish, business cards to make, jury duty at a very inopportune time, and the day to day needs that I am responsible for.  Blogging may be a bit slow around here for a few days, maybe just a picture or a quick hello.  Knowing me, I will find some time to pop in and say "howdy", but I need to spend  a little more of my time doing the things that are high on my priority list.  Too many things calling my name right now.

Enjoy your day and hug your kids!  They grow up way too quickly!

no scrapbookin' for me!

Everytime I post an old picture here on my blog, I am forced to plow through my "scrapbooks".  Rubbermaid boxes stuffed full of pictures, some already faded and discolored, all of them treasured and remembered.

When I glance at the scrapbooking section at the craft store, I become instantly aware that it is a hobby I must not begin.  Too many lovely prints and patterns just waiting to be collected and hoarded and loved.  Too bad it isn't fabric!

Thank goodness for digital cameras and DVD storage!

Did you know it is very hard to take a picture of yourself?  There is really no way to focus unless you hold the camera in front of your face, which kind of defeats the purpose.  For the first time, I cut my long hair into layers instead of getting it chopped off for springtime.  My hubby loves this, he has thanked me a few times.  Here I am:

Oh, the blur!

Today's Woman to Woman theme was not one I am able to offer an opinion on--"Enduring health problems - either your own, your spouse's or a child's"--but I will be checking in to read what other ladies have to say.  Click over to participate and to learn!

let's get real monday!

Today's Let's Get Real Monday theme is "The Outfit"!  I know you have one! It is the one that you LOVE and everyone else hates.  Or it may be the one that you previously loved and now you cringe at the thought of ever wearing it.  That is the funny thing about fashion--it changes, and so does what our mind percieves as good and acceptable!  This is a good reason to dress in a classic style!

As I was looking through my photographs, I realize that the difficulty in finding pics of me in embassarasing attire, is that,in general, I run from the camera, especially if I am unsure of looking good.  But lucky for me, I have a few goodies to show you.

I believe that my struggle with fashion started early on, as evidenced by this picture that proves that my parents often dressed me as a bunny:

Next we have my too-long period of high-waistedness.  This trend unfortunately continued well into my adult years, but thanks to my daughters and their honest assessments of the way I dress, will probably never happen again! (my daughter Emily calls these "bosom shorts"!)

Now this picture warrants a call to my dad.  I am wondering why, at about age 13-14, I was allowed to dress like this, granted it was probably Halloweem, but still, what were they thinking???  What was I thinking???

In my teen years, I manifested many "looks", some good, some bad.  This being the epitome of my running from camera years, little eveidence remains of my fashionista attempts, but I did manage to find one picture taken during my "Bananarama" years.  Please notice the really cool Hi-Fi in the picture as well as my ghostly pancake make-up that tried to erase my California tan.  Ineffective is the word that comes to mind here!

EMBARRASSING!  Yet funny!

No post of mine about "the outfit" would be complete without a little bit of loving teasing towards my hubby.

I am always amazed at what a colorful time period the 80's were!  And look at those tall socks!

When it comes to looking good, there are many ways to go, but for me, the way to a winning look is always a smile.  This look will never go out of style!

"Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future." 
Proverbs 31:25

If you are playing along in today's Let's Get Real Monday, simply leave your link in the autolink below.  I am looking forward to seeing all of your "outfits"!

let's get real--on monday!

Monday is the next Let's Get Real Monday and this time the topic is "The Outfit". 

You know the one.  It hangs in the back of the closet or maybe it lies in state in a photograph.  You always loved it, but everyone around you hated it.  Maybe you thought that you would fit into it again someday, but, alas, that has not proven to be so, and now you are considering putting it into your child's dress-up box---but they don't want it!  Possibly it only exists in a picture because your husband conviently (but accidently) tossed the outfit into the thrift store box a couple of years ago.

So, on Monday tell us about the out fit.  Words are wonderful but please feel free to post pictures!

Please post your "Let's Get Real Monday--The Outfit" posts on your blog (on Monday) and leave your blog post URL in the auto-link in the bottom of my Monday post.  That way we can all swing by and have a nice laugh with our cups of coffee!

Everyone is invited to play along, and like I always say, the more the merrier!

Have a wonderful Friday!

born on a blue day

I was lucky enough to come across Born On a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet at the library last week.  The book is written by an Autistic Savant and it reveals the inner workings of the mind of an amazing man.

From birth, Daniel was different.  Relating with people, including his family, was a struggle, but his abilities with number and words were amazing.  In this book, Daniel himself chronicles his amazing life and the steps that he has taken to overcome his weaknesses and to walk in his strengths.  He credits his family with an incredible amount of patience and support as well as numerous friends for helping him with the strides he has made in his life.

One of the issues that this book explores is the idea of being "normal" and whether or not normalcy necessarily equals happiness.  I think that we all know the answer to that question, but at the same time, I am challenged to be more understanding and studious of people who are different than I am and whose weaknesses seem like a detriment, but may actually be a stepping stone in overcoming their challenges.

Read this book and be inspired!

a few links for you...

There are some neat things going on in the blogosphere today!

---Kelli is collecting goodies for kids in an African orphanage that she will be visiting in May.  She would like to collect one bag for each child.  Click here for details.

---Boomama has organized a love offering for Heather who has been recently diagnosed with a brain tumor.  What a great way to bless someone today!  Heather can use not only our financial help and our prayers as well.

---Elise has written a beautiful post here that I think all mommies would be blessed to read!  Inspiring!

---A new blog just for homeschool moms can be found here.  The focus is how we can "maintain and grow as individuals through this process".  If you are want some encouragement, click  on over and check it out!

a day worth celebrating!

Today is National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day!  I am celebrating.  Are you? 

Honestly, most days reflect this holiday, at least until about 11:00 in the morning, but today I am not going to feel bad about it.  I tried to talk my hubby into celebrating with me, but he mentioned something about feeling silly showing up on the jobsite in his skivvies.  He sensed that maybe the men he works with would lose respect for him.  Leave it to men to make things difficult!

Have a great day!

work in progress

These days if you need me I can generally be found at the sewing machine.  Most of my free time is spent crafting so housework is a little undone,but my family is still smilin' so I figure we are doing OK.   Here is a peek at some of the goodies I have been working on:

Nineteen days to go and things are progressing nicely.  It has been forever since I have had anything other than a self-imposed deadline to get something done, so getting ready for this craft-fair has been a study in patience for me.  My way of doing things includes barreling through a project while everyone around me suffers, mostly because of my impatient attitude.  This time it is not so and I believe my family is silently thanking me!  I, in turn, am thanking them for a bit of extra time and a lot of encouragement.

Off to sew...