I'm going to miss this

I'm going to miss this.

I'm going to want this back.I'm going to wish these days,hadn't gone by so fast.These are some good times.Take a good look around.You may not know it now,I'm going to miss this.

Our "unofficial" start to Summer

Memorial Day is the "unofficial" start to Summer. Here is an "unofficial" start to something else in our house: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeDS-Dn98sc Max is ALMOST crawling! The peaceful, less-dangerous time of babyhood is near its end. (Sorry for the link, I can't seem to get videos uploaded here anymore. Weird.)

Also, today is Brentt and my 11th Anniversary. Amazing how time flies when things are going so good.

Then:
Now:Tonight, we are going to the park we were married for a picnic with the kids. It should be nostalgic. Enjoy your long weekend!
Cheers!
Christy

House of 5

I made and hung this great piece of Home Decor. I just love it and it was SO easy. It only took about 15 minutes--no kidding!!! I found instructions and free downloads on Janna Wilson's blog. She also has other numbers in case you have a House of 3, 4, etc...Hey husband--how's that for a commitment that I know we are done having kids?!? :)
Cheers!
Christy

My date

Do you have moments where you look at someone and think, "Who are you?" How did we get here?" I'm talking sober moments (get your minds out of the gutter!). Life-reflecting moments. I certainly do. Recently, I went on a date with my daughter on a Tuesday night. An average, little bit crazy, Tuesday. We simply went to the beach to eat a picnic and watch the sunset. It was a magical, joyful time where I realized how grown up she had become. She is becoming such a lovely person.

Although these pictures may not mean as much to anyone else, the memory they preserve for me is priceless. Now, to get them into a scrapbook page...Thanks for checking in! Cheers!
Christy

Back and refreshed

Thanks to 2 WONDERFUL Grandparents who love to jump in a trampoline......make home-made cheese......and hike with their grandkids... Brentt and I got to get away. With 3 kids 6 and under, we needed a break together! Thankfully, Grandma and Grandpa are healthy, active, and willing to come and keep up with the 3 of them. Amazing treat for us! Brentt and I went to Boca Raton, FL and stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Boca Beach Resort. It was amazing! And unlike most of our vacations, we didn't do a whole lot. We relaxed ALOT! We had an amazing suite with a balcony that overlooked the yachts on the Intracoastal Waterway. Photo above and below is from our room. In a nutshell, we relaxed, ate, drank, and were merry together. Just what we needed! Now back to the gym and back to our crazy, happy reality. Life is good!

An easy teacher gift idea

This week is "Teacher Appreciation Week" and in my opinion, this is a group of people who cannot be thanked enough. Outside our home, these people are our kids' main influences. We are especially lucky to have some terrific teachers too so this week we are doing something nice for them each day. Here is one idea that your kids can do on their own (mostly).

1. First, buy some gourmet chocolate bars. The ones in the boxes are easiest to wrap.
2. If you do any paper crafts, you likely have loads of scraps laying around. Let your kiddo choose their favorite papers. Wrapping paper could work too. The size paper you need for these Lindt chocolates was 7 1/2" by 8 1/4". Double check your bar's size before you trim.
3. Adhere the paper down with a dry adhesive applied to the long edges only. We put the seam on the back and left the ends open so we could read the flavor of chocolate.
4. Adhere a ribbon around it. Again, dry adhesives like a Xyron or glue dots work best. We joined the ribbon on the front because the tag will cover it.
5. Using punches, we made a tag. Let your child write what they want and glue it on. Done! We made 4 of these in about 15 minutes, about $2.50 each. Cheap, easy, but made with love and appreciation for all they do for us. Our teachers will be getting more appreciation gifts this week but this is a good one for the kids to make on their own.

Go thank your teachers!
Christy

It's moments like this that make you fall deeper in love with your kids. This innocence is priceless!

A little confession

Some people tell me that I take great pictures. I kindly say thank you, and laugh to myself. You see, there's some things you should know. A little confession of sorts.

• Firstly, I take about 400-500 pictures a month but only about 100 are "worthy" photos. (Don't you just love digital photography?)
• Secondly, I stage many photos. For example, I know that the lighting in my living room is great in the late afternoon. Sometimes I will make sure the kids are well-rested and cleaned-up then take pictures. I also know which colors we all look best in. If possible, I try to coordinate the colors with each other too.
  
• Third, I am always messing with the settings on the camera. I am a llooooonnnngggg way from being a pro so I try different settings, evaluate, and either adjust or keep it. Trial and error. A lot of errors sometimes.
  
• Lastly, I don't usually post my bad photos on my blog so you *think* I take all great pictures. Until now...Let me show you what I am talking about.

On Easter we had some dear friends here. Every year we take the kids' pictures together but now with 6 kids, it's getting more complicated. As you can see, there are no great pictures here but this sequence tells a story in itself.
It is quite comical! And exhausting! So, rather than stressing about getting 6 kids (all under 7 years old) to look and smile all at the same time, I take it for what it is: LIFE! You can't control it, but you can capture it--even if its not what you thought it should look like.

I hope you see the humor in this too and just keep taking photos! Cheers!
Christy