Green Day Birthday and Rise n Shine

The South

The only magazine subscription that I take monthly is Southern Living. I love thumbing through the pages of my Southern Living magazine, usually back to front. I know, I'm weird! Anywho, this month there was an article that I LOVED! It was titled Making the Leap. It's an article about moving back to the South and southerners love for nostalgia. She speaks of leaving an area with "superior dining and shopping opportunities for the bleached-linen, biscuit-baking, horse-fly biting landscape of her childhood." She goes on to defend the question of "why" she wants to come back "home" to her northern friends. "Because the South, like anything worth knowing, is complicated. And complexity married to beauty never bores. Because I want to sweat when I climb into my car. I wanted a place where play dates did not exist and play did. I wanted not to the be the only woman at the school bake sale who 1) loved coconut and 2) made her own cake. I wanted to garden more than 3 months a year. I wanted my kids to know the value of manners. I wanted to hear birds sing at night and get high on honeysuckle and marvel at the size of magnolias. I wanted to drink in twangs and drawls. I wanted to hear the frenzied jangle of banjos and fiddles. I wanted to lay eyes on men wearing overalls and cowboy hats and women with hair teased high as Larry Hagman. I wanted to hug people I just met. I wanted to see bugs big enough for saddles. I wanted to drive past walls of kudzu, both terrible and beautiful, draping the landscape like living quilts. I wanted to suck wild berries and guzzle RC. I wanted to stop agonizing over fried food. I wanted to eat. And eat. And eat. Most of all, I wanted to raise my children in my ancestors' geography, where they could ramble barefoot in the sunshine." She ends her piece with, "I had come back, boomeranged yet again, still searching for that elusive missing part, the Southernness-otherness-one finds only in Dixie, a land of stark contradiction, where grace and guilt sit shoulder to shoulder, where the past isn't past, and redemption is ever an offer." The article is written by Allison Glock. I think it's lovely! It brings tons of memories flooding into my mind and really brings up reasons why I love my southern home! I have babies that call me "momma" with thick southern accents. We dream of a home with a front porch and old hound dog that lounges around. I grew up loving a GREAT man that I called, "Main Man", that had a huge garden and wore overalls and a cowboy hat, and let me eat cream filled cookies dunked in creamed coffee. I had a granny that made the best homemade biscuits that you have ever put in your mouth. (Which reminds me that I seriously need to get to working on biscuit making.) I own two quilts that she stitched together from her old dresses and I use her big iron skillet to fry food in our home. I made mud pies for hours and hours outside their home. We went to a church gathering on our church lawn this past weekend and my husband played the old time hymns for the service with his mandolin. I love the South and I wouldn't dream of raising my babies anywhere else. They have Jesus in their hearts and lots of love all around. They are blessed by being raised near many family members and lots of close friends that seem like family. They have eaten wild berries and guzzled RC. They love home cooking! They hunt bugs and have spent many days barefoot. Why would we ever want to be anywhere else!

Red day

Today was red day at Leila's preschool. I picked out her outfit, she picked out her shoes. :) I am feeling so much better today! I mentioned yesterday that God gave me little nudges to get through yesterday, he also put some amazing women in my path. A had an offer, from a mother of teenagers, to hold my fit throwing daughter, a mother of many took the time to scribble down a scripture that she uses on days like my yesterday, and some kind friends sent some encouraging words for me. God is good! I am thankful! On a different note, Nemo is dead. Xray died last week. No more fish in our house. Asher had another rough morning but I'm holding out for a good report from the rest of the day!

Praise God.....today is over!

Caroline was praising God during the worship music this morning. So cute!

Greased pig catch at the Frontier Days event at church this evening. Good ole' Arkansas fun!

Archery!

Making homemade ice cream and it worked!

Cal wanted ice cream....without the work.

My handsome hubby! These pictures are cute but today was quite the day. I feel defeated. This morning was hectic and I didn't want to go through the challenge of getting all of us to church this morning. Sometimes, those are the times you need to go the most. I really have been struggling with being able to accomplish the task of managing schedules for 5 people every day. My heart feels overwhelmed so often. I managed to get all of us to church, and I was blessed by seeing Caroline's hand extended into the air, praising her maker. We didn't make it through the entire service, but I felt refreshed to be there. This afternoon, I was once again feeling overwhelmed with the task of getting all of the kids, our chairs, the diaper bag, camera, and myself unloaded and to the frontier days event. It was a muggy day and I knew the twins would be cranky in the heat. Tyler was playing the music so he wouldn't be there to help. The big kids really wanted to go, so we did. It was fun but Caroline pitched herself a big ole' fit while we were waiting in the food line. It was embarrassing and I wouldn't have been able to handle all of their needs without Roger and Gina's help. It is such a defeating feeling to know that you can't do things by yourself. The twins are great babies but are getting to the age that they crave more independence but can't do everything for themselves. However, they are extremely determined to do what they want. Because of Caroline's fit, we inhaled our food and left. I stopped at Sonic on the way home (fighting back tears and anger) and ordered a large Coke. Yes, the real thing and didn't even care if it made me fat. I may have asked for a shot of whiskey to go with it if they offered such a service. I'm so not kidding! Once we were home, I bathed all 4 kiddos and now we are getting ready for bed. It is peaceful here. It is easy here. I feel renewed. I love my babies with all of my heart and I love that God has given me the blessing of raising them. I am NOT superwoman though and some days I struggle. God gives me little nudges to get through those days.....Caroline's hand in the air, Cal's sweet laid back nature, Asher chasing a pig and his thoughtful compliments for me, and Leila's hugs around my neck. Also, he has given me an amazing husband that reminds me when he knows that I am close to tears that, "We will look back on days like today and we won't miss them at all!" Amen, husband! Thanks for speaking the truth. There are lots of days and times that I will miss.....today will not be one of those times!

#5

Leila had a great birthday. She spent the day with Nana and they did whatever she wanted, which included Chuck e Cheese, Target, Dollar Store, and lots of play doh. Then, I picked her up and we went to dinner at Big Jakes (her choice) with our family, Nanny, Papa, Gigi, and Pop. I made her kitty cat cupcakes and she opened her presents. A great day for a 5 year old girl! My favorite moment....her face when they came out singing "Happy Birthday" to her at Big Jakes. ;)

Happy 5th Birthday, Kitty!

Sweet Kitty, we love you more than you can even fathom. I can't believe that you are 5 years old today. You came into our lives quickly and with perfect timing. Your transition into our family was an easy one. You were born with a best friend and he still adores you to this day. You adore him too. You bring us entertainment, joy, sugary sweetness, and lots of spice. You take such good care of all of us. Your quick whit keeps us laughing and your high pitched giggles fill our hearts with love! Here is wishing you a phenomenal year of being 5! May His blessings rain down on you! We love you, Leila, you are more beautiful than rubies! Here are some of your favorites: Animal: Kitty cat....and turtles (?) Drink: Milk Game: playing with Asher and Pretty, pretty, princess Color: Pink Breakfast: None Lunch: Hot dog, chips, and milk Dinner: Home cooking (any kind) and milk Dessert: Brownies TV Show: Tom and Jerry Favorite place to go: Great wolf lodge What you want to be when you grow up: A tooth cleaner (like momma!) You love to help momma cook. You still wake up as a kitty cat. You are still wonderfully weird and I'm delighted about that! Happy Birthday!

Oh the places you will go!

So glad that I had my camera ready for this sweet scene! It blessed me!

1st day of Pre-K!

1st day of 1st grade!

You're off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So.....get on your way! -Dr. Seuss

Growing

The flower bed has done a lot of growing and filling out since we first planted it in the spring. A reminder of the many summer days we have enjoyed. Our summer check list was nearly completed....a few things we will carry over to our fall list. The extensive heat kept us from completing a few things. We took our list down tonight and started preparing our fall list. I hung school calendars too.

We went to meet our new teachers this past week. I have a new set of hooks in the garage with our backpacks hanging for tomorrow. I have ironed a weeks worth of clothes and filled out all the necessary papers....I think.

Today, we enjoyed being together. I prepared the kids a meal of their choosing, and I bathed them (together!) while we waited for it to finish cooking. They thought this was so fun and crazy!

Now, all four of them are in bed. They have had their best wishes phone calls from their grandparents and have brushed their teeth. We said bedtime prayers and Tyler read their nightly bible story. I am anxious and sad. I pray that their school days are happy and that they meet some great friends. My babies are growing and for that I am so thankful. This is an adventure for them. My adventure is with them. Their giggles (and many toys) fill our home with happiness. Our days are long and sweet. Their love for each other is deep and innocent. God blessed each of these children with three siblings, three best friends. I pray that no matter how many friends they make at school, they still find their truest friends are right here at home. They will grow and mature and change, I hope their journey this year (and many more) is incredible. I hope that they hold on to the sweet happiness of their childhood thus far and that they have the courage to stay true to the amazing person that God created them to be. Best wishes, Asher and Leila! Momma loves you! Be happy! Be Bright! Be You!

Leila's lalaloopsy 5th birthday party