New Scenery

 When I lived in Malibu, I learned to love running partially due to the view that I was able to see: palm trees and the ocean. Well, here are some pictures of my new views as I a start up running again. It may not be the ocean, but it is still pretty.

Antique Car Show

 This past weekend Cross Plains had an antique car show. Jim and I thought it would be fun to take the kids to this especially since it was free. Jim, Isaac and I hoped on our bikes and Elizabeth and William hopped in the bike trailer and off we went biking to the car show. The kids were excited as we pulled up to Baer Park. We ended up forgetting the key to our bike lock so we just sat our bikes by the fence and enjoyed the show. (One of the many perks of living in a small town) We all enjoyed looking at the old cars and tractors and Isaac was excited to see "Doc" from the movie Cars. After the show the kids played at the park with Jim and then we biked to Culver's for lunch. The kids enjoyed our little family day.

 I love pictures of babies sleeping in their high chair and with food all over their face. We have numerous pictures of Isaac and Elizabeth like that so I was delighted to start my collection of William this weekend.

Bestie

 Today Elizabeth got to spend a few hours at the zoo with her best friend, Olivia. Those two girls are hilarious together. Elizabeth talks about Olivia non-stop and they play together wonderfully! They had a fun-filled day of riding the carousel, watching the animals, playing on the play structure and eating snacks together. Every time they see each other, they give each other hugs to say hello and goodbye. I am so thankful that Elizabeth has such a string bond and friendship with that sweet little girl, Olivia.

Appleberry Farm

 On Saturday we took the kids to Appleberry Farm here in Cross Plains. Last year we picked our apples but due to the early, hot spring and then the last frost, it killed a ton of blossoms from the trees which resulted in hardly any apples. We did, however, buy a bunch of apples that were picked by the farmers to the kids delight. Some of the apples we chose were antique so you can't buy them in stores and can only find them in certain orchards. We also bought the kids apple doughnuts and caramel apples.

The kids enjoyed looking at the chickens, playing on the the tire swing and taking the tractor hayride around the farm. It was a great family morning.

Extra-Curricular

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 Today was the day we really started all of the extra-curricular activities for the kids; gymnastics for Elizabeth and soccer for Isaac. Elizabeth LOVES her gymnastics class. She has no problem leaving William and me behind. I can't wait to see what she does at the end of January when her classes end considering today she had no fear.

Can I do gymnastic with you, Elizabeth?

 Isaac had his first soccer game today and he, along with all of the other under six kids, did a great job at swarming the ball, playing out of bounds and tripping and head bunting each other. Isaac scored 2 goals, got a scratched up arm and a bloody lip. He has potential and I am excited for him to work on his skills.

Yup, Mom won't let me on the field but she says I can hold this ball.

What a joke, Dad. When can I play soccer instead of being held?

Park Elementary

 It's official! Isaac is now a kindergartner at Park Elementary! He couldn't be more excited. On both Thursday and Friday of this week, he has been dressed, teeth brushed and ready to catch the bus by 6:15am! Elizabeth enjoyed waiting at the bus stop with Isaac for moral support until he left. Isaac gave me a hug and then jumped right on that bus like it was nothing. I have been super excited and ready for him to start school full day school so it kind of surprised me to get a little bit unglued as he got on that bus.

Every day the kids get a "milk break" where they get 15 minutes of down time and can enjoy some milk. Isaac decided he needed 2 cartons of milk. I hope this doesn't continue since my account gets charged $.40 every time he decides to take a milk. One thing that he enjoyed was looking over the food menu for the month of September. I told him that he could buy 1 hot lunch a week. We circled 1 day a week and today was one of those days. He came off that bus so excited about his hot lunch!

I am eager to see how much he grows academically this year. Kindergarten is no longer the kindergarten that I went to. He has school from 8:20am to 2:54pm. Besides writing, math, reading and social studies, he also has computer class twice a week, art class once a week, PE 3 days a week and music class twice a week.So far he is enjoying it which make me a happy mommy.

My Children

Look. Elizabeth did my make up.

Look. I did my own make up. I am getting better at it.

 Having a child is never a mistake. It is a gift from God. Many people have asked both Jim and I why we decided to have a family before either of us finished school or had a great job. Looking back, it would have been a lot easier financially of we would have waited. However, after having these three kids and having the privilege of being a stay at home mom, I wouldn't have it any other way.

 My kids drive me crazy, stress me out and make me wonder if I am doing anything right as a mother. There are days when I just want to lock them in the closet with some water and cheerios and call it a day. But no matter what they do, I still love them and they are making me become a better person because of it.

My children have taught me how to truly love unconditionally and with that comes charity, patience, endurance, selflessness to name a few.Through out my life I have been stretched and challenged, but never to this magnitude. There are days that I feel like I have just failed except that with raising kids, failure is NEVER an option! Being a mother is by far the hardest thing that I have ever done in my life but with the hardest things come the greatest rewards!

 During the four weeks that we have been back from California, we have had maybe 5 days where everyone has been healthy. Between cleaning up barf and diarrhea, getting a couple hour of sleep a night, un-packing, getting ready for school to start, going back to work and trying to just get back into a routine again, I really missed the joys of being a mom.

 Not that I am excited for me and the kids to be sick, but on a positive note, it has made me slow down and actually see them. I look at them hundreds of times a day but I might go all day with out actually looking at them; looking into their spirit, their soul. It has been wonderful really seeing who these little beings actually are and having them fill my heart with gratitude and love.

 I have enjoyed reading books and playing with them. I have also enjoyed just having the small conversations with them and having them respond so innocently and carefree.

I can't believe that in a couple of days Isaac will be taking a bus to school for a full day of kindergarten. I am SO excited for him to start school, make new friends and start the "big boy" chapter in his life. I am also a bit sad knowing that my baby boy is no more a baby. He is growing up so fast and I enjoy listening to him ask questions and observe him using his vivid imagination. He tells me that he is the 'man of the house' when Jim is gone and does a great job filling those shoes. I can always count on him to help me out if I ask him and periodically, he will even cuddle up with me and tell me he loves me.


Elizabeth is growing up fast too. She is loving preschool and becomes a Chatty Kathy telling me her day when I pick her up. She is my shopping buddy and as happy as I am that she is in preschool, I am glad that I still have her with me 3 of the 5 days during the week. She is my little shadow and is a great help to me, especially cleaning the house or helping with William. She also says things that just makes my heart melt like during breakfast one morning we were all sitting at the table and I told her that she was cute. She responded with, "No Mom, you're cute Or when I tuck her in at night she likes me to sing 'Popcorn Popping.' During one part of the song it says "I can take an armful and make a treat" and she snuck in 'for daddy' afterwards. She is always thinking of others and I can count on her for a back rub.

 William is becoming his own person and it will be fun seeing in the next couple of years where he fits in with Isaac and Elizabeth. He loves to be noticed and has a short temper for annoying people or something that he doesn't like/want. One thing that I just cherish about this boy is that every time he wakes up from his nap he gets so excited to see Isaac and Elizabeth. You would think that it was forever ago that he saw them. He also give the best chunky cuddles with his head resting on my shoulder. Thinking he is older than he is, it is no surprise that he wants to hang and be part of Isaac and Elizabeth's gang.

When I really look at my kids, I realize how much I love my family and how lucky I really am. These children are a gift to me from God and being a mother is a sacred and holy calling. My little (or big depending on who you talk to) family to me is really Heaven on earth. I love being a Mom and love that my hugs and kisses can fix, heal and cure anything, that my hands are the comfort that they need when they have a nightmare or scared at the doctor, and that my presence makes them always feel safe. I love that as of right now the whole world can be against me but I have 3 children who see me as infallible and will love me and whole heartily take me for all of my faults and weaknesses.

I love my family and am glad that Jim and I started our family when we did. It has been hard but the joys and triumphs have been amazing. My kids ground me and give me strength and with them behind me, I feel like I can conqor the world