thankful

     This was a ROUGH week. Not gonna lie, sometimes I just wanted to hide in a corner and cry. (I might have actually done it once or twice....) But, it's over. My husband (who is amazing!) took Friday off so that we could get a handle on things.
     We had a big 'ol, fatty yard sale on Saturday and got rid of SO. MUCH. JUNK! (*I mean slightly loved objects)....
     It's so nice not to trip over stuff in every room. I am also slowly but surely redoing some things around here... I might have just found my new bed on craigslist (pending pick up) It is a gorgeous, antique iron bed. Seriously, I am in love... Now I just have to find a way to get it home.{have I mentioned that once in a while I really miss my hubby's truck??? }  Can I get an "Amen"! Hallelujah!

    Stephen took the boys hiking at one of the many parks around here and made it a point to inform me that "Everyone was jealous of (his) new Keens and hiking shorts". (thank you REI sale!!!!)

     I took the opportunity to visit some local thrift shops and to go buy the kids a new toy each to thank them for giving up so much of their stuff in the yard sale. In my book, a ton of old toys that weren't even noticed anymore are totally worth one toy that is played with and will encourage their playing together. I might have actually set them up by buying one kid a Lightning McQueen and the other a Mater toy. They kind of have to play together that way... and technically, if I am being honest, selling their old toys paid for the new ones. Win/win! They must have really liked my picks, because they absolutely had to watch Cars 2 and sleep with their toys tonight. So precious.

       

Four months later....

Well, hello. No, I didn't die. I just have three boys.

Let me take this time to get you all caught up:

-we still haven't found a house

-each and every day my boys get bigger and learn or teach me something new. it's crazy.
- i get almost zero time alone with my sewing machine... that's really all i want right now.

- boy #1 is in t-ball and is possibly the cutest thing i have ever seen in my life.

- my youngest sister just got engaged. i am officially old.

-I fully intend to have a yard sale this weekend... that means that i have to go through each and every box in every nook and cranny of this house (and garage)! it is slightly possible that i have gotten in over my head here.

I promise that I will not let it go another 4 months without another update... pinky swear.

my lack of parenting awesomeness

   Motherhood is a daily struggle for me. Don't get me wrong. I love my kids. I love them so very much that it hurts. That's the problem. It hurts when they act in a way that I know isn't best for them. It hurts to realize that they are sinners. It really hurts to lose patience with one of them and see how grossly broken I am. I am constantly second guessing myself. "Am I the best mom I can be", "Am I too strict", "Do I show them enough love", "Are they going to hate me forever"? You get the idea.
 This morning I was in the car driving home from the grocery store and was pouring out all of my current trials to God. It hit me that God never second guesses himself. He knows that He is in control. His way is always best. And I can find comfort in the fact that He is always looking out for me. Just as I want the best for my kids and want to do great things for them, He does the same thing for me.
  My parenting is not perfect. It never will be. BUT I have the perfect example of what parenting should look like. God loves, He punishes out of love, and He gives good gifts.

That was my little piece of awesome for the week...

Well that and the fact that 4 years ago I became a mom. That's pretty sweet, too.
 

currently

Currently:

- Sleep is but a mere memory.
-I don't think I have cooked a real meal in about a month.
- My almost two-year-old is taking a three hour nap! Praise the Lord!
- I am trying to decide what to wear for our updated family pictures that should be happening sometime next week.
- My dependency on caffeine has only grown since pregnancy has ended.
- I continue to look at houses online despite the fact that we have put a hold on house hunting for a month or two.
- We missed garbage day this week, so there are several trash bags just hanging out in the garage. Ugh. That got old fast.
- I have gone on strike from listening to toddler music and reclaimed my itunes. Grown up music is all that I am allowing in the house for the time being no matter how many times I hear "I want to hear yo gabba gabba songs!!!"

undead

     Yes, I am alive and have returned to the world of spellcheck and uploaded photos. I will not be posting much for a while due to the fact that there is currently a one week old sleeping on my chest, and I sort of like to play with him (he tends to eat a lot too).

  Meet Theodore. He was born on January 3rd and was the first baby boy born in our county in 2012. I am not one for birth stories, so you won't be seeing one here. That's all you're getting for now. I am one busy mama with 3 little boys all to herself. So, here is to getting a minute to myself once in a while to type and look at pretty things on Pinterest.

Currently

-My almost 4 year old is having a football game with his toy dinos. His imagination is incredible.

-My 20 month old will bring me books to "read", only to have him flop through the pages and say "NO!" when I actually try to read the words.

-I have spent at least 5 hours each of the past 3 days cleaning. I sure hope that this is a nesting thing.... otherwise I just became OCD.

-It has taken me 26 years to realize that it definitely shows when you buy the cheap nail polish and makeup. The good stuff is worth it. 

-Next year we are getting a three foot Christmas tree and putting it on our tv stand. I am so sick of picking  ornaments.

-Leaving the house is completely overrated. The boys have learned to play by themselves for hours at a time, and if we stay here all afternoon I am 4 times more likely to get a nap in.

-The last 3-4 weeks of pregnancy SUCK. that is all.

another baby gift

      Geez. I can hardly keep up with everything going on right now. Between holidays, babies being born, and everyday things that need to be done, I am pretty sure that I am going to pass out one of these days.... probably while buying Christmas decorations at Target.

     ANYHOW... I made yet another baby quilt for a sweet little boy due sometime in mid-January.

I am a huge fan of the orange, brown, and blues. Hopefully this will keep that little guys toesies warm this winter.

Also, I started cutting out pieces for our own little guy's quilt. I am still unsure about just what pattern (if any) I am going to go with.... I have pinned a ton of quilts for inspiration. You can see them here if you like. My only real goal is to be done with it before the baby gets here. I don't care if I am still sewing in between contractions... (HA!)

I took a quick instagram photo of the pieces before West ran across them... but I am pretty sure that I am in love with the colors and patterns.