Why I Love The People I Love...PartV

I grew up as the middle child . There were 5 of us and I was number 3. I had 3 sisters growing up and one little brother. Boy, was there a heck of a lot of drama in our house! I can remember being 7 and my little sister Gina was 4, and she and I were playing in a box. I recall that we were having so much fun and it dawned at me at that very moment that I wanted her to be my very best friend. So I looked at her and said "Hey Gina, lets be buddies!!!" And I can honestly say from that day forward we were inseparable. I loved her so much I wanted us desperately to be twins. Her name was Gina, so I would say "Okay, I'll be Tina!!" hehehe. I cherish my memories of my baby sister, and at times miss it with all my heart.

April was the one that gave me info as a teenager. She was the one that gave me the scoop about kissing boys and what to expect as I went from a child to a woman. April was also the one that would let you borrow clothes. The rest of us were just too selfish! April is the one that calls everyone, and brings everyone together...it's hard to explain!

My oldest sister Joely was the mean one, hahahaha!!! She would tell me that If I flushed the toilet I would actually go down it! And she would make me turn the channel for her and get her snacks because she knew I was afraid of her. She was 9 years older than me...I did what she asked, lol. But the interesting thing is, now that I am nearly 32, and she is 40, it's as though we are the same age. I look up to her so much. She is a registered nurse and I always know I can call her anytime I have a question about my kids or mine and Chris' health. She is an outstanding mom, and has never told her kids they would flush down the toilet. It is so true that once you get older, age is irrelevant!

I love my sisters so much, and they have impacted my life and I am so grateful to know they are always there, even if we all live so far apart. :)

Why I Love The People I Love...Part IV

I have a very fond memory of being three years old, and seeing my dad in our back yard working so diligently to build my sisters and I our very own tree house. I actually remember him helping me up the ladder...it's probably my earliest childhood memory. My dad has helped me up the ladder more than once in my life. I was really interested in this really hot guy at 16, and I knew my parents would not approve, so he and I would sneak and write letters. But being that my dad is the type to help me climb the ladder to the tree house, he opened my mail while I was gone one day and read all the juicy details hidden inside. Was I mad? Surprisingly no. I have always really respected my dad and the advice he gives me. And I loved him for caring about me. I think we as parents tend to be too hard on ourselves, spending too much time feeling guilt for what we've done or said that shouldn't have been done or said. I do this all the time. I should have "I'm A Guilty Mother" written all over my forehead. And not because I'm a bad mom, but because I am TOO hard on myself.

I have always been a somewhat fearful person, and the thoughts of losing a loved one has haunted me on a regular basis since I was about 7. I remember several times being petrified that my mom would die. Gosh, I love this woman so much! My mom is the perfect example of a parent who is too hard on themselves. I remind her regularly that she was and still is a wonderful mother! She taught me to pray for answers when I don 't know what to do. She is a woman of FAITH! My mom instilled in me that there is a higher being, and we don't have to live through this crazy world alone! Oh and she really is beautiful...

I love my parents because they did the very best they could in giving me a wonderful life, and they succeeded.

Why I Love The People I Love...Part III

This picture says it all as to why I love my boys. I sat them down to take their picture and instead of sitting there as the girls had, happily posing for pictures... they goofed off, over and over and OVER, until I was finally yelling "SIT YOUR LITTLE REARS STILL, AND SMILE!" They finally did after about 30 shots. In retrospect I'm sort of happy they acted that way because I am already laughing as I look at the pictures. Truth is, I ADORE my boys. When I think of the future, I picture 3 men towering over me, and offering me love and protection. They already give me this at the young ages of 5, 7, and 9. For whatever reason these boys think I am the greatest, and they love and need me so much. And I'll tell you a secret...I NEED them more.

Why I Love The People I Love...Part II

I was originally going to tell you why I love all my children as a whole, but I love my girls and my boys for very different reasons at times, so for now we'll start with why I love my girls. Gosh, lately I have been picturing the fact that one day when I am in my 50's, I will have three lovely women in my life. Them, plus me makes 4. I picture us talking and shopping, and getting and giving one another advice. I picture us cooking together, laughing together, crying together, and so what if this sounds corny! For now though, I love being able to go shopping with Halee, or playing play dough with little Grace, or holding little Scarlett in the rocking chair. Nurturing is one of my favorite things to do. Thank goodness I will one day be a Grandmother, or I may have (in the future) fallen apart with out being able to snuggle a baby! Oh, and I love PINK! I love having someones nails to paint and helping Halee straighten her hair! I'm so blessed to have had three girls and three boys, because they have given me so much joy in every way imaginable.

Why I Love The People I Love...Part I

Over the next few days I want to share with you why I love the people that are great in my life...I will start with number one...my husband Chris. My natural instinct is to say I love him because he's a great father. Kind, loving, affectionate, blah, blah, blah. All of this is true, but it's the little reasons I love him the most. I love him because when I wake up in the morning looking scary (and trust me, my curls can go just a little hay wire) he still tells me I am beautiful and yummy. Whether or not he's telling the truth is yet to be discovered, but for now I'm choosing to believe him. I love him because I am number one to him. No one in his life has ever taken priority over me. I love him because he's the one that makes breakfast in the morning because I am not a breakfast person. I love that every Saturday for the past 12 and 1/2 years he has let me sleep until 9:00 AM every Saturday because he likes to get up early. I love him because he's not a pansy about changing poopy diapers. I love him because he like guns, is very conservative, and shares my views on politics and religion which is so important to me. I love him because he bites the end of my nose, and I laugh because I think it's funny and cute. I love him because he wants so badly to get a supply of food storage so that if something catastrophic happens he can say he was able to feed his wife and kids. I love that he works his butt off to keep us in a good financial position. I love that for whatever reason he thinks I'm really smart. Okay...plus I have to admit, he's a great father. Loving, kind and affectionate. I will stop now, but one more thing...I really do love this man.

Having so many kids has made me realize how different and unique each one of them are, and yet they also have so many resemblances. When little Scarlett came into the world, one of the first things I said was "It's Halee!" She looked so much like her, and continues to. I'll be changing Scarlett's diaper and feel like that I am literally raising Halee as a baby all over again. It reminds me of one of my favorite lines from the movie Cheaper By The Dozen when Bonnie Hunt says to her Husband of their oldest daughter "And then you blinked." One day Halee was tiny, and the next she's becoming a beautiful young lady...the next thing I know she'll be a grown woman. It really DOES happen in the blink of an eye. Below is a picture of my Scarlett, and then Halee (growing up on me.)

Halee and Austin had an outdoor school they were going to this week and were required to bring rain shoes. So Saturday we packed up all 6 kids and head to Fred Meyer. To my relief I see rain boots on sale for 16.99. Cheap for rain boots right? Not when you're buying for 5 kids. Sure, I could JUST buy them for Halee and Austin, but rain boots are not something I typically treat my children to, so I couldn't help buying them each a pair as I watched their eyes grow big with the thoughts of having their very own. So we walked out with our $85 dollar purchase, and 5 very happy children. I was happy too! Until last night when Grace got a hold of a pen and hers are now covered with ink :( :( :(

I know I know, I have been a most horrible blogger the last few months! But I am turning over a new leaf now that Scarlett is 4 months old. It's time to get back to real life! I have come to the conclusion that there are not enough hours in the day. I don't know about the rest of you mommies, but I feel like I am constantly putting my children on the back burner. Not because I don't love them, or I don't want to be near them, but because there just AREN'T enough hours in the day. I need more of me then just ME!!!! I need two or three of me gosh darn it!! I did attempt to do play dough the other day and also coloring, and here is a picture of Grace playing with foam stickers that were originally intended for paper, but ended up on her face. When I looked at this picture it reminded me of how much I love her and all my kids and how I really DO need to spend more quality time. Anyway, check back often, as I am also trying to be better at documenting my crazily busy life :)