BYE BYE WINTER!

The last few nights of the cold winter we did marshmallows & hot cocoa...

Can you see the cricket in there? Oh yes, we cremated him.

Personally I'm looking forward to cleaning the sticky off the fireplace... Ever wonder what these stone fireplaces can handle? We have roasted with our little sticks now for 2 winters and it still looks white after I get one of those great bleach erasers to it!

I love the changing seasons... it reminds me to grow into change... & do a little spring cleaning!

PEEK A BOO!

it's the little things... like new bike helmets & climbing up on your bumper!

MOM TALES

I don't know if you know that Christopher is a miracle; my doctor did not know if I could have kids. I don't know if you know that I asked God for a blue eyed baby... He gave me Nate.

I also don't know some days how Chris & I will ever find the strength and wisdom to raise them. It is so easy for me to feel the magnitude of being trusted with 3 little souls... I am only one person after all and I consider myself to have a lot to learn in this life. I can come up with the list of doubts, how I am not enough to do the job well. Then I see myself through His eyes. He knows what it means to grow up as a little boy even though I don't have brothers ~ He knows. He knows before I ask Him... He knows what I'm going to ask before I ask it.

There is a reason why I am coming across thousands of "Mom blogs" and they are all unique. We all want to tell our story in some form. The tale of how I became a woman... the tale of how I became a Mom and am still so amazed by the miracle of life I could just have a baby blog that was just gooey. The tale of how I never really knew what love was until I understood how my Mom loves me. Tales of seeing souls discover who they are and how this place works. Being a Mom is very demanding, hard, healing, and I always feel like I am learning more than I am teaching. What a beautiful design.

NATE'S POSSE

Every night for story time Nate gathers his "posse"... this usually includes the twin Eeyores (of course), kitty, Christopher's bunny and now the frog from Mimi...

Eeyore has been with Nate since the womb waiting for him on my nightstand and later into the delivery room; Christopher had Pooh and Coop has Tigger. Nate has always sucked his thumb with Eeyore's tag in his same hand. I have 3 now (as genius backups in case they quit making them) and they were in the closet but then I started to think that I would need to rotate these little guys or if we lost the "one", he would surly know. To make a long story longer they all ended up out... one lost his tail and Nate said "Mom, Eeyore's butt fell off!"... so now we have the "twins". In one of those "oh so cute" moments he says "look Mom I have twin Eeyores ~ there are 2!" I was so impressed that he knew what twins were that I just said oh my goodness you do!

As I was looking at Nate the other night walking down the hallway to bed barley able to carry everyone I remembered reading some dumb article in a waiting room talking about how it was not a good thing to still have their "blankies" when they were 3... it said something about examining why they may have feelings of fear and why they felt the need for "something". So as I looked at my secure little man gathering up his little friends for bed I was reminded by their designer that He has them in the palm of His hand always... and for me to always remember to ask for that discerning heart when it comes to things I read.

I could watch Chris with them for days... often my story time lasts 20 min... I'm tired. But Chris will go sometimes for an hour... they will look up something on the computer in the middle of it all or watch the discovery channel. We are big ocean fans around here... I always talk about how much I am alone taking care of the kids and I am but I have gently been nudged and my eyes are open to what a wonderful man I married and how much quality time he spends with them. Their new thing is showers with Dad in the morning... what a load off! What would I do without him? Love you baby if you happen to glance at this;)!

LOVELY

I am so in love...

can you see why?

Lilies of the Field

His love never fails...

Things have been a little lean & I have cut some of the organic things lately...

However, Coops formula was still staying organic and it's not cheap; they are also out of it almost every time I go in to Central Market and then I have to pay $4 more a can down the street.

I spoke with this very kind manager on the phone who was so apologetic and offered to bring me 6 cans, & deliver them to my house free of charge!

They were here 2 hours later!

Nothing is too big or small for this Father of ours!

Therefore take no thought saying, "What shall we eat? or "What shall we drink" or "Wherewithall shall we be clothed?... for the heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all of these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you."

Matthew 6:31-33

Swim in the Moment

When everything seems to be moving so fast around us...

Swim in the moment... the story, the bath, cutting bats out of cheese;)

I am constantly reminded of all the distractions: more of this and more of that, spend, spend and spend some more you don't have. Get your kid "involved" so that they develop people skills. I noticed this new gym class that Christopher is in that since they are 4 you can drop them off. When he was 3 we had a wonderful group of Moms to visit with every week; there are 2 maybe 3 there every week now. Keep it up Sisters... you all do a wonderful job of being a light... a light for other Moms to see Him through you!

Her children rise up and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he praises her:

proverbs 31:28

Sister Love

This came via Maia... check out her blog... she is a Mom with a sweet spirit and definately has the gift of joy! This was actually an answer to prayer thismorning. Last night I came accross the MOST inspiring blog I have read yet... more about that one another day; I am blown away by my new sisters I have come accross lately! Anyway, last night I prayed specifically for direction with this blog. For me it has been really fun to post our every day life, after all that IS where the miracles are. In the moment. But I felt there has been something missing. Did I want to go on a 5 paragraph article on what God is doing in my heart every day with scripture to inspire? Not really... I love reading some blogs that are this style but I was really asking God to show me how I, Alicia, the daughter He created could use this blog in a new way. To inspire... to thought provoke... to serve... a place to come when you need a little joy or encouragement. So come on this journey with me... this is the beginning.

...Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love.

I Corinthians 13:12&13

to the first 5 people to respond to this post will get something made by me! Lucky you! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations: 1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make! 2. What I create will be just for you. 3. It'll be done this year. 4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a mask. I may sew or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure! 5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

A Very Merry UnBirthday!

Thismorning we celebrated unbirthdays! Alice in Wonderland has always been one of my faves... and so I sing "a very merry unbirthday" to them all the time...

How much fun to have candles to blow out with waffles and be sung to?

They each picked a candle... it was a good morning!

Coops & Me

This was such a good day I had to post the rest of these pics I just got from my Mom...

There are those moments in the day that make all the sacrifices all worth it...

Sometimes I miss meeting with the stylist about a photo shoot for one of my new models... Sometimes I miss going out for a glass of wine with some photographers from Europe...

But I wouldn't miss for the world:

Cooper learning to cough to get my attention

Christopher scoring his first soccer goal

Nate peeing on the toilet without being too short to stand up and not drip (this happened literally overnight)

staying up holding them when they are sick and knowing that I don't have to have anything for anyone else the next day...

seeing so many "firsts" that my soul is bubbly...

To all my sisters who know what I'm talking about... my heart is full for you...

we will never get these moments back!!

Friendly Frog

Let's just say this frog had the rudest awakening to spring... he was dug up by the Lee bros and Nate took him under his wing...

he told him he would keep him "safe"...

he was safe even though Nate jumped after him like a little frog... I thought for sure he was going to jump on him... he was still safe when he dropped him a "couple" of times... he was even safe as Nate "jumped" him and "swam" him in Mimi's fountain!

When the frog hopped off in the bushes I think only then was he truly safe!!... never a dull moment!

Kissing Coops

Coop goes to the playground a lot with us...

he's at that perfect size where I can carry him around with one arm and not get that tired. He just bobbles to keep his balance and looks all around...

more than half way to 1 year...

time flies!

Topher the Storyteller

After a hot day at the zoo this is all he wanted to do...

I can't believe the thoughts that come into this little boys head... his perspective is so genuine and smart... as a learning tool and something fun to do together we set up a blog for all his friends to look at; of course all the relatives too! Check it out with your kiddos... he's proving to be quite the photographer and story teller...http://christophersdots.blogspot.com

Soccer

The boys are on the same team this year & it's Nate's first time...

I don't know who is more excited, him or me...

we all sat on the porch to get ready for the big day with all the new gear...

he sat on his ball so cute during practice... he shot his first goal and came running... "I did it coach John!"