just keepin' it real

Oh boy, I have been waiting to write this post for a while now! :) There's so much to share that I'm not even sure where to begin!

For my friends who have blogs themselves, why do you have a blog? To keep memories for yourself? To keep family and friends who live far away updated on your life and how your kids are growing? Because you like to write? Or is it something more? I think that in a sense, we all want our life to matter. I mean, of course it does because we are children of God and we matter to Him and ultimately that is all that really "matters". However, I think that we also enjoy knowing that there are people out there reading about our day, which, as a stay at home mom - or stay at home nanny as the case may be :) - makes our sometimes seemingly insignificant day, spent discussing life with people under three feet tall, suddenly significant and meaningful because someone out there is noticing, reading about our day to day lives, and hearing our hearts - even if it is somewhere out there in "blog land". Does that make sense?

Well, if it is an encouragement to you to know that there are other people - other mom's, other sisters-in-Christ, or even brother's in Christ - out there reading and in a way sharing your life with you, how many more moms are out there needing the same encouragement? If we can be an encouragement to one another simply by following each other's blog, how easy is that?? I know, I know, right about now you're saying "I hardly have enough time to sit down and write on my blog, let alone read everyone else's blog! And that's totally fair and valid! So, just check in every now and then - just whenever you can! I love when people leave comments on my blog - and I'm guessing you do to - it's...what's the word? ... oh yeah - encouraging! :) And by the way, even if you don't blog yourself, we still love getting comments from you too! ;)

Ok, so why all this talk about other people's blogs and being an encouragement to one another? In the weeks when my kiddos were sick with the flu last month, I discovered a new friend. At least, I hope she'll be my new friend! :) And I want to introduce you to her. I found her blog through the Cake Wrecks blog (which is listed on the right of this page...) when Cake Wrecks won the '09 BlogLuxe Awards for Funniest Blog. The writer of this blog listed all the other winners - including the winner of the Best Eye Candy Blog, written by my (hopefully) new friend, Meg Duerksen!

And let me tell you, she won Best Eye Candy Blog for a reason! Just wait till you see the pictures she puts up on each of her posts! But before I get to that, let me tell you what I've learned about her from having 3 weeks off of work in which to read through her entire blog like a book I just couldn't put down! :)

She is a wife and mom of five adorable (and beautiful...for the benefit of her 14 year old daughter ;) kids, Lauren (who reminds me SO MUCH of my own "little sister", Lauren!), Scott, Sean, Talby (is that not the cutest name ever??), and Annie, who lives in Kansas...a state I have to admit I usually only think about when I watch the Wizard of Oz...but now very much want to visit because her *gorgeous* pictures show off just how beautiful her state is! Oh yeah, and she has a dog. Named Waffle. (Meg, the "waffle cone" completely cracked me up! Haha!)

Ok, I could go on in paragraphs telling you all about Meg, but what would a post be without a few photos?? :) I am going to share just some of the things I realized that she and I have in common (like fall birthdays :) and maybe that will help me tell you about her. You may have seen a few of these pics before.... :)

We both love color and she totally understands what a happy thing it is in general and finds it simply everywhere!

Fall is her favorite season. Mine too. Mmm...hearing the leaves crunch under your feet, the BeAuTiFuL colors on the trees. Fall even has it's own smell! :) (Including leaves, bonfires, burnt marshmallows...)

She understands the need to be creative. Whether it's scrapbooking, sewing (ok, the one thing I don't do, but you know...), doing/baking fun things with her kids, decorating ridiculously cute bathrooms...etc.

Apple-tinis are a yummy treat.

Tea is ok.

Coffee is better.

Starbucks is the best!

(and sometimes necessary...!)

Meg is the only other girl I know of that would buy something (like this wallet - or a pack of rainbow colored twizzlers...;) just because it is colorful and happy!

She knows that 4 year olds say the best lines....and come up with the best outfits!

Chocolate is a necessity of life. In pretty much any form. For example...hot chocolate, as evidenced on my baby's face! :)

RED is one of the best colors ever.

She even used to be a nanny!

We both love photography...although she runs circles around me in that area! (Just wait...you'll see!) And can I also just admit how, ahem, jealous I am of the HUGENESS of the photos she can put on her blog??!

And also as far as photography goes, Meg understands that a picture doesn't have to have a perfectly smiling face (or any face sometimes!) to be beautiful. :)

Most of all, Meg is a sister in Christ. Her love for our Father is so evident in her blog. It is an encouragement to me to read her posts and I was rather sad when I realized I had caught myself up on all her posts and now have to wait each day or so for a new one! :}

She has already helped make my day on several occasions with the stories she tells of her kids, or just her photos. She has changed the way I think about blogging on my on blog...and how I think about my photos. Oh, one more thing about her that I appreciate. The title of this post. She says it a lot. :) For all the beautiful photos and words she writes on her blog, she plays fair and adds the not-so-pretty parts of her day every now and then..."just keepin' it real." :)

So, now that I have hopefully given you a glimpse of her, go check out her blog for yourself! Just click right here. She has photo albums on the left side of her blog too. Scroll down to the one titled Our House and let yourself enjoy a tour of her FANTASTIC and BEAUTIFUL home!! I want a playroom/guest room like hers. :) LOVE the colors in it!

Oh, and you know that ridiculously cute bathroom I mentioned? Yeah. Click here to see how she did it, and here to see the finished product. I totally want to let my kids to that someday! (My own kids...) :)

And after you explore her wonderful blog...leave her a comment! I know she'll appreciate the encouragement! ;)

this little man...

...has been running a fever the past couple days. His dad thinks it's because of the four recent vaccinations he had last week, so hopefully it will go away soon.

On Tuesday, the girls had their homeschool classes and we were stuck at the house just the two of us, so after playing with his sister's new birthday toys for a while, I decided to pull out an old recipe book that my mom used to use when I was little. There is a finger paint recipe in it that I very well remember her making on the stove. I remember it being a dull white, almost gray color as it was cooking and then getting to help drop in the food coloring to make several colors. Then the best part: getting to dip my fingers in it while it was still warm! The experience of the squishy, smooth, warm texture between your fingers is just spectacular! :)

Anyways, I think I did this once for the girls but my baby had never done it before, so we made it together.

At first, he just squished the paint in his hands for a few minutes.

Then he tried a few hand prints just to test it out. He looks so neat and clean here - just a little bit on his fingers....keep watching...! :}

More squishing. I love the concentration in his face! :)

Big glops to squish this time! (Oh, and btw, that t-shirt is one we made for the 4th of July that I never got around to posting about. We also made firework ones. I got the idea from a Family Fun magazine...love that magazine!! :)

Next it was lots and lots of finger prints! :) He picked the four colors he wanted...but then of course mixed them together - and why not?? It was his artwork! :) Do you ever stress about paint colors being mixed? Or play-doh colors? I know a lot of parents think everything should be kept just as it came...and I will admit...sometimes the thought of the ugly brown play-doh we tend to end up with bugs me a tiny bit... But have you ever experienced the fun and freedom of swirling the colors together and seeing what new colors and patterns you come out with?? It's just paint! Or play-doh. And watching my baby thoroughly enjoy this texture and visual experience was worth the mixed up colors in the little bowls of paint. :)

After that he decided that the paint was calling to him. It needed to be experienced more completely. On a different surface than just brown paper. He just couldn't resist...

And I couldn't stop him. :) He was so engrossed in the whole process. Watching intently as the color crept up his arm. Feeling the now-cool paint under his hand as he spread it further. He wasn't trying to be naughty. He was just in the moment. Focused. And since he was the only child I was going to have to clean up that morning...I just let him go for it. (It's just paint...it's just paint...he might look like a smurf for a day or so...but it's just paint...!) :}

A little more painting on the actual paper....

...and then it was off upstairs to dump my little smurf boy in a serious bubble bath! (The only picture I didn't put up here was him sitting on the stool in the bathroom waiting for the tub to fill up. He proceeded to paint his legs and belly too!) Thirty minutes of floating and playing in the bubbly tub and he was good as new! I thought some of the blue might stick around and tint his skin...but it pretty much all came off...thankfully! :)

Here's the recipe:

3 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch

2 cups cold water

food coloring

(I used gel food color because I couldn't find the "regular" liquid kind at the house...but for this paint I would recommend sticking to the liquid kind - the dye is less potent and will probably get less on the skin...although, like I said...half an hour in the tub and he was perfectly clean...)

Mix the first two ingredients and then add the water. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until well blended. (What it doesn't say is that this part takes about 10 minutes or so of cooking for it to start to get thick...keep stirring until all the liquid has thickened up and is finger paint consistency...)

Divide the mixture into 4 or 5 portions and add a different food coloring to each, plus a pinch of detergent (optional). The latter aids in the clean up.

just two stories

This morning at breakfast my middle child asked me a question and as I was thinking about my answer, she then looked at me and said, "Kiki, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to. I asked a whole lot of questions! I always ask lots of questions! So you don't have to answer that one! Only if you want to."

Of course I answered it for her. :)

The girls had Dr.'s appointments this afternoon so my baby and I were snuggled on the couch for a while together playing school games on my itouch. He asked to look through the photos I have on it so we went through them naming all the people he knows. We got to one of Lauren and her baby cousin and this is the conversation that followed,

J: Hey! That's Lala! (His own name for Lauren :)

K: Yup! And that's her friend Emilia. (Hard to explain 'cousin' to a 2 year old...)

J: What?? I thought she was MY friend! (sad, confused look...)

K: You thought Lala was your friend?

J: Yeah!

K: Oh, it's ok, she's your friend too.

J: OH. ... Ok!

I LOVE hearing him talk about what's on his mind. :) I knew I would forget these stories if I didn't write them down right away. :)

happy birthday e! :)

Yesterday was my middle child's birthday. I think she had a blast at her Chuck E. Cheese birthday party...pictures to follow on facebook. :)

Last week I took her outside to do some birthday pics and got mostly waay cheesy smiles from her! :} However, here is a sampling of a few good ones.

There is an old house next door in front of the new house my kids' grandparents built. They have been planning to tear it down for several years and have just never had the time to actually have it done...until I decide I want to do birthday pics around the house! So I had to move up E's birthday "photo shoot" a week early to get some shots over at the old house...this is one of them.

I can't believe she has grown so fast! She was only 18 months old when I first came!! Now she is 5, officially in kindergarten and loving it, still has a sparkling personality, let's you know what she's thinking, and loves to be independent! I still love hearing her absentmindedly singing Steve Green's Hide'em in Your Heart songs while she plays. :) Sometimes I wish I could keep her this size forever, but then the excitement of seeing her achieve new things makes me remember to just enjoy the journey of watching her grow and trust that God has amazing things in store for her life. :)

Happy Birthday E! :)

my project :)

A couple of weeks ago, while my kiddos were in the middle of the flu, I mentioned that I was working on a project and that I would write about it when it was ready. Well, it's ready! :)

I have loved my friend, Rebekah's idea of an online store on a website called Etsy, for selling handmade items, and while I most definitely do NOT sew (why bother when both my mother and Rebekah can do it for me! ha!), I do enjoy making cards. However, a lot of people make hand-stamped cards, so I added a twist. I added a photo to each card. But there's more! Instead of a photo of a random person you do not know on your set of cards, if you email me your own picture, I will put your picture on your card for a unique and personlized touch! :)

I have several cards on my website tonight and will be adding lots more variety in the days ahead. I already have plans for another type of card entirely that I am very excited about! And I may add a few more crafty things eventually.

Here is a sample of one of my cards:

However, before I give you the link to my site, there is another side to my little shop that you need to know about. Something that only a couple of my friends know I have been praying about. :}

There is a Bible verse that has been popping up in more and more places in my life lately.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
James 1: 27

I am becoming more and more aware of just how many children in our world have no one to call "mommy" or "daddy", no forever family who will love them unconditionally and teach them that they are a child of the King Who created them so uniquely and loves them oh-so-much. This breaks and touches my heart at a special place. If you don't know my story already, by the grace of God, I was adopted as a baby and was not for a single moment an orphan myself, but the thought that it could have been a possibility had God not led my birthmother to choose adoption always makes me thankful for my own "forever family" and makes me long to provide a forever family to just a few of the 147 million orphans! (Did you get that number?? MILLIONS. Not just one. 147 of them.)

We have a responsibility to care for these precious children and I think that can take on many different forms. One of the most obvious ways is through adoption and while this is not something I personally can do in my life at this point (although hopefully someday??), I want to help wherever i can. Since the idea of doing an online store came to my mind, I knew in my heart that I couldn't just do it for myself. I wanted to use the creativity that God has given me for His glory and in a way that would benefit at least one child that needs a home.

I have prayed over this quite a lot in the past month or so, asking God to show me ever so clearly who I was to help through whatever items I might sell - whether just one or many. One name came to mind right away but then was clearly taken away the very next day. So I continued praying. However, now, with the timing of a certain item I needed for my cards and the timing of things happening with this certain adoption...it has turned out that I confidently believe I know who I am supposed to donate to. :-D

So! If you read my blog regularly, you may have already guessed, but I am very excited to say that 25% of every sale on my Etsy store will go directly towards my friends Rebekah and Nathaniel's adoption fund. (I haven't even told them this yet...so when Rebekah reads this will be when she finds out my plan...) :) They had raised all the money they thought they needed, but it is turning out that they feel God calling them to explore more venues that might bring their baby home...which translates to a need for more funds. (It is amazingly frustrating how expensive an adoption can be!)

If you don't know Rebekah and Nathaniel's story yet, you can go here to read my post about them, here to read her blog, or here to visit her Etsy shop.

It seems like a such a small thing to do - trying to do what I can for one baby out of 147 million - but I will trust that God will use my little store for His glory and that I will soon be able to write the post indroducing the newest member of Rebekah's family!

So, with all that being said, here is the link to my store! If you or anyone you know would like a set of hand made cards that will help bring one baby home to it's forever family, I would be honored to make them for you! :)

www.cre8tiveglory.etsy.com

first official day of school...

Since my kiddos were on vacation and then sick for the past almost month, and we hadn't even gotten to start school yet, today was our first official day of school. I'm not that worried about it though - we'll catch up. We already did three lessons each in phonics today because they were so easy. That's the beauty of homeschooling!

T is in 1st grade, E is "really" in kindergarten now, and I am getting J to do as much with us as he can and wants to. They begin the day with a journal entry. T writes one sentence about whatever is on her mind (usually something that happened the day before. We tried this out a couple days last week.) and then colors a picture about it. E writes one word and colors a picture (so far all animals). J tells me what he is going to draw and then we practice writing the letter it begins with (so far it's been Tractor, Dumptruck, and Football...yup...he's all boy!). :)

Then it's on to Circle Time. But as we discussed today, when the three of them sit on the floor...it makes a triangle. And even if I sit on the floor with them...it makes a square. Sooo, I decided to have them sit ON a circle!

I tried to find circles for them to sit on and finally just decided to make them. I found fleece on sale at a craft store for 50% off and cut out two circles for each mat, cut a fringe around each layer, and tied each bottom and top fringe piece together. (Thanks, Rebekah, for helping with the idea - especially of adding their initials!)

Back to seatwork! She loves math and understands it quickly, however she wants her letters to be perfect so that part can take her a while.

Her first official kindergarten phonics page! :)

He's known his colors for a long time now, but is completely proud to have his very own school page, pencil box, and folder to put his papers in - just like his big sisters! He did great today and sat quietly at the table and waited while I explained his sisters pages to them. When he was done with his page, he threw his hands up and yelled, "I did it!!!" :) Which I loved. He's still my baby.

I think I am going to love homeschooling all three (ish) this year if we have more days like today! We were so into everything this morning that we almost forgot about lunch! Our hungry tummies reminded us though. :)

happy labor day :)

We have had lots of activities this weekend. One of the former professors at the college I went to (although I never had him for a class), recently moved to Knoxville with his family. My mom got connected to him through the organization he works for and had his family over for dinner Saturday night. After dinner, I introduced his wife and their four kids to our favorite playground.

Isn't he a cutie?? :) He is three months younger than my baby and was making me miss him all the more! :)

Their oldest (that I missed getting a picture of) is in middle school now and was around 3-4 years old when I was in college and babysat her a couple times. (Am I really that old?! Have I been out of college that long?!) :) It was fun getting to catch up a little bit and since her three youngest kiddos are the same age as my three - and they homeschool! - we decided I will have to have them over to play sometime soon! :)

Oh, and my favorite seven month old came to hang out with us at the playground too! Aiden lives about two minutes from the playground and his mommy, Leah, also went to the same college and actually had Dr. Wilson for class one semester. Although...it was the same semester she got engaged...so, she was a bit preoccupied with a shiny item on her finger and might not remember as much of his class as she would have otherwise.... ;)

Sunday morning the boats began making their yearly voyage down the river to get the perfect spot to watch the Boomsday fireworks. I love this tradition every year - even if the constant sound of the boats does get a bit annoying after a while. :)

Sunday evening as I was getting ready to come down my stairs to leave with Michael for Boomsday... guess who was finally outside...!!!!! :)

My baby!!!

And my girlies!!! :) (Quite a fake smile from my oldest...oh well...!) :} I was very happy to see them in the flesh and squeeze and hug them again! :)

Then it was on to Boomsday. I have yet to go early enough in the day to get a reeeally great spot to watch it from. We finally settled on standing underneath the Gay St. bridge, which worked fairly well, although we couldn't really see down into the water...which, if you have ever been to boomsday, you know there are some fireworks shot off from the water, as well as the Henley St. bridge. However, I decided seeing the bridge was more important...it's my favorite part! :)

Ha. I think this one is interesting.

My favorite!!!

We made it out afterwards with not much problem and only got stuck in a traffic line for a few minutes. Once back at my house, I have learned that it is pointless to try to go to sleep right away due to all the boats heading home. So instead I just hung out on my deck and watched for a while. This picture is a bunch of boats going by. Funny what the lights do when you take a picture of moving boats in the dark! :)

Now I'm off to lunch with family and friends and then to play some serious Settlers! :) Hope you are enjoying the day!! :)

do you ever

ask why? Why do things happen that shouldn't happen? That thought has been going through my mind today. But whenever I start to ask why, a man named Job comes to mind and I check myself. I know the answer.

I AM.

I AM in control.

I AM above every situation that you are in.

I AM beyond your comprehension.

I AM the One Who loves you more than you will ever understand.

I AM here when your heart hurts and you want to ask why.

I AM holding you tight.

I AM here and will never leave you.

I AM... everything.

"Who endowed the heart with wisdom or gave understanding to the mind?" Job 38:36

I AM did. But He doesn't always give us complete understanding of every situation. Which is frustrating sometimes. But that's ok. When I read through His response to Job, I begin to shrink in size and He grows ever larger - in love, in power, in wisdom, in understanding, in everything - and I am reminded that He really holds our lives in His hands. Even when we don't understand the whys.

And to my friend who knows why this is on my mind today -

I love you and I'm here if you need me.

For whatever.

tuesday.

Well, I'm off until Tuesday. Tuesday because Monday is Labor day.

I just talked to Wendy - and got to talk to both of my girls. I asked the middle one if she was all better and she said, "NO. I'm still sick! THAT'S WHY WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!" Then I asked how her sister is doing and she said, "Oh, she's DEFINITELY still sick! She's lying on the couch watching a show. We've watched A LOT of stuff. And [my brother] is throwing goldfish at me...and stomping on them!" (Hmm...sounds like he is feeling much better!)

Next I talked to her sister who I heard say, "I don't wanna talk to her!" But then she did and I said, "You didn't want to talk to me?!" And she said, "Heh. I'm silly..." :)

I love them!

because it's thursday, that's why.

Catrina has had a crazy week this week and asked if I would mind picking up her girls from their homeschool classes this afternoon. I of course didn't mind at all and we hung out for a couple hours afterwards.

Lauren's old dance teacher has opened up a new store called Ironic. (love that name!) Ironically...the same day that Lauren told me about the store, I got on facebook that night and a friend of mine who works for a company that makes big store signs had just put up a picture of their latest sign... for Ironic! :}

Anyways, we drooled a bit over this awesome swing that Reegan got to try out! It looks like half of Cinderella's carriage. Mom...don't you want a swing like this?? :}

Next we grabbed a cupcake each from a cupcake store I didn't realize was there. We decided we like the Cupcakery best, but really, any cupcakes are great! :) We took them to a playground to eat.

She said, "I can't do monkey bars!! I'll fall off!" I said, "What?! Of course you can!" And she did.

This is harder than it looks. I can remember playing on one of these...

Aww.

Trying to balance.

"Why is this thing so hard to balance on??"

"Because it's round."

"Oh."

A game of tag.

This couple with their two little boys were just too cute not to take a picture of. :)

Checking out the bridge and the water below.

And guess who I spied when I got home!! First glimpse of him in three weeks!! :)

He smiled and waved and blew me kisses....

after I put my camera away... :} Silly boy. Can't wait to kiss those cheeks! :)