Claire and Bree's Spring Tea and Owen's Bug Picnic

Last Thursday, my kids hosted their Spring Party "Claire and Bree's Spring Tea Party and Owen's Bug Picnic". It was fun and the kids all looked adorable. They were such a good bunch of kids, makes for an even better time!! Here are a bunch of pictures of our fun evening...

My Kids' Mama

Today was a wonderful day! Every Mother's Day is kind of surreal to me. That may sound crazy, but I am always in awe of the fact that I am "My Kids' Mama". Most days I don't think about it, but every Mother's Day, whether I had one, two, or three kids, I always look at them and think "I am actually getting to celebrate this as a Mama!". Then I really remember how lucky I am to be there Mama. Days can get so rough around here when we are busy, Shane is traveling, I am swamped with work, there is no clean underwear =), I am changing the twenty-seventh dirty diaper of the day, or we are all going on 2 hours of sleep because Owen decided to take a nap at 5 and kept everyone up all night...but no matter how may diapers or how little sleep I got, these are still my babies and I am so blessed they call me Mama! (this is probably going to have to be another print and tape to my mirror or something post, all this "blessing" will go out the window when I catch Owen dumping my flower pots tomorrow or when Claire climbs back in bed tomorrow morning after we have slept in and I think she is brushing her teeth =))....
This was an extra special Mother's Day as we dedicated Bree Leighton this morning at Church! I have said before and I will say over and over again that Bree is my living testimony of faith and prayer. I swear her eyes twinkle differently as she is my constant reminder of keeping faith and how my Lord is in our lives constantly! He gave us Bree and the experiences of her pregnancy as a way of us re-dedicating ourselves to Him...today we returned His promise to us and dedicated her to a life in Him. Thank you Lord for these three sweet kiddos and loving husband! Giving me these babies, I have learned how much You love me and there is nothing I can do to lose that love, just as I will love these babies forever. Without you, I would not have this life of blessings and with You, this family has so much more to come!!! Thank You as well for the fabulous example of my mother and all her knowledge and help she gives me everyday! I would not know where to even begin some days without her and I know that is because You have given her so many experiences and blessed her life so that she can be there for me, Tara, Nicole and Jace!


So, Shane and the kids got me an ice cream maker for Mother's Day (we will just pretend that all the "Mother's Day shopping" I did over the last few weeks didn't happen =))!! One of Shane's greatest memories growing up was his Mom and MawMaw making homemade ice cream in the summer. So he wanted to start that with the kids and they LOVED it! I am not going to pretend like me and Shane didn't love it too, it was fun!! Who doesn't love Butterfinger ice cream!!! Here are a few pics of Claire and O with their daddy making the ice cream...

Here are the kids this morning...I LOVE the matching dresses on the girls!! I was up late last night making matching bows and I think they were sooooo cute this morning!!! (the dresses are Matilda Jane)...Bree has this new smile and I swear we all melt when we see it!!!!

Owen making his rare appearance =)... Pretty Claire...and her busted lip =(

My sweet SWEET ANGEL baby!!!! Look at those twinkling eyes!!!! Owen - my handsome boy!!!! Up front at church....Owen checking everything out, me smiling at the camera, Shane oblivious to the camera, Claire sticking her tongue out, yep that's us! Walking the stage to dedicate Bree!!! Love this picture...makes me proud of our family of 5!!! My Mom and Bree at lunch!

Shane and Claire at lunch...somehow Shane always manages to not get in any pictures...=)

Blurry but I love it... Happy Mother's Day to all you good Mama's out there!!

Now I am off to pretend to be waaaaay to tired so Shane won't make me do the Shred with him.....

Rachel's Thoughts this Week....

It's been a long week...and it is only Wednesday...some thoughts or recollections if you may, I have had this week...

...you know your house has been dirty for toooooo long when your 3.5 year old son comes home from school and says "Wow Mama, the kitchen is cleeeeeean! You been busy?".

...you know you eat at Drive Thrus way too often when every time you leave the bank drive thru your 8 month old starts throwing a fit and with her hands out awaiting a tater tot or french fry!

...you know your child has been wearing diapers for too long when they actually go down a size because they have slimmed down...even greater, your 8 month old is wearing the same size!!!!

...you know its time to do laundry when your 6 year old comes down after changing for bed in a dance leotard.

...you know it's time to touch up your roots when your 6 year old daughter is playing with your hair and says "Mama, look, your hair is getting some blonde hairs like Owen's!" (blonde = gray!)

...you know it's time to start watching what you say in front of your 6 year old daughter when she starts giving you relationship advice, using her experience on the playground or sitting at the carpet in class =)...not sure if it is good or bad - her advice is some of the best you have heard!

...you know you are looking tired when you go to dinner with all three kids and another Mama and her kiddos and the waitress says "Root beer, Sprite for the kids....margaritas for you!?"

Looking forward to the rest of the week!

BIG weekend!!

Someone lost a tooth this weekend!!!!!...... Same someone learned to ride her back without training wheels!!!!

Someone else finally retired the trike and learned to ride his "big green bike"!

Daddy got a good work out!

Mama and Daddy got a date night!!! (Tara totally rocked the Runway, my pictures are too fuzzy =( but she was awesome!)

Someone else did not do much but just look sweet and melt Mama's heart (when she was not crying, pooping or cranky =))...

Funny how your pride changes with kids....there was a time when I was proud of the car I drove, my career, how expensive my purse was, my dress size, etc...and while those things can still make me happy (when they are on the better side HA!) there is nothing like the pride you feel when your child does something as HUGE as riding their bike without training wheels!!! Or even better, seeing them proud of the tooth the FINALLY lost!!! Great weekend!!!