35 Years Young

If things don't work out with law enforcement, I think Greg has the makings of a great cake designer, don't you?

Ever had a birthday peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

Cannon gave me this for a gift. Yes, I can be bribed.

This is how Brynnley decorated...but informed me that only one of the pictures is for me. The rest are for her friends.

Does our house stink? Or do people just know I really like a good smelling dwelling place?

Thanks for all the cards and well-wishes. Being on Facebook, I had more birthday acknowledgements than I have had in years -- and from all over the country. So fun!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Is that song about the weather or the decorations? 

If it's about the weather, someone needs to tell Mother Nature that her timing is a bit off. And if it's about the decorations...well those are still up as well. At this rate, they won't be coming down till June!

Perplexing Round 2

Today as Kenzie, Cambrie and I walked into the doctor's office yet again...(what is this? Our new favorite Friday activity? This time Kenzie has a double ear infection...) a lady stopped me outside the door and said, "What do you have in there?" (Referring to the carseat under my arm which had Cambrie wrapped nice and snuggly inside.)
As she came closer and tried to lift the blanket, I said,"a cow." Given that I said it with a totally straight face, I think I caught her a bit off-guard.

Ok, so I didn't really say that. I'm not that rude. But, what did she think I was going to do...stand in the parking lot with a total stranger on a windy, 30 degree day and take the blanket off my newborn and expose her to the elements?

Give me a break. Or a nap.

Perplexing

Addysen just came into the office highly distressed and asking to use my cell phone.
I said, "why do you need my cell? Just call on the home phone."
Addysen said, "I can't. The phone isn't working. I've been trying."
Not having had any recent phone problems, I dialed the number. The phone worked fine...I just got a busy signal.
I said, "Addysen, the phone is working just fine. This is a busy signal. Someone must be on THEIR phone."
She said, "A What?!? What am I supposed to do? I need to talk to Maddy NOW. She said her mom is on the phone sometimes for hours. What am I supposed to do??!?"
Laughing, I said, "It doesn't matter how many different phones you try to use. You'll still get the same sound."

Sigh. Whatever did we do before caller id? Cell phones? Answering machines? Texting? Voice Mail?
It's a wonder our friendships and relationships ever survived.

Wanna Have A Good Cry?

Have a 9-year-old say, "I Love You" for no reason at all.

Laugh with an 8-year-old.

Play dress ups with a 5-year-old.

Get sloppy kisses from a 2-year-old.

Snuggle with a newborn.

And be grateful.

Who are these children coming down, coming down.

Like gentle rain though darken skies.

With glory trailing from their feet as they go.

And endless promise in their eyes!

Who are these young ones growing tall, growing tall.

Like silver trees against the storm.

Who will not bend with the wind or the change,

But stand to fight the world alone!

These are the few, the warriors

Saved for Saturday, to come

The last day of the world

These are they, on Saturday.

These are the strong, the warriors

Rising in their might to win

The battle raging in

The hearts of men, on Saturday.

Strangers from a realm of light

Who have forgotten all.

The memory of their former life.

The purpose of their call.

And so they must learn why they're here

And who they really are.

They must learn why they're here

And who they are!

These are the few, the warriors

Saved for Saturday, to come

The last day of the world

These are they, on Saturday.

(from the soundtrack Saturday's Warrior)

She Completes Us

Several people have asked where Cambrie's name came from.
The honest answer is, "I don't really know." However, the cool, creative answer is as follows:
C annon
A ddysen
M ackenzie
B rynnley
R obert (Greg's first name)
I
E (TacIE)

We can't take the credit for it (thanks Lani)...but it's what we're going to tell people from here on out.

You Poor, Pathetic Woman...

Ok, so no one actually said the words...but I got "The LOOK" more than once...along with many "You've certainly got your hands full" comments.

We wouldn't have been out at all, if it weren't for the fact that we were out of toilet paper and we were waiting for yet another prescription to be filled. (Having just come from the doctor for the third time in a week...3 different appointments for 3 different children... we found ourselves wandering around Walmart. We might as well get to know the office staff by name, not to mention the names of the pharmacists.)

By my accounts (and I would know...having traversed the aisles of Walmart with 4 onry children and no other parental help on many ocassions...) we were doing really well. We'd managed to get to a 9 am appointment - despite not enough sleep last night. (So what that it was only 10 am and my girls were on round 2 of sugar-loaded lollipops!) Of course, I didn't shower before leaving the house...but that is only a minor detail.

Kenzie is a wanderer...so there was no debate about her riding in the cart. Brynnley has a hurt leg (thus, the incident that prompted today's visit to the doctor), so she opted to ride in the cart as well. Cambrie was starving and had no interest in riding in the cart. So...I carried her on my arm, bouncing intermittently on my hip, throughout the process. (Who needs exercise when you have carseats with 9 pound babies testing your biceps?)

Since we were already out...it only made sense to grab a few groceries, right? But, where to put them when you have 3 children, one purse and a diaper bag to carry? It wasn't pretty, but my dad should be proud that somewhere along the lines of motherhood, I have learned to "pack" things rather well. 

Overall, we got our prescriptions, $175 worth of groceries (it wasn't all junk food - although the picture seems to depict otherwise), crazy looks and sympathetic stares...along with a picture for our blog.

We finished up with a quick trip through McDonalds -- even though it wasn't even 11:30am. Was it a bribe? Not exactly...it wasn't for the girls...but for me. The morning's adventures took a toll on my energy level - and I wasn't interested in going home to make lunch.

I'm counting this as one of the "good" days.

I'll Do It Myself

Kenzie has recently decided that she wants to dress herself...anytime...and always. While we certainly approve of this new-found independence...this "half-sleeve-shorts-on-shorts (yes, the "SHIRT" is a pair of shorts) ensemble...on a snowy, January day when the high likely hit only 25 degrees just didn't quite work.

We'll keep encouraging...and changing a lot of clothes. 

Now...if she would just decide to potty-train herself....

1 Week

Cambrie did not love her first photo shoot.

Brynnley took this picture of Cambrie looking over my shoulder.

We should just give up now...trying to get a decent picture of all 5 kids might just be too great of a challenge.