treats this week

The treats I love this week....


These wonderful boots that Zander insisted on wearing yesterday to the store after seeing all of 3 flakes of snow fall from the sky. He dressed himself from head to toe...with his sweater, sweatpants, rubber boots, Kentucky Derby baseball cap, and light-up cars movie jacket.


This old CD of mine, Dixie Chicks' "FLY", that I started listening to in the car the other day. I belt out the songs at the top of my lungs and the kids love it...what a nice change from Miss Spider and her Sunny Patch friends...
After each song Zander says "Sing that pretty song again, Mama" and Kaya claps enthusiastically. Oh to have your children as fans!!!



And this-my new handheld vacuum. I always thought having a handheld vacuum was the epitome of laziness. Can't you just hook the hose to the upright and accomplish the same thing? Boy was I ever wrong!!! Now I can just grab this handy-dandy tool and take care of all kinds of messes. I LOVE it!!! I am so glad that I finally purchased one. What a way to simplify life! Just think how domestically blissful I will be now....with my new laundry day and tiny vacuum. Soon I will be waiting at the door for Matt when he gets home wearing my pearls and heels with his martini in my hand.

watch me wednesday (decorating grandma's cake)

my thoughts about my life and upcoming surgery

Here is the latest big endometriosis news.... I will have laparoscopic surgery to diagnosis and remove any endometriosis scaring on March 24th. I knew this was coming and I'm ready for it and also dreading it...

As I said a few months ago I don't like to dwell on my pain. However for those that see me often, I'm sure you hear about it. AND I truly apologize..... I hate it that it consumes my life. I think about it almost all the time. When I'm in pain I debate to myself, "Is this enough pain to take a pain pill?" or "Can I just deal with it for a few hours?". AND when I'm not in pain I want to do EVERYTHING fun....dance with my kids like crazy, go out and shop, drink a martini, see friends.....I just can't get enough good things from life....I know endometriosis isn't a life-threatening disease but when I get those moments when I feel like me again----I just can't stop the splurging for myself....

I guess the positive of feeling like an invalid is this......I've grown spiritually. AND that was one of my Becoming a Bigger, Better, Me Goals.....
Now I am laughing to myself. Because I've been searching....for that part of me that will make life have a purpose. And it seems to now. I've prayed to God, Jesus......I've meditated Buddhist style (however, I'm sure the Buddha would laugh at my meditation)...I've read 2-3 inspirational readings daily.....
And today, before I discovered the date for my surgery (that I've fretted and been so anxious about), ALL OF MY SPIRITUAL GUIDANCES WERE TELLING ME TO LET GO AND BE COMPASSIONATE TOWARDS OTHERS...

So I've decided that MUST be a sign, a sign for me to LET GO and release my selfish desires of wanting to be a healthy woman with the gifts to have more children. I know this surgery isn't taking away this but hopefully it will take away all the pain and suffering I'm having. I also want to participate in a healthy, normal, physical marriage because that has been taken away also because of this disorder. I'm just wanting to let go of this notion that I'm less of a woman because I have to go through all of this. I feel like now I need to stop thinking about my pain and do something for others' pains.......

So...I have prayed and I'm coming to peace with myself now.....whatever they find, is okay. I have two beautiful, amazing, children that have brought unbelievable joy to my life. I have so many friends with incredible children that I love. God is blessing me now by bringing my 2 Nelson girls closer to me to embrace, by giving me the strength to go see my other friends' children, I'm praying he gives me more little cousins to love, and one day in the future I hope to have a little niece and nephew (no pressure, Teri). So, I am SO BLESSED by all the little children around me.....how could I complain.

I won't dwell on my pain........but I do appreciate all of your prayers. Hopefully in a month I will feel better! I will give a recovery update after the procedure.

my baby crafters no.4

Here are my baby crafters working on a couple of masterpieces....



Zander is so serious while he paints....


Kaya has started to get into it too....


Some finished pieces....

domestic laundry bliss

We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting the laundry.
E. B. White

Usually on a Monday I run around in a frenzy.....trying to accomplish 15-16 things on my To-Do List . But not today---I am focused on completing one task----the laundry.

I came upon this idea about a week ago when chatting with some neighbors during girls' night (is it not perhaps a little sad we were discussing laundry during our night out?) but anyhow...two of them were saying that they did all of their laundry at once. I just questioned..."HOW???" I can't seem to ever get my laundry together. I even made a schedule a year ago....

I usually manage to get my assigned loads in the washer and dryer but by the end of the day, after I've tried to run to the grocery, vacuum, clean bathrooms, etc, I usually end up piling the clean clothes on the guest bed like this...

Thank goodness we have so many guests or I would probably have 3000 pounds of clean laundry sitting there, just waiting to be folded and put away.

So I've been diligently working today towards my goal of domestic laundry bliss and it isn't going half bad. It is much easier to get to the washer when it buzzes when you have told yourself that you are not vacuuming today. And I have great helpers. Zander loves putting the clothes in the washer. He also reminds me to go get them out when he hears the buzzer!



I hope this new method of doing laundry does seem to lesson my load.....hehe. We shall see. If this works just think of the domestic blissful state I will be in. If not, I'm sure I'll be as happy as Kaya about this entire laundry business....

getting gas to go shopping

We are on another KY trip....this time in the other side of the state. Zander and Kaya love all the toys. Here he is getting gas to go "shopping for sushi."

golden baby math

One Golden Baby +

One Golden Baby +

One Golden Baby =


Three Golden Babies!!!



We miss our fourth Golden Baby, Savannah!!! Love you bunches and wish you could play with us!!!




Our Golden Mommies miss your Golden Mama too.

watch me wednesday No.8 (cousins)

Here are the last pictures from our trip to Kentucky that I have to share. While there we went to visit my cousin Amy that I was so close to growing up. We were only 4 months apart in age, lived down the road from each other, and did almost everything together. It was fun to see our kids play together. Now, almost 2 weeks later, Zander still says "Play cars on Kelsie's bed."

three terrific treats

Here are 3 things I recently became the owner of......so fun!


This dreamy smelling bubble bath and lotion my friend Sue gave me. I truly love it!

My new CD--Jack Johnson's Sleep Through the Static. It is so mellow and fun to listen to. Listening to it instantly makes any bad mood or feelings disappear.

This book.....that has not yet been released. I joined an online book club with Barnes and Noble and received this book, The Sister by Poppy Adams. It is called the First Look Book Club where you get the first look at a book, who often have authors debuting their first books, and you agree to go online and chat about it. At first I thought, "No, they won't really send me a book for free for me to read and give my opinion." But I got it yesterday. And I can't wait! Someone wants me to read and share my opinion. Wonderful!!!

"I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart:
I will tell of all your wonders.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O most High."
Psalm 9:1-2

if walls could talk...

Right now I feel like I'm a wall listening into Zander's conversation with himself and all of his "friends" (stuffed animals). I am downstairs at the computer for my alone time and can hear him talking and singing away. About alone time...I guess I have said it too often because Z informed me yesterday that he and Kaya needed some alone time. Anyway, back to the subject, I am just laughing to myself as I hear his little conversation.....Here are snippets of it....
"Mama, say Michael. Michael. Michael. Mama, say Michael."
"Me, Me, My....Me, Me, My..."
"Happy Valentines Day."
"Wonderpets, Wonderpets, One more Way. Wonderpets. Wonderpets. One more Way."
"Ride in Bella's car."
"Mama, say glasses."

And singing...
"Happy Birthday Grandma" and the "ABC song".

Now I'm hearing,
"Mama.......where are you?" So I guess since it is after 7-that is my rule for him now, he can't get up when it is really dark or until there is a 7 on the clock....however, that did backfire at first when I began my rule, when he was excited it was 6:27, there was a seven on the clock-I'll go get my little chatterbox.
I wonder what his walls have heard him talk about before now?

crazy love

Oh those days of crazy love.....
When a road trip meant seeing how fast you can get there,
do we have enough cash for partying?
Not...
How should we plan the potty breaks,
do we have enough room for a pack-n-play?



Oh those days of crazy love.....
When going to the beach meant relaxing, drinking,
not getting up for hours at a time.
Not...
Who is getting the kids and
who is getting the stuff?


Now our crazy love has turned into a
stable, nurturing love.
A confidence that we will always be together.
A incredible growing process of becoming parents that love their kids oh so much.
A comfort of having the most wonderful life with your best friend.

But for this Valentines Day.......lets remember how fun our crazy love was......

watch me wednesday no.7 (valentine package)

today's prayer

God, give me the patience to handle my kids when they "rearrange"any cleaning I do today.
God, give me the endurance to deal with the continual pain I'm having.
God, give me a light heart that will play with my little ones when they ask.
God, give me the skill to effectively manage my time.
God, give me the wisdom & creativity to create something new and fabulous today.
God, give me the courage to stop and ask you if I need any help.

crafty cookies

I have been wanting to create some play food out of fabric for a while now. I finally got my first set of goodies made. Here are my cookies and the cookie jar that goes with it. I made the cookies out of mainly felt, with some other fabrics to mix up the textures. I "recycled" a recycled coffee container to make the cookie jar.....my, aren't I green these days?

visiting great grandpa

We visited Great Grandpa on Friday. On Sunday he was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. We hope he feels better and comes home soon!

madness of a monday

Every Monday it seems that I make myself become a mad frenzied woman. I don't know why I have it in my mind that I need to catch up on everything that I didn't get done the previous week. Like I will EVER catch up.
This was my to-do list for today......

Now, I didn't include taking care of two toddlers, unpacking from a trip, cooking 3 meals and general daily housekeeping tasks on the list......
Do you think maybe I have a problem with overplanning?
After being in pain for the past few months I decided to revamp my diet and exercise to see if that would help me out. Today, however, my new diet and fitness plan seemed to add to my stress. Yes, I want to be healthy BUT should it be this hard to accomplish it!!! Unfortunately drinking a couple of glasses of wine or a couple of bottles of beer don't count for my exercise in my new plan.....I had to walk off my stress instead! Oh, the torture!!

So tonight, after dinner and putting the kids to bed, I decided to tackle the mound of dishes that appeared between noon and night........why must that always happen???? The dishes just grow out of my sink........ I suddenly decided, wait....."Do I really have to get all of these things done today? What would be so terrible if I just left the dishes until tomorrow?"
NOTHING, Absolutely Nothing is terrible about it! I accomplished half of the items on my madness of a monday list so I must reward myself now. By taking a long relaxing bath, reading a book, and watching Law & Order. So now I can have a mellow of a monday evening.....

grandma and her cookies

What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies. ~Rudolph Giuliani

grandpa's pool sharks

Oh the advantages of having Grandpa wrapped around our little fingers.......

Do you think any other kids ever got to walk around & play on the tables at the City Pool Hall???

As you can see I've been on break for blogging for a few days. The kids and I went on a roadtrip together to Kentucky to see Grandma & Grandpa while Matt played with the boys in Vegas. We had fun seeing everyone and spending time with them. The next few days I'll post pictures of the highlights of our trip..........so maybe Kim and Teri can get their CraftyKorisa fix since I made them go days without it.

The hardest part was traveling alone with the kids and having to stop to get gas and go potty. But we survived!!! I think I handled it pretty well. Here are some photos that show you what happens to the car when everyday rules of limiting candy and sugar do not apply.....
I just wish you could feel how sticky Kaya's face and Zander's hands are in these....

baby surfboard quilt

Here is my lastest completed project.....a baby surfboard quilt. I made this for 2 of my dear friends from college who recently had their first son. I love it and hope Harrison does too!!! I've been dying to share it but had to wait until I thought they would have received it (just in case Allyson took a peek at my blog). Welcome to the world Little Surfer!!!