Happiness Is Being Married To Your Best Friend!

We had our seventh wedding anniversary yesterday. We celebrated over the weekend with a trip to Seattle and spent the weekend relaxing and enjoying the fact that we had nothing we had to be doing. It was fabulous.
They say there is a a seven year itch, however I am not experiencing any such thing. In fact I think this last year has been the smoothest yet. Our family is complete and we are living in the place that I envision us living in forever. And we are still working as a team which has been our way of life from day one, there is nothing that one of us goes through without the other.
I have married my best friend is what I said to myself the day i married Brian and I still feel like that now. We know what drives each other crazy, we know what makes each other happy, he knows I cry about everything, I know he likes his pants folded a certain particular way and no matter what I know at the end of the day we love each other and this is how its going to be for the next 7 years and forever.
So after this sappy post thanks to all you Jager supporters we have been presented with a lot of great examples of what it means to be married forever.
Our life is great all thanks be to God for his constant power in our lives!!

Grace at Hovander Park for the End of The Year Picnic

This was my third year traveling to Hovander Park with Teacher Leslie and many little preschoolers. However this was my first time with Grace. We were lucky the weather held on for us because there were some mighty big rain clouds int he sky. We spent a couple of hours eating lunch playing games and going up into the tower. Good times had by all. This is one of the best parts of them growing older, field trips.

Not really babies anymore:(

There are so many happy things about not having babies anymore. No more diapers, no late night feedings, no breastfeeding, no more scheduling life around nap time. There are also a lot of things I miss, no more snuggling whenever I want(it is all decided by them) no more nap times, no more tiny little socks in the wash and no more blankies. It is amazing to me how much change we have gone through in last year. We have lost nap times, Elliot is in big boy school, grace is almost done with her first year of preschool, Grace is all about telling you what she wants now, Elliot can add and subtract and much much more. I thought it would be a lot longer before I felt this way but boy do they grow up fast. I love every stage though and being a mommy is great no matter how old they are. Just missing the baby stage a bit lately. So here are a couple of pictures of my babies!

Jager and Son Contracting

So I hired two contractors (Jager and Son) to finish my bathroom remodel and although they take forever to complete projects they do really nice work! I will give Brian credit though he is working, going to school, and doing whatever I need him to and he is keeping up fairly well without complaining. So no complaining from me. The cupboards will be put back in tomorrow so I will update with a full report on the bathroom remodel. By the way isn't the smaller contractor pretty cute!!

Mothers Day

If you read my blog regularly then you already know how much I love my job as Mom to the two most wonderful kids in the world:) Mothers Day is always great, I am so thankful for a husband that appreciates and loves me. He is so good about organizing mothers day morning the same every year. First of all I get to sleep in until 8am (oh the simple joys of being a mom) then I am brought breakfast in bed by my two favorite servers (this year it was french toast, fruit salad, hashbrowns, bacon, OJ and coffee) then I am allowed to stay in bed and am not expected to do anything. Brian insists on getting the kids ready for church himself, so I just stay in bed and watch cartoons with whoever is free at the time. I love this Mothers Day morning tradition, it was especially fun to see Elliot get so excited this year with all of the preparations he was definitely the master of ceremonies for the morning. After church we went to Fairhaven got cupcakes and played at the park so much fun. We ended the day at my moms roasting hot dogs and marshmallows the first roast of the year. I have to say it was one of my best Mothers Days yet I am a blessed woman. I have the best job in the world.

Elliotism of the Day: Mom when I am a magician someday (wasn't aware he wanted to be a magician) you can be my pretty assistant. Oh man I love this kid!

Popsicles and a sleepover.....

Saturday was a gorgeous day in the Pacific Northwest I think it was close to 70 degrees out with the slightest warm breeze. We spent the morning garage saling (I spent $4) and then went for a very long walk (I did the walking the kids rode along) and then played outside for the remainder of the afternoon! Sunny days are so nice when can pretty much be in the yard all day have lunch at the picnic table, get dirty and enjoy each others company. That night was even more exciting though the Dave and Treasa (our friends and neighbors) got tickets to a concert in Seattle last minute and asked us to take their two boys overnight. WE pretty much just trade our kids back and forth all of the time so it was no problem. They came at dinnertime so we had pizza and then ended the night right with a family friendly movie:) They all slept well surprisingly and I think this will be the beginning of many sleepovers throughout the summer.

My Comfort....

The last couple of weeks have seemed so full. So full of family. so full of fun. so full of tears, so full of smiles, so full of needs needing to be met,so full of wonder, so full of sorrow, so full of who knows what just full. I am thankful for the fullness however during the times of tears and wonder and sorrow I just want to hide under my covers and pray that I can hide. Recently my tears and wonder have been wrapped around my children mostly my wonderful and amazing little boy Elliot. Once someone told me that they had a grandson named Elliot and the name is saved for children that can only be described by the word "potpurri". I couldn't agree more with her, with Elliot my days are full of laughter and sometimes bewilderment. I am not always sure where his mind gets the ideas that it does or why he can go from happy to sad in a snap of a finger or why he seems to understand things on a much deeper level then even I can sometimes. His faith in God is growing at a rate that I only wish mine could at times and his explanations for why the world works the that it does are at times so matter of fact but so full of truth that my eyes are opened to things I have not yet pondered. Recently though his intense love for life has begun to boggle him a bit so much so that the other day he came to me and explained his frustration with being able to focus. This is not a new revelation however it was the first time he himself has expressed it to me. Brian and I have had many talks about the subject since Elliot has started school and had made a decision to let things go unless Elliot seemed bothered by his inability to focus at times. But I cannot explain the heartbreak I have felt watching him at times over the last few months. And I am not sure I have ever felt as much love for him as I have over the last few weeks. After much evaluation and time we had come to the decision that maybe Elliot needed some extra help in this area so yesterday we started some medication to help him be able to excel in the areas he becomes frustrated in. Praying seems to be my favorite past time in regard to Elliot lately and I am constantly being comforted by Gods presence in my life. Well yesterday all my praying seemed to pay off because Elliot said to me at bedtime I feel like a new boy. Praise God for walking beside me through this because I told Brian a few days ago I didn't feel like I was winning and I felt like I was failing this little boy. He comes just in time not when you want Him to all the time but when you need him to He is there.
I have been spending much more time lately praying for my friends that I know are going down their own rocky paths I can't tell you how much I value each of you in your own ways. This morning I was at bible study(if you don't go you should really find one near you to attend I couldn't go without mine:)and a verse was mentioned that I was aware of but hadn't read in awhile I thought it was fitting for many of us at this point. Isiah 40: 28-31 -
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,the Creator of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no
one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increase the power of
the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and
fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings on eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
We watched a video with Beth Moore and she said something that really hit my heart, she was talking about road signs and she said this is a broken road but the sign still says keep straight ahead. Call upon his promises and he will hold true to them he is just waiting for us to ask.
I know for some of you this post may seem over the top however this is what my heart really feels and I am working on be more authentic as my friend Bonnie would say. If I have smile on my face I want it to be genuine and if I have tears rolling down my cheeks I have no reason to hide under my covers for I know where my comfort lies and hope you all do too!

Mommy Cleanest the Grand Pubaa of the Swiffer!

So I must admit that cleaning house has never been a first priority to me. Now don't get me wrong I like to be clean I just don't like to deep clean beyond the surface. And clutter has never bothered me! If I have a choice between having a dance party with my kids and cleaning the floors I will always choose the dance party and the floors will have to take a rain check. Now I will say I have admired many of your houses in the past and thought if I just had the time and energy at the end of the day my house could be a shiny palace as well. I just never wanted to be the mom that made her kids afraid of getting the house all clogged up with their toys and I would much rather clutter my refrigerater with their creations then to have it be neat and organized and serve a purpose such as reminding me of things that need to be done. I always want them to feel like its their house:) Their Home! But since my surgery I have a new found energy that I haven't ever had and that has created a new appreciation for cleaning and although I still refuse to clean when my kids need me more you can find me many of late nights on my hands and knees scrubbing the floor, the bathroom , the kitchen, the wainscoting, and that grody place behind the trash can:) I must admit I love to clean and once you get started it is pretty addictive!!
And have you girls ever tried the swiffer let me tell you I don't even know where to find my broom or mop anymore who needs them and it makes the job so much easier. ANd Swiffer wet mops smell so yummy!! Well enough rambling but I just thought I should share one more reason I praise God for this surgery without it I would probably still not have the energy to do these things. I know its hard to believe but has been a true miracle to me:)