She works hard for her money...

Well my first week of working is officially over and tomorrow starts week #2.  It went a lot better than I expected.  I was surprised to find that my office is pretty laid back and the people are very close like family.  Those things alone make a huge difference in enjoying your job.  As for home, the kids did wonderful.  It was hard to be away from them everyday but realizing they were with their daddy made it so much easier.  We even spent two of my lunch hours together and that hour of pure bliss makes the rest of the day go really well.

My husband is absolutely amazing as well.  He cooked dinner a couple nights and made sure the house looked good when I got home.  I can't imagine how stressed out I would have felt to come home to my lovely little sanctuary torn apart.  I can assure you it would have resulted in tears. But on the contrary,  I received back rubs and lots of loves.

I think the hardest part besides leaving the kids was getting up in the mornings. But thankfully I woke up before my alarm clock and had a good 30 minutes each morning to pray for my family and talk with my Father before starting the day.  I know that was a huge part in my first week being so successful.

Highlights of my week were:

Having sweet Melody surprise me with coffee

Finding out I get off at lunch time every other Friday - paid!

Being told by my co-workers 5-6 times a day how much they love me - yay!

Getting surprised by my super sweet sister with my favorite Chai Latte and cookies

Lunch with my sweet husband

Taking my kids to the pool on my half day off!

I can't totally say I'm totally looking forward to tomorrow, but I'm sure not dreading it. There is nothing like being in the perfect will of God and that's where I'm sure I am.  I don't know exactly how long I will stay where I'm at but I do know that God's got a perfect plan and I intend on following that.

I hope you all have a very lovely week full of happiness and blessings.  

LUCY!!!

Well you probably know that I can't go too long with out a "Lucy" moment.  And today I had one of my BIGGEST Lucy moments ever!

First of all let me start by saying that I've been driving my husbands work car.  Usually I drive the suv so I have the extra room for the kids but since he's home with the kids while I'm at work I've been driving our smaller, more gas friendly car.  Well this car happens to be a stick shift and although I can make a 5-speed purr like a kitten, I haven't driven one in a long time.  

Moving on... As I was running into Wal-greens after work, I stepped out of my car, locked the door and began to walk towards the front door when a random guy starts yelling, "Ma'am, ma'am, ma'm, YOUR CAR!"  

It took me a moment of wondering why this strange dude is yelling at me when I turned around to see my car rolling backwards down the parking lot towards Main St.  

I screamed and ran towards the car trying to dig out the right key as it began picking up speed.  All the while the dude is yelling even louder, "Your CAR!"

Uh, yea... I know, it's heading towards a busy street and it's going faster than I am.

I got the key in the door and while trying to unlock the rolling vehicle I ended up unlocking and re-locking it several times because I couldn't steady the key.  Finally I got the door opened and jumped into the front seat and slammed on the breaks.  I had forgotten to put the car in first gear and had it in neutral by mistake.  UGH! I felt like an idiot!  I got out of the car, smoothed my hair and tried to gather the last little bit of my pride while the guy stood there laughing and shaking his head.  I thanked him profusely and then hurried into the store hoping not too many people saw me and my very embarrassing Lucy moment of the year.

I know, I know... LUUUUUUUCY!

And I'd tell you my Lucy moment that I had at work on Tuesday but you'd think I was an airhead and I can assure you I'm not.  So you'll just have to wonder about that one...

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Tomorrow life officially changes.  I'm off to work!  It's the first time I've had a full time job since I was 18 yrs old, so I guess it's about time.  I can honestly say that staying home with my kids for the last 10 years is a gift that I would never exchange for any amount of money in the world.  I know that not everyone has the opportunity to do that and I'm blessed to have been able to.  But now I'm realizing that possibly I can enhance our family all the more by going back to work.  Isaac and I have some real goals that we'd like to accomplish, not to mention an ever growing medical tab so it only makes sense.  Xander will be able to start preschool this year and so officially my kids will all be school age and so this seems the logical thing to do.

I won't lie... I bawled my head of Friday night for 2 whole hours at the thought of leaving my baby boy because he's never been away from  me.  For the my older kids it's no big deal because they are used to it already from going to school.  But when Xander grabbed my face, starred up at me with his big black eyes  and said, "I'm sure gonna miss you Mama." It was all over - the tears started and didn't stop till I fell asleep. What a bawl baby! I'm just so thankful that my kids will be with their Daddy 90% of the time I'm gone due to his schedule and I've hired someone to come to the house and help out for only 7-8 hours a week.  How can I beat that right?

(img via google images)

So it's evening now and my super healthy lunch is all packed, my water bottle filled, my SPARK ready to keep me going oh and a really cute outfit all laid out.  

And all I can think and pray is...

please don't let 9 hours feel like 29 hours!

please let my children be at peace about me leaving

please Lord give me supernatural wisdom, memory and knowledge to do my best

please let me be a light in the darkness

and most of all...

PLEASE DON'T LET ME HAVE ANY "LUCY" MOMENTS ON MY FIRST WEEK OF WORK!

birthdays

As a parent we want to give our children the world.  Especially when it comes to birthday parties.  I, however, abhor crazed parties with 35 children running through my house with chocolate frosting smeared all over their cute little faces.  The idea gives me the shakes.  Honestly, I don't know how you all do it!  A good handful of my friends throw awesome kids parties and do it with ease.  I applaud you - for sure!  We have a different sort of take on celebrating in my house, we alternate between a "friend party" and a "family party" each year.  This really is the perfect solution in our family.  We also like the idea of birthday trips - Hunter went on a treasure hunt that led to a denver trip that included waterworld and a museum. and Tasia spent her 6th birthday in Disneyland.  

Thursday is my gorgeous baby girl's 8th birthday and it just so happens to be her family party year. 

So this year we are starting her day at the nail salon where she and her bestie get their first real pedi's in kid size massage chairs. Of course Jamie and I will oblige the girls and suffer through our own pedicures. Oh the things we do for our children...

(img via google images)

Then we are going shopping, 'cuz a girls gotta buy some new birthday lovelies.  At noon she has a lunch date with her Papa and Nana at the restaurant of her choice, and soon after Grammie and Aubuelo too will come over and we'll grab a quick meal of the birthday girls choosing.  And then we'll end it all with the rest of her family coming over for cake and ice cream.  It will be a full day and I'm sure she will love it!

(via we heart it)

So how do you all celebrate your children's birthdays?  Are you one of those amazing mom's that throws crazy awesome parties every year?  Or do you keep it simple?  Do you have any traditions that are special to your family? 

I'm feeling blue...

and when I say blue I mean deep shades of sapphire, midnight, indigo, rain, navy and turquoise. 

Blue is classy, intriguing, gentle, royal, alluring and intense.

LOVING BLUE RIGHT NOW!

(all img via weheartit)

Things I've realized today include...

(img via weheartit)

1. There's absolutely NO reason to freak out when your car breaks down.  It's either going to cost a ton and you're gonna have to cough it up to fix it or you just might be surprised to find out it was and easy fix for under 1 Benjamin. And it totally helps to have a SUPA RAD husband encouraging me while I drove our gigantic suv down the highway at 10 mph - cuz it's stuck in 4wd!
2. When your grass is looking a bit less green than normal and your husband is busy "owning the night" in cop land, grab on the closest flip flops (which happen to be his), hike up your pretty floral sundress and fix the darn sprinkler system yourself.  HA! I'M HANDY TOO!
3. Life is way too short -  SO-LIVE-IT-UP-FOOL!
4. Family is always, always there for us.  And little sisters that put their perfect driving record on the line by letting her big bro and me pile way too many people in her car to get you home after your car break down - well they or shall I say "she" rocks.
5. Paying kids a BIG allowance makes them work a whole lot harder.  My house is clean!
6. After 10 years of staying home to raise my children, maybe it's time I joined the land of the working girls again.  Wait that makes me sound like a hooker doesn't it?  I SWEAR that's not the type of job I'll be getting. Moving on...
7. Even after knowing this dude I refer to as POPO for 12 years, he never ceases to amaze me and remind me of why I married him.  
8. Letting little girls put sticky notes on every door and room of the house is worth having to clean them up later just to see the smile on her face when I say "sure" to her doing so.
9. When you pray and ask God for something in your life that is good and needed, He never lets you down. 
10. Stepping out and doing something a little unexpected is a little bit nerve wracking but a whole lotta exciting!

This stuff is SA-WEET!

love, love, LOVE this stuff!

I know that you've probably already had this and I'm so, so, so very far behind but I finally bought my

first agave nectar and holy crap - it rocks my world.  I think I've eaten 3 piece of toast drizzled in nectar.

Um, yea... it's THAT good.

Not as sweet or intense as honey and better than suga for you.

Here's what the people at Madhava Organic Agave Nectar have to say...

__________________________________

Agave  is best recognized as the plant from which tequila is made, it has also been used for thousands of years as an ingredient in food. The nectar made from the plant is known in Mexico as aguamiel, or "honey water."

The Aztecs prized the agave as a gift from the gods and used the liquid from its core to flavor foods and drinks. Now, due to increasing awareness of agave nectar's many beneficial properties, it is becoming the preferred sweetener of health conscious consumers, doctors, and natural foods cooks alike.

Agave nectar  is most often produced from the Blue Agaves that thrive in the volcanic soils of Southern Mexico. Agaves are large, spikey plants that resemble cactus or yuccas in both form and habitat, but they are actually succulents similar to the familiar Aloe Vera.

The taste of agave nectar is comparable, though not identical, to honey. Many people who do not like the taste of honey find agave a more palatable choice. It also has none of the bitter aftertaste associated with artificial sweeteners.

So if you're slower than molasses at catchin' on to this stuff (like me) go out and get some.  You won't regret it!

Le' Menu

This picture cracks me up.  Oh how true it is!

(via weheartit)

Oriental Chicken Salad

Pizza, breadsticks and salad

Thai Peanut Pasta

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Leftovers

Well...

we are home.

What a lovely trip we had! I would have to rate it as one of my fav's.  Honestly you can't beat perfect weather, family and friends.  This trip was needed so very much after a very stressful start to our year.  Now we feel so refreshed and revived and so very thankful.  
Anyways... here's a little glimpse of the fun we had.


The temp was in the 90's in Vegas and 70's in Disney.  Ideal right? 

This is where we stayed.  It's the Presidential Suite. And the nicest suite I've ever stayed in.

It was 3 bedroomsand 3 full bathrooms.  A full kitchen and laundry. And 2 pools.

A gorgeous view of the strip.

Our first night, getting ready to eat at PF CHANGS.

Such a blessing to have such amazing friends!

Besties. They were inseparable.

Second night in Vegas outside of Ceasars.  Cheesecake Factory.... Mmmm!

The kids making wishes in the fountain.

We had to guard their eyes a few times on the strip but managed it.

Disneyland fun!

Notice Tasia - what a rocker. Even on rides.  She's a poser like her Mama. Ha ha!

We kinda cheated and just shot these pics from the tv screens with our iphones - so they're a bit blurry.

Jamie didn't want to get wet but somehow ended up in the front and got a face full of water. We all got a good laugh off of that one.

Poolside is always the best!

And what Vacation would be complete without a little In-N-Out Burger. 2X!!!

Babygirl loves her burger.

And now we are

 HOMESWEETHOME!