Me

Fall 2013 has brought some different variables into my life.....for one, Emersyn is in school four days a week and from 9-1. Love the *late* start compared to a lot of other schools and also love the extended day that includes her eating lunch at school. I've enjoyed packing her healthy lunches in the mornings.

I'm enjoying the quality time with my boy in the mornings, whether is be spent drinking coffee, watching Sesame Street and playing or me catching up on emails while Everett has some independent play time. Emersyn was so great at entertaining herself, I want Everett to have that skill as well even though he often has an older sister playmate around.

Bible Study started back up on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday nights are up and running again with classes for the kids and choir for mama.

I'm no longer babysitting the two kiddos that I once was...I can't remember if I've already talked about this in my blog but if I haven't there you have it. This came as a shock in a way, happened almost overnight as the mom decided it was time for her to stay home. I'd watched the little guy since he was 6 months (so for two years) and then his little sister had just joined the party. I never thought I would be a day care provider per say but I really enjoyed having the kiddos around and REALLY enjoyed the freedom that the income provided to accomplish certain financial goals and have some guilt free Starbucks money.

Not babysitting anymore has thrown me for a loop which surprised me. Babysitting days were like *work* and then the days off were just that...days off. Now I'm always *off*? Yet as every mama knows, there are never really days *off*. ;) I'm trying to make the best of this situation. Yes, I still do real estate but that doesn't take up enough time to feel like a work day. I can do that here and there throughout the week.

I liked having defined days off and now having every day off like I said before is just interesting.

I'm not complaining. Lord knows I prayed for these days to come back when I was working for an insurance company and longing to be home with my baby girl. I can truly look around and say, "look what God has done!". However, it's a thankless season at times.

Brett is starting school up and will be physically in class two nights a week, plus the kids and I go to church on Wednesday. Not only will he be gone on those nights, but then when he's home he will be busy with homework from his other two classes. I'm somewhat dreading the start of Brett's school but excited for him too. I want to do the best I can to support him and be an awesome mama to his kids. The days are just long when Daddy doesn't come home for dinner.

I've determined that the Lord has given me a gift in this season and I might be mistaking it for something else, something like a burden. For the first time in my life as a mother, I actually have time. I have time to clean. I have time to read to my children. I have time to meal plan. I have time to make healthy recipes. I have time to play. And yet, it is tiring! I have had a very productive week so far around the house, yet when I look around certain areas are still a mess. It feels impossible to keep up with sometimes.

Something else I have time for is ME. On the evenings when Brett is gone at school I will have more than enough time to read, pray, and just hang out with the Lord. I can read magazines. I can pursue other hobbies like maybe even busting out my sewing machine that I got for Christmas a few years ago and have yet to use....sad face. I am back on my TSFL program and need to concentrate to be successful at that. And I have the time to do that. It's a strange feeling.

This post is probably a whole lot of rambling but I just needed to vent and process. I have such huge expectations of what I think a *successful* SAHM's house looks like and my house is no where near that standard. But my children are happy and healthy, what more could I ask for?

I'm praying that this unique season wouldn't be wasted by me feeling sorry for myself and wishing Brett was just done with school and into a higher paying job. God has me right where He wants me and there are lessons to learn along the way, lessons I wouldn't want to skip if I knew how important they were.

Emersyn's 5th Birthday Party

 

For Emersyn's 5th birthday I knew I wanted to have a dance party. We LOVE music and dancing around our house. I was at a lost for an affordable and fun venue to host this sort of event and then a friend suggested just doing it at the park, brilliant! 

I booked Magnolia Park in Hillsboro back in March. It's a more popular park in our area. We've had four parties there and they are always a blast, minus a few factors like the crazy breeze (which is nice on a hot day) and the bees. We got some traps this year for the bees but they will still crazy around the food. Boo. 

I decided to make all the baked goods for Ems party this year. Normally we get an amazing cake from Lambs Bakery but I was pretty sure a rainbow cake like I wanted would be spendy and I am slowly getting over the need for perfection. I figured I would give it a shot and crossed my fingers.

 I made the cake the morning of the party which was slightly risky but I wanted it to be fresh. Worst case scenario, I run to Costco and pick up a cake. Birthday cake stress is just too much of a first world problem to justify. ;)

I am normally TERRIBLE at frosting cakes but this turned out okay actually! I bought a new spreader and also decided to frost the little balls on the bottom to cover up any perfections along the plate. I was really happy with how it turned out considering.

 

 I also did rainbow cupcakes for the kids which turned out great too! A little time consuming but cheap and cute.

 

I loved how the fruits and veggies turned out. These are all some of Emersyn's favorites and I put hummus in the middle part once we got to the party.  Amazing how bright and colorful these things are that come straight from the God's creation, no artificial colors needed. Side note: the cucumbers and cherry tomatoes came from my garden!

My talented friend Rachelle did the invite for me and her husband is the one who took pictures at the party. We are thankful for the Polits family and their talents. :) 

The kids had so much fun dancing and I loved watching their happy faces. We bought a little mini sound system on Amazon and it will be sure to get used again in the future. Music is always fun at a party. 

I knew I wanted to do a dance wand of some sort, as a favor and to add to the fun. I messaged my super creative friend Carissa and told her my vision. Not only did she give me an idea for a concept....she went out and bought and prepped everything for me so all I need to do was assemble them and she stayed under budget! I paid her back but the amount of time that she saved me was priceless.  Carissa has a super cool blog, check it out HERE!!

I love the balloons that are strung up on twine. Kind of look like a poor man's paper lantern. ;) 

 

A few kiddos has already left at this point so this isn't quite all of them but we had a fun bunch! 

The happy birthday song is like the highlight of Emersyn's year. She LOVES it and loves being sung to. 

 

I can't believe my sweet girl is FIVE! I love you Emersyn Grace!!

Emersyn's 5 Year Old Interview

This is a repeat from last year. It will be fun to see some answers change and some stay the same. (last year's answers in parenthesis) :)

1. What's your favorite color? yellow and pink and orange (purple)

2. What's your favorite toy? my new double stroller (Loving Family doll mini van)

3. What's your favorite show? Taylor Swift music videos (Little Einsteins)

4. What's your favorite holiday? My birthday!!!! (Christmas just 'cause I do!)

5. Who's your best friend? Ellie and Stella and Ben and Everett

 (Stella, Isabelle, Katharine, Emery, Ellie)

6. What's your favorite song? "Red" by Taylor Swift ("Baby you're a firework" and "Nothing is impossible" {Priority Album})

7. What's your favorite book? King Bidgood's in the Bathtub (The Napping House and prayers book)

8. What's your favorite animal? dogs, kitties, horses (pigs because they are pink)

9. What's your favorite food? pizza (peanut butter and jelly)

10. What's your favorite snack? hummus and crackers (Pirate Booty)

11. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? vanilla (chocolate vanilla swirl)

12. What's your favorite restaurant? BJ's Pizza and OSF (Old Spaghetti Factory)

13. What's your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Oatmeal (Shredded Mini Wheats)

14. What's your favorite game? Yahtzee (Chutes and Ladders)

15. What do you want to be when you grow up? the same as Everett, a Dr!  (a teenager) 

16. What is your favorite thing about Mommy? playing with her, cleaning up with her and cooking with her and helping her (playing with her, loving her, painting nails rainbow-y, watching mommy sing on stage)

17. What's your favorite thing about Daddy? He's so handsome, I love going on dates with Mommy and Daddy (going on dates to Lowes, playing cars, snuggling in bed)

18. What's your favorite thing about Everett? He's so handsome and I love it when he pretends he's a super hero (Playing with him, waking him up in the morning)

19. What was your favorite thing to do this summer? Going on our beach trip! (Go to the fountain)

Everett's 2nd Birthday

Dear Everett,

You are TWO years old, I can't hardly believe it!! I'll never forget the day you were born...hardest thing I ever did was push out that giant head of yours and you were worth every bit of that agony. ;) Everett David, your name means strong and dearly loved and this sums you up in a nutshell. You are the joy in our family's world and your mommy, daddy and sister just adore you!

You are happy from the minute you wake up. You like to wake up slowly. Often time when you sleep in I will go check on you and you are sitting up in your crib, sucking on your bink and cuddling with your blanket, a happy little clam. You go to bed around 8-8:30 and wake up between 7:30-8. You love going to sleep and sometimes will start singing, "niiiii niiiiii mommeeeee" when it's late and you're ready for bed. You very rarely fuss when going down for a nap but quickly stop when you realized that fussy boys don't get to sleep with their blankies and binkys. :)

You aren't a huge eater, despite your healthy size. Your favorite thing to eat is fruit. You ate an entire personal sized watermelon this summer at the fountain and I'm pretty sure it was the best day of your life. I cut up the watermelon in slices and while your sister and friends were playing in the fountain, you were sitting on the sidelines eating up all that delicious sweet goodness. You also love blueberries, mandarin oranges, apples, bananas and peaches. You don't care for meat much like your sister, although I think I remember her liking steak at your age. You are a pickier eater than she was. You like waffles (wakkles), crackers, cheese, bell peppers, spaghetti, pizza, Burgerville cheeseburgers, tater tots, kids Clif bars, applesauce pouches, mac and cheese with peas, oatmeal, greek yogurt, pizza.....hmm, maybe you aren't that picky after all. ;)

Your favorite show to watch right now is "Jake and the Neverland Pirates". We got you little pirate plates and napkins for your birthday and you were so proud of your "yo ho" plates. It was really cute.

You also really like "The Lorax" right now. It's a cute movie and Emersyn loves it too which is partly why I think you like it. You aren't a big tv watcher but one thing you will watch forever is country music videos, especially if there is a guitar being played. You love love LOVE music and love dancing and playing your guitar. In fact, for most of the summer you would run back inside yelling "GUI-YAR!" whenever we would leave and you would come back out with your beloved guitar. I have to admit, it's the cutest thing ever. I definitely see music in your future little man. 

This year for your birthday we decided to hold off on the big party and get away as a family. The Lord totally hooked us up with an AMAZING beach house rental. It was the nicest house we've ever stayed in and it was so so so special to be together as a family and celebrate YOU! It was just the four of us for the first night and most of your birthday and then Nana and Papa joined us.

We made you a special breakfast of birthday french toast. You loved it. You pretty much love any kind of sweet carb. 

There is something about the ocean that reminds me of how big God is and how little I am, and yet He has blessed me SO much. I am so blessed to be your mama Everett!!! 

We decided to open some presents early in the day before Nana and Papa got there so we could FaceTime with Mimi and Grandpa and also so you would have some toys to play with! You were more interested in your pretzels than you were the presents so big sister helped you out. 

This picture made me laugh...you literally were more excited about the pretzel than the presents! Ha! 

Your last guitar wasn't really a guitar....nor was it really even yours. It was a ukulele that was your sisters. Mimi and Grandpa bought you your own real country guitar so you can properly jam now. You LOVE it! 

For your birthday lunch we went to Mo's, our favorite restaurant in Lincoln City. Turns out, you are a HUGE clam chowder fan just like Emersyn. I don't know very many two year olds that like bell peppers and clam chowder. You are a silly boy.

I adore you in TOMS and jeans. You're so handsome like your daddy.

We had so much fun, just chillin' around the house and enjoying each other. I cannot wait to go back!!!

Everett, when I think of you I think of your contagious little smile, your love for all things sports and music, how you always declare "I wanna RUN!" or "I wanna WALK" before we've even gotten outside or out of the car. Your kisses make me swoon and you so freely give them out. You love saying "goodnight" and "goodbye" and will give bye bye loves and night night loves to pretty much anyone. You love your grandparents, especially your Papa and Grandpa.

You wear a 3T shirt, 2T pants and weigh about 28lbs. Your favorite shoes are Crocs and Keens. You love wearing clothes that have balls on them, footballs, baseballs. You also love your Buzz Lightyear jams. You show no interest in potty training and I am okay with that.

Here is a message from your big sister: "I love Everett and I love that he is so cute and he's so handsome. He eats so cute. I love to go play at the park and get energy out with him. We like to play house together and restaurant. I love when Everett wears his superhero shirt and his cape. I think Everett is going to be the same as I am when he grows up, he will work at a hospital and he'll take care of people who are sick.  Love, Emersyn".

Everett, I love you so much and pray that I would be the best mama to you that I can be. You bless me more than I ever thought possible.

Love you baby boy!!!!!

Love,

Your Mama