I was looking back on some older photos… I think this is one of my favorite pictures. It just captures a season in my life so well, without words. I love photos that do that! There are five kids sleeping in my bed in this shot: Afton, A.J., Aislynn, Andrew, and Aria. Where was I […]
I’m not a restaurant
Some people assume that just because I’ve been a mom for a while now (going on 20 years if you count Anthony, which I do!!) and because I have more than the “normal” amount of children (thus, more practice, I suppose) that I must have this whole “mom thing” down, and well…for the most part, […]
more family ties
My younger sister Kelly is only 24 hours away from us (if we drive without stopping!). She lives in Texas with her husband and three children. We drive out there once a year for a visit. This year, we had a new baby to celebrate: my little niece, Jillian What a cutie-patootie, huh? She’s […]
There’s a Crib in My Shower
Have you ever heard of Hot Spots? No, I’m not talking about the happening bars on a Friday night — I’m referring to areas in your home that no matter how hard you try to keep clean, “clutter” always finds a temporary home at. They are the places in the home where everyone dumps their […]
my kid lists
Having many children is such a blessing, and I sure do love our large family…but one of the harder things for me is making sure that every one of them gets the attention that he/she needs and deserves. Each night before I fall asleep it’s become a habit of mine to do a mental recap […]
on New Year’s Day
It was cold here in our tiny corner of the world on New Year’s Day. But instead of staying inside our warm and cozy house, I bundled the three little ones up and took them to our local lake. It had been raining the past few days, and I thought we should get out and enjoy this first […]
The Rain
It has been really raining and storming here these past few days! We are not used to this kind of weather, so it was rather exciting and fun! Time to put on rainboots! Only in southern CA will you find a two-year old having fun in rainboots and a bathingsuit! This morning, we woke up […]
Spread Love
Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor… Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness […]
Mother vs. Father
I’ve had an especially trying week. Rich started back to work on Monday and didn’t get home until 8:00pm Friday night. So that was five full days with me having all the kids and doing “it all” without his help. Everything just runs much more smoothly when he’s here. Two parents are better than one, […]
Spiders! Spiders! Spiders!
Our house is infested with spiders! Well, not the real kind, thank goodness. But here’s what our front porch looks like: The kids and I made these spiders today. Aren’t they cute? Well, as far as spiders go, that is. We started with syrofoam balls that I cut in half, and then we painted them black: Even […]
Even though.
Tonight after dinner, I thought we would do something fun before bedtime. Even though we had a very late dinner and all I wanted was for the day to end.Even though I was dead-tired and really just wanted to get everyone into bed. Even though I had a major headache. Even though I had just finished cleaning […]
I’m Falling Apart
I have a pinched nerve in my neck. I’m telling you, that’s the worst. I’d rather have a sore muscle because then someone can at least massage it for you, or heat pads can help, or warm water. But I don’t think that there is anything you can do for a pinched nerve, except maybe […]
Beach Bums
What’s better than a sand-covered baby? c Or a seven-year-old catching his first wave? or digging for sand crabs…. or getting buried in sand? What’s better than a day at the beach with your family — watching your kids enjoy the sand, the water, and each other? For me…it doesn’t get much better than this! Aria loved getting […]
The Hard Way to Get to the Pool
We have had such cold weather lately. I mean, seriously….enough for me to wear sweats in the middle of the day and for Rich to start up our fireplace at night. So cold in July? That’s not normal for southern California! But today…today was the first day that it actually warmed up. Finally! So I suggested to […]