Puppets

Here are some instructions on the hand puppets...in case you feel froggy and want to make some!
Makes for a fun project with the kiddos!

Saturday memories

 Today was a super fun day!  Ryan has been working so hard this week since we got back from the beach.  We got back late Saturday.  He had to work Sunday after church, and pretty much late every night this past week till 7 or 10pm.  Yesterday he mentioned that he thinks he saw the kids a total of 3 hours this week.  Boo!
I had a shoot this morning that got pushed back to noon due to rain.  So this was what went down that made this day so fun.
But I will tell it you backwards, because that is how I uploaded the pictures by accident.  And I do not want to reload them.  So in back wards order....here is our day....

bees in my head

I feel like my mind is buzzing with things telling me what I need to be doing, what I want to be doing, and what I need to learn to do.  Ha! It makes me laugh when I actually write down what I think!  So yes,..it feels like there are bees in my head.


But despite all the things I should be doing, I am going to instead sit and be still. Read God's word to quiet my heart.  Ahhhhh...so nice!

I wish I could post some pictures for you.  Like Ella Reese's 4th birthday two weeks ago.  Or my nephew's birthday bash a month ago.  And pictures in between for the past 2 months that I took and forgot to post.  And beach pictures from our vacation last week.  But instead I am going to quickly jot down a funny memory of Ella Reese.  Cause unlike pictures that remain true and vibrant from when you took them, memories and stories fade over time...

Funny story:  Ella was saying that we could not see lightening bugs outside unless they were lit up because they are collaged.  Ryan and I were like,.." they are what?"
"They are collaged!".  Then we died laughing.  She was meaning to saying camouflaged!
We corrected her, then she said, "nope.  collaged. ".  Then she starts doing a jig in a circle, " collage, collage, collage!".  Yes, I have brainwashed her with Art...

jumping beans

Our annual couch jumping fun.

We actually do not allow them to do this.

But last year I allowed it one day to take pictures. 

And I do so once more the other day.

That is probably why they don't listen to us when we tell them to not jump on the couch.

hmmmm......

food and books

Tomatoes, tomatoes oh how I love thee!!

Growing bountifully from our garden and feeding me.

Go away yucky tiny bugs,... please!

I must have my tomatoes to make more yummy cous cous-e!!!

I still dream about and crave this lunch I made last week.  Toasted Roast beef with sharp cheddar on wheat bread.  Fresh tomatoes from our garden sliced on top ( to die for!!!  It is like eating a piece of fruit.  And I sure do eat it like that).

Plenty of mayo smothered on with the right amount of mustard.

Then the cous cous.  Oh the cous cous...

With some curry, turkey and tomatoes.  Heaven.  My mouth literally watered when I made it. 

And as I was taking these pictures, Ryan says, "You are wasting your shutter. ".

Blah blah blah...

Every camera has a shutter count, or x amount of times the camera will take a picture until it goes kaput.   I never listen to that voice that stands behind me telling me to NOT take pictures b/c it is lessening the life of my camera.  And literally that voice is Ryan.  Literally over my shoulder telling me this.  Love Ryan to death, but nothing can really stop me from taking pictures.  Unless my camera goes kaput.   lol.

 So here is another picture I took.  I know,...wasting my shutter.  But only b/c I thought it was ridiculously large.  And I am still puzzled as to why my husband ordered this book as his beach vacation reading.  Which he has already started and we leave in a week.

 I told him that people will look at him on the beach and say, "Why is that guy reading a thesaurus?!"

Happenings and Going to Happenings...

We are gearing up around here for a fun fun fun 2 weeks ahead of us!
We'll be celebrating Ella Reese's 4th Birthday, ( AHhhhhhHHHHHh!!!  Is she REALLY turning 4!!), My big sis and her now family of 4 are coming in and staying for most of the week...and I have packing packing packing to do for Ryan and my trip to FL while the kids enjoy a week of house hopping ( and Cousin Camp) while we are gone.
So lots to look forward to, and lots of work too!
Here are some last summer pictures of us.  And the annual Cousin Camp Ryan's mom hosts for all he cousins. So fun!

pollenailish

Straight from the Ella English Dictionary:

pollenalish:   An outward adornment for the fingernails.  A paint like substance that is applied to the outside of the finger nails and smells strongly of spray paint.
Pronunciation:  pollen-alish; ( noun) ; comes from the Chinese and American language


I cannot convinve her that is suppose to be said as nail polish. And she will ask me all concerned...
...standing outside of the bathtub naked, " Mom, will my pollenailsh come off in the bath?!"
....or standing outside of my shower, "Mom! Is your pollenalish going to come off!?".
And she says it just as it is written, like one long word.  pollenalish.

popcorn picnic

   Ilove puffy I-just-woke-up faces.

My sweet sweet Dean.  He oozes sweetness and cuteness.

                                                                    my little prince

                                      My extremely curious Ella!  Can't get anything past her!

 This girl sneezes every time, or almost every time, she wakes up.  I am not kidding.  I stood there while she sneezed on my for a like 2 minutes. 

 Two sleepy faces wanting snacks.  So I bent down low and said, "I know!  Let's have a popcorn picnic!" .  They cheered in unison.  And I put in Mary Poppins.  After taking these pictures I was able to wash all 3 of my bathrooms, and wash 3 loads of laundry( not all dry and folded, but at least they all made the first step-washing).  I love you Mary Poppins....you are my hero.

                                                                             dirty feet

 I do not want to cut her hair.  I do not want to cut her hair.  I WILL not cut it.  I WILL NOT. Nope. Can't make me.

The 4th of July

 I am pretty proud of myself of getting these 4th of July pics up IN THE MONTH OF JULY.
We had a kickin' time at the Hughes's bash.  It was so fun!
Burgers and dogs, homemade ice cream, booms day like fireworks- no joke, and a super duper mega slip and slide for grownups.  It was a great time with friends!

And to start  off the pics, my hubbs feelin the need for speed.  He did have some hang time and go over that wall.  Yes, he lives for this party every year.  And yes, he is crazy/ feels no pain/ has no fear when faced with extreme sports and adventures.

music to my soul...

 I was blog hopping.  A rare occasion for me and saw this posted on Laura's blog.

My soul finds rest in God alone,
My Rock and my salvation,
A fortress strong against my foes,
And I will not be shaken.
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse,
And lies like arrows pierce me,
I’ll fix my heart on righteousness,
I’ll look to Him who hears me.

Find rest, my soul, in God alone
Amid the world’s temptations;
When evil seeks to take a hold
I’ll cling to my salvation.
Though riches come and riches go,
Don’t set your heart upon them;
The fields of hope in which I sow
Are harvested in heaven.

I’ll set my gaze on God alone,
And trust in Him completely;
With every day pour out my soul,
And He will prove His mercy.
Though life is but a fleeting breath,
A sigh too brief to measure,
My King has crushed the curse of death
And I am His forever.

-"My soul finds Rest" Aaron Keys

Now if only I can find a way to tattoo it across my forehead....

Oh Ella~

You are my sweet Ella Reese.  One of a kind, and mine.  Thank you Lord for the gift she is to us!

Eternity on my mind...

(sorry kids, no pictures on this post.....)

I have had many thoughts run through this little mind of mine.  A woman's mind on top of that.  Multi-tasking thoughts left and right!
But recently here- the past 2 weeks- I have seen the cravings of my soul for things of this world.  Possessions, popularity, esteem, praise, comfort, ease, and pretty decorations to adorn my home.  But the Holy Spirit has been so kind and faithful to tug at my heart.  When days go by and I feel a joylessness settle in my soul, I know that I had not tended to my soul.  And the prescription, for me at the time, was to focus my thoughts on eternity.  To adjust my mind to that of what is forever and eternal.  Not on my current circumstances.  Like a house that needed to be cleaned, children who needed to be engaged and trained, a photo biz that I will put above the priority of my family,...and the list goes on.
So first thing I did, was pick up Randy Alcorn's  "In Light of Eternity".  Maybe reading it would help me forget about the laundry needing folding in the corner of my room.
I really approached the book lightly.  My thinking was,..."Okay, I am focusing on things around me.  My life here on earth.  I am going to die one day.  And that one day is forever.  So why am I so absorbed in everything around me as if it WILL be forever?  What do I need to do?  Duh...I need to adjust my thoughts to things of eternity. ".
So that is just what I did.
My first time to read it, I was at the gym on a stair step, or something like that. And then Alcorn began to express how much he anticipated seeing Christ, saying something like, "Oh Jesus! How I long to sit at your feet and behold you!".  Immediately, a gulp of air got caught in my throat and I had to close the book because I was so overcome. And yes, I was crying in the gym, on a stair step machine.  More like a very brief sob.
My thought was, "I never ever say that! Never!".  I was so affected at how I see Jesus.  And right now I see him as my helper.  My aid.  My strong right hand.  Which he is all those things.
I cry out to him for help...Help me Lord, N-O-W.  But do I ever cry out in anticipation to SEE him!?  Eagerness and excitement,...LOVE and adoration to see HIM?  Sadly..I do not.  Maybe if the kids are driving my bonkers, I may cry out for Jesus to "take me now".  But that is for MY relief.  Not to see my Savior.
I was affected. I was shook.  And as I shared that thought to my dear friend over sushi, I cried again recalling that same moment I read that line in his book.

Tonight, I opened the book again and for the 2nd time I had another gripping experience.  I literally, after reading a page, covered my face and wept.
Quick background to why the sudden wave of emotion tonight....

....I have been thinking and trying to figure out a way to decorate Ella Reese's room.  Really the entire house.  We have not painted a single room, hung up really anything, draped windows...etc.  B/c the house is so different in proportion and size,....and well...really a challenge to fill the space with what we brought.  And we have no cash to do anything. The way we bought the house, one project leads to another project...and so on.  It is all interwoven and we are waiting on a big chunk of change to do a lot at one time.
So I am at a place where I think I can begin the painting process in ER's room.  I will sit in her room, staring blankly around.  Arranging, re-arranging things in my mind. Considering this color, or that color.  This bedspread, or that bed spread.  Decorations, photos to hang etc....Then Ryan will walk in to see a blank stare on my face and he'll say, 'Lillian, stop it.".  He knows exactly what is going on my mind.
Even today I was at TJMAXX looking over some bed spreads and found none.  Really because Dean was with me and my stash of snacks depleted.  So we left.

So this is what I read tonight....
"     "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (I Corinthians 2:9).  ...Why will heaven be so beautiful and wonderful?  Because the One who's prepared it for us is so skillful and creative.
Knowing our children were coming, Nanci and I prepared a place for them.  We chose the room, picked out the right wall paper, decorated and set up the crib just so, selected the perfect blankets.  The quality of the place we prepared for our daughters was limited by our skills and resources and imaginations.
    Since our Lord isn't limited in any of those categories, and since he loves us even more that we love our children, what kind of a place can we expect him to have prepared for us?  "

I was struck to say the least.  I wept because of the overwhelming love God has for me.  Because I have been all day trying to creative or dream up a room for my own daughter.  Yet my skill and creativity are so limited.  Yet his is not limited at all!
What a loving father I have!  If he is preparing a perfect, unfathomable, wonderful place for me in heaven, then how much is he doing for me here on earth for me?!!  To encourage me.  To speak truth to me.  Guide and train me.  Love me.  Bless me.  Grow me.
I am such a baby in the life span of a child of God!  I have SOOO much to learn.  I have head knowledge, but I do not possess the sweet tranquility and peace of God "that passes all understanding" from knowing my savior.  Not just knowing about him. 

I am too easily pleased.  And think to little of my home, heaven.
Lord, help me to hold more loosely the comforts and surroundings of my abode here on earth.  Help me to dream more and more of that day I will behold you face to face!  And as each day and month you are transforming and molding me...refining me in the fire....help me to see that you are not only my helper and strength, but my dear Savior who loves me with a love I will never understand!  
And all of this ONLY because Jesus Christ lived a perfect life, and died on a cross for my imperfections- my sin.  And now a Holy and just God sees Christ's death as a perfect sacrifice for my imperfection!  Now trusting in Jesus Christ, I now have a new heart!  I am transformed!  I am a child of God!  Accepted and perfect as Christ...
   
"With Christ's Sacred garments on, Holy as thee Holy one!"   - Charles Spurgeon

An afternoon last week

Everyday happenings can seem like normal and nothing special.  So I try to remind myself to look past what would seem "normal" and "everyday" as fleeting and precious.

I can;t tell you how many people comment on how the kids have grown the past months.

That just makes my heart wince a tad.

Are they?  Really?!

No!  I don't want them too!

So one afternoon I decided to stop whatever I was busy doing.  Cleaning maybe.  Uh,..doubt it.

And carried my camera around for an  hour and took pics of the kids.

First up..some potty action.  This is how he pees.

And this is how I found him as I was looking for him.

As I am adjusting my camera...cause the light is dim in the bathroom.....

 I look up to take this picture.  And he is saying "water. water on finger."  Yuk dean!
He had dipped his little finger in his pee.
One day he was noticing how his pee pee made bubbles in the toilet when he sat like this.
One time he was peeing and I reached over to grab some toilet paper.  And then he held his finger up and said, "I pop bubbles mommy!".
Yuk Dean!

Toe Holding and Lounging

Swimy swim

Ella Reese is so imaginative and loves to pretend.  What 3 year old does not?!  Well lately since summer is in full swing the kids have been putting swim suits on and playing in them...all day long.

So I snapped some pics for memory's sake...

Dean is so cute when he reads...

He really is.

I love hearing his pronounced reading voice.  He tries to sound so grown up.

I love it.

I always find myself stop whatever I am doing and search for him when I hear his reading voice.

I like to sneak around a corner and watch him read to himself.

Then the over boiling pot on the stove beckons me back to what I was doing...

My kids love me...

Well, I made them love me on this particular day.  I told them if they gave me kisses I would give them fruit snacks.  They stopped dead in their tracks and puckered up.  I took dozens of pictures.  Of course many of them did not turn out...blurry...or heads cut off...

It kind of reminds me of those photo booth pictures.  But I love them

And they really DO love me...I promise!

 Here are some more .....

My new Fav word

My new fav word right now is Sass-a-frass.
My definition :  " Someone who has an extreme amount of sassiness and flare.".
Ryan looked it up on wikipedia and sass-a-frass is part of some kind of plant.  Something like that.  I cannot remmeber.....Anyways....
A bridesmaid from a wedding I shot last weekend said it all the time.
And I thought it was hilarious.   Plus she had a cute country fun accent.  So it was super cute coming from her.
Maybe not so much from me.
But I love the word anyways!!!

Okay kids,.....back to cleaning the abode.
We have our church's Care Group tonight and we host it at our crib.
I love hosting it here!  It is super fun!!!
The more the merrier is our motto here!

Bye Bye Diapers!

Update on potty business here....

Dean is amazing us with his potty skills.  Last night he was dry again!!!  He did wake up crying at 6am b/c he had to go pee pee.  Thus, waking Ella Reese too.

I went for it and put underwear on Dean two days ago.  He has had ZERO accidents in his underwear!
I am shocked.  He announces when he needs to go pee pee and will head to the bathroom on his own.
Sometimes I won't even know he has gone except for the fact that he comes to me completely naked with all his clothes in his arms with a big grin.

This morning after peeing, he looked up at me on the toilet and said very loud and proud , "I BIG!!!  Sissy big like ME!!".

p.s.  As I was writing the above, Ella Reese comes running to me and tells me that Dean peed on my nightstand.  Sure enough he was standing on my night stand in a puddle of pee.  Ha ha!  Too early to celebrate!!!

Have a great FRIDAY everyone!

xoxo- the princes

Synopsis

Alright, so you noticed I have been absent lately.  And now I pull out like 5 posts.  We are busy bees around here.  But more so, I am busy with the photo biz.  So I promised myself once I got a sliver of time, I would post.

So here is a a random synopsis, that may appear more like ramblings.  So to help keep it short and sweet...I will make a list.

1.  My kids are still stinking cute....