sometimes you wonder...

Somethings seem to change so quickly and I wonder what is happening in the world, and with friends old and new.  Before I realize it years have gone by and I start wondering what has happened.  Where has the time gone?  Time flies by at a break-necking pace, and I need to remember to enjoy all the little moments that I don't want to pass me by.  

YAY!!!

So today I am 27 weeks.  Not to mention that today is the 27th of April and I'm due in exactly 3 months!! Yippee!  

Things have been really good lately.  We went out to my parents' house and started talking about fishing, and so for days Gracie would go up to people and say, "My daddy's goin fishin with me!"  So we decided to buy her a little fishing pole so she could go fishing with daddy.  Kenny took her and got her a disney princess fishing pole and she would ask to hold it all the time.  Well finally last week, while Kenny's sister and her husband were here, we went back out to my parents' and Kenny tried to take Gracie fishing.  I got some really cute pics, on my mom's camera, so I'll get those later.  But anyway.  She would walk around all sides of the dock banging her fishing pole on the water.  Then she tripped and almost fell into the water.  Kenny caught her, but she lost her fishing pole to the river.  I wouldn't say she was necessarily heart broken, but she did keep going up to all of us saying, " go get my pole, it's in the river."  Maybe this summer Kenny will go diving and see if it's still there, but we're doubtful.

a great day

Today was an amazing day.  I'm so glad too.  Gracie and I laughed and we got to spend some time with my mom today.  That was a lot of fun, because Gracie was full of all this spunky personality and was making us all laugh really hard.  

Yesterday Gracie and I were driving home from my parent's house.  They live about 45 minutes from Boise, in the country.  So since Kenny works nights we were just the two of us driving on a back country road.  Anyway, something is wrong with my radiator (since we hit the deer on our wedding night, but it wasn't so bad then), and apparently all the coolant leaked out and my car started to overheat.  Luckily *sarcasm implied* we were in one of the 2 dead zones between my house and my parent's house.  But I had barely a bar and got ahold of my dad and mom who came to rescue us! Thanks mom and dad! 

My mom had sent us all home with some strawberry shortcake so while we were waiting in the car for my parents to come, we enjoyed some strawberry shortcake! Gracie didn't really like the cake though but there was this cautious guard-like dog watching us very carefully, so we threw her licked over angel food cake out the door, and the dog ate it.  He warmed up to us then! 

I love Easter.  I'm pretty sure it's my favorite holiday after Christmas.  I've had so much candy in the last 2 days that I need to detox.  It's just that Gracie doesn't seem to be a fan of jelly beans, so I have to eat them...

ok. Craft it forward

I know some of you will be absolutely shocked at the thought of my making something with my hands.  Usually it has to have something to do with a computer and a mouse.  So.  Here it is. My friend Karin did this, and since I'm receiving a craft from her, I need to craft it forward.  So here it goes:

The first three people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It’ll be done this year.
4- You have no clue what it’s going to be.
5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.The catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 3 people who do the same on your blog. The first 3 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!Who’s in?

Craft it forward idea from Kiwi

up we go... right?

I mean, we had such a low week last week that anything is better than that! I love other moms that are willing to share real stories with me.  Motherhood definitely binds us together.  There is no other experience quite like it.  

So this week has been a lot better.  After some very long prayers, with quite a few tears, I feel a lot more calm and ready to handle what I need to.  I also feel less inclined to let my frustration get the better of me.  That is something I'm sincerely grateful for.  I have been better at letting go of things that don't matter.  Especially since I feel Gracie is just trying to get under my skin at times.  

I love being a mother, it is an amazing gift.  But it really is the hardest thing I've ever done, and I did not realize how hard it would be.  Is it worth it?  Most days, some days I wonder, but more often than not it is completely worth it.

Karin, the pics are for you!!

being real

The last few days have been some of the hardest.  Motherhood is the most difficult thing I have ever done.  

See, I have been blessed with an extremely independent, outspoken, stubborn, persistent little girl.  All of which can be really great qualities, but are not very easily dealt with when dealing with obedience and teaching.  I just spent almost an hour recording my feelings from the last day.  
It's been draining, and I have been struggling a lot tonight to try and figure out how I need to change to better handle things.  It's a hard balance.

A sign of Hope

Gracie and I went to the grocery store today and saw strawberries!! First of all I'm SO excited that it's march, one step closer to summer!  But we don't usually get strawberries this early.  Anyway, I had to get some! Just seeing strawberries in the grocery store makes me feel like it's already June! I love that I'm sitting here eating my strawberries, delusional in thinking it's June!

This morning though, the first thing Gracie said to me was not good morning mom.  It was, "I want Macaroni and Cheese." 

She was helping clean the house today too.  I was scrubbing the shower in my bathroom, so she decided to go get her own brush and clean her bathroom! I found her cleaning her bathtub with the toilet brush, so excited.  She turns to me with the biggest smile and says, "I clean mine mom!"  It was pretty funny.