Jayda got a dollhouse for her birthday.



Very well organized.

Upon further investigation



Why is there a dog bath in the nursery? Wait a minute, why is there a mom in the dog bath?




Did Grandma have a little too much to drink with dinner?

And what exactly is Dad wearing?



Yes, that would be a sling.

Happy Halloween

Eddie was gone on his elk hunting trip when Ava's birthday was approaching so we opted to schedule her birthday party when we knew he would be back. I asked her if she wanted to have a Halloween party holding out hope that she would bite and score one for team Mom she did.

Then she got the flu and we had to cancel the party.

Then I got the flu from Ava and we wondered if our house would still be a petri dish for the redo date.

Last year I lamented the annual struggle to work my family into a cohesive costume theme. For the record I had no success last year (princess, 2 soldiers and a kung fu girl do not a family costume make) but this year as I prepared my arguments, exhibits and documentation of prior Halloween fun in family costume the kids surprised me.

"Mom, I want to be an indian" Alex announced. I began strategizing for what I could tempt Ava with because of her recent obsession with Snow White when she declared that she wanted to be a cowgirl.

Choirs of heavenly angels began to sing and i barely restrained myself from dancing. This was something I could work with.
Eddie opted for an old west sheriff and I went for the saloon girl.

Costumes were pulled together and the morning of the party there was much curling of hair and painting of faces.

And then there was the old west family



and it was good.

Oh yeah and then there was a birthday party. That was fun too.

Policeman vs Fireman

Turn off the music at the bottom of the page before you hit play.

Enjoy

Wise words from a friend

"He [God] loves us through the way we love each other. Someday our small children will be grown, our busy hours will be times of quiet reflection, we may or may not still be married, we may be healthy or we may be fighting for our life, but if we are very, very lucky...we will have the indescribable comfort of women who have traveled beside us. We don't just get that as a bonus, we get it because we invested all along" -Kristin Armstrong

Thinking about all of the amazing women that I travel with. Love you all.

Sunday Sunday

After mass this morning Eddie called our dear friends at the Cross Creek Ranch and inquired as to their plans for the afternoon. No objections were posed to our arrival and so we headed out. Alex was born to live in the country, dig in the dirt, investigate watering holes and gather tinder for fires. Uncle Rich indulges his every story and so off we went over the bridge and through the woods



Ava was hot on their tails investigating all things woodsy, just with slightly more glamour



Then back to the house where Alex and Riley found a common interest...ahhh a boy and a dog on a mission



and ava was all smiles, but what else is new.

Mom I have a song I have to sing to you right now

"Sabalo" is my favorite day of the week for sure

Don't forget to pause the audio player at the bottom of the page before playing the movie

Cliche contest entry

I swore I never would, but this is an author I really love and I really want the extra entries in her contest so there.

I am posting for a contest entry. so go ahead click on it. You know you want to.

Secret Places

My husband compartmentalizes things.

He has a container for every tool, nut, bolt, screw, gadet and gift.
A place for every thing and every thing in its place.

My errant shoes make him a bit crazy.

His heart is much the same. There is a secret smile that hides within his place for me. A deep laugh that he holds in a place within only the reach of the small hands of our children. Even deeper still is the place he holds all that can't be visited often. His eyes have seen so much, his hands held the things beyond mentioning and his heart has found a place to let the memories live without destroying.

And so on this day each year I go there. With him, for him, that his burden doesn't become too heavy and that he remembers that the weight of it all is not his alone to bear.

And with each passing year we still remember

And now for some levity

Heaven help you if you actually are hungry for pizza



And an addition to my wildly inappropriate collection of switchplate covers