it's a sweet life

the price I pay to take a shower!

2010-03-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't have kids yet, you probably don't appreciate a shower like those of us with children. You see, with children, it all changes. A bath is out of the question. If I can squeeze in a 10 minute shower all to myself (hardly enough time to wash my thick head of hair) I am ecstatic! This happens once, maybe twice, a week. The other five or six days of the week, I either have both girls in the bathroom, playing with my make-up, jewelery or other toys I've brought in for them or I have Jovie in the shower with me and Pear running back and forth from room to room asking me questions and what not. Then there are the times when I'm drenched, just put shampoo in my hair and Pear has to go to the bathroom (I don't let her go on her own yet as she isn't big enough to do a thorough hand wash and we're a little on the germ freak side) so, I tell her to hop on the potty and I rush to finish in the shower before she needs down. Then there's the time when I try to squeeze in that 10 minute shower to myself by putting on a movie for the girls. Yeah, right! Jovie isn't interested in the movie. She has mastered how to turn it off and on though and Pear doesn't know how she does it! It makes me laugh most of the time as I hear Pear's pattering feet coming down the hallway, "Mom, Jovie turned the movie off AGAIN!" Then again, I rush to finish before one of the girls hit the other out of frustration. And then there is the rare occurrence that the girls are quietly playing together in their room and I think, "brilliant! I can shower now!" You'd think I'd learn. Almost every time I come out of the shower greeted with a disaster made by Jovie. There's the plant that she likes to rid of dirt- all over the carpet! There's the stash of chocolate that no matter where I put, she seems to find. There are instances of toilet paper strung throughout the house. There is the book shelf so nicely emptied all over the floor. The FULL box of cereal emptied on the carpet floor can't be forgotten. The cupboard of movies & DVDs has not only been emptied but every movie has been taken out of it's case. Ah, Jovie! I do love you.

So, if you don't have children, savor your time in the shower. It won't always be like that.

pretty faces

2010-03-18T09:21:00.001-07:00

the little things...

2010-03-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful right now. I'm in my 32nd week of pregnancy and I'm sipping an iced latte with 2% milk. I had a delightful piece of herb bread with butter and smoked salmon for lunch. There is a flourless chocolate cake (my most recent love) in the refrigerator. And, we're getting donuts for breakfast tomorrow! I slept a solid 8 hours last night and I have a lot of energy today. Yes, these are all little things but these are little things that I enjoy. These are little things that make me tick. God has blessed me this pregnancy with great health. I didn't have morning sickness, I haven't lost my appetite, I haven't had an ounce of itching, no swelling, no stretched skin and hear this: I've gained 20 lbs! We've done a few blood tests to look for signs of Cholestasis and it's nowhere to be found. Not in my body anyways. I am thrilled! Most people probably think I'm crazy but after 2 previous trying pregnancies, I count this as a huge blessing from God. So, right now, I'm praising God because He is good. I'm praising God because he knows I'm enjoying the little things right now, and I truly think he delights in that. Thank you God!

Time for Tea!

2010-02-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

Pear had a delightful little tea party yesterday afternoon. I believe it was a success as she repeatedly told me throughout the evening, "it was fun having a tea party, mom." She also went into all of the details with Stephen when he got home from work and the first thing she told me as we sat at the table for breakfast this morning was, "that was a fun tea party!" We had a centerpiece of tissue paper lollipop flowers. For our tea party snacks we had madeleines, apples with cream cheese-caramel dip, grapes and cheese squares. The girls got to pick which type of tea they wanted and although I was hoping to let them be in charge of pouring and fixing up their tea, I became a little concerned that they might burn themselves so I poured the water and let them stir it and put the cream and sugar in. We played a game of "drop the coin in the tea-cup and played musical chairs. (I found out Pear isn't quite old enough for musical chairs as she was the first one without a chair and when I told her, she threw herself to the ground in tears as she didn't want to be out.) We continued to play a couple more rounds of musical chairs and then some duck-duck-goose. We had a houseful of laughter for a while as the girls played their games and made the cutest expressions as they were being chased, missed the chair and just played. Oh, and Jovie thought that she was one of the big girls, she had her spot at the table, picked out her special dress and was completely enthralled with the games. Unfortunately, I was busy with the festivities and didn't take very many pictures.

come rain or come shine

2010-02-17T20:15:00.000-08:00

Many times, I find myself living for the next month, the next season of life, the time when all my i's are dotted and t's are crossed or the day that I will have the perfect life. How pointless is that? I can strive to live a more perfect life; I can work hard to obtain a bigger house with a nicer couch; our children will grow up and one day I won't be spending every waking hour tending to spilt milk and messy pants- but how unfulfilling, to always be living for the next season. Life is not perfect. There will always be things to strive for and work on in my individual life, my family as a whole and the earth as God's creation.

So, I say this as a little self reminder: Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Ephesians 5:15-20 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the midst of the storm when the milk's on the floor, the kitchen sink is leaking, and I can hardly stand- I choose to be happy and live my life to its fullest. And on that sunshiny day when the house is clean, my children are angels and I'm fully rested- I choose to be happy and live my life to its fullest.

jumbled letters...

2010-02-14T07:01:00.000-08:00

and a name that fits. I think we've decided that our little guy is going to be Pike Henry. We like it. It fits with our unique taste for names and it's sticking.

my hobby...

2010-02-14T06:54:00.000-08:00

I've always loved sewing, doing crafts and baking. Basically, being a "homemaker" is my hobby. I thoroughly enjoy it. But lately I've REALLY been enjoying sewing. My mom learned to sew from her mom and I learned to sew from my mom. As a girl I remember making dolls, dresses, skirts, pillows, quilts and other crafty objects. They may not have always turned out but I always had fun. I've been eying this pattern for a simple rag doll for a long time and decided they would make perfect Valentine's Day gifts for my girls. So, I made them. I enlarged the pattern to 215% rather than the 150% they recommend and I think they turned out perfect! I also added little pigtails and bows for their hair, just to make them a little more girly. Also, I embroidered the face rather than paint it. I actually almost hesitated giving them to the girls as I kind of want one! If you're looking for a fun, easy project- there you go! The girls absolutely love these dolls. They have taken them everywhere today giving them piggy-back rides or dragging them by the little rag doll arm. I am so glad they love their babies.

three years old

2010-02-13T19:14:00.000-08:00

It seems like yesterday that I set my alarm clock for every 2 hours all through the night to feed my preterm 5 lb 13 oz Pear. She was so tiny that her little body couldn't fill a preemie sleeper. Yet three years has passed and that little 5 lb 13 oz girl is now nearly 28 lbs and looks like a little girl. We've had a wonderful three years and I can't wait for the next three and the many more after that.

Pear's favorite things to do:
Play dress-up
Read books
Play imaginary animals or princesses (she goes around pretending she's a pink cat or Princess Belle)
Help me bake in the kitchen

We had a very fun time celebrating her birthday. We started the day of with Minnie Mouse pancakes made by Stephen. Then we played with her new bike and Cinderella doll. Then, Stephen took her to get a fish from the pet shop and we came home with a Happy Meal for lunch. Nap time. When she woke it was nearly time for her party which included both of our families and made for a houseful. We played pin the tail on the donkey and had a pinata. Oh, and we can't forget about the cake. Pear requested a princess cake with purple frosting. Thus what we had, homemade of course. After the party we went to rent a movie, came home and had dinner. Then had a tea party with hot chocolate with her new miniature tea set and finally watched her movie. The day is just about up and I'm pooped! But, seeing Pear's face light up as she walked into the kitchen this morning made the hours I spent baking and decorating all worth it. Hearing her say, "It's fun having a birthday," makes me smile. And the fact that she has told me over and over again that I'm "the specialest mommy ever," makes me feel like the most special mommy ever. What a joy it is to be a mom and what joy Pear brings to my life!

a glimpse of spring...

2010-02-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

"ducks..."

2010-02-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

While at the park, we went to look at the ducks. The ducks had just been fed by another little girl there and they were very friendly. After watching and chasing the ducks some, they continued to follow us around. After a while I told the girls we should go back to the playground. Pear responded, "yeah, because the ducks might eat us." I said, "no, the ducks won't eat us!" Pear said, "right, they won't, because we're not food, we're princesses."

"silly dad..."

2010-02-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

Pear packed her bag to go to mammy & pappy's house for the night. She went to show daddy all of the necessities she remembered to bring. "I've got my pink skirt (a frilly dress-up item with sequins), my Cinderella dress (another frilly dress-up item), my swimsuit and my jammies!" Stephen asked her if she needed any panties. She pulled up her dress and exclaimed, "silly dad, I already have some!"

Flowers from Daddy...

2010-01-29T07:53:00.001-08:00

Stephen is such a sweetie! He often surprises me with beautiful bouquets but the other day, he decided to surprise the girls at lunch time with lovely bundles of tulips. The girls were thrilled! What a wonderful daddy.

French Pastries

2010-01-28T13:42:00.001-08:00

I think I've mentioned before, in this household, we LOVE food! I've posted before about Pain au Chocolat but I don't know if I've posted before on the divine satisfaction from the Vanilla Bean Croissant. Well, last week, I just so happened to have fresh yeast on hand that had to be used by Saturday. So, I made a batch of buttery croissant dough, (you can find the recipe here,) and Friday night I rolled my dough to a nice 1/8" thickness and stuffed some of this said dough with bittersweet chocolate batons and the other portion of this said dough I filled with vanilla bean sugar, (a simple concoction of 2 cups sugar, 2 vanilla beans-pods scraped into sugar and bean stored in with sugar at least 3 days,) and rolled cinnamon roll fashion.

Jovie eating up the fact that I'm taking a picture of her! Unless I catch her by surprise, this is the smile and face she gives the camera.

Pear was also in a "posing" mode.

Pain au Chocolat (Chocolate Croissant)

A day in Seattle...

2010-01-27T10:36:00.000-08:00

For Stephen's birthday this year, I asked my parents if they would watch the girls so that Stephen and I could spend the day in Seattle. It was so nice to have a day away together. We started our morning off by going to Bakery Nouveau, (I think I've mentioned this bakery before.) We tried some of their fresh pizza which was delicious! Then we purchased some pastries and headed to Vivace, a coffee roaster on Capitol Hill in Seattle. There we got to sit and enjoy our coffees while devouring a raspberry almond pastry. The ambiance at this coffee shop is quite fun. We visited Stumptown in Queen Anne and then explored the area a bit. Of course, I was drawn towards the children's shops, bookstores and this divine chocolate shop- Chocolopolis. Although I enjoyed the Queen Anne area, I still prefer Ballard.
We also went to one of Stephen's favorite grocery stores, Uwajimaya. If you know Stephen, you know he loves Asian food and if you love to cook Asian food, there are certain ingredients required that you just can't find in a normal grocery store.

For dinner, we decided to venture past Tom Douglas, (owner of Dahlia Lounge, Lola's, Etta's, Serious Pie and Palace Kitchen- some of our favorite eats in Seattle,) and try Pasta Bella which serves authentic Italian food and handmade pastas in the middle of Queen Anne for a very reasonable price. We found their food to be good, authentic and worth the price. The service was good although it seemed to be a little like the cake shop comedy act. There was one man there to be host, waiter, answer phones and tend the bar. He came up to us several times only to run back to the counter to answer the phone. We found it entertaining. Oh, if you do ever go here I'd recommend you skip the dessert or at least don't get the canolli. The filling was so-so. The canolli shell, okay. But then they ruined it with fake whipped cream and Hershey's chocolate syrup. I have a big sweet tooth but Stephen and I left most of that dessert on the plate.
With satisfied stomachs we went to the Imax showing of Avatar in Southcenter. Stephen and I saw the preview to this movie several months ago and both agreed it looked extremely stupid. But, we gave into the hype everyone has given it and decided to trust the majority of reviews that this movie is great and to many, not just great but the best movie ever! We got there early which is not like us. We hardly ever go to the movies but if and when we do, we don't wait in line for hours before! How ridiculous. Yet, there we stood. The time finally arrived, we got our glasses and went to sit down and we actually got decent seats even though there were maybe 100 people in front of us in line. The movie was pathetic. Okay, maybe not horrible, but certainly not the greatest movie ever! I thought the story line was poor. The effects were cool. Although I wasn't amazed by the 3D experience, it was enjoyable. I don't know, I left thinking, "what? That's it?"

We had a wonderful time being us. I was Paige and Stephen was Stephen. We had a full day without being "mommy" and "daddy". Ah. A breath of fresh air.

milestones...

2010-01-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

So, either my life has been a little on the boring side or I've simply been too busy to write. Maybe it's a little bit of both. Either way, I want to make sure and give Jovie the praise she deserves this week as she has accomplished a lot.

1. My little chunker is now walking everywhere. Last week, I took her bare footed everywhere, (because she doesn't really like shoes and she usually kicks them off in the car therefore, I have to stand in the rain and put her shoes back on or else leave her bare footed,) now she is sporting adorable size 3 tennis shoes.

2. We snipped the tip and said good-bye to those bouncy-ball binkies! Never again will I use Soothies binkies, (the ones given out by the hospital.) They literally bounce, roll and some how runaway anytime the child decides they've had enough sucking. On top of that, Rosebud (my parents' bloodhound) loved the thick silicone bink and decided it was the perfect chew toy. So, anytime we went there we had to keep a close eye on where the binky was. One time, my mom caught Rosebud's stash and there were 3 binkies in the garage, all with the end chewed off!

3. We have adjusted, (or we are adjusting still,) to taking 1 nap a day. This is partly because Jovie wasn't napping well. Partly because she was waking up at 5am. And partly because, I just thought she was ready! Well, though she's been napping a little better, (maybe giving me a 1hour nap,) she is still not napping long enough. And she is still waking up EARLY. Only now it's more like 4am, goes back to sleep at 4:30am and then wakes again at 5am. I'm sticking to my guns for another week as we've been through a lot this week and this sleeplessness could be because of any number of factors.

All this to say: Way to go, Joves! (Or should I be patting myself on the back?)

Ruffles & Stuff Giveaway!

2010-01-04T12:28:00.000-08:00

Check out my friend's current giveaway at Ruffles & Stuff. Disney is so talented and her jewelry is feminine and gorgeous. My only request is that you simply check out her blog and DO NOT enter the giveaway! You see, if you enter than that makes my chances grow a little more slim. Just kidding.

My chunky monkey- Jovie!

2010-01-01T11:56:00.000-08:00

Jovie is such a joy. She is growing and changing at a rapid pace. She can walk now, however, she prefers to crawl and the few times a day I see her toddling around, she does it with much caution. Her hobby is still eating. Which in turn seems to make my hobby cooking/cleaning. People continue to comment on her adorable chubby cheeks which I sort of hope never thin out. Jovie plays monkey-see-monkey-do with Pear. Her most recent copy trick is picking her nose and giving me a boogie to wipe on tissue. (She hasn't been successful on her hunt for gold yet though.) She is becoming more vocal and though her words are limited, she figures out ways to communicate. The other day, Pear had hit her on the head while I was in another room, Stephen however was reprimanding Pear and taking care of the situation. When I came into the room, Jovie made it very clear what the situation was. She began hitting her own head while looking at me and gave an"Eh! Uh! Eh!" Which I clearly interpreted "oh, did Pear hit you? That wasn't nice. Pear won't hit you any more." To which she nodded enthusiastically and said "eh." Jovie loves to give kisses and we all take as many as we can get in a day. She loves to snuggle and cuddle. I am soaking this up as I know some day she'll be out of that stage and I will look back and want one of those little kisses or her cuddly head on my shoulder.

a baby boy...

2009-12-23T20:30:00.000-08:00

"What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails
That's what little boys are made of!"

Yes. This means that the little one kicking in my tummy, the little one whose heartbeat brings me joy, the little one who is my baby, is indeed a boy.

recycled t-shirt dress

2009-12-20T19:10:00.000-08:00

I have the sweetest friend, Disney, and not only does she create the most adorable items to furnish her home and dress herself and daughter with, she also has a blog, Ruffles & Stuff, where she posts tutorials, pictures, and inspires others to be creative, frugal, feminine and beautiful. I read her blog regularly and was inspired by her post on a simple dress she made for her daughter.

Mine is very different as I didn't have a Gerber onesie that wasn't completely stained, so I used a fuchsia thermal shirt that seemed to have shrunk, a pair of white sweats that were too short and a light pink stretch cotton tee that Stephen never wore. I also used an elephant applique that was on a 3-6 month tee of Jovie's that managed to get terrible banana stains around the neckline. I used the existing hem on the pink tee to make easy sleeves. I used the existing collar on the thermal to make for an easy body and left the skirt un-hemmed. I stitched it all together and voila! Within 2 hours Pear has her favorite, most comfortable, warm dress that cost me $0.00! Here are some pictures:

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-18T09:02:00.000-08:00

For a family who loves eating, baking, shopping, cooking, presents, decorating, crafts, hot chocolate, lattes, bundling up in the cold, reminiscing old times and gathering with family and friends, could there possibly be a more wonderful time of the year?

To say that we like food is an understatement. We love food! In our spare time, Stephen and I enjoy baking: a decadent chocolate cake with a creamy milk chocolate frosting or vanilla bean croissants (my new favorite) which take 3 days for the entire process. Stephen bakes Danish puff at least once a month and it makes it easier for Pear to go to bed if she knows she gets to partake in Danish puff in the morning. Stephen cooks up good food of all different ethnicities. He has a knack for melding herbs, spices and pairings within a meal. I don't especially enjoy Asian food, so any time I'm gone, that's what he makes for himself and the girls. I prefer to cook Italian, French, Mexican and of course American dishes. Stephen does all of these as well, (and usually better than I do, although he would never admit to it.) The bottom line is- we love food. We love having people over for meals. We love including our girls in the process of making food. We even enjoy watching geeky shows like Iron Chef America! The love for baking doesn't cease in this home. And we see this love for buttery goodness being passed down to the next generation. If you haven't been around Jovie recently- her cheeks do not lie. Her world revolves around food, especially sweet food. The excitement and joy seen on her face as a cookie appears in the room is enough to make everyone in the room stop and watch her enjoy the delectable bite she is about to take. Although Pear ingests half the quantity that Jovie does and is much more picky about the types of food she eats, her sweet tooth is almost as big and her desire to be in the kitchen baking, cooking and cleaning is very evident. It is a very familiar sight to see Pear pushing a chair up to the counter to help wash potatoes, make daddy a latte, mix a batch of cookies, frost a cupcake, salt the meat, smell the herbs, unload the dishwasher or whatever else we may be doing.

It's amazing to me that we've been in Olympia for 1 1/2 years now. Our duplex and the gift of owning a home continues to be a huge blessing, while at times causing us much grief. That may sound worse than it actually is. I guess a better way to put it is this: every time we start a new project or remodel another room, I begin to hear Pear saying words she normally wouldn't say. Words or phrases like: "piece of junk" or "freakin' dane-it". Stephen has done an amazing job remodeling, especially given the fact that he constantly has a little helper or two that he so graciously welcomes. Over the summer, he gutted our bathroom. Let's just say it was disgusting and now it is gorgeous, probably the nicest room in our house! We now have a nice front yard and an entry way with nice pavers. Our kitchen is halfway complete and we hope have it finished by spring. And the list goes on. The life of a homeowner!

Did I mention that Pear is a princess? If I didn't, take note. You may call her Pear or you may call her Princess Pear. If you mistake her for anyone else such as stinker, googly bear, pumpkin, cupcake, monkey, etc., you will get one of two things: a glare and short retort, "I'm not _____ I'm a pwincess!" or a devastated child that cries as if you are trying to shatter her beliefs and tell her that she might not be a princess, "but I thought I was a pwincess." And Pear seems to have it figured out, if she is a princess, Jovie is also a princess. Although we can get away with calling Jovie other endearing names, we will often hear the same remarks if Pear is in her complete princess mode, "but mom, Jovie is a pwincess, not a chunky monkey!"

Either I have been eating far too many doughnuts or I have a baby growing in my tummy! I think the latter to be true for two reasons: One- there isn't a good doughnut shop within a 15 minute radius. And two- I can feel the kicking of little feet right now. We are 18 weeks along and due May 13, 2010. We find out whether we'll have a little boy or a little girl on December 23rd.

Stephen and I are so blessed. We are happily married. We have 2 children (Pear will be 3 in February and Jovie just turned 1) and another on the way. We own a home (the rent from the other unit in our duplex sure does help out with the mortgage!). We upgraded Stephen's junky VW Jetta to a new Toyota van. Stephen has a great job as an Enterprise Technology Architect for DSHS. We have good health. We have wonderful parents, siblings, family and friends. As you may have guessed, having food on the table isn't a problem in this home. We have a God whose grace is sufficient and who sent his son as a baby so that we can be saved. And that same God chose us to be HIS children. Could we ask for anything more? I certainly don't think so but as the years go by the list just gets longer and longer.

Merry Christmas and may you too be blessed in Christ!

Paige, Stephen, Pear, Jovie, and baby.

A note from Stephen:

As I was reading Paige’s letter above, I kept wanting to interject my highlights and thoughts. So instead of mucking about in her sentences, I decided to throw in my notes as an addendum. Paige really did highlight the 3 major areas of our life: kids, food, and our house. Outside of that set, there were several activities that I would like to call attention to. I went on a fantastic backpacking trip in May with 12 good friends. We hiked to Toleak Point and camped on the beach. The weather was sunny in the low eighties with no wind, I had to keep reminding myself that I was sitting on a beach, on the Pacific Ocean, in Washington State, and I wasn’t wearing a parka and mittens or being pelted in the face with sand. It really was a special trip. If you want to see pictures of the trip you can visit my blog http://sbackholm.blogspot.com. Secondly, THE highlight of the year for me was going to Maui for 5 days in November with Paige. We left the kids with Paige’s parents, and did nothing but snorkel and lay on the beach the whole trip. I now see why people go to Hawaii.

Regards,
Stephen

Thanks to Michelle at Candid Reflections for the wonderful photographs.

Christmas Cookie Party!

2009-12-14T09:47:00.000-08:00

As I love to bake and Pear loves to be creative with frosting, I thought it only fitting to have a cookie party with the girls (my sisters). On Friday Taffi, Libbi, and Aspen came over for a morning of fun. I made the dough the night before and it was waiting for us in the refrigerator so when the girls came they just got to do the fun part- cutting out the fun Christmas shapes and decorating. We took a lunch break while the cookies were baking and enjoyed macaroni & cheese, chicken nuggets and watermelon while watching Elf. We had a lot of fun!

Aspen was so sweet and made a cookie for each of her family members and took them home perfectly arranged on a plate. When they arrived home, they took in Taffi's and Libbi's plates in the house first and came back out to the car to get Aspen's but it seems that the wild peacocks beat her to them. Poor thing. The peacocks ate everyone of her perfectly frosted, perfectly arranged, cookies.

men wore the pants

2009-12-10T08:26:00.000-08:00

Check out this Dockers Man-ifesto. Bold but good and far too true.

Starbucks inspired yarn ball wreath:

2009-12-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

Last year, Starbucks decorated their coffee shops with wreaths made of yarn balls. I loved it! How hard could it be? Styrofoam balls wrapped with yarn, a few floral pins and hot glue to stick them together and some cardboard as a base. I've been working on it in my spare time the last couple of days and here's the finished product:

Imagination vs. Reality

2009-12-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

I imagine having dinner sitting on the table, the girls sitting patiently, Stephen walking through the door and greeting us and we have a wonderful dinner.
Real life situation: I'm scrambling with dinner, Pear is chanting "I'm hungry", Jovie's rubbing olive oil across the ENTIRE kitchen floor, Stephen walks through the door and greets us only to receive a harry eyeball from me, an "I'm hungry" from Pear and Jovie wants to give daddy a hug with her oiled hands but he's in his nice dress slacks.

During the girls' nap time I clean the kitchen, organize the toys in the family room, fold all of the laundry and am refreshed as the girls awake from their naps and we read a couple of our favorite children's books.
Real life situation: I get the dishes done. I fold most of the clothes Pear and Jovie wake up happy. They then decide that the freshly folded laundry is the perfect pile of leaves to jump in. I frantically try to put them away before they are all messed up only to come back to another pile of scattered "leaves" every trip back from the closet. 1 hour later- done. We didn't get to read those books. I'm not quite feeling completely rejuvenated.

Saturday morning arrives and we sleep until a leisurely hour, perhaps 6:00 am isn't too high of an expectation. We get ready and leave for a morning in Seattle at our favorite bakery, Cafe Besalu. Pear and Jovie enjoy their pastries and allow Stephen and myself to enjoy ours. We sip our coffee and cocoa and leave with a feeling of great satisfaction and there couldn't possibly be a happier family out there!
Real life situation: Jovie sleeps terribly. She decides that 4:00 am is a better hour to wake. We rush to get ready. Leave the house just a few minutes later than estimated and arrive at Besalu just in time to enjoy fresh quiche, pastries and cookies. Upon receiving our goodies, Jovie decides it's time to have a bowel movement. (For those of you who do not know Jovie, this is a HUGE ordeal.) I take my screaming child into the restroom to allow her a little privacy and 20 minutes later, cleaned, changed and much relieved, we return to our cold cocoa and finish our pastries. It could have been worse but let's just say upon leaving, I hardly felt I'd sat down and wasn't feeling ready to face the rest of the day.

I sit down to write a blog post. The girls play and I'm able to complete my writing within 30 minutes. I move on to do other things all while the girls play happily together.
Real life situation: I sat down 2 weeks ago to write this post. Pear and Jovie had a tizzy over a toy that I should have bought 2 of but only bought 1 and within minutes Jovie is crying on my lap. Once she stops crying, she begins banging on the keyboard. I then give up trying to write a post and move on to the next task. This repeats itself over the following days until I finally get the post done. (You'd think I might decide to give up blogging or decide to only do it during nap time. I guess maybe I'm crazy.)

The bottom line is, being married, having kids, serving God, living life- it isn't always a bowl full of cherries. In fact I often feel it's more like poop (you'd be surprised how literal this is for me at this point). But the fact of the matter is, for some strange reason I find satisfaction amongst the chaos. I enjoy these girls. I love my husband. And I revere God. At the end of the day as I'm laying in bed, I don't think of how terrible my day was. What comes to my mind makes me smile; I think about how I called Pear a stinker and in a devastated state she responded, "I'm not a stinker, I'm a pwincess." Or the way that Jovie lit up as I read Animal Sounds (currently her favorite book) and tried to repeat the animal sounds which in all actuality all sounded the same "uh-uh-uh". I think about how Stephen treasures me and saves a kiss for me before he leaves for work, when he comes home for lunch and again in the evening. I serve a great God who blessed me with a beautiful family. I take comfort in James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Just for laughs...

2009-11-23T07:41:00.000-08:00

Friday night, Stephen and I decided to take the girls out to dinner and to do a little grocery shopping. We had a less than relaxing dinner (lets just say Jovie couldn't hold still) but it was still enjoyable and then we headed over to Costco to pick up a few things. As we were standing in line checking out, Stephen began laughing. He then pulled out three coasters from the hood of my sweatshirt. Pear must have decided I needed a laugh and pulled a little prank on me. These coasters were from home. They have cute elephants on them and are brightly colored. They had been in my hoodie all night. Everyone needs some accessorizing, right?