It's a 4 Ring Circus!

be speckled

happy st patty's

Eat some chicken noodle soup today!

(yes, I have some cleaning to do that I'm trying to put off...)

not really mine

Most of the time, day in and day out, I think of her as mine.  It is my job to raise her to my expectations.  She is my responsibility.  Her behavior reflects upon me.  I decide who she sees and where she goes.

Then every now and then, I get a glimpse of the future, and a dose of reality.  She is not really mine.  I don't get to keep her.  I get to borrow her, help her, guide her, and love her.  But she does not belong to me.  She will go her own way.  She has things to do, talents within her that will emerge and blossom. 

It gets me teary, but it's all pretty wonderful, isn't it?

{Delaney getting ready for her first dress rehearsal before her team dance competition next weekend}

i really like brownish/blackish trees

{did a family trip to McKinney Falls State Park this weekend}

The last few days have been pretty good around here.  The l-i-c-e seem to have departed again (love the magic comb, by the way, and haven't needed to use the magic potions yet) and I've been able to make some progress on other projects, including planning a garden, getting stocked back up on coupons, food storage planning/inventory, etc.  Some major changes are likely on the way with Ryan's job, and he's known several people that have been laid off now, so that of course gives reason to ponder.  Our church had stake conference this weekend, and I was able to go to the Saturday evening session alone (Ryan home with the kids), which was nice -- with our current situation, I get almost no alone/regrouping time, and I'm the type of person that really needs that sometimes.  So, like I said, it was nice to have some time to ponder.  I am really blessed -- my kids are healthy and happy, my husband has a job that he loves, and we have such great family and friends that even with Ryan gone a lot over the last many months, I have never felt like I was going at it alone.  We have strong testimonies of our faith that sees us through the hard times.  So, no matter what lies ahead, I am confident that we can face the challenge.  In my ponderings I realized that I can do better in my study of the gospel and in my parenting, so I will be working on that.

Life is good, and I am grateful for it.

{this little muffin -- who was freezing her tail off on Saturday morning -- gets her cast off on Wednesday!}

of cats, teeth, and groceries

{Delaney and the neighbor's cat -- has nothing to do with this post, but I liked it, so, there you have it.}

I took the little girls to their regular dentist appointment this morning (no cavities, yeah!, but Ava has a crossbite already, boo -- before too long we'll be camping at the orthodontist with all of our kids), and on the way home I finally stopped by a new store over there called Newflower Farmers Market.  It was pretty cool, kinda reminded me of Trader Joe's (although TJ will always hold a special place in my heart, sigh).  It's basically a smaller Whole Foods with much better prices.  They had a large produce section, large "natural" health/beauty section, and a pretty good variety of other things (including what seems to be a good selection of gluten-free stuff, for those so inclined).  Also has a good looking butcher section.  Anyway, here is a sample of the deals I got today:

• Oak Farms skim milk for $2.99 (I usually see this for >$4)
• bagged salad for $1
• Kashi Go Lean cereal for $2
• dozen organic-y (free range maybe, can't remember and I'm too darn lazy to go downstairs and check) eggs for $1.50
• boneless, skinless chicken thighs for $2.69/lb

I will be adding that store to my list of places to check in on when I get the chance.

Dear Trader Joe's executives:
Will you pretty pretty please put a store in Austin??  I'll be your best friend forever.

they love it when Denny is home

{enjoyed a nice sunshiney afternoon with the kids yesterday}

fingers crossed

Things seem to be looking up.  It helps that the weather is beautiful here this time of year!

After playing around with this picture, I had a thought -- when all of my girls get old enough to wear make-up, we're going to be going through a lot of mascara around here.  Cuz Texas girls, we love our mascara.  In fact, I think I better add that to our 72-hour kits.  :-)

scoootah (say it like Po)

4 weeks

apple tree