Happy Belated Birthday Pumpkin Pie...

Pumpkin Pie turned three years old last Friday. I think I'm still in shock really. Didn't I just have her? I feel like I'm still getting used to having three children, is it really possible that she's been on the earth for three years?!?

Our sweet Pumpkin Pie keeps us hopping. She's smart, and funny (makes me proud) and far more opinionated than the others. She's sharpening us, making us revisit our parenting techniques. She's challenging and adorable... makes me crack up in laughter when she says things like, "Dirty Mouth, Clean it with Armpits" (instead of Clean it with Orbitz". And she makes me scream with she says things like, "No!!!!!!!!" "No!!!!!!!!" "No!!!!!!"

I can't seem to get enough kisses and hugs from this sweet little girl. I suppose it maybe be because she gives them out so seldomly - but I treasure it when I get them without asking.

Happy Birthday Pumpkin Pie. I love you.

p.s. - Here is her scripture for the year, "Oh God, Our God, how majestic is your name in all the Earth." Psalm 8:9

No Tolerance For Profanity...

Check out this article at MSNBC.com about a nun/principal who has a no tolerance policy at her middle school for profanity. I know several of you will appreciate this article. My favorite part of the article is the very last sentence - it gives me great hope that I'm not the only person out there who won't allow the words "stupid" or "boring" come out of their mouths without punishment.

Can I get an Amen???

Elf Yourself...

You want to watch something really funny? Here's what our MHS boys show us and rope us into doing... enjoy.

Elf Yourself

What Were We Thinking...

Well, I have to say, shopping at midnight at the outlets, didn't really appeal to me. But my dear friend, Like I Was Saying, decided she had to do it - just once. And so we did. After what we had heard from other shoppers - that it would be packed early, we took off for the outlet at 10pm. I called Like I Was Saying at 9:30 just to make sure she was still up for it - darn, she still is.

We definitely got there early. But lines were already forming. There was a line at the Coach Store an hour before they opened. Their line became outrageous - so much so that we had to go over and check it out - they must be having some amazing door prize - like giving away a free Coach Keychain or something. So, we ask the true Coach junkie - the lady at the front of the line. Her reply to why there is such a line: "I don't know - I think they might be giving an extra 10% off at the register." Wow... an entire 10 percent. Quick let's get in line! (hoping you can hear the sarcasm).

Lines were everywhere: Coach, Children's Place, Aeropostale. The sales must be incredible, right? Wrong. They were just like they are any other day when you head to the outlets. We were so unimpressed. Besides scoring a few stocking stuffers from Claire's - we came out close to empty handed. Ok, we also bought a mini whisk, a timer and a cupcake holder. Riveting, I know.

My biggest shock of the night - didn't come from the great deals. People brought their children.
That's right - children. Newborns, two year olds, six year olds, ten year olds... walking comatose in their pj's clutching their teddy bears while their ridiculous parents shopped at two in the morning for 10 percent off!!! That's my new pet peave of the week. I don't mind if you want to torture yourself and shop in the middle of the night - but there is absolutely no deal big enough to drag your precious sleeping children out of bed! If the deal is that great - get a babysitter!!!

Anyway... something about the 2:30 a.m. mark made my friend and I completely lost all rationale - and decided that it was only an hour and a half until JCPenney's opened up. That's right - JC Penney's at 4 a.m. The lines again began forming early - we decided that was just really stupid, and would wait in the car. JC Penney's is the only place that actually GAVE something to us lunatics who thought 4 a.m. was a reasonable hour to shop for Christmas. A mini snowglobe.

We scored some drapes for my living room at 65% off and she scored some pj's for the little one and a few gifts for her middle child, Brown Sugar.

Then something happened at 5 a.m. - our looniness (is this a word?) turned to hysterics when we thought it was a fantastic idea to "swing by" Toys R Us on our way home. Just so you know - there is no such thing as "swing by Toys R Us" on Black Friday. These Mommies and Daddies are crazy! We both found one thing - but once we saw the outrageous lines - bagged the deal and came home. We made it home at 6am. Whew.

So thank you my dear friend for an adventure. I've checked it off my list - and will NEVER. DO. IT. AGAIN.

Personality Test

Thanks to my friends Classic Mama and Like I Was Saying - I thought I'd put off getting dinner started and take this personality test.

I am surprised by some of my results. I believe as I get older, I am less extraverted - desiring a more introverted lifestyle. I am desiring more structure and less social time. I find myself, although enjoying the social aspect in the moment, completely exhausted at the end of the evening. I used to be invigorated by it all. Now I just come home and crash. That's new for me.

I am pathetically low on thinking. And since I turned my brain off seven years ago to have children, the numbers, I believe will just continue to plummet. Legos and playdoh just don't really stimulate the brain, you know?

I am also sad to see that I am incredibly judging. I'd love to see God change that area of my life. I have always had strong convictions, but that shouldn't mean I judge others that don't share those same convictions.

Anyway, I like that I'm changing. I'd like to be around the 50% mark in each area of the test. "Well Rounded" - having a nice even amount of everything. That seems nice.

Take the test here. It's easy - there are no wrong answers for us "non-thinkers".

Feel Your Boobies

Since I'm such a slacker when it comes to my blog, I missed something pretty important. Last week was "National Feel Your Boobies Week". That's right ladies - feel them. Go ahead and do it - your Self Breast Exam - it's important for your health. If you know me, you know I wear my FYB t-shirt with pride (and a giggle)... but what a great slogan to remind you to do your Self Breast Exams.

At first, I thought I wouldn't blog about it, since I missed their "official week". But ladies - don't fret! You can feel your boobies any day of the week, any week of the year! Who cares that it's "National Respiratory Care Week". Just put the two weeks together: Take a deep breath and Feel Your Boobies!

Happy Birthday Huckleberry...

It's October 19th. More than a month since my last blog. So, I thought since today marks an important day in our family, I would get online and get busy. .. especially since I have 12 minutes to post this before his birthday is officially over.

Today is Huckleberry's 7th Birthday. Seven? Really? Can that be right? Don't get me wrong, it no longer feels like just yesterday when we brought him home. But it certainly doesn't feel like it's been seven years. Seven wonderful years. Huckleberry is such an awesome kid. Full of energy, a sweet spirit who questions the Lord with a wonderful curiosity, an unbelievable artist with an imagination that surpasses any I know, and aimes to please. My prayer for him this year is that his desire to please would transfer to a deep love and desire to please his Lord.

So last night, Stretch and I made 20 cupcakes for his classroom today, decorated his room, and wrapped a few presents in preparation for this big day. We began decorating their rooms after a suggestion from a speaker at a Moms In Action meeting. Growing up in a wonderful home with absolutely no traditions, Stretch and I have really desired to begin some with our own. It was such a hit that first year and our kids have come to anticipate their rooms being decorated as if it was Christmas morning. We decorate with wonderful signs (courtesy of Stretch, our resident artist), balloons and streamers.

To my surprise, Huckleberry woke up at 5:45 this morning and when I asked him why he woke so early, he said "I couldn't wait to read my scripture - it's a long one Mom, but I've read it twice already".

Each year, I pray that God would give me a scripture for each of my three kids. We write it on posterboard (unless, at 10pm you realize that your sons birthday is tomorrow so you improvise and use several sheets of computer paper taped together) and hang it on their wall... for the entire year.

We had no idea that it would be the hit of their birthday day. We've seen such fruit come from their scripture. Not only are they memorizing scripture, but we are really soaking in it - discussing it before bed each night, and how it specifically applied to our day. And since I have three kids - I'm AT LEAST memorizing three scriptures a year.

God convicted me the very first year that we did it that I was not to make the scripture a short, easy one for Huckleberry. So we started out with a challenging one. His scripture for his fifth birthday was, "Let love and faithfulness never leave you. Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man". Proverbs 3:3,4 - and he rose to the challenge.

For his sixth birthday, we did "Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes you will be able to stand your ground". Ephesians 6:13 (this wasn't a very long one, but then we went through and discussed the armor of God e.g. Breastplate of Righteousness, Helmet of Salvation, etc.).

Last week he started asking me "what's it gonna be Mom", "just tell me now Mom". So, as I suggested a few that God was stirring in me, he got really excited about this one. Personally, I was leaning towards the 23 Psalm (since I get stuck about half way through it) and I already have the one he picked memorized. But he was so excited that I couldn't tell him no. And so his scripture for his seventh year of life is:

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you," declares the Lord. Jeremiah 29:11-13

Happy Birthday Huckleberry! I love you like CrAzYcAkEs.