My flowers

What is it about flowers? I've talked about my love for them on numerous occasions.
I bought these for myself at the grocery store yesterday.


Maybe it's the fact that they are present for so many important times in our lives.
Births, deaths, weddings, birthdays, sickness, achievement.
Poinsettias, carnations, roses, irises, tulips, daisies... I'll even take dandelions, or "dandies" as Biz used to call them. :)

They can heal wounds, heal friendships, and restore peace.

Job 14:2 says "He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure."
That's us. We grow up and flourish, spreading our beauty out to the earth, and then just like that we are gone. God implores us to share our gifts of compassion, work, support, knowledge, and love.

Whenever I'm faced with a question as to whether I should do something, I try to answer it with my own personal motto: If I can, I should.
Now, I'm human so I don't always make the right decision, but I try as often as I can to give of myself what little I can offer.




I've received gifts of flowers lots of times, but sometimes if you want that beauty, you have go out and get it for yourself.
Maybe that's what they are to me -- a reminder that I am a creature of God and worthy of a beautiful life, but I have to make that life. If I sit around waiting for great things to happen, I'm going to be doing a lot of sitting.

So, yes, I'm going to keep giving myself flowers.
God says I'm worth it. :)

WW Wednesday

I have exactly 5 minutes to write this post so it's going to be fast and dirty.

I made a lot of healthy choices this past WW week. I think I learned the most when I made a poor choice, though. I didn't get the same satisfaction that I used to get, and that's a good advancement for me.

I forgot the stroller today when I took the kids out and ended up carrying BabyCakes in my arms for over an hour. she weighs roughly the same as what I have lost and when I put her back in the car and stood up, it really hit me why I feel so much better these days.

My weigh-in at WW was good today: I lost. I've decided not to share the actual numbers every week now because I don't want to take focus off the important issue, and that is making healthier choices, not losing weight. This week I worked to eat better and I did, and it was reflected on the scale.

Okay, so my goal for the upcoming week is to stay focused and plan my Thanksgiving menu. I don't want there to be any surprises on the scale at my post-turkey day weigh-in.

Now on to the oral surgeon for a wisdom-teeth-removal consult. Feel for me.

Cayce

Fussy Monkey Business

There's a blog I enjoy that I want to mention today.

Fussy Monkey Business is a blog by a fellow SAHM of two, where she shares her addiction to crafting, sewing, and frugal decorating with the rest of us.

Raised in the same town I grew up in, she does Pottery Barn style on a Wal-Mart budget.
A woman I can respect. :)

Right now she has a Christmas ornament tutorial up.
Check her blog out some time. I think you'd enjoy it.

At least they don't smell.

In the last few weeks, BabyCakes' personality has really started to come out.
She's been fun and interactive.
Occasionally I would catch glimpses of something familiar in her. I couldn't put my finger on it.
What could it be? She has always seemed so different from her brother.

But then the wind changed, the animals began to stir, and I saw this picture.




That's right, our second Stinker had officially arrived.


Ah yes, I can only imagine the things to follow:


Destruction of property,



Petty larceny,



Deadly weapons,



Just like her Big Brother.




They think they're SO smart.



Mama says "Quit that!" and they just eat it up.






So now there are two Stinkers in the house.



I need a drink some chocolate.

Swingers

It was such a pretty afternoon yesterday that we HAD to go outside. I loaded BabyCakes up in the stroller and BigBoy and I walked her up to the neighborhood playground.

BabyCakes loooved the swings, but what baby doesn't?


No wonder, it's the closest you get to feeling like you are flying!



Pure excitement and joy.



Biz loved some swings, too.



Can you tell BigBoy's opinion at that age?
He's always disguised his feelings so well. ;)



I wish it would always be so easy to incite joy in my children. I doubt at age 14 the swings will do the trick.

Baby Got Back problems

Good morning! Is anyone else as mixed up with the time right now as I am? I guess it would help if I changed ANY of the clocks in the house other than the bedside alarm clock, and J did that.

We had a strange weekend. Thursday I strained my back and by Friday afternoon I was in full-on pain and couldn't make it stop. Now, this was no migraine, but it hurt. It got hard to move.
I think carrying a 22 pound baby might have helped it along, too. Between BabyCakes and my um... other physical attributes, it's amazing my back doesn't hurt more often.
Anyway, it did.
So I rested. I sat. With a heating pad... all weekend.

It was weird.

Other than taking the kids to get flu shots on Saturday, I did almost nothing constructive. I helped keep the children alive and fed, made sure the house didn't implode... and sat.

As for this morning, I've never been so happy to be up and doing laundry!
Yes, my back is feeling much better and it's a good thing -- I have lots to do.
I'm trying to get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas little by little this year. No last-minute grocery shopping or gift-wrapping here. (At least that's the plan.)
Just like my health goals, I'm going to get my household and holiday tasks done little by little.

Okay, I'm off to tackle that pile of clothes that don't really fit anymore and even when I can wear them again I still won't really like stuff on top of the dryer that needs a home. Maybe I'll just donate them. If I liked them that much I wouldn't even have to debate it.

Later!

P.S. The following was added because Gramps complained about the lack of a grandchild pic. Thought I'd throw him a bone...

Real quick before we're out the door...

BabyCakes modeling her new sweater. :)