Parenthood Part 2

Leaving the party before sunset.

Special late night DVD treats in the car.

In bed with your kids before 10:30 while everyone is at that "after-party."

Waking up the next day to do it again.

Parenthood

Life with kids at a party.

And to conclude

In case you're not sick of my Colorado photos yet, here are some more.  If you are sick of them, I DON'T blame you.

I've spent lots of time looking them over.  Choosing the best.  Editing them.  And then, last night, while watching "Teen Mom" on MTV, I made some photo books on iphoto.  Have you ever made one?  If not, you must.  They are easy, affordable, and a great way to keep all your vacation memories in one place.

The plan is to send one to all my family so they can have one too.  Aren't I nice?

It's really been fun to do.  It gives me a creative outlet that I've been missing for so many years.  And it keeps me "in the classroom" learning, which my brain really needs.  I swear with each push in labor and delivery, I kill a million brain cells.  They are just not there anymore.

Oh, and yes, I was watching "Teen Mom" last night.  And I cried.  Remember my tears when watching "16 and Pregnant?"  (Click here to learn why it's so beautiful.) There are so many emotions wrapped up in that show that I can completely relate to.  I may be 28.  And I was only "25 and Pregnant" but pregnant is pregnant.  And parenthood is parenthood.  It's the great equalizer no matter how old you are.  When you are in the hospital with contractions shooting through you, it doesn't matter how young or old or rich or poor you are, you are the same.

So I cried and cried watching the show and made my photo book.  Here's the last of my photos to share.

Enjoy, (or don't if you're sick of them.  I completely understand. :-)

And aren't you lucky?  I even snuck one in of myself.  Gasp!  Alex grabbed the camera and took some of me.  Which was so nice.  :-)

Colorado, My Love

Question:  Can I wear workout clothes everyday if I don't workout?

At the baby store yesterday, there was a new mom in the check-out in front of me.  She was wearing running clothes and had obviously been working out that morning.  I, too, was wearing running clothes but hadn't worked out.  So in my mind, I pretended I had been jogging.  I had to justify to myself that I can wear workout clothes even if I don't workout.

The mental leaps I take to make myself feel better is amazing.

Like writing this post.

Here is what I should be doing: I should be cleaning the waffle iron.  Or, putting away all my stuff from our epic Target trip yesterday.  Or, doing our vacation laundry that is piling up quickly.

Instead, I'm blogging because I'm mildly majorly addicted to it.



So here I go.

The Wild West is Wild.  You never know what the mountain weather and terrain will bring.  The people are a little crazier than the average population.  Then, throw in an entire family with 6 children 3 years and younger, and it's certifiably crazy.

We barely made it back alive.

Phew.  That's a lot of photos.  (And there are more...)

Do you have a favorite?

I Heart Faces

This week's theme at I Heart Faces is "over my head."

I took this last week as the kids played around the barn while we waited for the hayride to start.  I love their intensity.  They look as if they are working really hard.  But then there's Alyson's gentle, motherly hand resting on Eloise's head as if she's reminding us that they are just kids after all.

On the road

Good morning, world!  We've been on the road enjoying this beautiful country.  And now wer're home again.  Stuck on mountain time.  (Meaning an 11pm bed time for the 2 girls (highly unrecommended) and us staring at the ceiling unable to sleep.  Ugh.)

So we're playing hooky from church this morning.  Well, Alex isn't playing hooky, but we girls are.  And we're watching TV.  Feeling rebellious, especially if you knew what trash I'm watching.

I've got lots more to share as this week.  But for now, it's time for my coffee and bad Sunday morning TV.

Good morning!

A Hayride!

Can you guess. . .

what Charlie and Eloise are doing here?

Ready or not,

here I come!

Home (is where we are)

We've been married for almost five years.  (And the crowd goes wild!)

And we've lived in 3 states in 5 years.  That's a lot of moving, folks.

I'm from Texas.  He's from Florida.  We met in Virginia.

In Pittsburgh, we enjoyed a vibrant seminary community.  We were very at home with our friends and community.  In Colorado, we felt alive in the mountains, enjoying the great outdoors and the love and warmth of our first church.  Now in our current home, we are thriving in our neighborhood and new friendships.

And we'll have to move again.  And again.  Which is hard for me.  I have to re-think the way I think of our lives.  Although we live in our home country, we are missionaries and will move to where we are called.  We will never have deep roots in one place, but we'll be together.

And the cliche, "home is where the heart is," has finally made sense to me.  Because my home will be where ever my loves are.

Check out other photo stories at I Heart Faces.

What a Man

"What a man, what a man. what a man, what a mighty fine man!  Yeah!!"