I am a piece of work...according to Ty

YESTERDAY my good pal Lena told me to make myself a camera strap cover.


Today I desided to try and having SO MUCH scrap fabric, and being the "not able to stop" kinda girl that I am.....

I now have eight....eight camera strap covers.

I am a piece of work...it's true.

Aren't they cute though? want one?

my amazing husband

this is my husbands real smile while we were on a Valentine's day picnic....I can't stop staring.

These are happy things...another reason for me to try and figure out how to use my special new camera

this new bowl I got from Walmart. It is large. Serving bowl size. It was $1.00.


freesia from my garden makes my whole house a good place to be....


tidbit tu-tus....ahhhh tidbit.



my sewing machine. she's been on a break these last few months...a time out.

Jake's homework spot

things I love.....well, really really like.

my new picture arrangement


drinking jasmine tea in my new glasses!



this bracelet I got for my little sister at......F21.....you know what I mean




my favorite cleaner....... also this favorite chair!





Ella's sparkle shoes that her brothers got her for Valentine's Day(never thought I'd be the mom to have these...here I am...NEVER say never)

I took all my kids to the beach this evening and Ella did not have fun....

Today I am inspired by Cindy Ahrentzen.

I grew up with her in my life and now she is woman who searches out how she can serve the Lord with her beautiful gifts of love and kindness. As a girl I got the benefit of that gift in her laugh and enthusiastic conversation...I just loved her. In my little girl mind, she was fun and upbeat when my mom was kinda boring :) She was creative and had the good kind of apple juice and super soft arms! So back then I got the blessings, and now-a-days sweet little Haitian babies get to snuggle up in those arms(they are great, I'm tellin you!) and the people of Haiti, who have lost so much have this compassionate, funny, generous woman in their midst to do what she can to help them. Praise the Lord! He really made a beauty in this woman!

From the "Reed Archive"

Shauna's Mommy secrets 2009

1. turkey meatballs from Trader Joes. ( my kids live on um)
2. safety tatoos (for days out on the town)
3. burger king chicken fries ( les just showed me those)
4. the small potty at the "lullaby lounge" at the Mission Viejo mall
5. Mongolian BBQ at the food court feeds mommy and up to 3 small kids! 9 bucks for lunch...yess! and then they clean up under the table( i know I'm trashy)
6. Costco wipes in EVERY room.
kitchen: counter, sink, stove, mouths, hands, table, floor, outside of appliances.
living room: diapered bottoms bathrooms: every one likes to be clean not just babies! ha!
garage: wipe down the interior, and the outer handles of your car if they get really grimey. Every other room: general spill and soggy cheerio wipe up
7. Top Ramen as "kung fu noodles"
8. For 4 year olds and up: fill a syrup bottle ( smart and final ), you know the ones they have at IHOP, with milk for cereal in the morning. then the gallon jug doesn't get poured all over the kitchen and the "big kid" can serve himself breakfast.
9."Bounderies with kids" and "How to talk so your kids will listen and listen so your kids will talk" READ THEM
10.Swirls! big kids love it. you can just fill the cup a little. you can fill a babies cup with all fruit. sometimes you just need to get out for a treat and this isn't too naughty too do once a week!
11. If you stay home all day with your kids, Go out by yourself at night. to starbucks, the bookstore, window shopping at the mall, to your favorite place . you might think you are too tired when your husband gets home, but you will be glad to be away for a few minutes, and feel like yourself again!
12. "The Cake Doctor" amazing special cakes from cake box recipes
13.Don't fold jammies! just trow um in the drawer. just let it go. I do it, so you have permission and knowledge that you aren't the only one!
14. Have low expectations and you will always be pleasantly surprised.
15. YOu don't have to be the "best" mom. you just need to be a good one. Let go of something that REALLY doesn't matter...today!
16. a little kids movie or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DOESN"T hurt...no matter what "they" say. What matters is that you survive mother hood without going INSANE.
17.Just let um(the kids) go out in the back yard naked for a while, it'll do everyone some good.
18.Always get yourself ready in the morning. a little mascara , clean teeth, and a "relatively cute" outfit, will make you happier...it's just basic dignity ladies.
19. For boys: teach them about being a gentleman! no girl is above a given up seat, opened door, or a protective arm....let's raise our boys with gentlemanly manners and respect for a ladies love for basic kindness
20.BE HAPPY! your kids will eventually follow your lead.

This is my favorite picture today. This is my Jake and his real laugh....I love this laugh. So free and happy!

Whenever I want to fall over because he is crying and carrying on about some small thing(he's my dramatic one) I want to look at this and remember. Look at this and thank God that his life is filled with laughter and joy and NOT take that for granted.

this is what is happening at the Reeds today! LAUNDRY!

The Valentine Package

I love cupcakes!

Jake, Ty, Ella and I made red velvet cupcakes this week!
Valentines Day is such a pleasure with little kids!
Love comes easy!
Sugar is plentiful!
Does it get any better?

OK. So God is stalking me again! Silly little me who asks for help from "The Lord, the God of all mankind" and then forgets to look for him to answer me. Of course He hears me and helps me when I ask! Why am I always surprised?
Maybe because I am in this season of BEING the helper, I forget that I too need help and to get it I have to be willing to receive it.
This week he is reminding me how to recognize His spirit's presence in my life. Patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control....those are Him! And if somehow those come out of me, it is not because of my striving, but because I calmed down, took a step back, in faith and allowed Him to be the star and the boss. I love this guy! When I leave it to Him I get such a great things! Peace and love and joy! Yes please!
Thank you Lord for answering my call!

"Hear my prayer, Oh Lord!
From the ends of the earth I cry!
Your peace will lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For you have been strength in times of trouble
a tower above my enemies
and Lord I will abide with you forever, in the shelter of your wings."

I'm a little teapot!
check out my new little friend that will make me many cups of Jasmine tea! hooray!

Books I am currently reading:
1. Siblings Without Rivalry
2. Keep a Quiet Heart
3. Jesus Calling
4. True Colors
5. Raising Kids For True Greatness

Sorry! My boys and I have been playing sorry lately...talk about practice for good sportsmanship! Even I struggle with not flipping the board sometimes! But we are perfecting our victory song when we finally come HOOOOME!

Check out my new, super cute glasses! I found them at Home Goods and they make me excited to have iced tea or some special fancy drink as soon as possible....

true love

fight the spirit of discontent

Have you ever had a day burdened with negativity? That was me today. I love the weekends, but today I just couldn't be a happy camper inside. Every small annoyance seemed magnified. Everything my kids did seem frustrating, everything my husband said seemed to rub me the wrong way....until by the afternoon I had a raging head ache and I went to lie down.
God sent me Elisabeth Elliot(as he often does) to hold a mirror up and show me what was happening...spiritual opposition.

"The devil is evidently attacking you in your innermost heart, not causing you to doubt so much as causing a spirit of discontent. Fortunately, we both know that temptation is not a sin, it is yielding to temptation that causes us to sin and I feel that you must count it joy that you are passing through these times of difficulty, for they are sure signs that the Lord is blessing you..."

YES! that is it! the spirit of discontent! I need to FIGHT that. Do you?

"...It comes from the flesh and self-introspection. It is good for us to look at self and know how loathsome it is, but with one look at self we must take 10 looks at Christ....No one goes to church more than the devil does, and no one appears as an angel of light as he does. We are in the thick of facing powers of darkness who are determined to rob us of Him and rob God of us, and you and I have just got to hope in Christ and rely on Him for His spirit to direct our thoughts, our ways, and our works so that it is not us but Christ in us."

Isn't it amazing that God just provided those words for me? I could feel all this attack as it was happening, and was trying to have self control and focus on contentment and I asked for help and he gave it. Why am I surprised?

"In every event He seeks an entrance to my heart...The very cracks and empty crannies of my life, my perplexities and hurts and botched-up jobs, He wants to fill with Himself, His joy, His life."

Ok, so now it is 9:30 and my circumstances haven't changed. BUUUUT, I WILL FIGHT! and as Scarlett O' Hara says "after all, tomorrow is another day".... so I'll get another chance tomorrow right? I'll try to be more grateful, no more spirit of discontent...I promise.
Lord Help me!

I've looked at a few blogs in the last few days....and thought about what a funny different world it is to make a little snapshot of your life to share...a totally edited snapshot. It is hard to remember that sometimes...that each blog that I see is pruned and perfected. That the ugly parts are shaved off. It is easy to allow yourself to miss the beauty of your own life as you scroll through page after page of amazing photography and artful writing. Maybe the grass IS greener there? Maybe that lady has it totally together and has an artful, "clean" home where her children are also artistic and happy and peaceful and allow her to spend her time uploading pictures of their brilliance and adorable-ness....
My mission? to illustrate the beauty of my barely managed mess. Yes my kids are darling...of course! But just to be honest, my laundry needs to be done and my dishes are piled in the sink.
If you look at my pictures, remember that they are cropped and doctored up and that the beauty is that I have a mess just like yours and I am trying to look at it all knowing that God's grace fixes me up and puts a wash over me and reminds me that although I get distracted by things of this world, deep down I am HIS beautiful creation trying to get out and express his beauty! Beauty is my mess turned into glory because of Him, my hero!

Wow! did you expect that? I didn't. Gonna go watch American Idol with my annoyed husband now...

my first lemon bars....mmmm.
tall, but good!

fix your eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen....do not be anxious, but trust in the Living One who sees you always and loves you...

I can't stop looking at this picture! My daughter is so beautiful to me!