halloween and the pumpkin king...

we carved pumpkins today.
i LOVE carving pumpkins.
but yesterday i cut my finger pretty badly.
it makes it hard to do my job.
i never think about how much i use my hands in my job.
washing dishes and people.
buttoning and unbuttoning pants.
pulling shirts on and off.
zipping zippers.
pushing, pulling, lifting, shoving, helping, rubbing, wiping, stopping, starting, smacking (as in high 5's).......
the list could go on....
but today it meant not being a good cutter OR scraper.
well, surprise surprise....
my reedo came through with flying colors!
my reedo who i had to beg and convince to carve pumpkins when we first got married....
he was like the pumpkin king today!
he just rocked pumpkin time (check out that "not stressed out" face....that's hot....seriously)

carving, basicly, everyones pumkin and making it seem like they did it (that is usually my job).

it was so great and it made me feel bad for always being so "in charge of everything"

maybe if i took a step back more often he could be the "main guy" of stuff more?

hmmmmm

something to think about.

where else am i trying too hard and in the process discouraging my family to step it up?

ouch....that's hard to think about.

so here they are, my perfectly capable people (the boy's with painted faces) are carving.....

wait !!!!

where is the tiny guy???

it's not the same without.....

oh there he is.

so here we are.
with all my free time i set up a family photo....

Happy Halloween!

my trip....

was heaven!
my sister took such good care of me...she always does.
her boyfriend, tom lives a few blocks away from her.
we walked over the first morning and they cooked me an amazing breakfast.
huevos rancheros.....so incredibly yummy!
they got me jasmine tea and diet coke too.
she and tom were so nice to me.
she took me all over her cute town, and to her favorite restaurant (which she also works at).
it was SO great!
really.
fabulous food.
tom took me to his art studio and showed me his work and his space.
it was like a dream, to be all by my big girl self and just follow them where they go and see what they love.
not my normal reality, ya know.
i really really loved it.
that is not even getting started on the COLORS.
oh....my....goodness!
it was my favorite weather of all time.
rainy and a little windy.
and ALL the beautiful colors falling down to the streets and yards.
we walked everywhere.
we went to the river.
the book shop (that is right across the street from her cute house).
the soda fountain.
a record shop.
antique shops.
does it get any better?
the answer is no....no it does not.
thank you grace for having me and loving me.
thank you tom, for showing me around, especially when grace was at work.
i felt special and loved by both of you.
i will be thankful for that time with you guys forever and ever...

glimpses of Grace.....

just some peaks at our time....

dressing up as Christ this season?

hi!

i got back from my trip last night.

lets be honest, there are probably about 376 things i ought to be doing besides blogging,on this monday after my trip.

but i just wanted to share one quick (i'm lying it's not quick) thing.

during that mysterious time, after i left my family in other people's capable hands and began to embrace simply being in charge of my own body and mind, i felt like God new, "I have gotta get in there fast!".

He knew there were only limited hours where i was not all crazy and mommy-ish, so He went for it.

when i got onto the plane, all of my "leaving" stresses melted away and I felt that God directed me to this tiny chapter in a book i have been reading called "The Business of Heaven" daily readings from C.S. Lewis.

click the picture to find it on amazon.

this is the part that really just hit me:

"....you are probably interested enough to take a shot at saying your prayers: and, whatever else you say, you will probably say the Lord's Prayer. It's very first words are Our Father... Do you see what those words mean? They mean, quite frankly that you are putting yourself in the place of a son of God. To put it bluntly, you are dressing up as Christ. If you like you are pretending.  Because , of course, the moment you realize what those words mean, you realize that you are not a son of God. You are not being like the Son of God, whose will and interests are at one with those of the Father: you are a bundle of self-centered fears, hopes, greeds, jealousies, and self-conceit, all doomed to death.  So that, in a way, this dressing up as Christ is a piece of outrageous cheek.  But the odd thing is that HE has ordered us to do it.... 

There are two kinds of pretending. There is a bad kind, where the pretence is there instead of the real thing; as when a man pretends he is going to help you instead of really helping you.  But there is also a good kind, where the pretence leads you to the real thing. When you are not feeling particularly friendly, but you know you ought to be, the best thing you can do, very often, is to put on a friendly manner and behave as if you are a nicer person than you actually are. And in a few moments, as we have all noticed, you will be really feeling friendlier than you were. Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you had it already."

i just love that guy.

C.S. Lewis, i mean.

he is so right.

that just stuck with me through the weekend.

i really want to be someone who is content with what i have.

Jake and Ty would tell me, "you get what you get, and you don't throw a fit"

i want to apply this idea to my contentedness and even when i wish my circumstances were different, "behave as if" i had that contentedness. 

i am gonna try.

i can really be a bundle of self centered fears, hopes and greeds.

i want to fight that.

here is one sneak peek of my AMAZING weekend with my little sis.....more to come!

before i go....

i am off to see my baby sister in Oregon, in a few hours!
i can't WAIT to be off the clock!
if you have kids, i am sure you know what the week before this departure day has looked like, so i won't bore you with the details of the chaos.
i am finally going.
but before i do, i am sending a special lady a bell that matches mine.
i think it is a fair assumption that she may even need it more than i do.
she has five kids and one is a teenager, so you tell me.
i am sure you all are just as inspired by Meg as i am.
and if you have SOMEHOW missed her blog, Whatever, after all the times i have used her ideas and linked to her, you can go look now, by clicking here.

one more thing.
meg and i want to name our bells!
don't you want to help us think of a good couple to name them after?
we have thrown around Lucy and Ethel, Cheech and Chong, Thelma and Louise.....
what do you think?
Beauty and the Beast?
come on, people, throw some at me....

i am raising my "big girl" hand! I have a question!

here's my question.
i have cute kids.
how do you take cute kids and turn them into this?
(brace yourself for a LOL)

I am not mad...
not even a little.
cause look.... 

How could I ever complain when I have been so unexpectedly blessed by photographs this year?
My cup runs over....

i still desperately HEART you Joy....
Oh Happy Day!

have you had enough of me?

even if you have had enough of ME, you may want to get a load of my favorite red head.....

we've started a new blog...together!

it is basically the conversations that we have already, but we are now opening them up for all to look at and be shocked dazzled by the amount of words, thoughts, inspiration, ideas and even silliness that makes up our friendship.

we are a funny little pair.

we love each other and drive each other crazy.

it's funny.

you will laugh.

we do all the time.

click on this picture and come on over to......

oh happy day!

oh happy day!
when Jesus washed my sins away!




He taught me how to wash, fight and pray!
and He taught me how to live, rejoicing
yes, He did.

oh happy day!

little tidbits of lovely

brothers and sisters,
whatever is true,
whatever is noble,
whatever is right,
whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable-
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-
think about such things.

i am linking up to life made lovely monday today.

stop by blessed little nest and soak up the lovely sharing.....

i am a prisoner, a prisoner with friends

what do you do if you are a prisoner of your own children, sitting at home, watching them roam around so bored and cranky that they become incredibly creative in how to drive you crazy and make extra messes and work for you?
how do you not begin to go a little insane and how do you keep yourself from thinking that maybe, just maybe, this will last forever?
they may never feel good and happy again.
they may never remember rules and normal routines ever again.
they may burst into tears at ANYTHING and EVERYTHING forever and ever.......
ok ok ok! this is what my blog, the reed life, is all about!
i gotta snap out of it and read the side bar that reminds me of my mission.
beauty in my mess.
must.....find....it.
hear i go, hello kitty shirt and all.....

i tried to make them stay on their beds for an hour a day, when they stayed home from school.
this is how they each handled it....

i HAD to let them bundle up and go outside for a little bit.
you have no idea, they are jumping out of their skin, if they can't run.
even if they are sick.
it's so reedo.
makes me want to hit something.
so instead of hit something, i sent them out and they brought me these.....
i am such a jerk.

i spent a few minutes letting ty and ella play with my old cameras.
they loved that.

we survived.
they are going back to school in the morning.
i hope it's not too soon.
but at the same time, i don't even care, ya know?
how can i be so in love and so exasperated with these people at the exact same time!!??

i am a crazy lady.....

thank you for all of your sweet comments and encouragements.

you guys made me feel like i wasn't even alone at my house for a week!

that's amazing!

i was like a prisoner, with friends!

sweet shoppe party!

one of our favorite girls turned 4 last weekend!
lily is the daughter of one my best friends.
i brought my camera to her ADORABLE sweet shoppe themed party.
seriously, lena, you out did yourself.
it was beautiful and FUN!
i wish i got more pics of the birthday girl herself, but there begins to be something kinda weird about a lady that's not your mom gettin in your face and snapping pictures at your 4th birthday sweet shoppe party(plus i am sorta.....no super bossy when i take pictures :/)
so i stuck to taking as many of her as i could with out being weird and then getting tons of my kids at this super happy party....
enjoy!




ps. i absolutely LOVE taking pictures of lily! she is so beautiful and naturally expressive.
i could take pictures of her all day!

my sad sicky sick deal

these are some things about my deal right now.

• my fingernails have pink, red and blue paint under them. from crazy hair night.
  
• my kids were sick today, and so was i. we watched 4 movies. i was super grouchy. i took them to IHOP for dinner instead of dealing with making something that they will only complain about. reedo is gone for a few days, so they are stuck with just me. how sad for them.
• my bell is for many things. i can ring it or other people can earn a chance. some reasons to ring my bell: dinner. good behavior observed. poo-poo on the potty. if someone is sad and i want cheer them up. if reedo wants to come in and ring it for no reason and wake up the sleeping children(not my fav). unloading the dishwasher. homework done...you get the picture. "come on, ring my beeeeeeeeeell. ring my bell." (meg, i am looking for another one for you...another good reason to go to homegoods!)
  
  
• in an effort to get out of the "fighting house" today, we (jake,ty, ella and i) took a drive. i tried a sonic cherry lemonade. i had never been to sonic. it was a good lemonade.
• i got the kids fast food. even though they were sick. i am ashamed. i am feeling bad too and didn't even step it up for them to eat well :( we ate out twice today. ew.
  
• i need my eyebrows shaped. bad.
• even though i suck as a mom, today, Jake and Ty told me (separately) that i am the best mom in the world. see? do i ever REALLY have it that bad?
• i broke down and got Ella the Disney Peter Pan costume when it went on sale. it is hard to pry her out of that thing. she is gonna rock that costume on halloween.
• if i could choose anything to do tomorrow and had no worries about childcare, i'd go down to the circle in orange and have and antique shopping spree. and a really yummy lunch with my friends. no rushing or time frame.
• one of the redeeming parts of my day was Grandma L. she heard we were sick and offered to take the kids for a few hours anyway! thank you LORD for your love shown to me through your girl, GL. she is one of my kids favorite people and mine too! she played legos and polly pockets and let me get a tea and walk downtown for an hour or so. LOVE HER!
• one of my favorite areas is the old part of San Juan Capistrano called Los Rios District. i take ella there sometimes and we cruise. park. shops. tea. treats. last time we went i found this scale.
  

ok. thanks for listening. and thanks for still being my friend after i tell you what a crappy day i had as a mom.

sick day

all my kids are sick.
just coughs, but still.
too sick to send to school.
i am going to try not to let this make me crazy.
ask me tomorrow how that works.

a dumb thing and a happy thing

this is mocking me.
the wreath telling my what i want to hear. read.
the chair telling me what i want to ignore. fold.



this is pleasing me.
i got this bell at homegoods.
i cant describe how happy it makes me.
weird, huh?

a date with the tiny guy

ty was ready for a haircut.
i was ready for him to get a haircut.
reedo was not ready.
i think reedo lives through ty when it comes to hair :)
so ty and i made it a date.
he got a C3p0 costume for "brian".
then headed over to first cuts to tame his mane.
he was very excited about the rocket.







then he chose chili's for dinner.
*tight smile* chili's...hmph.
but we ordered ribs :) and shared...so it was ok.
and also ty is on this kick of trying new different soups.
he ordered sweet corn chowder.
he was SO ENTHUSIASTIC about everything.
he was so pleased when i told him he could order soda instead of juice, if he wanted.
he easily gave up the idea of dessert, so he could eat his dum-dum from the haircut shop.
he nearly jumped through the roof as many people had to stop and ask him about
"C3ps-brian"
he was so sweet.
he loved the date.
and was so thankful. he kept saying so.

i am so in love.

this little bird....

in just a few more days,
this little bird is flying away to go see my little angel.
i have stolen her necklaces and now must fly them back to her...right?
and while i am there have 3 days of kid-free exploration and sister time!
i am sooooooo excited!
i can't remember the last time my and Gracie girl's time together didn't revolve around my kids.
to be more exact, me watching while she entertains them as their favorite lady.
but, in a few days, she's all mine.

and the little bird will be happy to be back on her cute little body, i am sure.

'round here....my room

and now...
here is my room.
well, i guess it's reedo's too ;)
i made the pillows.
i really really love the pillows.
i really really love the wreath.
i am really really not into the wall behind my bed though.
boring.
i wish heather from blessed little nest would come over and redo it with her amazing
re-purposing style.
she'd probably find, like some cool old tin sign with some random numbers and a giant fork, and some other amazing-ness that was free on the side of the road or something.
and i would smack my forehead and say, "why didn't i think of that!"
so simple, yet beautiful.
hahaha! i am cracking myself up tonight.
ok. ok. maybe not a fork, but, you know? something random yet rad.
the kids are eating corn dogs and watch B and the B....again.
classy huh?
i am just sitting in the kitchen laughing at my own post.

i also really really like my little bath area.
those towels!
(to bad i couldn't fold that dumb tag up for the photo...leslie woulda thought of that for me if she'd been there.)
those towels are from walmart! they were like 10 bucks for 2 bath towels, 2 hand towels,and 2 wash clothes!
and the frame was 5 bucks at a thrift shop!

see, heather's thrifty creativity IS kinda rubbing off, huh?

i got that frame to use in some pictures that i took of my favorite red-head.

i still want to post some of those!

what do you think, les?

can i?

anyway, the towels, the frame, love them!
i heart cheapness.