'round here-camera phone edition

these are the pictures from my i phone in the last week....

 naps in undies

a middle part makes me see my momma every time i pass my reflection...and no i am not pregnant, just leaning on the sink to give you that illusion...you are welcome.  

(ps. that necklace lasted 5 min. before it was ripped off and broken)

pay per view offered "babes and toyland"!!!

i have looked for that before to show the kids, but never found it.

i LOVED that movie when was little.

jerry's dogs with my babies

(i get my dog with spicy brown mustard and sauerkraut)

this typewriter is so beautiful...and also over $100...dumb.

first pool day of the season

we went before jake got out of school...

you can imagine his face when he found out.

poor guy

ella loves the baby pool this year.

ty loves the snacks.

we are addicted to grilled corn on the cob.

aren't you?

i made this recipe of strawberry limeade.

it is so darn good.

i love the vanilla in it.

sound weird?

vanilla?

it's good, trust me.

eatin' corn and drinkin' limade in yer panties.

does it get any better?

me and my limade (by tiny ty)

i got this dress for 9 dollars at forever 21.

and that necklace for myself from my birthday wish list.

you can get one here.

this is tape.

dollar bin at michaels.

ty keeps picking me roses...

that camera is my new pencil sharpener from z gallery.

this is the book i am reading right now.

it is so super good.

it is kinda da vinci code-ish, but about the story of romeo and juliet.

you should read it.

oh yah! eggs are awesome....

eggs...awesome?
not sure if that is true.
but to see why i just have to sing the phrase, "oh yah! eggs are awwwwesome!"
watch the video (below) of my kids.
(dude, be sure to turn the volume down, high volume runs in our family)
they sing that all day.
about everything....
yah, and i am NOT going crazy.
at all.
i love that song.
i sing it in my sleep, in the shower, in my car when i'm alone(oh yah, i'm NEVER alone...well if i was...), and now you can see i even post it.
"oh yah!_______is awesome" is my FAVORITE!
(insert demented smile here)

i know you must enjoy that as much as i do....

****added later****
i just realized that there is annoying delay on the video that makes an annoying song even MORE ANNOYING to me...ha!
there is NO WAY i am doing that video again though, i think you get the picture.

easter sunday driveway art....

this is how the reed family rolls.

linkin' up to heather for....

live rejoicing!

i just ran downstairs to tell you something.
i need to tell you before it slips away like many other ideas and thoughts that i think i should tell you and then forget or don't have time...
even now, ty is interrupting me......

(oh, ok.  just the classic case of somersault into the wall....
hug. kiss.
back to saturday morning legos.)

i just have to report that the grey cloud that seemed to loom over my head yesterday is gone.
i have been wondering about it though.
wondering why.
i feel like maybe the reason it seemed a bit extreme is that maybe God allowed me to feel some  of the shame and a guilt and burden for myself, that i am usually free from.
it really actually opened my eyes to the thought that i could feel that cloud all the time.
if i wasn't free, i might.
if i didn't have grace washing over me everyday....
i think i might feel that sick pit in my stomach all the time!?

so i had a day of mourning, yesterday.
today, i woke up and put on a yellow cardigan.
i started my eggs a-boilin'.
i started the laundry.
and i found my normal self.

i realize i walk around this world very very free.
grace follows me and swallows me up.
although the sick execution that happened all those years ago is no less horrifying today, i would be disrespecting it if i didn't walk around with a swing in my step and lightness in my heart.
he took the burden.
it's already done.
God looks at me and sees perfection.
to mope and plod around under guilt and shame is actually quite rude and ungrateful.
it's like having someone open the door for you and you slam it closed and open it again and go through. or having someone pull out your chair for you to sit down and you shove it back in and do it yourself.
yikes.
so today i am living with the understanding that jesus death not only makes it possible for me to live in child-like joy with Him and my children and loved ones all though eternity.
but it also frees me here in our temporary home.
guilt and shame and fear have no place with me.
that has been dealt with.

my rescuer and i stand so close together that when God glances at me, He sees one.

{sigh}

Jesus made it possible for me to live rejoicing, every day!

oh happy day!

i know
i know
this "oh happy day" thing is so over used on the reed life.
and really, good friday is super.....serious, to me.
i know that it is a good day.
but i don't think i'd use the word "happy"
i feel kinda sick.
i usually do on good friday. feel sick, i mean.
i woke up this morning and felt like wearing black (gasp)
so i did.
a black sweater and and a grey skirt.
i still haven't put on any make up.
i just feel off.
and sick (did i mention that?)

i kept the kids home today.
we slept in, made a big breakfast, made resurrection rolls, and did a buncha worksheets and coloring pages that i printed off the internet.
this is the second year i have done this.
the kids are actually totally happy to stay home even though there is a bunch crazy bunny/easter egg stuff happening in their classes.
there is just so much wasted time happening during these "celebrations" and i just can't stand that on easter.
easter. you thought i freaked out on christmas?
good friday just NEEDS to be respected in my opinion.
and ridiculous eggs and bunnies do not feel respectful to me.
i am not shaking my finger at any one in particular....just, like i said, feeling sick about what happened on the cross.
so i am telling myself over and again that my "happy day" is coming.
but also allowing myself to feel really really sad about how it had to come to be.

but seriously, sadness can't get too far when i have this fella around....
look at how happy and ridiculous and silly and amazing he is.

how long can i feel sick when i am completely aware that all the suffering that Jesus went through was so that my children will live in complete child-like joy through all eternity?
i am grateful.
overwhelmed with gratefulness.




this guy (below) is really starting to grasp the easter concepts this year.
really listening when we do the resurrection eggs.

and she is growing and growing.
and following her brother's every move.

oh happy day!
when jesus washed my(our) sins away.

red and aqua

you might have noticed, by now, that my favorite colors are red and aqua.
there is just something about that combination that makes my eyes open wider.
and i am not sure if i have mentioned my recent sickness called pinterest.
yah....i have been kinda into that lately.
and when you put those two favorite things together,
this is what you get....

isn't that happy!?

i mean that makes me really really smile.

 you should click on the side bar button the says "i love pinterest" and see more.

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and as i was putting that together to share with you, i thought i could make you a special collage of the red and aqua in my house too!

here you go!

ok ok, there may have been some yellow snuck in there....
i like that too.
so have a lovely red and aqua tuesday my friend!
easter is almost here!
that is the holiday that brings me the most hope and true joy....
it's coming soon!

ok ok..sunday snapshot.

i just had to...

saturday snapshot

linking up to saturday snapshot at yellow song bird.

(ella, on her tricycle, was featured this week!)

this day that changed my life forever

11 years ago,

i attached myself to this man for the rest of my life.

i have never been the same.

i am so incredibly glad that i did that.

tonight we are apart.

he is backpacking

(with deliberate permission)

 with 2 of his great guys friends.

but he has his iphone.

if you check in on the reed life, honey, i am so glad you are mine.

thanks for marrying me.

birthday and everyday.

this is an add that was released on the year i was born.

1979

look at those stylish people making a "spam sandwich".

wow.

just wow.

thank you all so much for the sweet birthday wishes!
i have some really great blog friends.
i feel very blessed.

my birthday was great.
like, monday great.

yah, does that confuse you?
what i mean is, that it was monday and it was my birthday and it was the first day back to 7:45 drop off at school, after spring break and it was....just a normal day of my life.

but, aren't birthdays funny?
there is something inside that wants that certain day to be a perfect representation of all the good in your life.
and then there is reality.
and even if you have a good grasp on that....you still are hoping for something...else.
i think we can be tempted to put that hope onto other people, other unsuspecting fellas living their lives, skipping along in their own little worlds and (lets face it) not really that focused on making this the best day of your life.

well, the one person that is the most likely to make the birthday happiness happen is...you.
yah yah, i know i sound cheesy, like "you control your own destiny and loving yourself is the greatest love of all".
that isn't really what i mean though.

i mean, that on my birthday i decided to be happy.
i had my normal chores and responsibilities i just skipped the stuff that brought me down.
now, that seems simple, but it is hard to do.
if you have tried it you know.
there are MANY things that can get me down on any given day.
bad attitudes, complaining, busyness, presumptuousness, insecurity, the feeling of needing to please everyone, listening to my own annoyed voice, forgetting my place in the world and trying to take someone else's....yah the list could go on for.ever.
i took up grace as my companion on my birthday and just let the negativity roll off.
and i am telling you, it really worked.

i got up really early.
put on a pretty white dress.
i dropped off the boys.
i went to the gym.(oh wait, i guess thats when i put on the pretty dress, up until then it was gym clothes)
i chattered too long with my favorite redhead.
ella and i went to staples and the cupcake shop and cafe rio.
then i went and picked out some fat quarters at my favorite hidden fabric shop.
then picked up ty, did some laundry and packed 4 pairs of rain boots into the car.
picked up jake and took the boys to karate.
took all my kids to the wild sweet pea fields a few miles away.
and then met up with reedo for chinese food, just the 5 of us.
then ate cupcakes with them at home.

now that all seems pretty simple, but we all know that those were the activities.
there was a lot more than activities going on during that time.
all those "getting you down" things were being hurled at me and i had to bob and weave and block and even run away at times to get through a simple day in my life.
it's like a battle sometimes.

i am telling you all this in hopes that you can be inspired.
maybe you have a special day coming up.
maybe you wish that other people could make you happy that day.
that everyone will remember you and appreciate and love you just the way you need.
and you have no control over whether or not they will tune into that hope.
but you could just decide.
no matter what "they" do, that you are going to love your life.
you are going to resist the temptation to feel sorry for yourself.
that you are going to look around and not limit yourself to other people's interpretation or willingness to give.
i can vouch for it working.
not easily.
but it does work.
the key, for me, was a constant conversation with the Lord, as if He was just accompanying me on my day, chores and all.
i could feel the tension in my body rise and fall as i ignored Him for a while and then remembered He was there and gave Him my thoughts and feelings.
it is really so remarkable....
this battle i fight, with Him at my side.
i think it should be my birthday every day.

on my mind...

i have a lot on my mind.

jake's heritage report (due friday).

my husbands upcoming backpacking trip that seem to be all consuming :)

snacks (aren't they always on my mind?).

new signs i want to paint.

my next wildflowers shoot (in june).... be ready to be blown.a.way.

my friends who all met up with me on tuesday, for my birthday, and gave me this....you KNOW i wanted it so so bad.

a new skirt i am making for ella bear.

my sisters (always on my mind) and our upcoming sister's weekend in Bend(fav).

frames for some new art that i found at the Old Barn the other day for $4.

sweet pea fields.

wondering WHY i can't keep my house clean.

feeling sad(not guilty) about sucking at 40 bags for 40 days...even after i told you i'd do it.

ty's on again off again anxiety about a boy at kindergarten.

sewing on karate patches.

laundry.

needing to call an old friend, but can't make time.

the shirts i forgot to pick up at the cleaners for reedo.

deciding to be happy.

and all of these things seem to fade when i wonder what i can do to help this guy...

i am sure you have seen him on other blogs.

isn't he a sweetheart?
please go and read his mother's words and donate a few(ten) bucks.
it just takes a minute.
i really try not to do a lot of "donate this and that" since this is a simple family blog
but this one i just had to give you a chance to see, if you haven't already.
his momma is trying to bring him home.
plus meg asked me to do a post and you know it's hard for me to say "no" to that rainbow lady!


do you have a lot on your mind too?