Quick Five Year Re-cap: "What was that all about?!"

I thought it would be good to get caught up. What's gone on these past five years?

Sometimes it feels like this

Since we last met:

We sold the Gypsy Cafe in Bailey, CO.

We sold our house in the mountains. My parents moved to Denver and we bought a house in Littleton, CO.

We re-homed Luke (our boarder collie) because of health issues, cried our eyes out and went and picked him up first thing the next morning.

We decided to travel on the road full-time and sold everything.

We traveled the United States (and a bit of Canada) for 6 months. It was an amazing experience and one we still crave from time to time.

We survived a major accident at the end of our 6 months on the road and moved to Oregon, the town Erik and I grew up in. We re-bought everything we sold.

We've built a successful business.

We've moved five times.

I worked on a few personal photography projects.

We went through therapy to overcome the trauma of the accident (we were a mess), which ended up helping me overcome a lot of hidden crap. Life changer! It's too much to mention here, but I see a future blog post going into more detail.

Erik and I have both gone through topical steroid withdrawal (I might go into my personal journey in a later post, but for those interested now, here is what it is: http://itsan.org/).

The kids have all become pre-teen/teenagers.

We've brushed our teeth approximately 4380 times.

We've spent a collective 7110 hrs eating.

We've vacationed, made life-long new friends, re-connected with old friends, grown closer as a couple and a family and have defined even more what's important to us in life. We've laughed a ton, cried a ton, failed, succeeded, experienced and dreamed.

Oregon has been a great experience, but a new chapter is in front of us...

Where are we heading next?

My Life On the Farm as a King Cousin

The other night Erik was busy with school so I grabbed the remote and started channel surfing. There wasn't a whole lot on, but then I came across a classic, "Anne of Green Gables." It was starting in five minutes!  "I have to DVR this," I said as I was thinking of how I was going to cuddle up with my girls and introduce them to Anne with and "e" and the simple way of living that took place on Prince Edward Island. 

Erik quickly responded with,"Why?"

"What do you mean why? Because I love this movie. That's why!" I said with a "back-off" attitude. He was mocking me and ruining my feel good moment, he should know better than that by now. 

The truth is I want to live on Prince Edward Island. I want to be a King cousin and live in a simple but elegant home decorated with gorgeous frilly things. I want to wear fancy hats, dresses with lace and adorable leather boots with buttons up the side. There is a part of me that thinks there would be nothing greater than sitting on a big white front porch sipping on freshly squeezed lemonade, smelling the aroma of dinner from the kitchen window as I watch the children frolic in the island breeze. 

As my mind wonders the realist in me starts to come out and I start to think about the garden that's out back and how I'm going to have to tend that garden and grow those vegetables that are cooking in the kitchen. In the dirt. In the blazing hot sun. And how the dress I'm wearing is going to have to be washed after working in the garden. On a washboard. By hand. And how dirty the children are going to be after frolicking in the field and how they will need a bath. With water that I will have to boil. In a tub that I will have to fill. 

And let's not forget about Bessie the cow out back that has to be milked every morning at the crack of dawn. I'm not a morning person and getting up early to milk a cow sounds about as much fun as having my armpit hair plucked out one by one. I really don't think I'm up for that kind of commitment. 

I come to the conclusion that I really love my washer and dryer, my running hot water and the fact that I can drive in my car to the grocery store to buy bessie's milk. I will continue to dream of living on Prince Edward Island for all the positive reasons and then come back to reality when I realize I'm as cut out for farm life like Miss Piggy is for roller skates.

Even though I could never make it on a farm, I still allow a hint of my inner prairie-life to come out once an awhile. And when I say "hint" I might mean just a sliver of a hint. I might mean putting a few Pinterest ideas into action. Ones that are easy, don't require too much sewing and include all ingredients that I can find at my local grocery store! 

I am actually pretty proud of a recent discovery that makes me feel like I'm rolling up my sleeves and doing my part on the farm. I made my own laundry soap! I'm serious, I really did. It's easy, and it works! I'm hooked because this recipe requires no real skill at all, you just dump all the ingredients into a bucket. Also, it last forever, like six months or longer (we have nine people in our house). Everything you need to make it you can find at any grocery store. Here is the recipe I used. And it works awesome!

1 4 lb 12 oz box Borax 

1 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda 

1  box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz 

3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap, found in the detergent isle 

2 small containers of Oxy Clean or store brand Oxy Clean 

1 container of laundry crystals (optional, but I love the added fragrance)

Directions: Grate the bars of Fels soap and then combine all ingredients!

I use 1/4 cup per load for our large front loader.

Here is a picture of what it looked like all said and done (before I added the crystals). Cool, huh?

The only thing that makes this next one somewhat prairie-like is that it involves pretty lace. I really don't think anyone on Prince Edward Island would approve of my new look. I would have all the townswoman gossiping about me and my ungodly ways the next time I ventured into town! 

At first I thought I was going to have to sew lace patches under my jeans, so I knew I was going to have to recruit my mom for that task. Then I realized, duh lace tights! I found them on Ebay. Seriously how cute is this? 

One of our favorite lines from Little House on the Prairie (I know, I'm mixing up shows here, but I also want to be Laura Ingalls!) is when Pa says, "There's nothing like a nice cup of coffee before bed." 

I couldn't do it Pa! Caffeine makes me crazy. I have realized that I function better off of caffeine. I have been off of it for a few months and I feel amazing. I don't wake up ready to bite someone that gets in between me and my coffee pot. My desire to be completely unproductive and take a nap every afternoon has ceased.  Here is a letter the girls wrote to me a week or so after I gave it up. 

It's really that noticeable!

I have a feeling this was not Ma or Pa's parenting style, but it pretty much sums up ours! 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and here's to a wonderful New Year! I have a feeling 2013 is going to be great!

My "In The Moment" Moments

Life would be such a disappointment if it always stayed the same. It's very comforting to know that life is always evolving, changing, and taking me by surprise. Yes, there are those things that stay constant; God's love, my morning coffee, and that fact that I'll always be a klutz. But most everything else could change at any given moment. I want to remember what this season looks like and so I'm going to start an "In the Moment" series. It's actually just a way of being able to post random facts about my life, that don't really have a home... and have it sound chic.

So here are a few of my, "In the Moment", moments.

* I have been seeing numbers consecutively and it's starting to freak me out... 1:11, 2:22, 3:33, 4:44. Sometimes I will do it every hour, three hours in a row. What the heck? At the wedding I shot on Friday I pulled my phone out to check the time and it said 11:11. I think I have a problem. Does this happen to anyone else?

* I am addicted to diet coke. It's terrible for me. I know this. The chemicals, the addictive properties, the fact that it hinders me from drinking what my body really needs; water. But I can't stop the madness.

* Socks do not belong on sleeping feet. Did that sound confusing? What I meant was I won't wear socks to bed. To a nap maybe, but never at night.  Claustrophobia will eventually attack my feet and I will wake up in a fury trying to rip them off. 

*  One time Erik fell asleep with his fingers in my tangled hair. He decided to turn over and take me with him. I screamed loudly and then slugged him. We are adventurous even when we are unconscious.

*  Matt's quote of the week:

He was picking his nose and Erik gave him the "You shouldn't be doing that!", glare. He asked, "Did you get it buddy?"

Matt's reply, "I couldn't, it's a fast one." Hahaha

*  The night after I do a wedding, I dream wedding. All. Night. Long. Erik said the other night I woke him up because I was talking in my sleep. Something about how all the groomsman were not standing in the right order.

*  Jalapeño string cheese! When you go to reach for your afternoon snack and you think to yourself, "I'm so bored of this simple white stick of cheese. I wish I had a little spice in my life." Remember this very small, but very powerful piece of information. Spice it up. Get crazy. Have two! 3:00 will never be the same!

* I like a clean house, but one odd thing about me is I don't make my bed. Something I didn't inherit from my mom, the bed-making queen! I will make it if it's your first time to my house, but that's all you get. Remember it how it was because you will never see it like that again, unless you happen to be over when another newcomer is visiting.

*  What is it about us parents and wanting our kids to have the same childhood experiences we did. Lucky Charms has to be one of the worst cereals in a, "start your kids out on the right foot, with good brain food," kinda way. But, we have to let them indulge in the delight of the charms, we have to let them taste the rainbow (oops, Skittles reference!); they are magically delicious after all. While the kids were sugaring up one early morning, Erik and I were reminiscing of the days when we would eat all the marshmallows first and then the rest just tasted like sugared cardboard. Ella pipes up, " You mean they had Lucky Charms all the way back then?" 

Oh my goodness, nothing like making you feel real old, real quick. "Yes dear, all the way back then!"

*  With all the advanced technology we have, why is there still a delay when two news reporters are talking to each other? Just sayin'.

*  This girl needs a vacation. I mean, like, really needs a vacation. With that said, I will never vacation here. Are you kidding me, sleep underwater? I love that God made all the fish an incredible home, but there is a reason he didn't give me the ability to breath underwater. I will let them enjoy their home in peace and quiet and will find myself a nice cabana on the beach, thank you very much! 

I talked a lot about sleeping, I think it's time for a nice bath and good night's sleep!

Sometimes Life Just Needs a Fresh Coat of Paint

If life has you down maybe a little change is in order. Change is refreshing when life starts to become stagnant. It can be a small change; something as simple as a change of thought. Sometimes big changes are needed but most of the time all we need is a small shift to make our world feel fresh, new, and full again. 

Life will always seem chaotic, there is no getting around it, but what we do in the midst of crazy is what modifies the moment. If we were to get even deeper on the subject, how we choose to perceive any given circumstance is ultimately going to shape that situation into a negative or a positive. Life is what we make it. We can choose to sit, stress, and worry about our future, or we can be thankful for all the blessings that surround us. We can mope, cry, and complain about our schedule, or we can rearrange and organize it so we are excited to get up each day. Yes, there are bad days, but it's what we do with those bad days that make us either stronger or weaker.

One small change that has been long overdue is the painting of my our office (I have to remind myself that I now share this space with my wonderful husband who now works from home, but that's a different post). One simple coat of paint and my our work environment went from a dark, gloomy dungeon to what a work space should be. Such a simple modification completely changed my perception of what work feels like. Sometimes all we need to do is give our life a little facelift. 

Life is always changing. We can either choose to smile through it, or we can pitch a fit and constantly be discontented with life. My goal is to model this outlook for my children. Life is so short and I am a believer that we need to make the most of every single moment. If a situation has you down, if your day-to-day is stressing you out, try giving it your life a fresh coat of paint!

Confessions: I Should Do These More Often

It’s snowing beautifully outside; makes me want to curl up, drink a warm beverage and read! Or abandon all responsibilities and go skiing! But it’s Wednesday and I have a crazy amount of to-do’s that desperately need to be checked off. I would get to the end of my day and feel very guilty and most likely very cranky that I took the lazy road. So instead of letting the temptation take over making a weekend out of a weekday, I’m going to get my big girl pants on and get my butt moving!

First, I have a few confessions. I ate frosting from the left over container in my fridge last night. Vanilla. I was having a crazy sweet tooth craving and it was the only thing in our “we are eating healthy now that it’s January” house. And I ate it with my finger; if you’re going to do it you might as well live it up...I am a total closet eater!

I ate the frosting while watching The Bachelor. Yes, I watch The Bachelor. I am such a sucker for a love story and I guess I don’t care what form it comes in. If you are anything like me you daydream about this scene and sometimes call yourself Baby!

One more…I pretended not to hear Erik calling me while I was relaxing in the bath last night. He went around the whole house and happened to check the bathroom last, "Huh, what, were you calling me?"

I challenge you to attack your list today. Blast "The Time Of My Life" kick your heels up and getter done!

You can attack the rest of that frosting tonight on your date with Patrick and Jennifer; after such an accomplished day you'll deserve it!

Busy, Random and Gorgeous

It has been a crazy week; well, a crazy month. So this blog post is going to be a bit short, and a lot random; topped off with some gorgeousness.

I was told this week that I was the perfect size for taking pictures, then was referred to as a human tripod.

I am having my picture taken for the second time this month. I am so awkward in front of a camera. You would think not...but honestly, it's not pretty. I'm fine with the timer and run method, but for some reason knowing someone can see me and I can't see them sort of freaks me out. My goal is to loosen up, chill out and for heaven sake relax my face. I tend to look like I just got injected with botox. I am much more comfortable behind the camera, but my goal is to make it happen this week. I'll let you know how it goes...hopefully with some presentable pictures!

I love shooting weddings! I love everything about it! The only downfall is the night after the wedding I dream in wedding all...night...long. I dream camera settings, location, posing, reception, ceremony. It's exhausting!

I am a big baby when it comes to weddings, I cry every single time. At this last wedding I cried three times. Ah...the love!

I can't have a conversation with someone if their mouth is covered. If we are sitting on the couch and Erik has a blanket pulled up so it's covering his mouth I get really irritated. He says I stare at his lips when we talk. So weird. I don't think I have a hearing problem, but apparently I read lips.

They say the average child goes through 7000-9000 diapers from newborn to potty trained. So let's just go with the lower end. We have changed at least 28,000 diapers in the last seven years! Now wonder we are ridiculously excited about NO MORE DIAPERS!! I don't even want to think about how much we spent. Don't figure it out for me please.

A few peeks of why I have been so busy lately! Okay, now back to editing before tonight's shoot!

Randomness At It's Best

It's time again. Some more randomness from me. Maybe it's because I have been working a ton, but my brain is in a deep fog. Instead of nice articulated thoughts, I'm just getting sporadic ideas that like to pop into my head at odd times. I right them down, and then one day I have this long list of thoughts that need a home.

So, with that said, it's time for some randomness.

Other random segments. One, two and three.

1. I am in love with office supply stores. I don't know.They just make me happy. Sticky notes, shiny pens, reams of glowing white paper, cute notebooks with empty pages. Erik gets it, he likes them too. We have, more than once, leisurely strolled the isles together...just for fun.

Sticky notes help me to fool everyone into thinking I am sharp and on top of things!

2. I'd like to think that I look good in heals. Graceful, sexy, elegant. But, the reality is I more closely resemble miss piggy. I usually just stick to flats. It's safer.

3. I am that annoying last minute type of person. I call around for a babysitter a few hours before we want to go on a date. I call for a haircut appointment while I am on my way there.


"I was wondering if you had any openings for a haircut?"

"Sure, when would you like to come in?"

"Um. Well. Is now okay?"



"Erik can we stop at Home Depot while we are out today and buy everything we need to remodel the bathroom?"

I like to think of it as carefree and exciting, but really it just my flibbertigibbetness shining through!

It does drive Erik crazy sometimes. He's more of a planner. But, in the spirit of keeping life spicy I know he likes it. Sometimes.

But look, the sink is all done and oh so pretty!

4. I am totally great at making very big decisions.

"Do you want to move across the country? Again?"
"Okay!"

"Do you want to have another baby?"
"Sure!"

"Do you want to get married before your legally allowed too?"
"Absolutely!"

"What font do you want to use on your business cards?"
"Oh, I don't know, I am really going to have to think about that. I might change my mind about twenty-five times before I can let you know for sure."


Small decisions, on the other hand, stop me dead in my tracks.

I finally decided! Yay me!

5. When I was a little girl I remember walking through the mall with my Grandma shopping. She wouldn't take the time to try things on in the store, she'd just take them off the rack, pay for them and decide at home if she liked it or not. Made it real easy to buy new things all the time. It made shopping very simple. She would also bring bags in to the house through the back door and would very quickly put them in her closet. You know. Just better not to ruffle any feathers.

I tell you all this because I found myself doing this very thing last Saturday. I find myself doing a lot of the things my grandma used to do. Love her. I had to run into Target for something quick. Yes, Erik needed cold medicine, but I just happened to get to the pharmacy department in a very round about way. A walk through the ladies department and then a quick breeze down the shoe isle. I grabbed an outfit and a pair of shoes to match. In and out in ten minutes!

As I was leaving the store I found myself tying up the bag and sliding it in the car all James Bond like. It really wasn't necessary because Erik doesn't care if I shop. But, he doesn't like when I detour from my purpose and he doesn't love it when I leave him in the car, with all the kids, while I just "run in." Also, with him not feeling the greatest and all. You know. Just better not to ruffle any feathers!


6. On that note, I got the cutest, most adorable new pair of shoes. It was 80 degrees on Saturday and so I felt the need to buy a summery outfit and a pair of sandals. Not bad for a ten minute shopping spree!

Adorable!!!

7. I'm an all or nothin kind of girl. Really messy or really clean. Totally excited or totally bummed. High energy or completely lazy. Eat nothing or eat it all!

I'm currently going with the messy side of myself.

8. I am very much a homebody. One time I didn't cross the threshold for two whole weeks and it didn't bother me at all.

9. I have no idea why I am addicted to house hunting shows. I don't want to move, I love our house, and we don't have the money for a vacation home. But, I love seeing what everyone else is buying. What kind of house can you get, for how much, where?

10. I get really mad at Erik when he is driving and constantly looks over at me when I'm talking to him. I am a terrible passenger. I am really afraid of car accidents and so I am always on edge in the car. Anyway, the other day I was telling him to stop looking at me and to keep his eyes on the road.

He says in his very patient, understanding tone, "do you know why I look at you when your talking to me? Because you talk with gestures. I can't hear gestures honey. And then when you do say something, you mumble. So, I have gotten real good at reading your lips and your body language when we talk."

"Oh. Sorry."

I am so blessed to be with a man that totally and completely gets me. I am so abundantly thankful that we are doing this thing called "life" together, because without him I would feel lost.

Love you babe. Thank you for reading my lips!

Purse Fetish

I know lots of women have an addiction to purses. I am no exception. It's not just purses, really bags of any kind.

When I buy a purse, I think, I LOVE IT!!!! This could be a purse I could see myself using for a long time, justifying the price tag. But, it only takes a few months for me to start looking for a new one. Sometimes I just buy it because it's a great deal even if I don't like it, see the gray purse below.

With the kids, I must of gone through a dozen diaper bags! I was always looking for a different one. Even now, I don't really need a diaper bag, but my eye is still attracted to them. I find myself looking at all the cute, new styles, with all their pockets and compartments!

I guess in part, it's the organizer in me. I just love taking all my things and giving them a new, fun home! An odd thing about me though, is I don't mind my purse getting messy. I love things organized, but I usually let my purse get completely out of control before I clean it out. Or, I just get a new one!

The current state of my purse. Really bad!

I usually go with plain old black or brown. I love the colorful fun ones, but I usually try to be practical and get something that will go with everything.

I have purses hanging everywhere. Living out of five purses at one time is very exhausting.

So here are a few from my collection. I still like the first two. I really need to get rid of the ones I will never use again, why do I keep them? Do you want one?

Isn't this one pretty on the inside!

I got some of these from downstairs in my storage room. I found some interesting things inside a few.

Most of the time I don't totally clean out the old purse, I just take the essentials to the new one. But this has me stumped, not sure how the Selsun blue found it's home here.

The purse I am using right now. Target!

Everything I'm packin in my purse at the moment!

This should give an organized person anxiety, but for some reason it really doesn't bother me! I don't know? It's a mystery.

Paying Double

A sweet friend and reader sent me an email a few weeks back. This email came to me at such a perfect time. I needed some encouragement this day and was feeling down.

I have a blog suggestion! How about a typical day in Linsey Wilt's life????? I am utterly amazed that you are able to post your blogs for everyone else to read with their first cup of coffee in the mornings. Be an obviously fab mother to 4 adorable kids. Be a loving wife. Run a household. Take time for Hawaiian themed girls' nights. Photo shoots. Keep your house clean (I'm guessing this by all the photos, your house always looks put together and picked up...unlike mine :o) Shopping all night in Denver on Black Friday. Taking over night get aways with your husband. Run in distance races which means you're obviously exercising and training and I can only imagine what else...cooking, cleaning, laundry, getting kids off to school, homework etc etc. Do you sleep? Seriously, what is your trick. What is your deepest darkest secret to keeping it all together? And...all the while, there are smiles and good times for your little organized chaotic clan! I love it. Your family would make an awesome reality show that I would watch religiously and continue to be inspired by! So....what do you think? Linsey Wilt's typical day.... :o

I know, how incredibly sweet is she! She makes me sound like the energizer bunny on steroids.

I was thinking about this idea and jotted down a few notes, but really was at a loss. The bones of my typical day are not all that exciting. Get up early, blog, feed some people, clean, maybe go to a play date, feed people, sometimes get a workout in, feed some more people, then go to bed. That is my life in a nutshell. The in-between varies so drastically day to day, that it was hard to think of what typical really looked like for me. I am awake from 5-9, what happens in between is a surprise!

There are those days that I do get a lot done. My attitude is always to get as much crossed off my list as possible. I guess I am one that just needs to be busy. I also contribute a lot of it to my self-diagnosed OCD. It might look like I get a lot accomplished, but it definitely is not without lots of failure, mounds of stress and a massive amount of caffeine. I live a very stressful life, no denying that, but I guess I thrive on it. If the stress is gone for to long, for some reason I seek it out in one form or another. I am one that would throw the needle into the haystack just for the fun of trying to find it!

On a side note, my post for Monday is going to be on my New Year's resolutions and it includes slowing down a little and lessening some stress. They say stress if bad for you, right? Blogging without a self-inflicted deadline will be one item on my list, at least for a season.

Now even though my goal is to get a lot accomplished in a days time, that doesn't mean it always happens. I recently had one of those days. The type of day that drove me to start this blog in the first place. I try to be as organized as possible, for sanity reasons, but on this day the chaos overtook the organized by far.

My alarm went off at it's usual time, 4:45. But, the day before I had been skiing all day. Let's just say I am not as young as I once was, my muscles were speaking to me, "you can't get up right now." I caved and hit my snooze six times. I finally rolled out of bed at 5:15 and did my one eye open, one eye shut walk to the coffee pot. This totally freaks Erik out. Yeah, I'll give it to him, it does look weird. This is how you would see me on my initial wake-up call and my middle of the night bathroom trips.

I guess it's my rebellious side, not submitting to the fact that I am awake yet.

I brewed my energy and then headed to my office. My whole morning is very routine, again for sanity reasons. The next two hours is my quiet time to get whatever I want to get done, done. Blogging, picture editing, bills, facebook browsing, and so on. The kids get up around 7:00, cartoons go on and I continue working. I take periodic breaks--to get them food, change a diaper, clean up dog pee, etc.--they know the routine.

On this morning, I was taking all four kids to the dentist. "Yay!" We had to be there at 9:30 and it's an hour drive. So I stopped working at 8:10. Now, you're probably thinking that doesn't really add up, don't you need to leave at 8:30? For some reason I like to cut things really close, you know, add to my stress. Not all the time, but I wasn't all that excited about going to the dentist, so my procrastination skills set in. In my mind, it now becomes a game. "Everyone ready and out the door in twenty minutes, let's do this!"

I came out of my office and went immediately to start the freezing car, remember we only had twenty minutes. I came back in and assessed the situation. Matty was naked. Jon was dressed, but his shirt was on backwards and his shoes were on the wrong feet. Ella had done her own hair into pigtails and was wearing what she had on the day before. Abby looked pretty cute, except she decided it would be a good idea to look like Hannah Montana to impress the dentist! "Okay, looks like mom needs a hat and we are all good to go!" Well, okay I did dress the baby so he didn't freeze his ____ off! I was thinking hiney, geesh, you have a warped mind! I guess this is something that has helped me in my day, I choose not to stress to much about the minor things. They really did look decent enough for the dentist, and small adjustments could be made once we got there. I am already judged out in public all the time anyway, why not give them a little something more to add to their story.

The dentist went great, only two people glared at us for our volume level. Matthew only sprayed the water gun twice and it didn't hit anybody, bonus! We did have a few tears over the x-ray machine. I don't know one person who finds that fun, give the poor frightened kids a break. That x-ray technician lady and I didn't get along that great. She is one of those, you know, never had kids, no patients, wearing a fake smile type. She is smiling at you and using a soft tone, but what's coming out of her mouth is basically that she has no respect for you whatsoever. Yeah, she wasn't much fun.

In our house, a no cavity visit equals lunch out! We stopped and had the oil changed in the Suburban on our way to lunch (this was one of those, get as much crossed off my list today as possible, even if it means implementing major coping tactics). We always go to the same place, they know us well and are very accommodating. As I was paying for the oil change Mark asks, "So at the end of the day are you like exhausted?" My reply to him, "Completely!"

We loaded back up and headed to Safeway, with the Starbucks inside, for our lunch date. We ordered our sandwiches at the deli, then headed to Starbucks for some hot chocolate. We sat and enjoyed our lunch for a bit, but then for some reason everything started to fall apart. Abby turned around and her hot chocolate goes flying and comes crashing to the floor. We were in the middle of cleaning it up and I hear another crash. Jon had knocked over my full, not yet sipped, Chai. Yummy hot beverage now covered two table lengths of floor below our feet. The lady at Starbucks calls over the intercom of Safeway, "We have clean up in the Starbucks eating area, mop and bucket required." Abby is running back and forth for napkins, Jon is loudly repeating "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Mom I'm sorry," the lady is telling me to stop cleaning and that someone is on their way. I didn't listen to her, I had to at least lesson the massive mess we had just made. So I am down on the floor, sopping up what I can with my stack of napkins, when I hear the unbelievable sound of yet another drink come crashing to the floor. I am not kidding. This time it was Matthew joining in on the fun! Within a three minute time span, we had managed to spill about $10.00 worth of sweet goodness. Now Matthew was crying, many were looking, some were talking, and I was saying, "Time to go!" I apologized many times and reassured the Starbucks staff of the good in the situation, in case they were failing to see it. Their floor was going to be very clean, when all said and done. Fresh mopping for the whole right side of Starbucks, thanks to us! At that point all you can do is laugh! But, we did leave as fast as possible.

Of course I went through the drive-thru Starbucks on my way home. There was no way I was going home without my Chai after that. Paying double for my drink that day wasn't even a concern to me.

While we were in the drive-thru, Matthew starts crying, loudly. I couldn't figure out what he was fussing about. I looked back and he is trying to open his little pizza box, and crying. I started to get frustrated with his fit and I told him in my stressed voice, "Stop fussing I will help you when we get home, mommy is driving!" He was trying to tell me something that I couldn't understand and he wouldn't quit fussing. I looked back just in time to see his chubby little finger stuck in the hole of the pizza box. It was sort of purple. Abby quickly helped him get it out and then we all just start laughing. He was fine and it was a funny end to our hectic adventurous morning!

Who is ready for a nap?

I do not have it all together by a long shot. I feel like most of the time I am just bumping through life praying it all turns out okay. I hope that the contents of this blog shows you just how messed up we are, and how often we fail.

One thing I will say we have is love, a lot of it and to me that is the ultimate accomplishment!

If you relate at all to our craziness, I hope this blog is an encouragement to you. Let's laugh at life together!

Here is one tip that does helps me out a lot:

I keep a notebook, well lots of notebooks because they fill up fast. These notebooks are my to do lists, blog ideas (sometimes just a sentence that comes to me), things the kids say, photography notes, MOPS ideas, party planning, goals, random ideas, shopping lists, phone numbers, online research, books I want to read, movies I want to see (I have a chick-flick, go-to list), random things I need to remind myself, gift lists, it all goes in my notebooks!

It's nice to have my second brain to refer to, because my main one tends to shut down on me a lot!

Happy New Year!