A big day....

So....today was my 29th birthday....I had a great day...went to church in the morning, had lunch, got to relax and read in the afternoon and then had a date with my handsome hubby and got to hang out with some great friends. All in all, it was a great birthday!

I shared my special day with a special boy because.....drum roll please....Josiah FINALLY lost a tooth. If you know 1st graders, there's pressure to lose a tooth when you're in 1st grade (apparantly). I kept hearing how everyone (I'm pretty sure it wasn't everyone) had lost a tooth, and he really wanted to lose one...if you know our family you know that my kids are S....L.....O....W...in getting their teeth in the first place so it's no surprise that they aren't first to lose them. Anyway, it was a very exciting day because Josiah lost his first tooth. I put it in a small cup of water above the sink, told my hubby what I had done with it and that was the end.....until a couple hours later he forgot about that comment dumped the cup down the drain and walked away. I saw the empty cup a bit later and thought initially that one of the kids had done it, but they couldn't reach it and later found out it was my hubby. Needless to say, the poor guy didn't realize what he'd done and just now finished putting the disposal back together after rescuing the lost tooth. :)

How old is he???

I love my 20 month old son very much, the issue we have with him though is that he doesn't understand that he is 20 months old....he thinks he's 4 or 7 like his siblings. He has tried scootering like them, tried getting on Josiah's 2-wheeled bike, he swings like them, goes up and down the playground set like they do, thinks he is running as fast as them, sits at the counter on our stools because they do, wants nothing more then to ride in the van in a booster rather than his car seat....he doesn't understand that there is a difference between his age and the ages of Josiah and Alayna....if only this could work in my favor when it comes to using the bathroom....

Family Pictures (64 photos), by Michelle Holder

I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.
http://www2.snapfish.com/fbshareredirect/p=14251245982031830/l=2050439014/g=90500351/redirectURL=share/otsi=SALBBL/AlbumID=1315589014/a=90500351_90500351/usercomments=I_xqd%20like%20to%20share%20my%20Snapfish%20photos%20with%20you.%20Once%20you%20have%20checked%20out%20my%20photos%20you%20can%20order%20prints%20and%20upload%20your%20own%20photos%20to%20share./counttext=64%20photos/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish

Zoe

Our kids are desperate to have a pet....well, it's not happening anytime soon (seriously, we have Seth!) however, we live in a 2-story home and so we have deep window wells that sometimes attract critters (mainly frogs and voles). One other time we got a large bunny in there and helped free him, but now, we have a baby bunny in our window well (I'm sure that was quite a fall!). Anyway, Alayna has named the bunny Zoe, has given her water and feeds her everyday....it's a great cage though, it's kind of like the zoo, it's large, open and has a window for us to see her better.

I am sooooooooooooooooooo behind on keeping you posted on our life...maybe I will catch you up on everything soon, but don't hold your breath. :) We've had great family time, great extended family time, zoo fun, silly Seth stories, and great summer fun with the kids, I'm working more at my current job still and trying to get things ready to start my business, it has been crazy around here, but good! I do want to share with you some great pictures that a friend took of us.

After helping a friend get her photography business started by doing her graphic design elements, she returned the favor by taking family pictures for us last Saturday. FUN! There are so many to choose from and so many that I think are adorable...now the tricky part...which to print and where to hang them...hmmm...I've tried to upload them on here and for some reason my blogger thing is being fiesty, so to see a few of them...go to mirabellaphotography.blogspot.com

Soon, I'll be back in 'blog' business again, but until then...I hope you're each having a FABULOUS summer (I think it's really here!!!)

Cleaning....

WOW! I'm super impressed...this morning, with good attitudes, my kids have so far cleaned the toilets, wiped down the toilets, and washed the bathroom counters. Currently Alayna is vacuuming the bathroom floors and cleaning them with a spray bottle with a touch of cleaner and a lot of water while Josiah vacuums my steps. Ahhh...how long will it last that cleaning is fun???

The Best Mom Song!

The Letter "V"

1 Corinthians 15:57b says:

"Victory is ours through Jesus."

Josiah has been asking mom to run a mile for a few days. Well, we decided to run it tonight with a twist. After Josiah, Alayna, and mom took off and got a head start, Daddy and Seth got on the bike with a trailer. Daddy and Seth caught up to the runners at the half way point. Alayna was exhausted and asked to get into the trailer. Josiah was getting worn out and his side hurt, but he didn't ask for help. The bike crew followed Josiah and Mommy on the way back to the house. Josiah kept stopping and talking about how tired he was and how his side hurt. Everytime the bike got close though he would sprint again in order to stay in front of them but right at the end the bike and trailer passed them and had the victory. This made Josiah quite angry, which is what Mom and Dad wanted to happen so it would be more memorable.

So, where's the spiritual lesson in making your kid mad? Only the one's in the trailer won. Alayna was only in the trailer because she asked. Josiah was frustrated at the end because all his effort and struggle ended in failure. Jesus is THE way to heaven and to God. All we have to do is ask Him. People (friends, family, others) who rely on their own efforts will be VERY angry at the end of the race because they did not get into the trailer of life pulled by Jesus.

Are you in?

Professional Edge

The company I work for is being bought out by a larger print company in town and they already have 3 designers and so I won't be needed there anymore starting sometime in July. Friends, family and specifically my husband have been encouraging me to start my own business for a while now and this was the push I needed to take the plunge.

I love designing, but I'm not SUPER excited about going out on my own, it's intimidating and scary. I already had a business name that I created a while ago and so I created a website/portfolio, Dan created a Facebook page and I'll probably send out an email to friends and family letting them know officially starting sometime in July, but for now we're just slowly getting into it.

It may work out great, or I may get no business...I'm praying that God will provide and that it will work, but He knows and so I'm trusting that either way, it was meant to be. I'll do what I can and let Him do the rest. :)

http://professionaledge.weebly.com

Who Stole a Cookie from the Cookie Jar??

Wow! My little rascal sure keeps me on my toes! This morning I ran upstairs for less then 2 minutes...Alayna and Seth were just finishing up a show (Seth has zero sit in him for watching a show...he doesn't actually watch) anyway, I heard a CRASH and came running back down only to find this.......



I made these cookies last night while he was either gone or sleeping...he has only had a couple cookies in his life...I'm not even sure what caused him to think he really wanted one since he has rarely had them.....nonetheless, I am now short 8 cookies and a cookie jar...on the bright side...it's less calories for me to eat! :)

Toilets.....

Why are toilets so fun??? I understand if you're a dog or a cat and it's like another drinking bowl, but when you're a toddler....it's just GROSS! My rascally 18 month old went through a phase a few months ago when he was really into toilets, but I just learned to shut the door and for the most part...problem solved. Now, a few months later....a few inches taller...and stronger...yep, he can open doors...lovely!! 3 out of 4 members of our family that know how to use the toilet use it well and flush every time and never forget...then there is one member of the family that uses the bathroom that sometimes still forgets (I'm not naming any names, but she's a pretty 4 year old) Are you ready for this 'gross post'??? Yesterday while I was getting ready for the day, my pretty 4 year old went to the bathroom in 'kid' bathroom....after doing so, she was going to go get dressed....(enter 18 month old)....all of a sudden I hear...."Gross!!! MOM!!!". I went to the bathroom and yep, my 18 month was playing in an 'unflushed' toilet...DISGUSTING!!

I was joking with a girlfriend of mine on one of Seth's rascally days...."Keep your eyes out on ebay...there may just be an 18 month old up for auction soon!!" :)

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If you're wondering where my weekly Family Time post is....keep waiting...it's coming!

Up!

On Sunday I went on a date with the most handsome and amazing soon-to-be 2nd grader I know. We went and saw the movie "Up!" (Alayna already went to is with her cousin to celebrate his birthday). We don't go to movies very often because of the cost and because there is RARELY a movie out there worth seeing....this one however, was a quality movie. I like to read about movies at Plugged In Online before we watch anything and it got good reviews there too:

www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a0004674.cfm
To see the movie trailer....
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/up/