These two...

The love these two have for each other is pretty awesome.  

The meeting of their two hearts, where the bond began.

2 years apart... he's catching up in size.  Now she takes care of him but soon he'll take care of her.

Last night in the bath the sweetest conversation took place:

Wyatt: Mom?

Me: Yes buddy?

Wyatt: Can a boy marry his sister?

Me: No sweetheart he can't.

Wyatt says to Alexis:  Alexis?

Alexis: Ya?

Wyatt: I'm gonna miss you.

Alexis: Well, we can visit each other.

Wyatt: We can live next door to each other.

Alexis: We'll have cell phones so we can talk all the time.

Wyatt: I'm gonna text you all the time and say I love you I love you I love you.

Tell me that doesn't melt your heart?

{They were fighting within 3 minutes but it wouldn't be normal if they weren't}

A few days in photos

Here is a bit of a camera dump from the last few days.  

My hired help 

 Day 1 sunrise... ahhh breathtaking.  I love this time of morning

 Day 2 sunrise.  So pretty, the air was still and warm.

 Book pick up and picture day at school.

 Day 3 sunrise.  Beautiful, but so is my bed.  Getting up is so hard but once I get outside and see this I feel so good. {until about 11 when I'm ready for a nap}

 Daisy

{these dogs sure make a lot of my posts}

 Wyatt next to the flowers that my husband brought home for no apparent reason :) {except that the week before I cried about never getting flowers and stuff}

I couldn't figure out why these mums were dying and the other ones I have were great.  Then I saw the culprit.  

 First day of homeschool integrated program.

Classroom all set up and ready to go.... except I didn't have the lesson plans = PARENTAL FAIL

So she sharpened pencils

My 4 hour hiatus

I took a 4 hour hiatus from my parenting job and spent a wonderful afternoon at Glen Ivy Hot Springs Day Spa with my sister.  This place is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!  Notice the emphasis on the word amazing?  It truly is the Disneyland for adults.

 Here we are, all ready to go in!!

source

Incredible food!!!

The day is usually spent lounging on a raft in a pool, hopping from the spas to the mud bath to the sauna and to the grotto and enjoying the huge locker room with a steam room, bath house and all the other wonderful amenities.  This time however, we did the pool, skipped the rest.  We were short on time so we didn't take up all that was offered.  BUT they were holding a visualization workshop that we decided to attend. Visualization is where you use the Law of Attraction and attract what you want in life.  You ask for whatever you want, send out the vibration into the Universe and believe you will receive.  It's really cool stuff.  It works both ways... if your thoughts are positive, then you will get the wonderful things you want and if you have negative thoughts, well, you get the icky things you don't want.  We started the class off with meditation.  We all closed our eyes and my immediate thought was, 'I hope my phone doesn't ring'... remember how I just explained the  Law of Attraction... ring ring, ring ring!!  Oh shoot!  My sister and I both scrambled for our phones {coincidently {or not since we are twins} we have the same ring} trying to shut it off as quickly and quietly as possible.  It was her phone... phew!  Way less embarrassing for me.  I went right back into the meditation and all of my lack of sleep and exhaustion suddenly caught up.  I nodded off.  After the teacher gently woke us {me} we started making vision boards.  We took magazines and tore out pictures of what our soul desired and allowed our creativity juices to flow.  I haven't had much time to sit and read magazines lately so I took a little time and read through some great articles.  An hour later I started tearing out pictures left and right.  I was going crazy.  There was so much beauty in these magazines that I wanted.  I finished my project at home and had the kids make one too.  Here is a look at mine:

I made one of these a few years ago and it had all materialistic things on it.  Things I wanted.  This time around I have apparently matured a bit and want all the feel good emotions, love, happiness, bliss, health, faith.

*This day could not have been made possible with out my dad's help.  After he read my post about needing "me" time he called up and offered to watch my kids so I can have a relaxing day.  I spiced things up a bit and added my sisters 2 kids to the mix... hope ya didn't mind dad!  Thanks a million!!

Don't judge me

You can't judge a book by it's cover so don't judge a chick by her body

A disabled person placard.  It's mine.  Just got it today.  At first I was really looking forward to getting one when the doctor reminded me that I would be able to do more because I could park closer and not waste my energy in the parking lot.  But it says disabled person.  That's not me.  That's definitely not what I want.  The kids were really excited about it though because they are lazy.  If they could be carried everywhere, they would. {They are actually really looking forward to the day I get a wheelchair so they can get a ride}  I decided I would go ahead and get it and only use it when I absolutely needed it.  {Like when there is no parking or we are going to Disneyland} Just kidding, sort of.  My husband reminded me that it sucks to have a disease so I should at least enjoy the perks.  Today, I did not see it as a perk.  I was embarrassed.  I used my disabled person placard when I went to Target.  I was exhausted and knew I had to walk to the other side of the store.  I pulled my SUV into that front parking spot, took a deep breath and got my healthy looking body out of the car while helping my son hop out.  I was nervous.  I was afraid of what other people were going to think or say.  A tiny voice in my head told me not to care.  But I do care.  I look so healthy on the outside even though the inside of me crumbling. 

See, that's me today.  Not looking disabled am I?  Well, a man and women walked past my car as we were getting out and they whispered something.  Yes, this could have been me being paranoid but then when they got further away they stopped, turned around, pointed at me and said something.  Even though I was expecting to get looks, I wasn't expecting the negativity.  I said absolutely nothing to them.  But I wanted to.  I wanted to tell them that 2 years ago I parked in the furthest spot from the door because that is how I got my exercise.  I wanted to tell them that I have a disease that is destroying my muscles and I do not want to park there.  I did not wish for this nor would I wish it upon anyone.  It sucks.  I may just start wearing a sign around my neck that says "Please don't judge, I have a neuromuscular disease.  Ask me questions"  I may walk easily into the store but shuffle out.  I never know.  Today, my leg gave out right in the parking lot.  And then many more times in the store.  I had a strong grip on that shopping cart as I slowly made my way around the store.  I realized today that my Target shopping days are limited.  I know that whatever doesn't kill me will make me stronger and  I now understand why the elderly are so wise.  If they made it that far, they have so much strength, knowledge and love. 

 How perfect is this one:

{2 corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.}

My Angels today 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

I would much rather spend my days at home all day with these 2

And this one

Ever see anything sweeter?

Have a beautiful, blessed Tuesday!

Freedom Danger

Freedom Danger

living up to her name and filling our home with more love and more joy

Predicting health is like predicting the weather

You know when you wake up in the morning and you can tell it's going to be a hot day.  Not just because the past week has been hot and the weatherman said it was going to be but because you can smell it in the air.  You can feel it on your skin.  I can usually predict how my health will be first thing in the morning.  I can feel it.  Either I will be bright eyed and bushy tailed or my eyes will feel swollen shut.  That first stretch will be oh so great or oh ow, how old am I?  I'll either have an extra step in my walk or an extra wobble in my legs.  On the days when it is a little harder to breathe, I can hear God whisper, {You are going to be OK.  Use these moments/days to take it all in with your eyes.  See the beauty around you and be calm.} I have an extra sense of stillness on these days.  {Also known as complete exhaustion forcing me to be still} It feels peaceful.  There is no pain.  With no need to rush to get it all done, I will rest and enjoy.  Being sick is really giving me a wonderful perspective on life.  It is humbling  and shown me so much gratitude where I don't think I saw it before.  For this, I am grateful!


By the way, my dad is watching all the kids and my sister and I are getting our much needed "me" time at a day spa!  Whoo hoo.  Thanks Dad!  Can't wait for Wednesday :)

Linking up with Katie

Searching for "me" time

I have been in desperate search of "me" time lately.  Well, more than lately but recently it has become very needed.  I can't go to the bathroom without someone screaming for me.  I play referee when I am in the shower and I am putting on tattoos while typing.  I do consider myself a great multi tasker but it would be great to sit, read, write, stare into space, anything at all for that matter.
It has taken me an entire day to write this post with 14,298 interruptions.  My husband left the house at 4:30 this morning to go surf before work and I wasn't able to fall back to sleep.  I thought to myself this just might be the "me" time I have been searching for.  I grabbed my computer, turned it on, got comfy on my bed and started catching up on life, facebook, e-mail, blogs.  10 minutes later a little boy wandered into my room and needed his back rubbed.  Seriously??  He hopped up on the bed and laid down for me to rub his back and fall back to sleep.  Then I hear this awful noise coming from the dog crate next to my bed.  The dog was getting sick.  So much for "me" time.  Now I have been up since 4:30 and still didn't get time to just do what I wanted.  This made me so frustrated because I want to give my all when I am with the kids but without breaks or taking time for yourself, it makes it hard to keep giving.  If I was at a job I would be taking a lunch hour and 15 minute breaks every 4 hours, or whatever the rule is.  I called my sister, because that is what I do when I get in my cranky funk.  She usually has some good stories to put me back into perspective and lift my spirits.  It worked and I was ready to bring on the day with love and joy.

I took to heart what Erin wrote on today's guest post for Ashley's blog from the Shine Project and embraced my camera to capture my joy.

The sky was gorgeous today, I couldn't capture it on my camera so you'll have to take my word for it. 

This happy guy makes me smile 

 My dad came over for a visit

 We are celebrating Daisy's 9th birthday today.  We have no idea when her actual birthday is so we chose August since that is the month we adopted her and we just pick a random day because I am pretty awful at remembering birthdays.

 Some frozen yogurt always lifts the spirits

 Giggles with my daughter

What better way to end the day than with a nice warm bath....

filled with love

I know one day I will be missing the constant neediness because these babies will be all grown up and I will have plenty of "me" time.  So until then, I think what I really need is sleep.  That would be the best break of all.  A solid, full night sleep where I wake up on my own way after the sun comes up.  

river rapids approaching

I feel like I have been on a raft floating in a lazy river the past couple of months. Dipping my feet into the water, splashing my hands, jumping in to get wet and cool off just to get back on and bask in the sun some more.  Enjoying every moment of the slow motion, taking it all in. The easy life.  With school quickly approaching I am feeling like the current is picking up a bit.  Knowing that the rapids will soon hit and fearing the impending fall!  Can I survive it?  I'm not sure.  How big is the drop?  I won't know until I get there.  Sound dramatic?  It is.  You haven't met my daughter.  Her first day of kindergarten has scarred her and myself for life.  Last year looked a little like this:

 Smile big girl, it's your first day of school...

After the struggle of getting her into the car we arrived at school.  I walked her/ pulled her to her classroom where the big crocodile tears started (for both of us).  Then all of a sudden my sweet little angel completely lost it.  She started screaming that she is NOT going in there and started running off the campus.  Oh crap!  I knew I could handle the tears and all but not the lunatic behavoir.  This might sound harsh but there were other parents video taping their children and quickly panned their cameras onto my daughters one girl show.  "NO, I will NEVER go to school.  I AM OUTTA HERE!!".  As she was running off, I was hobbling after her (I just had my muscle biopsy surgery and was still in pain) while my 3 year old was starting to freak out.  NO, I can't handle both of them like this right now.  At this point I was standing by the classroom, watching my daughter throw tantrums and run off and I started getting really really mad that my husband wasn't there.  I asked way in advance that he make sure to be there for me (and for her) but just like the first day of preschool, he couldn't get anyone to work for him for that 1 hour.  The longest hour of my life!!

 It was traumatic!

The good news was that she got to come home to these.

I'm not as worried this year because she will be in class with a WONDERFUL teacher and have her same best friends with her.  I have been talking to her about going back and I can see the nerves already. With a lot of prayer I think we can make it through her first day.  

It's the NEXT day I'm worried about... my baby starts preschool.  {insert crocodile tears here}  

I'm not sure how it is possible because he was just born yesterday, see:

He has already started with the I'm not going schpeel.  My husband WILL be there for this.  Even if he has to bring the entire fire department with him, he will not leave me alone to do this again!  Otherwise, I will just bring the kids back home with me and full time homeschool.  

Saturday looked like this

A nice little Saturday for the kids and I while dad was slaving away at work saving peoples lives and stuff.  At least that is what he said when I sent him a picture from the pool wishing he was with us.

I got to sleep in today!!  Anthony was home last night so he woke up with Wyatt at 5:30 and with Freedom (the dog) at 6:00.

Wyatt and I hung out downstairs while Alexis slept.  He watched cartoons and I caught up on life.

We had a very special visitor last night

That was my tooth pillow from when I was a kid

Score!

Alexis made breakfast

It was quite tasty!

Off to puppy training class

One hour later....

Ugh.. the never ending cylce

A little painting (it wasn't finger painting)

Mid morning snack/ t.v time

Lunch time!

mango, pinapple, papaya, strawberry, banana, orange juice

Froze the extras for dessert

Went to the neighbors for some swimming

Got a double I love you from my boy 

I didn't get any pictures but we had a wonderful visit from Aunti Danni for dinner!!  We love her so much!

If you look really closely you can see a sleeping boy.  Wouldn't dare turn a light on or use flash.

Have a great weekend!