brave.

So. If you don't know the whole story, here it is: I co-run a women's group/ministry/thing in our church here. And we put together (with the help of an amazing team) an early Mother's Day event this past Friday. We had all of our speaker set and ready to go, the line up was nailed down. But then. Then. My partner in crime (or just women's ministry) called me on Monday and said..... "heyyyy, soooo, you're speaking, bye." Okay, maybe not exactly in those words, but that's how I remember it because I was shell shocked. Whut. I mean..... whut?! Say it again? I'm speaking? I hate you.

So. I mulled it over for a day, and the Lord very quickly gave me something to speak about. So I said yes to this first-time-to-ever-speak-in-front-of-people-with-a-mic situation.

Our event was called BRAVE. And we had four women speak briefly on what it means to be brave in their current stage of life. All four women were in different life situations (fresh out of high school, blended family, new grandparent). My stage is: married with a bunch of kids. Aaaand, here's what I had to say:



When I was 7 months out of high school, at the tender age of 18, I married Toby. Brave was moving away from the familiar and comfort of home to be an air force wife in a brand new town 8 hours away. Brave was navigating a new marriage when I wanted to go back home to where my family lived. I even sometimes wondered if we made a mistake. Instead, I stayed and pressed on and we grew into adulthood together. That was over 16 years ago.

I started going to church with a new friend during Toby’s first deployment. I came to know the Lord. And Brave was asking him to come to church with me, repeatedly, even though he often said, “probably not.” Eventually, he started saying yes on occasion. Soon, we were baptized together. And today, we are living proof that the Lord works in the hearts of those who are unsure of Him. If this is your story, hold on, married friends, there is hope.

Three years into marriage, we had our first baby. I was 20. Brave was starting a family without a support system, like our parents and grandparents. And super bravery was getting pregnant again eight short months after the first one was born! If you're in the trenches of tiny ones in motherhood, hang on dear mommas, you can do this.

Fast forward to 5 1/2 years ago. We had four boys by now, the baby was about 10 months old and we were gearing up to move here, to Odessa. I suddenly started struggling like I never had before. Postpartum depression hit me for the first time. We moved about two months later, and I found out I was pregnant AGAIN two weeks after we got here and we were both surprised because we had decided we were done growing our family! The postpartum then became prenatal depression, a term I never heard before. I struggled the whole pregnancy, even after he was born. When he was two, I felt the fog lifting a little. THEN, because I’m fertile myrtle, I became pregnant with another surprise baby. (and yes, I DO know how that happens). This time, the prenatal depression actually kept me in bed most of my pregnancy. Brave was telling my husband and kids that I cannot do life. I cannot cook, or clean, or grocery shop. I can’t human, I can’t function. Brave was letting go of an ideal I created in my mind of what I should be doing day in and day out. Brave was letting my family help me. And sometimes, brave was simply getting out of bed.

About six months ago, my eyes were opened to something I had been in denial about: I was still struggling with postpartum depression. I had been wondering if running away alone would be best for my family. I wondered if I was damaging my kids because I still wasn't functioning well in day to day life. Brave for me, was calling a doctor and seeking medical advice, saying out loud that I needed help. If this is your story, sweet mommas, you are not alone. There is hope.

Over a year ago, the Lord asked me to be BRAVE and step out of my comfortable, introverted bubble and seek a partner to start a women’s Bible study group with. That partner was Jessica Phillips. And we’ve been going non-stop ever since that day. And right now, I am in a season where God is silent. He is not giving me direction. He is not giving me a next step. He’s just not speaking to me. And I believe it’s because my “next step” is actually to stay exactly where I am: to keep co-leading SheTribe, to simply be with my family this summer, to remain just where I am in this season of life. Brave is having faith, that though we live in a fast-paced, what’s-next, kind of world, I am to keep that faith and trust that the Lord is there always, and has not left me. He is simply asking me to be still and stay the course, be faithful to him. He’s asking me to keep going. If this is your story, dear ones, be brave where you are, remain faithful, and keep going.

********

This is (a portion of) my BRAVE story. It's so important to tell our stories, to say, "see? I overcame. There is hope. The Lord never left me, He carried me. He is good. He is faithful." Please, never be afraid to tell your story, sweet ones. Never. 

xoxo

budget probs.

The last sixteen years (the length of my whole marriage) I have been doing our bills and budget and everything that goes along with that. I actually really enjoyed doing the checkbook and making the budget each pay period and determining what gets spent where. That was my jam!! But over the last 3-4 years, I started loathing budget day. So bad that I slacked hard core on doing it half the time. I hated it. It was the bane of my existence. Or so it seemed, at least on actual budget day. I avoided talking about our money with Toby (unless he asked), I just hated it. In fact, I had a panic attack over money one day. And last year was the hardest on us financially in our whole marriage and that did not help me in the "hating finances" department. And I knew the Lord was telling us to get our crap together because we were not being good stewards in this area of our lives. I was having such anxiety over it all. My heart would race just thinking about finances. I would literally wake up in the middle of the night several times a week just thinking about bills and finances in general and stay awake for hours. I told Toby sometime last year, that if he ever wanted to take it over, I wouldn't mind. However, for some reason, part of me just held onto it, like it was my favorite teddy bear, but smelled like poop. So I was keeping it, because it was mine, but at arms length.

Then, our church decided to offer the Financial Peace University class and I KNEW we should take it (again), though I also knew I would need to change my wayward habits. Week one of the class asks you to go home and make a budget that week. So we did, the day before the next class. Toby wanted to work on it, and I was like, noooooo, cut me with a spoon instead!!!! But we did it. And homeboy actually woke up early the next day, skipped the gym, and WORKED ON THE BUDGET SOME MORE. What? Who is this guy?!

Over the next couple of days, it was clear he was actually enjoying this whole budget business. Oh my word, you should see the extensive spreadsheet that now exists! His nerdy nerd is coming out strong and I couldn't be more proud or more relieved! It had long been time to pass the torch but neither of us were quite close enough to get a grip or to let it go.

But then we arrived at the same spot at the same time and THE TORCH WAS PASSED! I knew I was feeling burdened by the finances, but I didn't really understand how burdened until I didn't have to do them anymore. I feel like the giant weight of being a terrible finance manager(ish) has been lifted. I'M FREEEEEE!

If you don't know much about Dave Ramsey or FPU, a quick google will help, but his method is the envelope system, where you basically use cash allotted to different areas of the budget, like gas, groceries, and entertainment, what have you. So I have now told Toby... just give momma cash for the weekly groceries, gas for my van, and a little burrito money and I'm a happy wifey. I will stick to your budget as long as I don't need to actually do it and I get my burrito moneys. Also, I may want five dollars for the Target dollar spot.

(Mind you, we never fight about money. We always talk about our big purchases. We NEVER hide purchases from each other. I H A T E those memes that say they hope the delivery guy drops off the packages before the husband gets home. How deceitful. We're very open and honest. Why would I hide purchases to willingly cause contention in our marriage? Neither of us are controlling over the other when it comes to buying small things.)

Sometime over this last year-ish, my husband has become even more of a servant in our home. Like, how could he even do more than he already did? But somehow, he is. He is serving us in a way I do not want to take for granted. I must remember to tell him more often how thankful I am. And now to serve our family by being our budget guru-manager-butt-kicker? Yeah, I'll keep him forevs.

xoxo

friday's top ten 04.24.2015

1. if you have never cooked hard boiled eggs in the oven, DO IT. 

so easy. and even when you're using free range or farm fresh eggs, guys, 

so. easy. to. peel. so easy. like, crazy easy. 

i decided the kids needed more than peanut butter protein in their lunch 

boxes, so i wanted to batch make eggs for the week.

and since a) school lunches are so costly and b) one of my 

children is showing the signs around his midsection that the school lunches

are doing him no. good. at. all. i've been trying to be more diligent in 

sending them with lunches from home.

2. guys. creepy parking lot stalkers. gosh. i don't like parking closer to the

back of the lot simply because there are so many people asking for money

or donations of some kind there. and dude, it's not cool when i have small children

with me and am in the eighth month of pregnancy. i do have my tazer, but still. 

there has to be a better way to get your donations.

3. so yesterday was interesting. i'm sitting in my bed for reasons i forget now.

(other than it being comfy and i'm largely pregnant and my feet get propped up).

and brennen, he's four, walks in and tells me that greyson just went pee in the toilet.

what the what?! he's been watching all the other male species in the house go pee,

but has utterly refused to do it himself. til yesterday. then he just kept right on truckin'. 

using that toilet like it was his job. i was so proud. he was diaperless all day long.

basically training himself, i'd say. except for the pooping. he so won't sit on the toilet.

so midday when he started saying his belly hurt, i knew why, but couldn't get him on the toilet. 

he'll get there. i mean, jonyn potty trained himself in a week at this age, too. true story.

i'm a really big believer in not forcing your kids on the toilet simply because of an age that

people "think" they should start using it. that's silly to me. if the bladder is not physically developed 

enough to keep from squirting out pee every 2.5 minutes, then hey, save yourself some heart ache

and wait til their little developing bladders are ready to hold it and

 squeeze it out only when prompted. my two cents on parenting for the day.

take it or leave it.

4. and in other news, let's talk about my oldest child. y'all. his hair stanks. like, all the time, 

even right after a shower. i can smell the shampoo, but then i can all smell the muskiness. mustiness? 

my pregnant brain doesn't know right now. musky, i believe. help a girl out.

also, smelly armpits. so that's started. *sigh. 

it's a new adventure in the chambers' household.

5. so. i like to paint my nails. and i don't like when they chip. 

so when i saw a gel hack on pinterest several months ago, i knew i had to try it. 

(and i have been meaning to share it with you).

momma can't be going to the nail salon every two weeks. 

ain't nobody got time for that. or moneys. 

here's the original post: CLICK HERE.

my modification:

polish, gel, polish, top coat. 

but only THAT brand of top coat she mentioned.

it dries ridiculously fast.

(get the gel coat and top coat at Sally's).

and also, my personal favorite polish is the Sally Hansen complete salon manicure.

(you can get that from target).

my nails last a week without chipping or peeling. 

which honestly is about the time i'm ready for a new color.

because i really love and thrive on change.

it's why i am not a consistent person in life. 

it's why i continually change what i want to be when i grow up.

it's why i rearrange my furniture all the time. 

it's why i paint my walls more than what is probably necessary.

but i digress.

6. y'all. seven weeks and six days left until my estimated due date.

pray with me now that she comes on june 20th. that's my date. 

that's what i have my sights set on.

{photo from yesterday, at 32wks}

7. i have been trying to get outside more. in the afternoon, after the kids after school chores are done,

i have been letting them go out front and and ride their toys and kick and throw balls around.

and i've been sitting out there with them.

natural vitamin d is so life giving. i always forget how much so.

8. the latest episode of grey's anatomy. gaaahhhhhh. 

that's all i'll say about that.

9. so i have been drinking third trimester tea on the daily hoping my over worked

uterus will be nice and toned by the time it's go time.

i have my clary sage essential oils all ready to slather on my ankles to give labor a jump start.

and i'm doing a daily-ish squat to try and help my pelvis stay open and help her descend.

(although as of right now, she's butt down. and i have no doubts she'll flip when

she's good and ready.)

my 40 week mark is june 18th, my birthday is june 19th, and i so desperately

want her to have her own birth date, like all the other kids,

so on june 20th, it is go time for me, meaning, i will start seriously trying 

to naturally induce and get my girl here so i can see her sweet face. 

and yes, we are doing another home birth, if you were wondering.

10. i really, really love my husband. 

i am a lucky girl. super, super blessed. 

it has sometimes been a hard road to travel in our marriage.

but nowadays we rarely argue or fight. and when we do, it's not a blow up,

and it's over faster than i can even believe. he lets me lounge around right now

without a single complaint. he's not worried about our sticky floors, even though i am.

he does the dishes. he sweeps. and he still goes to work on the daily to bring home the bacon that

 allows us the ability to keep me here at home with the little ones.

i have much respect for his attitude about life. our life. the lives of others. his life.

i just want to brag on him. i don't do it enough. i don't tell him enough.

 i don't thank him enough. and i may not even hug him enough. 

but i'm beyond grateful for his heart. his heart for life, for me, for our kids.

he's the perfect spouse for me. he was made to be with me all of our days. 

i'm so appreciative of him.

love you, honey.

xoxo

baby 6 update: 31w 5d.

it feels like it's been a while since i've given a real update. 

so i wanted to do that for my frands that are far away and my family that is also far away.

today, i'm 31 weeks and 5 days. and i took these real camera photos yesterday.

and i'm only fancy because i had to leave the house and felt like being fancy.

it's a rare thing these days.

i see my midwife tomorry to get my belly measured and mashed around on.

i'm hoping she can tell me if baby girl is head up or head down. 

all the movement in my belly is at the bottom the past couple of weeks, 

so i'm anxious to know which way she is laying.

plus, she has been a pretty sleepy girl, busy growing and all.

but i will say that my braxton hicks contractions have also slowed with her current dormant state.

(she does move, i promise. she's just not the feisty little dancer she was up until now).

 some deets about how i am doing and feeling and all that.

first, i'm tired. like, really tired. and feeling so completely overwhelmed by

all the things that need to be done daily or weekly that i just can't seem to 

keep up with. so overwhelmed, in fact, that i had a meltdown on sunday over it.

my floors are gross, the dishes piled, and my laundry never stops.

and really, there's more. but i just feel behind. and i actually prefer

to have a tidy house, i just can't do it right now and it makes me feel so, so overwhelmed 

to the point of tears.

 bean and cheese burritos with extra salsa from rosa's are the real way to my heart right now.

and precut tropical fruit. and HEB's organic italian soda, peach bellini flavored. 

those are all i want to eat and drink. 

i wish i was kidding.

it's so nuts how tastes buds can change during this time. and how certain food textures

can mess with a motha's mouth.

most other foods just sound gross.

 i have blown up this go around. like, all that weight loss i pushed so hard for, 

it matters not. i'll be starting completely over.

and what is so crazy to me, is that my husband still finds me attractive.

with the giant belly. and the double chin. and the dimply legs for days.

i don't get it. but i am so grateful that God gave him a heart for me

that never changes. i think he unknowingly adapts to my looks,

and girls, i am so thankful. he loved me at my biggest, my smallest,

and my most pregnant. and found me attractive in all of those.

 the prenatal depression is still being kept in check. though, sometimes it does

threaten to overtake me. i still can't climb out of bed at a descent hour because

i truly sleep my best sleep in the later morning hours. and i always have.

plus mornings, gaahhhh. down with early mornings.

now i can only think about burritos and i forgot what i was going to say.

someone bring me half a dozen burritos, stat!

i kid. 

sorta.

xoxo

fifteen years.

crazy that it has been that long since i went on a first date. it was my last first date. the date that led me to where i am today. married for 13 1/2 years, with five boys, in a state that is not my home state. this has been a coaster of a ride, with ups and downs, and twists and turns. some things you don't see coming, like moving away from home. or falling head over heals in love with Jesus. or two miscarriages following two perfect pregnancies. or five boys and no daughter. or birth control meds messing up life so badly, i went almost insane. or post-partum anger/depression. or losing my faith and finding it again. or being redeemed. or homeschooling. or not loving motherhood all the time. or finding that amazing joy-filled marriage and the contentedness of mommydom, finally. 

for years, plural, i was a broken mess, wondering why Jesus made me wrong, wondering if he messed up, if he made a mistake in making me, let alone making me a mom. but my husband loved me through it all. he stayed when i was at my lowest, when i barely left my bedroom. he pressed on and powered through, and put up with my out of control emotions and actions. Jesus never left me either. in fact, God doesn't make mistakes, no i was one of his perfect plans (not to be mistaken with a perfect person). i was planned and loved long before i came to be. it says so in psalm 139. my Father has loved me at my most broken times, and i am ever so grateful he also placed beside me a husband never willing to give up on us.

marriage ain't easy. it's work. but it's fun... family days, and date nights, and hot married sex, and jokes, and laughing, and conversation, and hugs, and giving, and serving one another. it's good y'all. marriage is good when you put forth that effort. and my marriage, it is so much better than just good.  

i made a confession.

finally. after years and years of avoiding the words. after years and years of denying it. i finally just said it. i sighed real deep, and said it out loud to myself. which right away, made it completely true. then i picked up my phone and did what any good wife would do and texted my husband the truth.

and the truth is.

i hate cooking.

i wanted to love it. i tried to love it. truly. but alas, i do not love it. i couldn't force myself, hard as i tried. and we've been married nearly 13 years, mind you, so it's been just sitting there, waiting to be no longer denied.

my husband texted me right back and said that that was no good, we need momma happy. um, i agree. and eating out or ordering in every single day is not really an option. or a good idea financially or health wise.

so i thought about it for a long time and finally came with a solution we are going to try out for a couple weeks. he will cook monday, friday, and saturday. i will make meal replacement smoothies the other four days of the week. protein packed, fruit and greens filled smoothies/shakes that would both satisfy our tummies, cut the calories, increase our healthy foods intake and keep me from cooking. i like it. the kids seem to like it, too.

so tonight, we found some recipes and made our first filling smoothie. and it was filling, too. the kids really loved it, they also got some fruit on the side with theirs. and when we do our insanity work out tonight, i won't feel like i'm dying because dinner was too heavy.

my husband is a good, good man, y'all. willing to cut out meat and potata's four days a week, just to keep momma happy. really good man. our grocery store trips will probably cost the same, but momma will be much happier because things just got a lot easier.

honey, i love ya, and i'm so thankful you want me happy and content instead of blowing me off just so you can get your meat an potata's err' night.

simple moments :: week 25

found together 

like seriously. there is something about a daddy with his babies. delicious. i love them together. i have felt the same about daddy with all of our babies. i love when they are together. i never want to forget how sweet it is for baby boy to be on his daddy's shoulder, especially passed out cold. i can't even express adequately how much i love daddy with his boys and baby.

love my baby daddy. love my baby. and hey, two days ago was our first date 14 years ago. i've been with this man for fourteen years of my life, almost half. i love him so. and i thank God daily that his is the father of my children, my husband. i love how he loves our boys. oh i love it.

next prompt: found sleeping

simple moments: previous weeks

simple moments is about finding the small things that make up our everyday, things we want to remember and be thankful for. it's the little bits of our lives that might not be remembered when we are gray and old. so we document it, on paper, with a photo, in a journal, through a blog. join me?

 

one day i shall fix my blog buttons. 

twelve years

it's about to get real mushy up in here.

what does twelve years of marriage look like for us?

we were married on his Christmas break from tech school after he joined the air force, six months after i graduated high school. we survived living apart, living together briefly, and living apart again during tech school.

we moved away from our families, the only home i had ever known, to a new town and new people.

we were baptized together.

we made it through two deployments, the second one right after we found out i was pregnant for the second time. daddy missed my first mother's day, baby's first birthday, his own birthday at home, and barely made it home for his first father's day.

we survived military life. we did. we even survived the adjustment period after military life.

we had two beautiful perfect babies, then we made it through two (maybe three) miscarriages. the second one, i was a little more hysterical, probably because i held the little body in my hands. but Toby saw me through that. he saw me through them both. he held me while i cried, he told me he loved me, and that we would get through it.

then we made three more beautiful and perfect babies. the third child was and still is the hardest of all. the fourth was and is the happiest kid ever. and the last one was a homebirth that daddy nearly missed.

during all those baby making years, i spent 18 months going psycho because i was on birth control. i suffered through ppd last year. and he stayed by my side as that was the hardest year of my life. for a time, i begged to move back to our home town, causing him much grief. i have not always been nice or easy to live with. but we made it.

we started our own side business, and he has helped me and encouraged all along the way.

we began a journey of homeschooling and while it is not always easy, my honey is always encouraging and loving, even when i am screaming for public school.

we moved away from the place we called home for ten years to start over at a new job. we bought our first house. we still are a one car family, and while not always easy, it works for us.

we have enjoyed one vacation together away from the kids. and we've had one weekend getaway with the kids. perhaps we should do that more often.

i still love him as much as i did when that feeling of love for him first came over me. i probably love him more actually. we still kiss each other goodnight, hug when he walks in the door, and yes, i'll say it, we're still hot for each other. he accepts my body, that i don't like, that has changed since our wedding, he accepts it for what it is. he loves me unconditionally. he encourages me. we still say 'i love you' every day, and during every single phone conversation, and every single time one walks out the door.

my honey is funny and handsome and sexy and giving and encouraging and the bestest daddy and so kind and more than i deserve. and i love him more than i thought possible. he's loud and goofy and picky and so charming. he's super intelligent, and extremely creative, and so humble about it. i just love him. i love all of him.

God put us together and we were married so young and had babies so early and have had many highs and many lows, but here we are, together and in love and happy. so happy.

happy twelve year anniversary, honey. i love you. more than i could ever fully express. and tonight we shall celebrate by leaving the kidlets at home and grabbing some dinner alone. then, finishing up our shopping for the rugrats. it's tradition, ya know.

{instagram ^^ }

ps, it occurs to me that he and i need more photos of just the two of us.

Friday's Top Ten 11.02.2012

1. Well. My honey left my camera bag in his office again today. [sad face]. really, it's okay though. I'll get it tomorrow. because....

2. I have my first real photo shoot in over a year tomorrow. Then another one next weekend. I'm so excited. (also, I will put my simple moments post up tomorrow).

3. Brennen's face and head got beat up today. Cuts, bumps, and bruises. Oh the life of boys.

4. I try really hard to just be honest and be who I am. I struggle so much everyday. I realize that if I miss my thyroid meds for the day, it affects me. I notice when I don't miss it at all, I feel so much better. I have such horrible days because I am my own worst enemy. I also have beautiful days, like today. But I try to be real. I hope and pray I never come off fake and as someone I'm not. In fact, if you ask me how I am and I've had a bad day, I probably won't answer with "good" or "great."

5. Greyson can always cheer me up. Oh my geez, he's so cute. I always think back to when each of the other boys were his age and just remember how in love I was with them as babies. How my love grew for them every day and with each new thing they did. My boys are so special. Rotten. But special.

6. My house is a wreck. Text before you come. It's that bad.

7. Wishing for a date night. like soonly.

8. Greyson is supposed to be asleep. He just woke up.

9. I'm a human pacifier. Baby boy doesn't like anything else, not even his thumb.

10. Tomorrow I will be doing laundry and hopefully cleaning. And I'd like to start cleaning and patching the garage walls to be painted. My washer and dryer are out there and I'd really like for it to be a nice space if I have to be in there so much.

I'm off to pacify my sweet smiley baby.

Happy weekend to you.

peace.

full of words

I just emailed a friend today and told her how I miss my blog. And how my heart has so much to say but the time is just not there.

Five boys.
Two homeschooled.
A three year old who is just thisclose to being too much for me to handle (he deserves his own post) (also, he's entirely too smart).
A two year old that does everything the three year old does.
And a nursing baby. Who's growing right now and eating a ton.

 {^by Kanyon}

Usually before I know it, it's nearly dinnertime and that's when everyone in this house needs something or starts melting down. Then before I know it again, it's bedtime, and then I'm too tired but cleaning up the mess from the day has to be done, so I do it. Dishes. Floors. Tables.

Today I should be cleaning, but I'm here because the baby is sleeping and the boys are quietly playing and reading. And it's raining that glorious drizzly rain that makes the perfect sound and smells so good.

I've come to the realization that if my hands are busy during the day, I'm much more able to keep calm during our frustrating homeschool moments. So I do laundry. And I did so much the other day that every stitch of dirty laundry was washed, folded, and put away. Now I'm staying on top of it. But it's forcing me to find other ways to keep my hands busy. I wish I could blog and school at the same time. But no such luck. I can't be engulfed in something that makes me block out other things around me.

I'm kind of a strict unfun parent. I want to move past it, but it's hard. Small steps, though. Today, I made Nutella hot chocolate and gave the boys some with a cookie. an hour before lunch. Small steps.

I got out a notebook the other day to carry around with me. Because I always have thoughts and words swirling around in my head. I need to get them out. I'm trying to leave it on the counter next to a pen so I can write stuff down as it comes to me. I'm not doing very good, but will make a better effort next week. It's like talking through things with someone when I can write stuff down. Even though I miss having an actual someone to talk to, like in person. I love that we moved almost a year ago. I don't love that we moved away from people I love. But I'm trying to make friends, sorta. It's not my strong suit. I'm just not good at it. I know I come off rude and standoffish. It's just hard for me.
Last night, a super sweet couple that we know happened to be at the same movie theater we were in for date night (without the baby!) and bought our snacks. I love nice people. I love when people are generous for no reason except to be generous. I look forward to the day, when my kids are grown, and I see a couple with young kids, and I can do something similar for them.

And also. my baby Grey will be ten weeks old tomorrow. Did it go by fast for you too?

memories, dreams, and reflections 2011

1. Me

I am happy just to have survived this year. It's been a really rough emotional year.

2. I Love You

My ever supporting and loving husband.

3. Still Laughing

Aliens have taken over. 

(or maybe it's just decorative pomegranates from my ugly decorative pomegranate tree).

4. Winter Wonderland

My dudes making a snowman.

5. Birthday

My 8 year olds very first party/sleepover. He was beyond thrilled.

6. Friends

Sleepover friends on the trampoline with the water hose.

7. I was inspired...

...when I saw the bottom of this celery.

8. Spring Fever

9. Travel or Vacation

We were able to spend the week of the fourth with family this past year.

10. Summer Days

11. A Day in my Life

12. All Smiles

13. Autumn Harvest

The delicious glow of the sun over my fence in fall.

14. Family or Home

My four monkeys in our first home.

15. Celebrate!

Jo's 2nd birthday, in OK with our whole family.

16. Let's Do It Again.

Take selfies with all my boys again.

17. I miss you.

Being home in OK with my family. Totally miss that. (this is the view from my Mom's house).

18. Beautiful.

My boys.

19. Dress Up

Mario and Luigi

20. Macro

(or close up)

21. Holidays

I think I'm the only person on the planet who loves this shot, but I so do. 

It's my favorite from this past Christmas.

22. My favorite

I have many from this last year, this is just one of them.

23. Don't Ever Change

Dear baby boy, please don't ever lose that being the happiest person in the world

quality that I love so much about you.

24. Just Because...So There!

Another favorite of mine from this year.

25. Hopes and Dreams

I hope and pray to get out of this funk. 

Depression is washing away my life and I dream of the day I feel ... 

somewhat normal and maybe a little joy again.

^ Not too inspiring, I know, but it's where I am.

 linking up:

 Ashley at Ramblings and Photos