Max is 2!

Max turned 2 on Thursday. What a big boy. I can't believe how fast they grow.

We had a party for him on Saturday. This is Max blowing out his candles. To see more pictures of the fun day, click here. Max's birthday

I wish it were Groundhog Day.

I've been attending a bible study series with other ladies about Spiritual Leadership. Last night we talked about the parts of a woman's life. From baby, childhood, teen years, being a young woman, middle aged woman, and old woman. We talked about which we thought was the best part of our life so far and which was our worst. That conversation really made me think and evaluate my life.

Time never stops, we're always getting older and life is always moving forward. I've spent a large part of my life waiting for the next thing. I was a Navy brat and we were always moving. I remember first when I was in Jr. High. My dad was going to retire and we were going to make one last move. I couldn't wait for that event. Then I couldn't wait until I was finally in High school. I couldn't wait until I could drive, and then to graduate. I couldn't wait to go to AIM and I couldn't wait to go to the field....and then get off the field. I couldn't wait to get married. I couldn't wait to have a baby. I couldn't wait for Erik to finish school and get a job. I couldn't wait to finally have another baby...then another.

Now here I am. For the first time that I can remember...life is just perfect. There's nothing that I'm waiting for. I have EVERYTHING that a person could possibly have. Nothing could make life sweeter. I love my life. I love my family. I love all the amazing things God has blessed me with.

Time never stops, we're always getting older and life is always moving forward. If it didn't, it would be like that movie Ground Hog Day. Where the same day is repeated over and over. The days events might change, but none the less, the main character would wake up every morning to the same day...Ground Hog day. I wish that now. I wish I could wake up every morning to this time. If there was a time in my life I could take a snap shot of my life and live in it...this would be the time. I wish it were Groundhog Day.

I survied to tell about it...

Quinlin was off for spring break last week...and we survived. I could do 10 Max & Zoey's. Quinlin by herself...no problem. But put her with other kids and the is a recipe for insanity! As the anticipation of the week loomed ahead, I tried to plan things to keep us out of our tiny house as much as possible. Since it's Seattle...and still raining...I knew the houses walls would creep in closer and closer each day.

Monday we enlisted our friend Kim to come with us to the Aquarium. They have two cool octopuses and of course the gammet of other local fish. We got to see Sea Lions and Seals...very cute! Quinlin loved it of course. She ran from tank to tank loving all the fun things she could see. Max...he was excited to jump off the rocks. He didn't care at all about the fish. He was on the lookout for the next thing to jump off of. And Zoey... she was just cute! Thanks for the fun day Kim!

We had a play date scheduled for Wednesday, but a bout of lice canceled those plans. Thursday we all ventured to the store. We bought a few things and came home. It was not too bad...bribery always helps!

Friday we went to the Zoo with our good friend Gail. She first invited us to the zoo when we moved here almost 3 years ago and she has become our zoo buddy. I decided that instead of using strollers to contain the kids (since they were useless at the aquarium), I would get those cute animal back packs with leashes...yes I said leashes. They worked really well. The kids could be a bit independent without being able to run off in two different directions. Quinlin was funny to watch. She didn't mind being connected to us, but it didn't stop her from pulling like a large dog pulls when they're being walked. She's gotten quite tall and it was quite funny to watch. We did get to see some great animals. There as a new baby gorilla and various other monkey types. The traditional Lion, tiger, bear. Elephants, giraffes, and zebras. It was a fun day, but I was ready to head home by the time we finished. We didn't even see 1/2 the zoo so it will give us something to see next time!

I'm glad the week was over, but it was actually fun. It was nice not to hustle in the morning to get Quinlin off to the bus while juggling the other two's needs.

Sleeping in the closet

We're getting ready to put Max in his own toddler bed when he turns 2 at the end of the month. He's not been napping well lately, so last week, I started letting him sleep in Quinlin's bed. To my surprise, he does really well staying in bed and seems to even sleep most days.

I like to peek in there when I haven't heard him for a while, just to see if he's sleeping. A short time ago, I went to check on him. I slowly and quietly opened the door so I could peek inside just enough to see him in the bed. To my surprise, he wasn't in the bed. I thought, well maybe he fell asleep on the floor on the other side of the bed. So, I tip toed around the bed expecting to see him on the floor. No, still no Max. Where could he be? As I thought, I could hear slow steady breathing...so he had to be in the room (not to mention I didn't think he could use his short little legs to crawl out the window). He must be under the bed! Not wanting to wake him, still moving slowly and quietly, I lifted the bed skirt to peek under the bed. Nope, not there either! I hear him, but I can't see him? I listened to the breathing...trying to hone in on where it could be coming from. As I followed the sound, I realized the sound was coming from the closet! I can't believe he got in there, let alone actually fell asleep!

I don't know if many of you know how impossible it is to get into Quinlin's closet. To keep Quinlin's disaster down (kind of like a the dust cloud that follows that really dirty kid on the Peanuts cartoon), we keep EVERYTHING, but her bed, in the closet and we lock it so she can't get in there and pull it all out. Max not only had to get into the locked closet, but find a place to sit (it's pretty crowded!) and get comfortable enough to fall asleep. I have no idea how or where in there he is, just that he's there, breathing, and sleeping.

Now I'm just waiting for him to wake up...I wish Erik was home to see this!

Playin around

While Claire was here, She gave me a ton of tips on using Photoshop with my pictures. I was totally inspired so I'm going to start playing around and see what I come up with. I don't really have the proper camera yet, but its fun to play with the one I have.

Here is my first one of Max (eating chocolate again...)

The sharpness of the actual picture has been lost a bit. Claire said this happens and she showed me how to fix it...but I forgot already. So I'll have to learn that again...

Claire....help!

Nothing like Friends!

This weekend we had friends we hadn't seen in years. In fact one friend, Claire, we hadn't seen in almost 13 years. We all lived in Mexico City way back when we had all gone through AIM. It's amazing how you can just transport right back in time to the relationships we had, no matter how long the distance of space or time. My ribs still hurt from all the laughing we did. Here is a picture Claire took (who is a photographer by the way). Visit her blog at http://www.gingerpixel.com/

I love all you guys and I'm so glad you came to visit!

My next cup of coffee...

Ok, I totally "bloglifted" this from another blog grampsbilliamandgrannieannie.blogspot.com

It was so amazing, I had to post it on ours...

A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective
careers, got together for a visit with their old university
professor. The conversation soon turned to complaints about the
endless stress of work and life in general...

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen
and soon returned with a large pot of coffee and an eclectic
assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal - some plain, some
expensive, some quite exquisite. Quietly he told them to help
themselves to some fresh coffee.. ..

When each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the
old professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently
address the small gathering... ''You may have noticed that all of
the nicer looking cups were taken up first, leaving behind the
plainer and cheaper ones. While it is only natural for you to
want only the best for yourselves, that is actually the source of much
of your stress-related problems." He continued...''Be assured that
the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In fact, the cup merely
disguises or dresses up what we drink. What each of you really
wanted was coffee, not a cup, but you instinctively went for the
best cups... Then you began eyeing each other's cups....''
''Now consider this: Life is coffee. Jobs, money, and position in
society are merely cups. They are just tools to shape and contain
Life, and the type of cup we have does not truly define nor
change the quality of the Life we live. Often, by concentrating only on
the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee that God has provided us... God
brews the coffee, but he does not supply the cups. Enjoy your coffee!''

The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just
make the best of everything they have... So please remember: Live
simply. Love generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly. Leave the
Rest to God.

And remember - the richest person is not the one who has the
most, but the one who needs the least.