A fun "find" and a big girl...

If you ask Mike, he'll tell you I have a serious problem, maybe even a disease... If you ask me, I'll tell you I have a gift, for finding JUNK! I think Mike would be more favorable of my magnetism for junk if I didn't pick-up EVERY last thing that had "potential" off of the neighbor's curb... but I digress.

Any which way ya wanna see it, not even Mike can argue that the goody below was not totally worth cleaning out the van for! Not to mention it was a fun pick-up! I was beyond thrilled to discover this gem sitting on the lonely curb... the eve before trash day... where the "potential" this item had to offer would have been shipped off to a junk yard... as trash! Not on my watch! Now, I saw the look on Mike's face when I spotted it... it was definitely a "Dear God, where in holy heck are we going to put THIS piece of junk!?!" look... I'm all too familiar with this particular face... but a few promises later, we were loading it up as a fun piece for Addie's "Big Girl" room.

Addison was going to be moving out of her crib soon and into her big girl bed (which was a killer thrift store find... after some paint of course! Oh, and just the frame... not the mattress... we have standards ya know! Hard to believe, but true!) Anyhow, I knew this would be a great piece to help transition Addie into her new room without big brother Blake... who, by the way, needed no reassurance at all about being in his own room without little sister. :)

So, with a small crew of my favorite helpers, I set out to make the piece into something worthwhile... just as I had promised Mike I would!

And when it was finished... we rejoiced... all of us... even Mike! After all, the total cost was $6 in paint... what's not to rejoice about?

And Addison rejoiced the most in her new room as a "Big Girl"! Eventually I'll post pictures of both kids' rooms when they're all done (almost there), because my favorite picture to look at from my childhood was my Strawberry Shortcake bedroom with the canopy bed! I was too young to remember my Strawberry Shortcake room, but I love the picture just the same! I hope the same for Blake & Addie!

Mother's Day 2010!

Although Mother's Day is a fun day to sleep in and be pampered, I am overwhelmingly aware that it is also a time to celebrate my children and husband, as I wouldn't be a mother without any of them... and they treat me so very special, not just on Mother's Day, but always! I feel blessed to be a mother... and extra blessed for the children God has blessed Michael and I with!

And of course, thank you to Mike for this very thoughtful Mother's Day! He took pictures all morning long of the kids and their festivities while I slept in and awoke to a delicious breakfast in bed, thoughtfully written novels in all 3 cards (Mike wrote sweet messages from the kids in their cards as well), and a supreme noodle necklace! I love you Mikey... really, truly love you!

The night before Mother's Day we all curled up to watch Mary Poppins, which we all LOVED! Thanks Mikey for the picture... and for our fun movie night!

These were the cards I received in the morning!

This was our visit to the Orozco Casa... with Tia Christina's baby-to-be being the life of the party... just ask Blake, who decided that he was going to get to the bottom of this whole "basketball belly" and look up tia Christina's dress! Ummm.... no basketball there! ;) It was too funny! Everyday since the kids have been shoving dolls under their shirts and asking if I have a baby in my belly too!

Cousin Massimo... looking festive! :)

The artists, hard at work...

And finally, a helicopter ride for the cousins!

Spring 2010 Randomness...

Okay, so I've been a little slow keeping our memories logged... and quite a few have passed by without notice... and instead of forgetting them altogether, I thought I'd cram em' all into one ginormous post! Bring on the random!

Daddy took Blake & Addie to Story Hour with Buzz and Woody at our local bookstore!

Family rally time! Preach it kids! Preach it!

I made berry popcicles for the kids and their friends... no complaints from these guys... actually, not a peep! ;)

The new excitement: "Big kid bikes"

They love to show off their new rides on our family walks!

A family trip to Lowe's for a huge rug and a little trash can! Who would have thought this would be such a big deal for the kiddos!?!

Forgot to post these pictures of the kids dying Easter eggs at Alexis & Ana's house... prior to Easter of course! :)

One of my favorite times of the day... Bible study with the kids! Daddy shares the words of Jesus on this particular evening...

A weekday lunch outing to Chuck E. Cheese for Kai's birthday!

Fun with friends at a local Children's Museum... complete with its own kid-sized city!

Just taking a stroll... one that would probably make Daddy super proud... or concerned! ;)