Just FYI

We are getting ready to go on vacation this coming Friday!! Yippee! We are going to the beach for a few days with John's family...his sister is a size zero people. No, really and literally she wears a size zero. I have given up even trying to lose a few pounds. I mean honestly, what difference is it going to make when I'm next to her? I'd have to lose half of me just to sqeeze one thigh into her jeans. And I have given birth to 5 children. Anyone who expects me to look good in a bathing suit is really funny and should give serious thought to a career in comedy. Anyway, then we (just our family...all 7 of us) are going to visit my Grandpa and go to Disney World!! Can't wait to go!

So, the reason I am writing this is to inform you of why I probably will not be blogging much this week, and not at all next week. I am determined to leave my house in spic and span, spotless, smelling free of poo condition. (Especially that last part.) I really am. I started this weekend and I am going to reach my goal. However, this does not leave much time for blogging...darnit. Right now I am waiting for a load of clothes to dry so I can lickety split fold it, get it packed or put away.

Precious

My heart melted when I overhead Halle talking to Emma in the car.
She said "Emma, Dod made ew pesal."
Translation: "Emma, God made you special."

Too fast

My little Madison is growing up too fast. Well, all the kids are growing up too fast. Madison's birthday is next week and I can't believe she's going to be 7. We're going to Disney World to celebrate instead of having a party for her. Now, before you think, wow, that's alot more money than having a party, my grandpa works at Disney and can get all of us in for free!! So, why not go to Disney for her birthday? And I REALLY need a vacation. I just need to get away from the everyday stuff of life...dishes, laundry, vacuuming, dusting (what's that?), cleaning the bathrooms, etc., etc., etc..

I can't wait to see the kids at Disney. We actually went last year when Cooper was just 7 weeks old (we're crazy like that) and the kids had a blast. But this year the twins will get to experience it rather than just sleeping through half of it (they were not quite 2). They are at such a great age! All of them are. And they're so dang cute! I really believe God gave all of them a double dose of cute!!

Didn't do too much today. Just played with the kids. Oh, I did take all my "stuff" over to the consigment sale. I had to take the entire back seat of the van out to fit everything in. And even then it was a tight fit. I actually just got back from working the "pre-sale". The toddler bed and mattress was the first thing to sell...yee-haw! Looking forward to being there to work the sale on Saturday. I don't know why I enjoy it so much. But I have literally been looking forward to this since the sale in the fall. I guess I'm just weird. Or it could be the fact that I'm around a bunch of women and can actually hold a conversation without having to get a sippy cup for anyone!

Love my kids. Love my husband. Love my Lord. (Not in that order!!)

It's been a while...

All right, I haven't written anything in a while. It's been kinda crazy around here. Well, it's always kinda crazy with 5 kids, a dog, a cat, a gerbil, 3 fish, a mom, and a dad.

An update on the laundry for those of you who are wondering. I did not trash the socks, though I was sooo tempted. I actually matched and put them back in their respective drawers! Yeah for me...now there's another pile waiting. But I'm kind of on this laundry kick where I just have to get it done, folded, and put away. I think my perfectionism is coming back in stages. (It's hard to be a perfectionist with all the kids...so I just gave up for a few years!!) First it was the dishes...I have to keep my counters clear of dirty dishes or it drives me up the wall. Now the same thing is happening with the laundry...I have to get it done or I lose my mind. I'm taking this as a good sign. Hopefully by the end of the year, all areas of mess in my home will have found a spot in my crazy mind that has to be spotless.

We had an AWESOME family weekend. On Saturday John took Madison to her game because we woke up late and there was no way I could get everyone ready in time. So they had some Daddy-Daughter time together. As they are walking out the door John says, let's have some fun today...do you want to go to Marietta, some other random place, or the zoo? Duh? The zoo of course! So by the time they got back from her game (she scored 2 baskets!!!) the rest of us were ready for our adventure.

Now, I don't know if the zoo is aware of this or not, but for our family to go to the zoo for one day, it's $85.00. Alot of money for one day. But our family can get a year pass for $89.00. Does that make sense to me? No. Now, if I were in charge of ticket prices, I would either lower the cost of the daily admission or raise the cost of the yearly pass. Because basically our family will be spending ALOT of time at the zoo this coming year...with our own picinic lunch mind you.

Anyway, we had a great time at the zoo. The kids just loved running around to see all the different animals. Madison's favorite was the otter. Marshall's was the lion. Halle's was the Panda Bear. And Emma's was the elephant. And that really just about sums up their personalities now that I think about it! Maddie is always ready for fun, fun, fun. Marshall is a perfectionist and loves to take charge. Halle is a snuggle bug. And Emma takes over the room when she enters! Cooper didn't voice a favorite animal, he just loves them all, like everyone loves him!!

On Sunday John had to go to COTA for a lunch after church so the kids and I skipped and vegged at home for a while. Then I took Marshall, Halle, and Emma to my parents to play while Madison, Cooper and I went to meet John at IKEA (I totally understand all the hype now!!) to get Madison a new bed for her birthday. Of course she picked the most expensive and cutest bed. Can't wait to get it together. Can't believe she's almost 7...time flies!

I love my kids so much. They are the greatest in the world! I love watching them play together and love making memories with them!!

That's about all for now. I have a consigment sale this weekend I'm hoping to make a bunch of money at so I can go and buy clothes for the kids. If they would just stop growing I wouldn't have this problem!!