Entering Kaycee's 900th post Giveaway

Well, This Tired Mom is sooooo not an artist, but I do love the hairbows and cuteness that Kaycee makes! (see button to her blog below) She's just had her 900th post and is doing a giveaway. All you have to do is draw a picture of your "dream hairbow" and post it. As you can see, my "dream hairbow" looks a bit simple, but that's how we roll! =o)

So, here's Emma with my simple picture!

Not Me! Monday - Stellan Style

I'm not even sure how I came to find Stellan and his dear Mom (MckMama), but my very first Not Me! Monday is dedicated to this little man! I hope you will also take the time to familiarize yourself with his family and join me in praying for this precious baby!

*I did not stumble across Stellan this last week.
*I did not sob at my computer when reading his story.
*I did not immediately feel his mother's despair and burden of worry.
Nope, not me!
*I did not think of him constantly.
*I did not plea with God to lay his healing love over this baby.
*I did not ask God to watch over his family and give them strength.
Nope, not me!
*I am not sitting here with tears in my eyes and I hurt for Stellan!
*I do not hate it when tiny babies have to suffer such conditions!
*It doesn't send a burning, aching throb in my heart to think of him in the hospital!
Nope, not me!
*I will not continue to pray for Stellan... not only daily, but I will not pray for him continuously through the day.
*I will not continue to pray for his family.
*I will not feel guilty while hugging my beautiful babies.
Nope, not me!
*I did not fall madly in love with Stellan and his family.
*I do not wish I could do *SOMETHING*. *I do not want you to hit your knees and pray for Stellan!!!Nope, not me!

"Feelings Friday"

Because I'm *just* corny enough, I've tried to come up with some daily themes.

Some I've blatantly stolen from new bloggers I'm following...

Such as... (I'm totally picturing that blonde beauty contestant when she kept saying "Such as"... "you know, Such as"... LoL

ANYWAY, corny, me, yes.

Such as *giggle*,

Daily Dose of Cuteness... (I totally stole that from Kaycee)

I'm also thinking of stealing "Wordless Wednesday" so I can

boast of all the fabulous cuteness I have in my house everyday.

I think I'm going to reserve Thursdays for "Thoughts"

Ttttthhhursday... Tttttthhhoughts... get it? (yeah, I know... duh)

OH! And another one I'm *totally* going to love is...

"Not Me! Mondays", which I totally stole from MckMama and her charming kids

So anyway, today is my Feelings Friday...

it may flop, but I'm gonna try it out.

So today I'm Feeling...

... so glad it's Friday!...

...a little cranky because Friday isn't over yet...

... excited to pick up my Mom & Dad tomorrow! They'll be getting back from ISRAEL...

... worn out. Ther was a time I was roarin' to go on Fridays...

... a bit overwhelmed at all this laundry...

... a little jealous of my Sil's new laundry set up...

... excited to go on a 2 night trip with Brooklyn's class next week...

... anxious about being away from my EmmyLou for the first time...

... glad that it's 5th Sunday this weekend and we get to go OUT to eat...

... excited about making a new "something"...

...excited about having my beanies photographed by a professional...

... above all else, blessed!

He still speaks...

In a still and quiet voice... He whispers sweet peace to me...

No, I'm not crazy. Seriously, I'm not. I was reading a sister-blogger's post, and then another... about the constant struggles for improvement, betterment, assistance, acceptance, strength, knowledge and peace. It seems we are all going through a little of the same things - stemming from completely different reasons. It is so easy to get overwhelmed and weighed down. I can feel this sinking despair on a daily basis... why try, anymore? I'm so disgusted and annoyed with the way things are... it's too much work... I can't do it... I'm so tired.

And then I heard Him... in the form of a song.

"Come unto me... I will give you rest...

Take my yoke upon you, Hear me and be blessed;

I am meek and lowly, Come and trust my might

Come, my yoke is easy, and my burden's light."

A few other lines that jump out:

"Do unholy feelings stuggle in your breast?"

"Hear the thender Shepherd, "Come to Me and rest."

"Have you by temptations often conqureed been,

Has a sense of weakness brought distress within?"

"Christ will sanctify you, if you'll claim His best"
"Bring Me every burden, bring Me every care."

How often do I get pulled down into my own chaotic sense of despair? As an adult I have found myself carrying all of this anger, resentment, guilt, torture, jealousy, rage and worry... and for what?! Why do I hang on to it? I have such control issues... I want to hang on to everything and figure it out myself?! I apparently am unable to do it myself or I wouldn't be in the situation I'm in... living the same flawed way, making the same flawed decisions time and again.

I found a couple of pictures that sum up the peace that Matthew 11:28-30 bring to me. He is our Father and He will take care of us... it feels so good to know that He is just there.... waiting to help... waiting for us to get out of our own way... I love the pictures of him with the kids... How good that will feel to be in His loving embrace!

Daily Dose of Cuteness

Inspired by Kaycee - Life as a Mom at 21 - I'm joining in on the Daily Dose of Cuteness! I haven't posted any pics of the kids on this one in a while... so I'm deciding to dazzle you with their cuteness!

Here's my lil Emma Lou on her first birthday! She was so tired at this point but I *had* to make sure she got her birthday cupcakes!! Here is a video of her Dancing up a storm after we watched Twilight!

Here's Brenna May. I had to add the first two because they crack me up!

We were taking pictures in a park and I told her to

give me the "Top Model" pose. She's fierce, right?! LoL

I think Tyra would say she needs to work on

"smiling with her eyes"! lol

The one of her in the grass is the most current!

And here is my Brooklyn Grace (8). She's not normally so "nerdy",

but they were having Spirit Week and it was "Nerd Day"! =o)

The second picture is the most recent... she's soooo cute!

I let my baby play with needles

Yes, that's right. As I'm sitting here messaging my bff I'm listen to the sounds of Emma, who's 1, play with my crochet needles. OK, I guess the correct term is crochet *hooks*, but then the titled wouldn't have been so attention grabbing, would it?

I also let her climb stairs... it's her *most* favorite pastime! The bad thing about it is that if I'm not on my toes, she is up the stairs in a flash without me! She has fallen on them at least twice. She's flipped out of her swing more than once, too. I let her wrestle with the dogs.

Why am I tattling on myself? I dunno. *shrug* I just have a hard time denying her these simple little pleasures while I can still watch over her. Brooklyn is living proof - blatant and in my face - that they're not going to be babies forever! There are so many harder, more difficult battles that lay ahead of us as parents that playing with a couple of needles - ok, hooks - doesn't seem so bad.

Whoever calls CPS is on my official Tired Mom hit list!!

Twilight Night!

I am excited for this Saturday! I've invited a couple of my other 30 something mamas to watch Twilight!!! It's actually the first - ok, maybe the second time - I've invited anyone over for a get together. That's a shame since we live in a brand new house!

So anyway, Twilight... Edward... drool... *sigh*

Can't wait! So far the plan is to get take out from CHARLIES (TONG FONG LOW) - best Chinese food ever... and to just enjoy the movie! I think the Dad's will probably end up watching the youngest kids.

I'm not even going to pretend to be embarrassed about it! I know I'm not alone! LMBO!

Happy SPD!

First off, Happy St. Patrick's Day!

There was a time - it's getting farther and farther behind me - that I would have *something* to look forward to on this day... Mom's corned beef & cabbage, cornbread and honey butter, a couple of drinks with friends... Now my SPD plans are filled with making and then eating my OWN corned beef & cabbage, cornbread and honey butter, (it's good, but not the same as when mom makes it) and making sure I'm up on whatever school plans the girls have for today! This week happens to be Spirit Week at school and today is Duck Tape day... *scratching head*. So, not only are my girls wearing their greens that Grammy got them, but my eldest is decked out with Duck Tape - hot pink and hot green! haha

Oh, and I really think Old Navy pulled a fast one on this tired mom... Just about every year I get the $5 St. Patrick's Day t-shirts for my honey and me. I did the same this year, however it didn't really sink in that they are basically pointless if you're wearing them for a little green. Mine happens to be navy with white writing... Honey's is grey/heather with white writing. I'm just tired enough to not care *too* much, but I wonder if it was a ploy by ON to see if people would still buy them?! lol I mean, a little speck of green *SOMEWHERE* would be nice... haha

So anyway, I hope all zero of you that follow my blog have a safe and happy SPD!!!

Contrasts

I've noticed, as some of the zero people, that follow this blog, that there are some contrasting "themes" going on... Like the nice purply background and my new Hot pink zebra header... Well, now I changed it to where it's just black - that matches a bit better, but the header is skewed. nice.

Yes, I've noticed. Yes, I care. However, until I have a few more minutes to figure out exactly how to get the backgrounds I want, then it's gonna hafta stay a little contrastistic. It's not enough that I've "mastered" myspace Myspace and facebook... I felt the need to take on a blog page, too!

Just wanted you to know..... Yeah, I've noticed.

Imagine That!

Imagine that! It's been a good two months since I've blogged about anything... I'm sure all zero of my fans are really surprised! =o) Actually, I do have some reasons, but for the most part it's because that is just classic *me*.

In January, I answered a knock on the front door to be greeted by a Sherriff's deputy... LSS(long story short), my husband's mother had passed away. Seeing as how my husband and his brother were the only two responsible for her affairs, that has been quite time consuming. (Did I mention his brother lives in Kansas?)

Then, on March 5th we got a call about my sister's husband, "Uncle JB", and he was found deceased in his home. He was 37 and it was a huge shock and very tragic.

So, all of that + classic *me* = lack of blogging. I hope to do better - that statement is soooo classic *me*, too! haha