Making Enough of Me

 

 

But then it turned cold again. And those few shards of green grass were quickly deadened by the horrific ice and cold that we aren't accustomed to here down yonder. It was cold. Wicked cold. And I was miserable. Without a second car, it meant driving my husband to work every day at 5:30 AM so that I could have a car to take the kids to and from school, and not lose any more friends because of my constant requests for help. Me and cold and severe exhaustion do not mix. Not at all.

 

I plead with the Lord to send sunshine. I explained my predicament and prayed my prayers could break through the barriers of ice surrounding our home.

 

And my prayers were answered.

 

While the majority of the country remains in a cold snap, we have had non stop sun for the last few days, and the forecast can't predict when it will end --- that's how many warm days are ahead on the map!

 

My sweet husband has been working so many hours at his 3 jobs, that the kids have rarely seen him. And I have only known he was there because I wasn't completely 10 sheets under when he climbed in bed next to me at 11 PM and woke me at 5:30 AM to take him to work. So I asked him if after our church meetings on Sunday, could we take a picnic and drive to the lake in downtown for a much needed family outing. The kids took their scooters (which have seen very little pavement time since Santa dropped them off), and Daddy and I walked along side of them, holding hands and letting the sun kiss our faces. (We did some kissing, too.) 

  

 

 

 

Sun so bright they couldn't open their eyes?

Check.

 

cutie-cute-cuteness

 

 

 

 

He pushed her pretty much the whole way like this.

Love him.

 

These two have missed each other!

 

 

 

 

I wonder what they'll do when we take them to see the Redwoods?

(someday)

 

You can take the tree out of the boy

But you can't take the boy out of the tree...

Or something like that.

Daddy was NOT going to miss out on this climb.

 

A little rest after our three hour walk/ride

 

 

As we left, the Heavens smiled down on us in approval.

 

And we were happy.

 

 

 

 

We had a birthday here this last week, which was pretty much the main topic of conversation at least a month in advance. This handsome little superman turned 7 and we had such a blast celebrating the awesomeness that he is.

 

 

 

His birthday breakfast of choice was mommy's cinnamon rolls and fresh fruit. Pretty much their wish is my command on their birthdays, so I went without a few hours of beauty sleep in order to comply with his demands.

 

 

 

 

He opened a few presents and it then off to school they went! For his birthday he got a thermos for his lunch (to take hot stuff. his request.), a set of "cool" things for his bike, like a horn and side mirror, a small Lego Chima set, and a Nerf bow and arrow. He was in heaven and I was in heaven with how little I spent. Who knew I could make his dreams come true so easily?!

 

 

 

 

I surprised him at school with lunch (fresh quesadillas and blackberries) and found him already sitting with his BFF, which made his day just about perfect.

 

 

 

After school he opened Grandma's card that came in the mail and was thrilled with the greenbacks she sent for him to spend any way he wishes. She's the best and always, always remembers. For dinner he chose my homemade tostada feast, and also had his BFF come over to join in on the family fun. (uh, why didn't I get a picture of that?) Then Daddy took the boys to see the new Lego Movie, but not before we had the "best birthday cake ever."

 

A few days before, I was lamenting over the fact that my kids had no idea how jipped they were in the birthday cake department. One look at pinterest and it's enough to make my eyes pop out with all the colors and fondants. I just couldn't bring myself to doing it (me no likey the dyes), so with his order fresh in my mind, I went to work. He wanted a vanilla cake with strawberries and strawberry frosting. Because he has Legos on the brain, I wanted to incorporate that somehow, too. I made this cake, slightly modified, and used this idea to make it look lego-ish. I made my own frosting, left over from the cinnamon rolls. I just tweaked it a bit and added fresh strawberries. It's not an ideal cake frosting, but I knew my boy wouldn't care. He just likes it to taste good and I just wanted to make him happy, without all that fake red coloring. The result wasn't very pinterest worthy or very pretty (actually, pretty funny), but in my defense I was hurrying to frost it before he came in the room.

 

I took this sequence of pics because this is SO my Marcus,

and he idolizes his older brother (and his older brother idolizes him),

so it's perfect they are in these classic pictures together.

 

 

 

He loved his birthday and I loved how despite the simplicity of it all, he was so happy. A few days later, he had all three of his besties over for pizza, Lego games, and cupcake decorating. These kids have pretty much celebrated every birthday together for the past several years, and it's so great to see how they're all growing and how they are still close. As a mother, it's such a gift to be a part of his life, and the lives of those he loves so much.

 

 

 

 

I love my little man. He's one of my life's greatest joys and blessings.

Our family wouldn't be complete without our 7 year old- size 4T jeans wearing- funny man. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

But at 20 weeks they confirmed what Makenna said she "knew all along" that she would in fact be a big sister to a baby girl and mommy and daddy would get their dream of having 2 and 2.

 

 

(The kids loved this one because they said she looks like she's saluting, just like Daddy does.)

 

 

 

We already have her name picked out, which sends me into silent streams of tears because of how much I love it and the person she will be named after. Each of our children have part of their name after someone we want them to look up to and admire. Each name has been given to us through strong spiritual confirmations, and this one was no different.

 

Baby girl M.D.T. will be joining our family to make it complete sometime around June 25th, and we can't wait to meet her. (Pretty sure Makenna has their whole lives planned out as sisters and roommates.)