My three sons

Ella had a praise concert the last week of school and the boys looked so cute all dressed up and ready to go see their Sis sing, so I couldn't help myself and took a few pictures. As you can see, I couldn't decide which one I liked best, they are being silly boys in every single one. Ella was disappointed that Todd was away on business and wouldn't be able to see her sing, but my sweet Mama drove up and Ella lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw her in the audience. Ella got to stand with 3 other girls and do the banners for one of the songs, she was such a doll. I could tell she was a little nervous, and she rarely gets nervous, but it made her seem little and innocent so I actually enjoyed her nervousness, although I know that sounds terrible. Can't believe she's a third grader, I will blink and she'll be in a bra. Lord have mercy.

Mommy's Day

Mother's Day was really low key. I had asked for a picnic basket and Todd got me one, and in true form, he got me the biggest picnic basket this side of the Mississippi:) So the plan was to go to Chap's for breakfast, home for the rest of the day to tinker in the yard and nap the twins, then take a picnic dinner to Manito. Charlie came down with a fever, so we had to skip Chap's {sad face}, but the kids already knew about our picnic plans so I packed dinner and we found a quiet spot on the grass under a tree and had our little meal. I figured it would be like herding cats to try and keep Charlie and his germs on the quilt with me and away from all of the play equipment and other kids at the park, but since he wasn't feeling like himself he was content to stay by my side in the shade. Mother's Day really isn't a day of pampering I've come to realize, it's really just a day to reiterate how stinking awesome we are because we actually make more work for ourselves trying to make our special day special for our kids!
I love my children so much, I've never known such pure, unconditional love. It is the greatest gift of motherhood. It's a limitless pool of love and sacrifice that, no matter how hard your children try, they will never find the edge of, or the bottom of, because it doesn't exist. That kind of love is what drives us to want to punch someone's lights out when they hurt our kids' feelings, it's what makes the endless sleepless nights tolerable, the puke not as stinky, it makes us think "cracked nipples aren't all that bad, right?" I don't know exactly what kind of transformation takes place during that magical first meeting between mama and babe, but it changes your heart and soul forever. They become like oxygen, something every cell in your body needs and craves. And once you experience the sweetness of a freshy from heaven, you can't get enough. They might as well be crack because even when you know you shouldn't have more, and have no business having more, YOU STILL WANT MORE!
To me, Motherhood is....
Digging through Rubbermaid bins to look at tiny shoes, itty bitty dresses, soft cotton newborn sleepers, just so you can bury your face in them and smell them for just a hint of their freshy scent.
 Motherhood means your memories are bittersweet ~ the beauty of their birth mingles with the pain of them growing up too fast and makes tears roll down your face.
It's knowing where every bathroom and elevator is in all the stores you go to, and how to change a diaper {or diapers in my case} just about any where, any time.
It means knowing which coffee stand won't look at you cross eyed when you ask for one small smoothie and 3 extra cups, and lids, and straws...
It means getting excited about splurging on the really yummy, not-so-cheap hand soap.
Motherhood means that the Costco bill for the photo lab is just about as much as the bill for Costco groceries.
Motherhood is having your worst flaws and imperfections exposed and posted on a bill board. That bill board for me is named Ella Grace.
It's not remembering what a good night's sleep feels like, yet not being all that upset that someone needs to snuggle in bed with you at night.
Motherhood means vacations with the kids aren't relaxing for your body, but vacations without the kids means your mind never relaxes.
It means never knowing if you're doing it right, and being pretty sure you aren't. It's exhaustion like you've never felt, worry like you've never felt, and joy like you've never felt.
It's thinking your child has bone cancer every time their leg hurts. It's holding your breath while they're on top of the monkey bars, it's saying everything will be ok even when you don't know if it will.
Motherhood means you get why they call you "Mama Bear." Grizz would be a good nick name for me;)
It's wanting to make cookies when you're dead on your feet just so the house smells good and just so you can watch their faces light up when they get to have one with a cold glass of milk, even though they already had a treat.

Driving Miss Ella

I'm back! Sorry for the little blogging break. I suppose the 3 people that read my blog will understand;) I am attempting to play catch up, so be prepared for rapid fire, un-inspired posts for a while!

When Ella's school moved out to Colbert, it turned our 25 minute drive into a 45 minute drive, which meant the boys and I spent 3 hours in the car every weekday. Not exactly fun, but the drive out there from our house really was beautiful, so I grabbed my camera one day and snapped some photos along the way. We live in such a pretty city...

And since the new school is so close to our old stomping grounds, I decided to take the kids to the Ram for some huckleberry ice cream and a brief history education on Mom and Dad. I told them all about our little house in the woods and our horses and how our date night consisted of grocery shopping and dinner at Zips or huckleberry cones at the Ram. That's when life was simple, life in the pine trees with Todd and his mustache;) Actually our life was the polar opposite of simple at that time, but our lifestyle was simple, I guess that counts for something.

And here are a couple snap shots of the new campus. The whole school is gorgeous and smells like new paint and dry erase markers, but my favorite part is the big metal tree in the foyer with huge leaves that are actually sound absorbers. Oh, and the library is divine.

SOLD!

We finally SOLD our house!!! Long story, lots of drama, we'll catch up soon. Today was moving out day, moving in day will be July 9th...We survived thanks to awesome friends and family. Many of whom have already told us they're busy on July 9th;) We looked for a house on Green Bluff, 5 Mile, the South Hill, Colbert, in town, west of town, east of town, every which where and I can't wait to tell you where we wound up. I'm pooped though and I'm also standing to write this since we have no furniture. In fact we won't have a home in 3 days...and on our official "homeless day" we'll be heading off on our annual beach vaca from our empty nest, then from there mooching off my parents for 3 weeks. Another long story. Because our little situation had some uhhh, complications shall we say, we never got our official SOLD sign, which was well deserved but just didn't show up. So we improvised with our flash cards. Who hired these goons?

Raiders of the Lost Toybox

Our little Indiana Jones is up to his usual mischief. What a little adventurer Charlie is, he sucks every bit of life out of every day {and every bit of life out of me} and I couldn't love his sweet and spicy spirit more!