Friday, December 31, 2010

twentyten part1

Life is so busy in our family. So busy. I wanted to reflect on this last year as a sort of record. My purpose for blogging, anyways.
Going backwards......

December
This was by far one of the best Christmases (is that even proper grammar? I used to be so good at that. I need a refresher) by far. We were so incredibly blessed this year. And just went we thought our children would have ONE thing to open on Christmas, they had 7 each.....and a stocking stuffed, just from us. God is so good. All the time. It is so hard for me to fully trust in the Lord at times...and then I see what He does, and am saddened that I didn't just have more faith.
In general, we don't usually focus on material things. We love the verse found in Matthew 16:26, What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Of course we love the song done by Tobymac called Lose Your Soul. Its so fitting for this day and age.
It was so great to give to our children this year. Childrens Christmas program was awesome.
I started this blog. Sent our picture Christmas cards for the first time EVER. Woman's Ornament Exchange. Zoolights. Multiple Christmas celebrations. Family Movie Night on Christmas Eve instead of driving around looking at lights, we broke tradition.....but it was fun! Our oldest son, AJ turned 12. Since when did I give permission for him to grow into a young man? I stopped drinking PEPSI!!
November
White Thanksgiving!! The kids were home a week bc of snow and Thanksgiving break. I loved it. I cooked Thanksgiving dinner by myself for the first time ever. It was yummy. {and not too terribly hard, although as my mom pointed out- I'm used to cooking for an army ;)}
My first month as a Partylite Consultant, you should go to my website here. {we have an awesome NEW line and I'd love to talk to you about earning FREE candles}
We had a milestone of a birthday and now have 2 teens~Amia turned 13!! Oh how happy she was/is!!
Learned I'm among the worlds top 8% wealthy-bc I have change in a dish. I did the Thankful challenge on facebook. Avery finished up soccer, his first season on a team and he did awesome....& its not just bc I'm the mama, he did. AJ's 6th grade basketball team went undefeated! Oh I forgot, we had a horrible wind storm. Branches and debris everywhere. As I go over my facebook page I am reminded of my thankful heart that month. I loved the thankful challenge. I'm pretty sure this was the month the twins stopped taking naps-{nope, it was October}. My babies always napped. Don't love this.
October
Started Partylite. Halloween- cowboy, cowgirl, cat, b-ball player, 80's workout girl, this is my costume tshirt, bloody football player {awesome}. Erin {lil sis} turned 21. We went out for a drink. Made homemade roasted acorn squash and veg soup-it was pretty yum! It was a great October for playing outside. field trip to the zoo. Ariana's first Homecoming Dance {hearts}She came home w/ her dates suit jacket. Typical. October was a weird time for us. We moved from a house we lived in for 4 yrs at the end of Sept/ beginning of October. We didn't love the house. But we lived there for FOUR years. We have a lot of memories there. Thats where we brought the twins home. Where I worked fulltime, for a few years {it was a new thing for us}Where Alaina started Kindergarten and the older kids starting going to public school. Its where we made so many neighborhood friends. It was home.....'it' being the neighborhood, the community. It was comfortable. At the same time it so wasn't and we needed to move. October we spent trying to make this house home.....and truthfully, we still are.
September
This was another weird/hard month. Packing 9 people up to move. Figuring out schools. Stay, change, homeschool. Hard decisions. too many decisions. Kinda, really stressed. Not enough time in the day. School shopping and first day of school. Trying to soak in all the time w/ our neighbors/friends all the while.....epic packing, purging, cleaning, organizing. Unsuccessful yard sales. Youth Coffee House~Amia's first solo. She sung Temperary Home by Carrie Underwood, so nervous. Did so well. She had 4 grandma's in attendance.....5 generations in one room. Berry picking galore {esp the twins, they loved papa's berries} Started 'extreme' couponing, will never pay big money for things again. Thanks, Amanda. Busy month for photoshoots :) enjoying the last of summer, soaking up the vitamin d while we can......it is the PNW!! Family time. Pool days. Avery finally agreed to cut his hair.....10inches off, still long.
August
Hot. Babies wore diapers most days {if we were lucky ;)} Babies 18months~ please tell me where the time went? Ava=dare devil. Dash point beach. Owens Beach. Never camped.....all summer long. Thats sad. But indeed we had a good summer. A lot of water parks. a lot. Brightest, darkest, reddest {bad, I know} sun ever during sunset. Pictures don't do it justice. Lemonade stands. Laughing, running, skipping and jumping. Sprinklers. Bike jumps-epic bike jumps. High school kids down to elementary @ the jumps. Dirty and dusty. Dusty dirt. Sun-kissed skin w/ tan lines. Skateboards. Bikes. Jump ropes. Pool days. High School orientation. really?? High school soccer. Lets just say the girl is in major shape ;) Family BBQ's. Family lunch and walk at the waterfront {love}
July
Avery stepped into double digits. He joined the ranks w/ the olders!! My baby boy, 10....again, where does the time go? Averys hair so long, middle of his back, still refuses to cut it. At this point only to spite his Gma's. But it fits him. Best Vacation Bible School ever. Kids came out of the woodwork and more importantly, came to know Jesus. They will have that forever in their hearts. We gained youth this summer at church. Funnest photoshoot w/ Ari, Kylie and Theron. Fun, Fun, Fun. Aunt Minna visited from AZ. Get together at GG-pa & GG-ma's. Gorgeous view. Binoculars. Good times {great pix} Fourth of July BBQ w/ new friends. Red, White and Blue. Fireworks. Come to think of it, we broke our 4th of July traditions, too. Clearly its the year for breaking all the rules. Titlow beach. Oh, how could I forget......my dad bought all g-kids passes to our local pool. So fun, but incredibally hard work w/ twins. We had fun.  Everyone, but Aiden. It took him far too long to get used to the water. He just wanted to walk around & get into strangers snacks. How do I not have any  pictures of the pool days? *sigh* I think I didn't want to have to worry about my camera, & twoddlers, & the olders. Drive-in movies- a first!! Babies fascinated w/ trains that passed at the pool & beaches. Sunnyside Beach. VBS workers BBQ & beach vollleyball. The kids and I stayed for hours, just playing. It was so nice. We ALL enjoyed it.....hard to accomplish w/ 7 kids.

Wow. What a year it has been. Of course if I added everything, it would be a novel. This has been a interesting writing experience. It has brought me many smiles and a few tears....I am happy I took the time to do this, even though I may be missing out on some precious sleep. Stay tuned for Part2, June was oober busy!!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

comfort food

My friend did a facebook status asking what our favorite comfort food was growing up/is now. For me it would definitely be......

Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and corn.

Yep, that does it for me.

When I was pregnant with the twins, I craved mashed potatoes and gravy. Oh and to mix the corn in with it. I would beg my dad to make it for me. I couldn't wait til Thanksgiving- turkey, mashed taters and gravy {duh, corn, too}

Surprisingly, I don't make fried chicken. Hardly ever. It takes too long and I have too many children to be in the kitchen for a long period of time. For us its casseroles or crockpot. Thats how we {I} roll.

Lately my parents have been making that for our monthly family birthday parties {love}

and tomorrow, thats what I'm making ;)

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Our lil visitor

Is she just gorgeous? How about her sense of style?? This reminds me of Alaina. I wonder if I have any pictures of her get-ups?! Hmmmmm
This lil darling is dh's favorite kid, besides his own!!
Why, you ask......Well when she was newborn, she spent soooo much time at our house. And Antwone was one of her first words....if you ask him it was her first word {I actually think it was}
She loved Uncle Antwone. I traded her for Alaina for a few days.
I took her and Ari out for lunch today. After we prayed and ask God to bless our food, she tells me "Auntie, you know God didn't make computers. He made people and people did."
 I'm really not her aunt. Antwone's not really her uncle. Her mom and I are cousins. But auntie works. It always has.
Today I did a random photoshoot of her, the best kind. Here's a few of the shots.
enjoy

and a few more, untouched {sometimes the best}

She will be leaving today. Alaina returning. Must not wait so long to have her back.


Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Conversations

I wanted to share a few conversations I had with Alaina last week.
I don't want to forget them.
And while I don't think I will forget them....{you'll see why in a sec}
I figured this is the purpose of blogging, for me anyways
So I can look back and remember things I didn't want to forget.......
I forget things alot.
Its sad, but true.
I forget what kid used to say what.....
Or what kid did what....
You can usually hear me saying...
'Who used to do          '
This is my cure for the forgetting


 heres the conversations...

taken on her birthday 4/23/10
I was cleaning out my purse last week and took everything out of my wallet
including my drivers license....I don't know why I took that out
It had its own little spot,
 it wasn't going to change or be relocated....
Nevertheless, I did

Alaina- dang mom that SUCKS!!
me- {not too thrilled w/ her word choice} what does?
Alaina- you can't even wear make-up when your taking your drivers license picture

my license has been misplaced ever since that day....
she started playing dress up and apparentantly used my license

taken 8/1/10
Next conversation.....
 I was asking the kids about their Christmas program practice
They began to tell me how the angels were made to stand the entire time
they were quit disturbed, actually

Alaina- {as dramatic and high pitched as you can imagine} I was bouta E-claps!!!!!!

lets just say I couldn't hold in the laughter on that one
ECLAPS~ meaning collapse


love this pic of Lani w/ my dad

I forgot this one-----SEE I ALWAYS FORGET!!!!!

Last night I couldn't remember if I had taken my antibiotic {again-FORGOT}
Alaina was near me and could hear me talking out loud about whether or not I took it
 I poured out the pills and counted them, hoping to be able to figure it out
Me-I cant remember if I did or not
Alaina- see, thats what I hate about taking meds

There are 2 reasons I find this  hilarious
1. I can't remember the last time she had to take anything
2. She used the word meds um, who says that except MY MOTHER

so cute


another pic....why not??

Monday, December 13, 2010

The kids picking out their Christmas tree ornaments
as you can see the twinadoes weren't necessarily cooperating
suprise, surpise


Isn't he so handsome?!?!?
always cheesing!!

 

<3 Amia's penguin!!


AJ putting on a B made out of bells.....so cute and inexpensive @ Michaels

Ari's snowman
 
&
Ava's pink and silver glittery ball.....once she saw this, she held on for dear life, even during checkout :)

Its been a long weekend............

I'm too tired. I want to blog......but I'm just too tired. I haven't been feeling well as most know!! I spent most of Saturday in the ER.......I have the bestest best friend ever!!! She stayed with me the whole time {well til her hair appt.....a girl can't miss her hair appt} while my Mr. Wonderful was here will all the kiddos!!! My mom came and took me home and she also bought me dinner......yum yum!! Chicken enchiladas. I hadnt eaten ALL DAY- well cept the donut my bff brought me that morning....

Oh, the kids had their Christmas program yesterday. They all participated......even the babies. SO CUTE!!!! Ari read scripture-so just fab!! Amia was Mary-her and Joseph have already planned their divorce-awesome. AJ was an INN KEEPER, Avery a shepard.....again.....for the fourth time in a row (at least) Alaina was an angel-----beautiful. The babies were lil lambs.....sheep....something like that ;)
It was a nice time and a great potluck afterwards.....you know what they say about Baptists-----wherever food is, so are we. Although, I'm sure thats EVERYONE ;)

I finally after all these years ordered Christmas cards w/ the kids' picture on it. Toooo cute, but hey...its not easy getting 7 kids to all look at my camera......at the same time, anyways. I might actually mail them out this year, but I can't make any promises....;)

We've had some very important birthdays {although ALL birthdays are important} this fall/winter. Amia joined her sister and can now officially call herself a teen. She's thrilled. AJ turned 12......yes they're close in age, not a full year. He still wishes he could do all that the girls can do. He wants so much to be treated like a man. Oh and thanks for the heads up mamas who have gone before me {yes that was sarcsm} Nobody warned me about boys and emotions during puberty. Yes, I knew he'd go thru changes. I was WELL prepared for that. Not for him being emotional, too. I mean, its of course not at the level of the girls, but I wasn't prepared. SO if your reading this and you have young boys....they're not immune. Consider yourself warned. Your welcome ;)

I wanna post some pix tonight after I put the terrorizing twosome to bed......
Until then,
Alisha

Thursday, December 9, 2010

I've been surfing......

......the blogs that is. I haven't had much sleep lately. I've been studying ;) I've been reading so many different blogs. I have to say, there are alot more people like me than I thought. Well, I always knew there were people that thought of children as a blessing and not a burden. I knew they were out there. I'm so happy to see them. To look at pictures. To read stories of moms feeling the same way I do. Its surreal. Why didn't I start blogging sooner? I could've had support from others all these years.....well aside from my Above Rubies magazines that I've been getting for 7ish years ;)

I couldn't think of a name......for the longest. I finally facebooked a friend, gave her a TON OF INFO as to what I want my blog to be about. Things I wanna write about.....and w/in a few minutes she had one. NineBrownBirds.....perfect. I will explain why later. For now I have to figure out how to get pictures of my beautiful blessings on here. It must be pretty simple, but you see......I'm so NOT a techy. I don't get it. My brain freezes the second it knows its time to think. HTML who?? Ask me about paint colors, or babies, or cosleeping, or teens.....I'm there. Ask me to know what I'm doing on a computer...uh, not gonna happen.

Here it is. My first blog post. So cool.....and yet so weird all at the same time. I've thought about blogging for ever.....years. Then a dear friend encouraged me to start one and well...here I am!!! I'm looking forward to sharing our life. 

Until next time,
Alisha
PS, I cant remember if I have a sig or not so if I have two, well...then I do ;)