Pieces Of Us.

{My Happy Place}

At last, the sun was shining today!
It was Friday, so John was at work, and all three kids at school.
I stopped by a couple of garage sales (yes, I am a junkie!), and then to grab a coffee.
Then I came home, blasted some Chris LeDoux on my laptop, opened the windows, and scrubbed my house.

{That is my happy place!}

While I was cleaning, certain things caught my eye, and made me smile.
I quickly remembered why I have such a passion for my camera, so I grabbed my camera, and snapped a few pictures, as I worked my way through my house.

Upstairs, in Deven's room, it was this cute little Lego Neighborhood:

 

And right next to this, was this paper chain, counting down how many school days are left.
We.are.ready.for.summer.break.

 

And in the next room over, Ashlyn had this chalk countdown.
We.are.so.ready.for.summer.break.

 

And, Madi's room always makes me laugh.  It is always a mess, and the bed is NEVER made.
But, it screams Madi to me, so I took a picture of it too.  Oh' and for the record, she has a bed, but we are waiting to have it sand blasted, so we can re-paint it.

 

I also LOVE my family pictures in the stair way.  Just random snapshots, of the people I love.

 

I seriously love Spring flowers, and I usually buy some on the days when I am feeling like perking up the house, without spending much money.  These have been around for about a week now, and won't last much longer, but for now, they make me happy!

 

I found this cute scale at a garage sale! 

 

And I can't forget- Guarding the door - The Big Yellow Dog.

 

 

{Baby Larwin}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{tap, tap,tap, is anyone out there?}

I am really wondering if anyone in the world still stops by here from time to time, any more?
Hellllooooo?  Anybody out there?

If  there is anyone checking, leave me a comment this week, and I will draw a name for a Starbucks gift card, just for fun!

~Misty

{Short}

So have you seen my son's Uncles?
They are TALL.

And have you seen his older sister?
She is TALL, too!

And, John's Dad, he is pretty TALL.

And, my Grandpa is really TALL!

But Deven?  Well...  Maybe someday he will GROW.
But for now, what he is lacking in height, he makes up for with effort!

 

 

Deven and Cody's basketball teams played against eacher other today.  They really, really wanted to guard each other, but because of their size difference, their coaches wouldn't let them match up.
They were priceless together though, and I hope that they always stay such good friends!

 

And Deven would want everyone to know...  His team won, 44-20!

{13}

 

I woke up this morning, my first day as the Mother of a Teenager.
The truth is, when I gave birth to this baby girl, there was truly no way for me to grasp how fast this time would come.
People warned me.  Lots of people, actually.  And it isn't that I didn't believe them, it's just that until you have seen with your own eyes and felt with your own heart, there is just no way to comprehend how fast this time will go by.
I remember when I took her home from the hospital and it seemed so very far off, that she would be going to Kindergarten.  But in the blink of an eye, there she went.
And since then, I must have blinked again, because my little girl just became a teenager.

I couldn't be prouder of her.
She is an amazing person.
And I am not just saying that, because she is my kid.
It's true.  She rocks.
And I love her.
And I don't want her to grow up any more.

But I can't stop the hands of time, so I guess I just better stop blinking!

{ It's the little things in life that matter the most }

Like a husband driving to Umatilla to leave coffee and a love note in your car while you're at work.
It's things like that and days like today, that I am reminded ~ This is a pretty amazing life we are building here, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

 

Thanks, Babe!  Love You Forever!

{ Hello, 2011 }

There were MANY words that I had swirling around in my brain for my 2011One Little Word.
But, for this year I chose : ACTIVE

 

I have never felt better than I did 2 years ago when I was 40 pounds lighter than I am right now, and was running on a regular basis.
And, I am very sure that getting to a place where you feel good about yourself, helps many other pieces of your happy puzzle fall into place as well.

So, in 2011, my word is: ACTIVE

While my main focus as far as New Year's Resolutions go, is to simply be more active, there are many other things that I am looking forward to facing in 2011.

John and I are really working hard on being better at budgeting.
I have actually had a ton of fun researching some budgeting ideas, reading Dave Ramsey and putting a plan into place to kick off 2011.  We are really excited about it, and I am very hopeful that my {Hello, 2012} post is going to include the words we are debt free!

{2011} Is sure to bring us many, many busy evenings and weekends, with Basketball kicking off here in just a couple of weeks, and Softball and LaCrosse right around the corner.
We are also jumping a little deeper into 4-H this year. 
Madi and Deven will both be doing an animal (Madi a lamb, and Deven and I are still debating what he will do.)  Along with me co-leading another more general club with 2 other awesome, awesome, awesome ladies.  I am very much looking forward to this year, and I believe this will be a great adventure for all three of my kiddo's!

So, in a nutshell, I hope to keep my head above water and make the best of the crazy busy schedule that is about to become our norm.
I have very much enjoyed having both November and December's calendar's pretty close to bare.  Those evenings at home have been very much needed, and appreciated.
But with January comes the next 5 months of a very, very full calendar.

{Hello, 2011}
Welcome!
Please, please, please be good to us! 

{ Good-Bye 2010}

So, I am not going to lie, this is the Keepin' it Real (but remembering this is public) version of {Good-Bye 2010}.

The truth is, 2010 has been one of the very hardest and bumpiest years of my "grown-up" life.

I have no doubt in my mind that I have worried, cried, prayed, wondered, feared, and doubted more this year than probably the past 15 years combined.
It's been rough.

My heart has been shattered.

I have doubted myself in just about every area of life.

It hasn't been a pretty place to be.
And though I am working hard to claw and climb my way back out, that isn't easy either.

I have learned so much about myself though, and believe that I am learning and growing, and that I am a stronger person now than I ever have been.

(Enough about that!)

This year we lost a friend to Cancer, at only 40 years old.
She was a beautiful woman who was loved beyond measure and who left her husband and 5 year old son behind. 
It is heart breaking. 
And so unfair. 
And I just don't understand it. 

And it leaves me contemplating, and wondering and sure that I need to live my best life now, while I have the chance.
And as I saw all of her friends and family spring into action when she was sick and also at her funeral, I sat there dreaming of making myself worthy of that much love and support.
And when I left there, I couldn't help but wonder, what will people say about ME, at MY funeral?

And so I head into a new year with a fresh new calendar, and a fresh new start.

And I hope, and pray that 2011 finds me with a whole new outlook on life.

{Good-Bye, 2011}.

{ Cookies for Santa }

The kids and I decided that Santa would like some Sugar cookies this year.
This was our first time decorating sugar cookies to leave out for Santa, and we had tons of fun.
So we baked a couple dozen cookies, and the kids decorated them, and then they each chose their "best looking cookie" to leave out for Santa.

 

 

 

 



We even put the camera on a pot, set the self timer and posed for a picture together! 
And then after all that, we were sure to set the cookies out for Santa before bed.
Except we had to leave them on the mantle, because we were afraid Annie would try to play Santa and eat them, if we just left them on the floor.

And then, apparently Santa didn't see them on the mantle, because when the kids got up on Christmas Morning, the cookies were still sitting on the mantle, much to their dismay.
Oooppps, I am sure that Santa was just full from eating all the cookies at every stop the whole way here!  :)

{We're Ready}

 

The stockings are hung.

The presents are wrapped.

The house is clean, and the laundry all washed, dried, folded, and put away.

The kids are bursting with excitement.

By this time tomorrow, they will know what most of their gifts are and will hopefully be sleeping away, dreaming of Santa coming.

This feels like an extra low key Christmas, so far.
And I can't believe what I am about to say, But we never ended up getting a real tree.
We always have, and totally planned to this year.
But, Life Happened, and it's the one thing we never squeezed in.
We have a fake tree that we always put up in the dining room to tie our Christmas cards to, so we decided that since Christmas is practically here already, we would just be happy with our silly little fake tree, with our loved ones faces adorning it for decoration.
We didn't even dig out the Christmas tree decorations.
{Sad, isn't it?}

But, really.
Our presents are still wrapped and sitting beautifully under it, and there isn't a pine needle on my floor.
So, I am not going to complain.  I will just say though, this will NOT become a tradition, and next year, we WILL have our usual real tree!

On another note, I have so completely enjoyed getting all of the Christmas cards, pictures and letters in the mail this month!  The have made my heart FEEL {HAPPY} and {LOVED}!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!