grief.

Grief. It's all around us, isn't it?
Sometimes it's almost unbearable.
Your chest gets heavy.
Suddenly tears spring forth and seem to never end.
There is so much to grieve these days.
A country in need of a Savior.
A mother with no child to hold.
A godly man with a killing disease.
The list goes on and on.
It's can be sad, this life.
Sometimes it seems lonely.
Like you're the only one there...grieving.
Oh there are good things too.
It's those things that ease the pain.
Those things make life seem normal again.
It's those things that make us thankful.
I was reminded in the last few days of a verse.
A verse two wonderful friends of mine who are in the trenches of grief recently shared.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Truth.
He's got a plan.
We don't understand, but He does.

A Few Tidbits on Mothering

What a lovely Mother's Day we had yesterday. It was very different than those in the past, but as I was lounging on the couch after the kids were in bed, eating Chili's takeout I thought to myself, "I've had a really nice day." That's a god feeling. It's easy to get dreams in your head of what the day will be like, only to have those dreams be blown to smithereens when reality sets in say, oh, around 5AM Sunday morning. While I was thinking last night a few things came to me that I've learned in the last ten years. These things are in no way intended to make you wiser, but you might just get a kick out of them. I'm listing six things. Not because I don't have more, but because that's the number of children we've been blessed with, and it seems like a perfectly good number to me!

• Never leave an unattended beverage. Never. I don't care if you put it on the counter and think there's no way little Timmy is going to climb up and get it. Know this. He will. Little Timmy has climbing powers that are likened to those of Spider Man. He will get on that counter, drink your beverage, and as sure is I am living, Timmy will THROW your beverage container(generally glass) on the floor just to see what happens.
• Don't assume because you close the door it'll stay that way. This goes for bathroom AND bedroom doors. This is a behavior that must be trained. Doors will be opened, and resting mothers(be it on the bed or on the "throne") will be spotted.
• Know that if it's not nap time, and it's quiet, there's something going DOWN in your house. No, seriously, get up and FIND THOSE KIDS. First place to check if you have kids under three-THE BATHROOM, next place-the pantry. If in doubt, seek them OUT! Mine are generally stuffing something in the commode, unrolling paper towels, or squeezing out toothpaste. These are only examples though, don't be thrown off if you've got your own battles.
• If you are ready to go, someone is going to have an accident. This may be an actual "I needed to go potty and waited too long" accident, or they could fall and scrape their knee on the sidewalk, spill milk all down their dress, be wrestling with dad and loose a hair clip, or in my recent case, be "trying to fix a stapler" and staple their own dag blasted HAND! Oh there will be blood, sweat, tears, feces, you name it. If you're ready to walk out the door it's GONNA happen. Mark my words.
• Don't use open ended words like "maybe," "we'll see," "we might," or "in a minute." These only allow your children to question you again, and again, and again. I promise. Try words like, "NO," and "Are you out of your mind," or my favorite, "Not on your life!" But seriously, leaving things up in the air can really get a momma nutso in a heartbeat. Try to be decisive. If you can't, know that you're going to need some distractions...QUICK!
• Go with your gut. I mean, the Lord gave it to you. He wants you to use it! Well, for more than digestion and all. This is one of the most important pieces of advice my dear granny ever gave me. You may have been told there's nothing wrong with Susie, but if you feel in your gut that Dr. is wrong, you go with it. Mother Gothel is right, Mother really does know best. If you've got a feeling, don't ignore it. Go with it!

So there you have it, folks. Don't say I never taught you anything. Ha! Now, you didn't think I was going to leave you without pictures from our day did you!?! Well, here you go!

To say my cup runneth over would be understating it to say the least. I'm so blessed by these littles who call me momma. Each day they make me smile. I'm gushing with pride that they are mine!

 

People always ask me how we get them all to smile so nicely for pictures. THIS is how! I promise them that if they'll smile for me I'll let them take silly pictures. All of these were taken with the camera timer and tripod. Hysterical.

Oh this little boy of mine is a MESS, but OH SO SWEET!

My big girls being...themselves.

 

Sweet Mia Jane.

Face of an angel, I tell you, but she's got the will of an OX!

These two are probably the closest of all my kids to one another. They miss each other so much when Addi goes to school. They are buddies, and friends, and I love that they are so close to one another.

Here's another set of buddies with Livi's new bunny, Ms...something or another. I can't remember.

 

 

Here's my big boy playing with his truck. This boy LOVES to play.

 

And here is my sweet boy just sitting next to his momma taking a break. He loves his momma...and Sprite.

 

When we got home I took off Eli's clothes because he was dirty, and I put my Mother's Day shirt on him to take his picture. He WOULD NOT be still for me, so you'll just have to deal with these instead. He's such a HAM!

He was saying, "Go! GO! GO!" And throwing himself backward trying to make the chair rock! Ha!

All You Need is LOVE...and a Few Other Things

Ahh, the first time momma. You find out you're going to have a baby! Great! Figure out a way to tell the fam, buy your first pair of elastic waist jeans, and take a deep breath. Next it's time to step into Babies R Us for the first time. You walk in and immediately want to cry yourself to sleep. Maybe it's the hormone induced exhaustion, or maybe it's the endless aisles of baby products screaming out to be swiped by your scanner deal for baby registries. You don't know where to start, or what you REALLY need for baby's first year.
You try to turn and run, but you can't because it's an entrance only door. You stand there looking lost and panicked until some teenage dude who has NO idea what he's talking about comes and thrusts a list in your hand with "MUST HAVES FOR BABY." You look at the list and feel that you might need to run out and buy a lottery ticket in order to try and pay for all the new items you MUST buy. Isn't there another way?! Oh but there is, dear first time momma!
We have become so commercialized that we've forgotten it really doesn't take a whole lot to have a baby. I'm here to tell you, aside from a whole lot of love, there's really only a FEW things you'll NEED.

• Diapers-It doesn't matter what kind of diapering you plan to use. You're going to need some! Start with newborn sizes, but know those little suckers will grow out of that size in a hot minute! Wanna use cloth? More power to you, sister. Don't ask me about that though because I have NO experience! Ha! We always used Pampers Swaddlers until around size three where we switch to Target brand.
• Burp Rags-My favorite are the really thinish cloth diapers. They work the best. There's also some by Gerber that I like that are a little thinner than a washcloth. They come in a package of about 8 and are always great to have for the diaper bag. No matter what you plan to feed the little dear, you can bet at one time or another it's going to come back up. They also make a great nose wiper for cold season. So much softer than tissue.
• Diaper Bag-Get one that can double as a purse. Put two changes of clothes for baby, 4 diapers, wipes, and at least 2 burp rags. I also include nursing pads for me and any other feminine products I might need. I've used all brands of bags, and don't really have a favorite. I do like materials that will wipe clean instead of it being machine washable just because it seems easier to keep clean in the long run.
• Carrier Carseat-Again, I don't have a favorite brand when it comes to these, but I have a LOT of friends who are hard core over one brand or another. My priority has always been that it's something that is safe, that I can carry without killing myself, and that is comfortable enough that the baby will sit in it without fussing the entire time. Again, if you have a baby and a vehicle, you'll HAVE to have a carseat.

So, that's IT as far as what you HAVE to have, but assuming you don't want baby sleeping in your bed and basically being connected to you for an entire year(plus the nine months he's cooking)here are some other options that have made life a LOT easier...

• Carrier-Do yourself and your baby a favor and go get yourself a baby carrier. It doesn't matter what brand you chose. What matters is how you feel wearing it. I love the Moby, but there are some who hate it! The key is going into the store and trying them on so that you find one that you love.
• Stroller-I rarely used a stroller in the first year just because I mostly wore our babies, but you might want one especially if you do a lot of shopping. Be sure to get one that matches up with your carrier so you can pull the carrier right out of the car and into the stroller without much fuss.
• Pack-and play(AKA Playpen)-They make these things in several varieties. My favorite is the kind with the bassinet(bed for tiny babies) insert. You can use it right after baby is born, then take it out and still have a safe place for baby to sleep for however long you need it. Our two youngest spent several months in these because we have a two story house with bedrooms FULL of siblings. You can also use it later when you need a good place for baby to play. I've used mine up to two years or so with toys when I need to do something and can't keep a constant watch.
• Bouncy seat/swing-they make a LOT of different combos, but I like a bouncy seat and a small travel size swing. Know that these are NOT a MUST MUST have, but you'll probably be glad you have one or the other. I used my bouncy seat on the counter while I was making dinner. Only for non-mobile babies. The mobile ones will figure out how to break free and be jumping of the counter! Ha!
• Swaddle blanket-I like the kind with Velcro, but Manly is good at the foldable kind. Get at lease two because you'll want to be able to wash them every now and then. My favorite are Aden and Anais. They're a little pricey, but look for them secondhand.

SO, in my opinion, aside from milk, these are the must haves for baby in the first year. I'm happy to chat more about brands if you're interested. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll be glad to answer! Happy shopping!!

Leslie Smittle Stamp of Approval

Often times new moms will ask me questions about the products that we have used throughout the years with the kids. I just love to help with these questions. With six kids we've tried most things under the sun for kids. I thought I'd compile a list of items that get my stamp of approval. These are items that are tried and true, and work for us! I am not being paid to advertise any of these products, just wanting to share my faves.

• MAM pacifiers. These are my favorite paci's. They make all sizes, and they also have special holders that will snap onto clothing for daytime. My favorite one is the nighttime paci which is glow in the dark. If you "charge" it under the lamp while you're getting the kids ready for bed it will glow all night! That way, if you need to go on and reinsert it's easy to find without turning on the light! We've used all kinds of paci's, but these are my favorite. They are also easy to find at most stores and online.
• Crest Pro-Health for Me. We've tried LOTS of toothpastes, but this is our favorite. I feel like it takes the best care of the kids teeth. It leaves their breath smelling minty fresh instead of like a stick of gum. They don't want to eat it, (which is a good feature for longevity of the tube. Ha!) but it still has a minty good flavor. You can get lots of other products in the line as well, but we just use the toothpaste.
• DenTek Flossers. I can NOT stress to you enough how these little dears have saved me time and stress. They are SO much easier to use when flossing kids teeth! Don't spend extra on the kid ones because the adult ones are exactly the same at a fraction of the cost.
• Moby wrap. I think the Moby gets bad attention from time to time because people think it's hard to use, or way too long. I suggest buying one used(usually EASY to find), and watching youtube videos or logging onto the Moby site. They are extra long so that you can wrap that baby in good! They come in cute fabrics, and you can use them forever! I love using one around the house so that I can still get things done AND hold the baby. They have LOTS of new styles and models so check them out!
• Store Brand Diapers-You DO NOT have to pay for top of the line diapers. There are SEVERAL stores that carry GREAT quality store brand diapers. ALWAYS buy the smallest bag first to be sure of the fit and that they'll be OK for your babies skin. There are a few stores that we can't use because of allergic reaction. There are also a few stores(WAL-MART!!) where you're better off using napkins. Ha! Our favorite store brand diapers are Target and Sam's. These offer the best fit, are cute, and very low cost. We also get store brand bulk wipes from these two stores. Again, start off with a small pack so that you don't end up with products you can't use!!
• Carters and Oshkosh PJs. I am NOT a brand snob when it comes to clothes, but Carters and Oshkosh make the best pajamas. They last forever, are comfy, and ALWAYS on sale. You can score great deals online a lot. I highly recommend one pieces. These are SO easy!
• Gap and Circo everyday/play clothes. Again, I'm not saying this is all that we have in the closet. It's just the best in my opinion as far as washing and wearing go. I have several pieces that ALL FOUR girls have worn, and they are still in like new condition! This is a MUST for our household! Surprisingly, a brand I'm not fond of is Gymboree(always looks like it needs to be ironed and I'm NOT going to iron children's clothes.).
• Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. I love this show! It's one of the few shows I'll let the kids watch without supervision at home. There's always a lesson with a catchy song that helps them remember the lesson by. One of my favorites is, "If you feel so mad that you WANNA ROAR!! Take a deep breath and count to FOUR!!" My kids love these sweet characters and I love that it's taken from a show I grew up on. Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.
• Aveeno. With a redheaded daddy, my kids all have sensitive skin. Aveeno has the BEST products to protect that skin! We use their baby bath/shampoo combo, and the lotion, but there are TONS of products out there! I know there are a lot of brands out there for bath products, but Aveeno is our favorite. We don't pay extra for name brand items most of the time, but for Aveeno we do. It has a nice natural scent, and isn't greasy or gross on the skin. It's been great for eczema and other mild rashes as well.

Do you have any must try products for kids? I'd love to hear your input!
Stay tuned! I'm working on a "What You Need for Baby's First Year" post for all you soon-to-be-mommas!! AND, how to dress for family photos! Yay! It feels good to be back in the blogging world. Now I need to go make my list for Dallas and pick up the kids from school. Ta ta!

These are a Few of Our Favorite Things

We are in NO way trend setters. I mean we wear mostly second hand clothes which means we are at LEAST 1 year behind the latest fashion. I'm cheap, so I only buy what's on sale, so that usually means we don't have the latest and the greatest. AND, we just got semi-smart phones in September. It was at that time we were even able to TEXT. HA! Yeah, we're mostly un-cool losers. Hahaha! BUT, we have some things that are currently on our favorite things list I thought I'd share just in case you haven't tried them.

• International Delight Coffee creamer-Chocolate Caramel

Yes yes yes. I have been anti-caffeine for the last 15 years, but I recently stumbled upon this when I bought it for Manly as a special treat around Christmas time and he said it was so good I should give it a try. I tasted one sip, then had a cup with breakfast. Afterwards Steph came to watch the kids and Manly and I went out for a morning date. While we were out around town he made several comments on how fun and silly I was being with a  little caffeine in my system. After a little I thought I decided I'd drink a small cup each morning. It gives me a tiny pep in my step, and the yummy taste puts me in a great mood! If you haven't tried this one, go get it. Well, after you read my blog. =)

• Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer

I love Burt's Bees this time of year because no matter how hydrated I stay my lips still get dry. I love this lip shimmer because it's like lip gloss and chapstick all in one. It comes in a million colors and lasts forever.

• Target Cartwheel/RedCard

I am SHAMELESS about telling people about Target Cartwheel. I could spend an entire post talking about the bundles of money I've saved by getting a Target RedCard(debit NOT credit) and using Cartwheel. The RedCard got a lot of flack back when Target had a breech in , but it's really great. Not only do you save 5% in the store EVERY TIME(and at the Starbucks that's attached to ours Conway peeps), but you also get FREE SHIPPING all the time. It's SO handy! You also get more time to take things back if you want, AND you don't need a receipt because they can just look it up with your card. It takes only moments to get signed up for the debit(I know nothing about the credit, but it probably works the same), and it just comes straight out of your checking account as if it was a regular debit card. Cartwheel is their newish app of online savings. You can save anywhere from 5%-60% maybe more on items you are already buying. You can use it several ways, but I always just search the offers if I'm looking to buy something in particular, (say toilet cleaner) then buy whatever brand is listed in the cartwheel offers. There are times you won't have any savings, but times when you might save as much as you spend. It's really worth looking in to if you haven't already.

• Parenthood

Now I don't know WHAT ROCK you've been living under if you haven't had a chance to watch Parenthood, but it is the ONLY show that Manly and I watch together. It is defiantly in my top 5 television series ever. The cast is great, the story line is believable, and it's just such real current content without having to be about booze and sex. We've yet to watch an episode(which are available on Netflix and currently NBC) without tears, so be ready for that! It's a great show! Get to know the Bravermans! Tell them Leslie sent you! Ha!

• Tide Pods

I got a free sample of these in the mail, and after the first time I was hooked. It's not just that these things are easier to use. They leave the clothing smelling extra fresh, and you only have to use one pod per load. Now sometimes if I'm doing a giant load of stinky towels I'll throw in two, but one will do the job. I say these are totally worth the extra few bucks. And hey, you could buy them at Target with your red card and cartwheel app and save!!

So, that's the short list of things we are currently loving. What tops your list?

Thankful Thirteen

I posted yesterday about how we are in a tough season, but I wanted to share some things that we are SO thankful for in the midst of the hard times. I don't want anyone to misunderstand the fact that we KNOW we are in a tough time, but it'll get better. We have also seen the Lord provide for us time and time again both emotionally and physically. I'd have to be a robot to have six kids nine and under and not be in a tough time. It's HARD, ya'll! We know that the Lord is preparing us for big things. I'm always telling the kids God must have GREAT things in store for our family because we get tested a LOT. SO, here are my thankful thirteen. I could have more, but THankful and THirteen sound catchy...

1. I only have one more child to potty train. The thought of never buying diapers again by this time next year about makes me break into sobs. Happy sobs. Dude, I even threw all the bottles away last week! That also means no more formula. I'll see you at the salon for my weekly mani/pedi. Well with all the money I'm saving!!
2. I don't have baby fever! This is the FIRST time I haven't had baby fever. I'm so thankful that the Lord has turned my heart towards the path that we are walking down now. It's fun to be in that new stage of raising kids. Not just birthing them.
3. Manly's clinic is doing REALLY well right now. This is a HUGE blessing. He's had faith when mine has faded. I basically begged him to get a different job a few months back, but he was sure that the Lord was calling him to stay put. He was right. I was wrong. We've been blessed beyond belief just in the past few weeks with full schedules and new clients. I'm so proud of Manly and the passion he has for his job and for helping people. God's using him to do GREAT things for the people in our town.
4. My parents are about to begin building their dream home. This makes me so thankful. They've both worked HARD their entire lives, and I'm so happy the Lord is blessing them with their dream home. I can't wait to be part of this fun experience with them.
5. I have new cute accents in my home that put a smile on my face when I see them! I mean teal and burlap chevron. Need I go on?
6. We finally have grass growing in our back yard! This is a really big deal, and hasn't come easily. I'm so thankful at the thought of being able to walk around back there with my shoes off this summer in the squishy grass. Have I mentioned I LOVE being barefoot outside in the summer?
7. We are part of a church where we feel shepherded and loved and appreciated. It's the happiest we've ever been in a church home. It's the closest thing to home we've ever experienced. We are plugged in, learning, sharing, and loving.
8. For the first time EVER Manly and I are both part of the worship team. Anyone who knows me personally knows that singing on the worship team makes my heart happier than just about anything else in the world! Having Manly be part of that has been SO much fun! He's on the other side of my microphone, but I LOVE having him up in the sound booth helping me to sound good. He's learned LOTS in the last few months, and I'm proud of the job that he does, and so thankful that he supports me, and that we get to laugh at our mistakes together.
9. Mia likes to hug. You have NO idea how much I HATE hugging anyone OTHER than my own children. I just don't like to hug. My Mia is my polar opposite. She wants to hug anyone anywhere. It's like she has a "you need a hug radar." She'll just run up and hug people tight and long. She's teaching me to step outside my boundaries and hug people every now and then. Sometimes you just need a hug! Now, don't you all come find me and hug me the next time you see me! Ha!
10. My sister-in-law Stephanie volunteers to keep my kids. I know that the thought of six kids scares lots of people, but she does it happily. I'm SO thankful that she takes time out of her week every Thursday and comes to play with and invest in my kids. They love her, and I know that she takes the best care of them.
11. We lived on SUCH a tight budget for such a long time that I forgot what take-out was like. In the past few months we've been able to add it back into our budget from time to time and I'm SO thankful for the easy deliciousness of Buffalo Wild Wings naked tenders with parmesan garlic sauce for lunch. It's like sunshine on a cloudy day. I think I'll go order some now...
12. I've always found a connection to Beth Moore. I can sit through her video studies and come away with pages of notes. Last Wednesday I decided to visit our Ladies study, and they were watching a video about secrets. I have no idea what the study is called, but in the time that I was there I learned that Satan lives in the space between the you that you portray publicly and the real you. That's a BIG slice of wisdom right there! I was SO thankful the Lord put that before me last week. I've chewed on it since then. I pride myself on being a very open and honest person, but there is always space. Such a good word from Beth Moore.
13. Manly recently bought a beautiful new(to us) Ford Explorer. I mentioned it yesterday, but you should know that I am SO thankful the Lord has blessed us with TWO cars that our family will fit in, and two vehicles that I can actually drive. The past few months left us with a standard, which I am completely incapable of driving. I'm so thankful that we have two cars we can both drive the kids around in now. Thankful for provision! 

 

 

 

Remember Me?

I've not been blogging much lately. When something has to give this is at the top of the list. I hate it, because I love being able to write about our family, but there are days lately where I'm barely hanging on, so bloging isn't really on my radar. Ha!
We've had several great things going on lately. On the eve of her seventh birthday, KK asked Jesus to be her savior. We had been working through a great workbook with the kids in our family worship time about being a Christian. KK and Addi really started asking a lot of questions about salvation about half way through, so after we were finished Manly and I sat and talked with each of the girls individually to see if they were ready.
After talking with Addi we decided to have her wait until she understands things a little more, but KK was ready, so we prayed with her. She was so amazingly excited! It was so refreshing to see that sweet excitement over her salvation. She was also really excited about getting baptized. She's been talking about being baptized since she was 3 and Olivia got baptized. It was honestly like a dream come true for her. That was why we were sure to ask her lots of questions  to be positive she knew what she was doing. We were confident in her knowledge and that she was also feeling that tugging feeling in her heart. It's such a special moment when a child accepts Jesus.
The next day was KK's birthday! After breakfast in bed(she chose a Stoby's cinnamon roll) we all got ready and headed over to our local MOPS meeting where Manly and I had been asked to share. I have been watching a lot of 19 Kids and Counting, and I just love that when they go speak somewhere she has her kids share a song because music is really important to them. I had decided I wanted to include our kids in some way to our talk, and because we also love music I decided I'd have the kids sing. They loved being part! They were so darling and did such a good job being well behaved before hand and singing out loud and clear.

Daddy giving her breakfast in bed. She was already dressed, but wanted to eat in bed. Ha!

 

Thanks to one of my MOPS friends for snapping this pic and sending it to me. If any of you girls got it on video please send it to me. It was the singing Smittle's debut.

 

After MOPS I took KK to see a movie at the theatre. This is all she wanted for her birthday. Sweet girl LOVES food and movies! She had it all planed out. She wanted to get popcorn and a drink and go see "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2." Because it was a special day I even splurged and got her a deluxe movie theatre kids meal. This is a really big deal for me because I'd usually just pop my own popcorn and bring it in my purse! HAHA! She loved the movie! We drove through and got her a kids meal at McDonalds, which is another VERY special treat for our poor deprived kids. It's the little things...

When we got home Manly had to go to work for the rest of the evening, so after nap I took all the kids to Target for KK to do some birthday shopping. She bought herself some new movies she'd had an eye on. Afterwards I took all the kids by myself to Marketplace so that we could get some chocolate messes. This is KK's favorite dessert! She chose this over me making a cake. The kids were so well behaved, and I was really proud of them, so we stuck around and played checkers in the waiting area. While we were hanging out a really sweet family came through and we started chatting. It turned out that the mom was Cindy, Michelle Duggar's BFF from the show!! It was so cool! She was super nice.

SHE is a mess!

 

Yes, I switched her out for a smaller one since she got to have one to herself. I split the bigger one with the little kids.

 

My happy foodie, KK. Happy Seven Years!

 

We have had a ROUGH month with Manly's current schedule. He's rarely home because he's teaching two classes and also working a full-time load at the practice. I'm so thankful for work for him, but it's been tough for me and the kids. Last week he had a speaking engagement in Little Rock, so we went along and visited the new library there. I have to admit I wasn't much of a fan of the way the library is laid out, but the kids still had a great time. After reading for a while we went outside and I let them run around on the trails. It was a fun fieldtrip, and gave us a little more time with Manly. After he was finished speaking we ran over to Sams and had LOTS of pie samples. A fun day.

I'd love to have some of these letters that say something like love or family or something in my yard. These are out in front of the library. Eli was snoozing in the stroller. 

 

 The kids loved this "circle bridge." This is on one of the trails at the library. I think it's called the Hillary Clinton Library for those of you wondering...

Mia loves cherry pie like her momma.

 

My little tiny baby boy has had a terrible double ear infection for the last two and a half weeks. We are on round two of antibiotics. He's been so healthy until now, so I'm thankful for that, but these last few weeks have been TOUGH on us! He's also teething like a mad man, so he's been pretty cranky. I was able to soak up a few moments with just him this morning when I brought him into my bed to feed him his bottle and he went back to sleep. In stead of getting up and putting him in his bed I just laid there staring at him. I just wish I could stop him from growing up. It's going too fast. I can't stand him not being a baby!! He's still going to be MY baby no matter how big he gets!! Hoping he gets to feeling better soon!

Can you believe how big he is!?! BOOO!

 

My sweet boy getting to get down and dirty outside for the first time.

Turns out he thinks he's a squirrel. I fished about 15,000 acorns out of his mouth. Nasty!

 

Love this picture as it really captures the wonder in his face. He's always watching around him and trying to figure things out. He heard a sound above and watched as a plane flew over our house.

 

My favorite age is the second year. I mean, yes, these little dears try their best to be in control of every situation, they scream and fuss and pee on just about everything in site, but there is something so wonderful about learning new things each moment of the day.  My Mia is coming into her own around here lately. She's a total ham! She likes to make us laugh, loves her brothers, and is her momma's girl! She's completely potty trained herself in the last few weeks, and has been the easiest of all the kids aside from Addison. We've just got to get her screeching under control! That girl has a scream you could NOT imagine!!

Mia wearing her bib as a "Pharaoh hat." She came up with that on her own.

This girl is too smart for her own good, and full of so much JOY. So thankful to have her in our family.

 

The little peeps swinging. Mia will say, "I love my baby. I love I-say-uh too. I love you too. I love monkeys. I love my Wee-Uh(Olivia) too." She says this about 15 times a day.

So, we're making it. It's been, like I've said before, a rough year, but we're making it! Hang with me, I'll write when I can, and we'll live life together. Until then, I've got quizzes to grade, pizza pans to soak, and laundry to put away.

De-Stress WITH The Kids

Today, while I was trying to make dinner while listening to the big kids playing on the tire swing in the backyard, practicing music for church Sunday,keeping the babies from chewing raw meat, getting myself ready for girls night out, and timing it all in a way that would get us out the door and to Manly's office for the great changing of the guard so that he could bring the kids back home and I could go socialize, I got a little stressed. Stress is actually second nature for me. Usually before I even get out of bed my job begins. Usually around 5-5:30am each morning.
It's important to find ways throughout my day to relieve a little stress while still maintaining my mommy role. SO, today while I was in the moment of stress I jotted down a few things that I thought I might pass along to you. Take 'em or leave 'em, but their my tried and true kid involved stress busters. There are more, but these are my favorites.

• Color. I am not very good at coloring, but I LOVE to color with the kids. They love it too. I always try to keep a couple of really easy coloring books with simple thick lines. There's something about just sitting there and moving the crayon back and forth that really just calms me down. Shop the Dollar Store for the best and biggest coloring books...
• Listen to a lullaby. I had never thought of this until I recently heard an interview with Michelle Duggar where she talked about listening to harp music when her house got chaotic. I have an amazing lullaby station on our Pandora account, so I'll just pop that up on my phone when things start to get nutso and pretty quickly things can turn around. If you aren't sure what to add might I suggest Jewel! You'll thank me later.
• Push cars around. There is something about laying on your tummy and just pushing a matchbox car. Sounds are optional. My best times with Brubbs usually comes from this time spent on the floor.
• Read. Really need the check the noise level? Pick out a great story and read to the kids in your most animated voice. It doesn't even have to be a picture book, just something that they'll enjoy. Be sure to stop before they become uninterested. Leaving them wanting more will allow you to bring it back out again. Maybe while you want them to fold laundry or eat lunch...
• Swing. It's been so beautiful outside these past several weeks. While I'm not an outdoorswoman I still have to go out and play with the kids. I like taking a moment to SLOWLY swing on the swingset. I say slowly because going fast would probably make me barf. Ha! I usually have to move my rump pretty quickly or put a baby on my lap because there aren't a whole lot of extra swings these days, but the kids are good to share at least for a few moments.

Happy de-stressing! Remember, this is your life soak it up.

Five Minute Update

I've been busy today and didn't have time to blog between trying to help Olivia prepare for a test and feeding the giganto baby that lives in my house, so I thought I'd take FIVE minutes to post a random update on the Smittle Family.

• Eli is HUGE and growing daily. He eats AT LEAST four baby food jars a day plus two helping of cereal AND several 8oz bottles. He is seriously going to eat me out of house and home in a few months when he starts eating solids.
• May not be long until baby is eating solids because he got two teeth in the last 5 days.
• Olivia had her first sleepover. More to come about that on it's own post, but it made me feel OLD to have a child having a sleepover.
• KK lost her first tooth at Olivia's sleepover. She was HYSTERICAL. She was so shocked and acted so strange afterwards. THEN she refused to eat the rest of her dinner.
• Isaiah is doing AMAZINGLY well in his therapy. The doctor is so excited about his quick results.
• Olivia is content with being a "b" student. This sort of drives me crazy. Mostly because I was her at one time, and she has a really sharp mind and is totally capable of more.
• I'm going to see Wicked next weekend! Totally stoked!
• I have 30 seconds left and so much more to say.
• I think I'll leave you with two of my favorite songs.

 

Book People Unite??

Is it just me, or is this commercial a little creepy?

Don't get me wrong. I'm all about reading. I mean, I love a good book just as much as the next. My kids probably like reading more than doing anything else in the world. This commercial just gives me the heebeejeebees. Ewhuuu!(That's the sound of me being grossed out!) It reminds me of Disney Country Bears or something. When it shows Humpty Dumpty riding down the street on the bike singing I just have to look away.
I was so interested in this particular commercial(which I saw on my favorite station, I should mention-LWN) after we watched it that I googled it, made this post, and even found this making of the commercial video, which we thought was actually even more entertaining than the commercial itself...

 

And, while we're talking about this commercial(well, I am anyway) it has to be said that LeVar Burton is the great non-aging man! For real, though! Shouldn't he be bald or grey or like...80? I guess the rainbow has been good to him. Really good. But really, take a look. It's in a book!

 

In The Year of 1492, Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue

Is it just me, or do others of you who were teens in the 90s sing this song in your head ANY time you hear anything about 1492 and Columbus. In the past four days I have quite literally sang this song a thousand times. I remember being little and singing it each year at the Chili Supper at school. Ha! I also used to make up dances to it in my bedroom. I asked Manly if he wanted me to show him my routine, but he was strategically busy with replying to a very important email at the time and gave me no response. I think I'm going to have to share it with the kids. I mean, what is childhood without this song burned deep in your brain, and the dance routine only adds to it's charm. Maybe I'll pull out "Like a Prayer" by Madonna too. Then again, maybe not...

Anointed

The last few weeks have been SO tough on me. I mean, if I'm being honest, the last year has been tough on me. There are a lot of things that I would change about our life if I could, but for reasons I haven't quite wrapped my heart around yet this is where the Lord has us.
It's hard, being in a place you don't really want to be in, ehh? I've been doing a study with some mom friends of mine on the life of David, and this past week I've been blown away by the life he lived. Was he perfect? Absolutely not, and he was quick to talk about his flaws. What really has me thinking though is the waiting period between when David was anointed and when he actually became King.
This story can be found in 1Samuel 16:7, but I'll do my best to work through it with you. Obviously, I'm no Bible scholar, but thankfully the Lord knows my heart...See, when David was about 15 Samuel(God also chose him at an early age to be a prophet. ) came to his father Jessie and says, "Hey Jessie, one of your sons is to be king." Of course Jessie starts to put up all of his handsome strong sons. One by one Samuel(actually the LORD) rejects the boys of his house, then he says to Jessie, "Is this it?" to which Jessie says, "Well, I have this one other scrawny son out in the fields with the sheep." Samuel says(in his best British accent), "Well, go on then." SO, Jessie sends for Dave. I can just picture a cute little scruffy headed boy with lanky legs, sparkly eyes full of wonder, and hands full of lambs. He walks in and immediately the LORD says, "That's him! Anoint him KING!" So, Samuel anoints him as king in the presence of all of his looked over brothers. Here is where the story gets really juicy.
So, here we have this 15 year old boy who is anointed by the Lord, but the Lord has plans for him BEFORE he's ready for him to be king. Davie has several jobs that through the years bring him experience and strength of heart. God takes him before Goliath. God sends him into Saul's service as a harp player and armor-bearer. Then there's this whole long section in 1Samuel about Saul's jealousy of David and how he tried to kill him, but the Lord keeps him safe, because he's got great plans for our little shepherd boy. SO, TWENTY-TWO years go by before David actually begins to reign over Israel. 22 YEARS! After all that time, once Dave gets on the throne he looks back and he GOD was the source of his station in life. There could be NO other explanation. God had guided David through those 22 years and allowed EXACTLY what he wanted to build David into the man he needed him to be. I'm sure there were times when Dave looked at his circumstances and thought, "I'd really rather NOT be here!", but once he was on the other side he had the insight to be able to thank God for where he'd brought him and how he'd delivered him.
Now, I've not been anointed King(too bad, because I KNOW if I can run this house like a well oiled machine I could run a country! JUST KIDDING!), but I have been placed in the position of wife and mother. There are circumstances that I HATE! There are things I'd LOVE to change, but after reading this story I've GOT to believe that God isn't going to take me to a place without a reason and I'm going to make it through and be a better person for it. And you know what happens when I look at my life with that perspective? JOY! Unexplainable joy. Joy that, honestly, I'm missing in some areas of my life.
God is waiting for me to move back into a place of submission to my husband. He's ready for me to be his supporter. He's ready for me to give back control to Manly. The best part is that not only have I been chosen to be wife and mother, but my MAN has been chosen to by my counter parts! He's made Manly the perfect fit for me. Together, working in the roles God has called us to do, we are unstoppable.
This waiting period can be tough, but stop and look at where you've already come! Think back over your life and recognize God's presence in your past circumstances! Once you start to list those you'll remember it might not be the FIRST time you've been in such a waiting period before. Remembering those times throughout your life lets you more fully trust His involvement in your life NOW.
Listen to these words from Priscilla Shirer, "Whatever your life entails right now-no matter how far removed it seems from what you expected-He has anointed you and divinely equipped you to not merely handle it but to thrive in it.  If you can't be faithful in a little, God will not give you the larger assignment. He may want to adjust your life and character in smaller assignments to prepare you for the larger ones. "
Yeah, I want to be like Dave the shepherd boy. I want to look back and be content with where I've been and where I'm going. Where did David go? Well, you might just find him in Matthew chapter 1 as part of the genealogy of Jesus. I'm just sayin...

Step Away from the Facebook

There are things that I love about social media. I love that I can get in touch with just about anyone within seconds. I love that I can reconnect with childhood best friends and reminisce about days gone past and share pictures of our current life. I love that I can see what others are doing(most of the time). I like hearing about things going on and events I can take my family to. There are a lot of GOOD things about social media.
The problem is there are a lot of things I HATE about social media. I hate that so and so shares every single thing that goes into their mouth. I hate it that some people share song lyrics ALL DAY(I mean, I love the song as much as you do, but it annoys me when all you post is the lyrics. Share a link to the real deal, yo.). I hate it when I'm not asking for advice and get an abundance of it for no apparent reason. I hate seeing events that I should have been(in my mind anyway) invited to pass by and pictures be posted of friends having a great time. Obviously, there are a lot of negatives that come with social media. And here I am currently typing away so that I can share MY thoughts just like the next person. Why? So you can know how I feel in comparison to Every. Single. Other. Person.
Recently I've been stepping away from social media as much as possible. Aside from checking messages and seeing an occasional update from close friends I been off of facebook. I haven't missed it much other than feeling a little pseudo loneliness. I've had more time to play with my kids, paint my toe nails, create parties, and plan my own get-togethers. No, I'm not mad at anyone, so that's why I've gone and left facebook. I just started to feel as if I needed to prove myself to my 807 friends. And "friends" let me tell you, you can "like" it or not, but the ONLY person I have to stand before is Jesus Christ. He is the one I will try to prove worthy to.
And guess what? He doesn't care if I am breast feeding or not. He doesn't care what I have for dinner(as long as I'm not gorging myself, I guess). He doesn't care if I'm invited or not invited to the wedding of the century or the summer fiesta of the year. He just wants my time and energy going into bringing glory to Him.
Right now He sees fit to bless me with a life of being a momma and wife. I can so quickly wish those things away after a long stay on facebook. I can dream of a life where I'm responsible for no one and I spend my days with my toes in the sand and a smoothie in my hand. The problem is I love my current life, but when I start to compare MY life with 807 other people, chances are it's not going to stack up. I'm always going to wish I could live in a bigger house, wear nicer clothes, buy more expensive shoes, and go on more vacations. DON'T DO THAT TO YOURSELF. Don't compare yourself with your friends. Don't wish for the grass on the other side of the fence. It seems greener because it's the grass in the front yard. Go into the back and you'll see the dried up weedy side of the yard. The part no one else sees. We so often compare our yucky tired insides with the dressed up fancy outsides of others. When, if we stop and actually spend REAL time with others we'd see they are struggling with some of the same issues we are.
I'm not saying I won't be back on facebook and that you shouldn't either. I love keeping up with some friends I wouldn't otherwise see. I'm also not saying close down your pinterest account today and never wish for anything again. I'm also not saying social media is bad. I'm just saying be careful of the trap you can so easily fall prey to. It's not pretty and not of the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 "So encourage each other and build each other up."

1 Samuel 16:7 "The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart"

This is your life. Soak it up to the last drop.
Blessings,
L

A New First

I have a new first this summer. This is the first time in several years that I can't wear a maternity swim suit! BOO! Ha!
So, I'm trying to find a really cute one that is both modest and affordable.
Enter Lime Ricki.
Here are the suits I'm trying to chose from. Leave a comment with your vote. If you don't like any of them just keep it to yourself. ;)

Option A(Coral Dot One-Piece)
I like that this suit contains the "color of the year." I'm not entirely sure about the drawstring at front bust. The upside of it being a one piece is that it's a bit cheaper. $55.50 for this little lady.

 

Option B(Shirred Halter Sail Check Tankini Top with Royal Classic Bottom)

The thought of a two piece makes me a little hivey, but these are all very modest and look like they will hide my tummy. I like the color of this one, and the halter style is a good fit for my body type. I also like the tie in the back being a different color. Total cost for this one is $68.00

 

Option C(Double-Strap Coral Zulu Tankini Top with Tangerine Classic Bottom)

I like the fun factor of this suit. The back looks a little complicated, but I'm sure I could figure it out. This one also has great colors and adjustable straps. Total Cost $61.00.

 

Option D(Confetti Underwire Halter Tankini Top with chartreuse classic bottom)

I like this one for several reasons, but mostly because it's on sale. I also like the colors, the gathering on the top, and the tie back. Do you think that this top comes up higher than the others? It looks like you can see more of the bottoms in these pictures. The other downside is that there are no returns or exchanges on this particular suit because it's on sale...Total Cost $31.90!! Yeah, it's pretty cheap!

 

 

Now, it's your turn to help me choose! Either comment here or on facebook to tell me which one you like best! Thanks!! P.S. Sorry I don't have a regular blog post today. I have SEVERAL that are half finished that I need to just sit down and finish. Maybe I'll do that while I'm lounging in the backyard pool in my new suit! HA!