Mother of 5

People ask me often how I "do it with 5 kids".

Simple answer LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT!!
I want to be happy so I choose to be happy.
I choose to let things kids do roll off my back instead of stressing out.
I have always wanted to be MOM!
Example: she wrote on the wall in Sharpie marker and nothing will take it off
BUT she is my child and I will love her regardless. Sure she peed all over the floor instead of the toilet. Sure she busted that beautiful vase that the roses were in. These are all MATERIAL things! She is my daughter a human being with a heart and feelings. I LOVE HER and I dont want to choose ____ over her ever.

As a mom of 5 one of the biggest lessons you must learn as mom is how to throw your shoulders in the air and just say "ehhh its all good". I choose to LOVE my kids regardless and be HAPPY with the life God has given me (and I have chosen).

I know when they are teens it is not going to be as easy to shrug my shoulders at their actions but I hope God can continue to teach me that my children need to learn some life lessons on their own even if that means its the "hard way". So much of life is learning the hard way and we as parents take a lot of that learning from our children. Yes its hot but you know what there may only be one way for him/her to learn that and yes it might burn or be too hot but They will only do it once! and Learn the lesson from that ONCE! 4 steps she is trying to go down forwards instead of backwards she has to learn to do it but she may fall a time or 2, THATS OK!! We are ok to fall. Its all about learning! How many times did YOU fall? Are you perfect? NO we learn from mistakes and luckily grow from them. let them fall once or touch something hot that is how they learn.

MY Husband!!

Just a quick note about the Awesome Man I get to call MY Husband for the rest of my life

last night I went to hang out with a neighbor, when I got home I told Clay the neighbor needed to borrow a lap top to finish the final step in some paper work he is trying to complete. Clay got right up from what he was doing went to the kids laptop made the neighbor his own account and password then grabbed the Windex and cleaned the screen!!
My husband is just AWESOME!!
I remember when we were dating he saw an old man get out of his car and go look at his tire. Clay immediately pulled over turned around and got out to help the gentleman. My husband takes my breath away!!
Thank you GOD!!

THANK YOU
Notice the flowers that he stopped throwing ball to let her put them in!!
He is just the best!!
I am so totally blessed!!

Awesome!!!

Today I posted on facebook for all my brothers and sisters in Christ to post their favorite inspiring Bible Verse. Here are some of the ones I got:

Joshua 1:9 I command you-be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Jeremiah 26:14 As for me, I am helpless and in your power-do with me as you think best. 


Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not lean on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.

Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 43:2 When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

 Phillipians 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. 

Psalms  23:4 Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 

Psalms 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit. 

If you have any personal favorites I would love to hear them. 
A friend told me of something neat she learned on a recent woman's retreat and I thought I would share it on here too, "I went to this women retreat and my friend amy spoke there. She suggested starting a spiral notecard book to write down those most inspirational versus that carry you though all times. She gave them all to us with her favorite on the first card. Great to have and keep with you at all times." 
So going to be doing this one!!  

Bug Cakes

A few years ago my little brother and his wife gave us a Backyard Bugs cakelet pan as a gift.
Let me tell you this pan makes the cutest cakes in the whole world!!
AND
the recipe it came with is DELICIOUS!!
It came on the back label for the pan when they gave it to us and I have been able to save it ever since!
I thought I should get it on the web in case the packaging gets ruined.

 

"Vanilla "Bug" Cakes"

ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 16 tbs (2 sticks) unsalted butter melted
• 1 cup (250g) sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbs. vanilla extract

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375F.
Grease and flour the wells of the Backyard Bugs Cakelet pan.



To make the cakes, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in to the bowl of an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sour cream, eggs and vanilla until combined. Fit the mixer with the flat beater (I did not do this, I dont have one). Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and beat on the lowest speed until the dry ingredients are moistened, 15 to 20 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds.




Transfer half of the batter to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Spoon the remaining batter into the prepared wells, dividing evenly and filling each well to withing 1/2 inch (12mm) of the rim. Tap the pan firmly on the counter-top to release any air bubbles. To ensure good detail on the cakes, spread the batter so it is slightly lower in the center of the wells. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, about 18 minutes.







Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack and let cool for at least 1 hour before decorating or serving.

Meanwhile, wash and thoroughly dry the pan. Grease and flour the wells and repeat with the remaining batter.


(Williams-Sonoma Kitchen)

Common Sense and Government

The more I pay attention to politics and government the more I realize Government has way too much power and We The People have given it to them.
We The People have forgotten what this country was started for and how America came to be.
Government has decided not to teach about it anymore.
Government teaches you what they want you learning. What "they" feel is important.
Government is taking away Common Sense with silly stupid laws.
I can understand things like car seats but when it comes to what we teach our children, how we raise our children Government needs to back the heck up.
We The People need to "abolish" (favorite word in the Declaration of Independence) this government and start over as WE THE PEOPLE!!
Bring GOD back in!
Our GOD GIVEN RIGHTS!!
Common Sense!!
Law of the Bible!
In God we trust!
Not government who wants to take every thing from you including your God given COMMON SENSE! The right to give your child OREOS!!
I know this all sounds so overly dramatic but LOOK FOR YOURSELF PLEASE!!
The worst are tiny governments like HOAs that can go so far as too foreclose on your home or put a lien on your home. Tell you that you can not have a kiddy pool in your front yard. Tell you where you can plant a freaking tree in your yard. They can charge you $10 for parking on the street and your neighbor $100. They can start their own dag gum court system!! It is seriously scary all the rights that governments Big and Small are taking from us. Even scarier is WE are giving it to them.

having a moment

I am totally "having a moment"

Katrina went to a neighbors house this morning for an egg hunt, Abbi napped from 10 to 12.

My house was way too quiet and I didnt like it one bit.
I kept watching across the street for little glimpses of Trina Rose out there playing. I worked on a large Carlykins order I got last night for Korea to keep my mind off the quiet. Turned the radio up a bit higher so I had some noise.
Now as I hand Abbi a sippy cup of juice I am remembering this morning. And realizing why I am having "my moment", Clay did not give Abbi her morning bottle. Instead he put her in her high chair and fed her breakfast. I commented and he said "It is time Merideth." I did not respond and started doing dishes and kept telling myself not to cry. I gotta let go. She is 16 months and doing a lot on her own.
While the girls were gone this morning I texted Clay and told him this sort of quiet house is not for me and it is time to look into adoption.

Perfect day to color HAIR

I ran to Wal-mart this morning to pick up 2 things.
Dont you think it is hilarious to go to Wal-mart with the idea in your head that you are only going to get 2 things! Now, for the life of me, I can not remember what the 2 things were but I can tell you about the 50 freaking other things I bought!! HA HA HA
So while at Wal-mart I was just walking aimlessly with no children pulling my pants down, or screaming or asking me for every little thing they saw. So I took a bit longer then intended but WHO CARES I was BY MYSELF!!

So I came across this box of hair color that was 3 colors and the bleach to strip the color from your hair before you put the colors in. Oh and the colors are Purple, Blue and Red (the box had sexier names for them). I thought WOW How cool would that be!! Carly loves putting the spray color in her hair I bet she would love this. And I had recently seen a picture/blog on pinterest about doing this (on blond hair). It was only $8.00 so tossed it in my cart!!

Here is Carly with her tips stripped of color. 

 Here I am putting the colors in where and how Carly wanted them ;)

 Here is a before shot of the colors

 Here is mine with the color stripped out of the tips of the very underside of my hair

 Here is Carly's hair with the dye washed out

 Here it is dry!! It looks ,MARVELOUS!!!  Makes me wish I had done all of my tips just like Carly!!

 It turned out pretty darn cool. I did not go high enough up with the color and next time she wants more blue.

With mine you can not really see it too much unless I pull my hair up. Just perfect for a 35 year old.

It was so much fun spending the time with Carly and playing hair salon together! All she kept saying was "Ms Pride is going to scream! Ms Pride is going to Love it!!" She absolutely loves it!! I ended up putting a few colors in Paityns hair too.

You cant see them too well in this shot but I just put a few colors on her hair without stripping it at all. She was excited to be included and I think by that point Carly was ready to share. Katrina and Abbi did not get any. Jacob now wants to do his in all 3 colors in 3 sections. I think Clay would kill me!!

After our hair salon morning I took Carly into Cary to Toys R Us. Carly got an amazing report card!! She achieved two 4's and two 3*'s. Basically 2 HIGH As and 2 low A's according to the teacher. I hate the numbers and wish they would go back to letters.
About an hour of walking up and down every aisle about 4 times each she decided on a doll that I can not even spell. I believe it is called LaLaLoopsie or something close to that. I have absolutely NO Clue what the fascination is with them either but a friend has them and they play them together and she wanted it and in my opinion she earned 4 of them!!
Walking all around Toys R Us a zillion times made me hungry so when we finally left we headed to Skinny Dip. My absolute favorite yogurt bar!! So yummie!! I got my usual Southern Strawberry with pound cake squares and waffle cone chips. Carly got French Vanilla with crushed oreo and whipped cream.

 Isn't she just beautiful!!

WOW!!

Speechless!! 

This is one amazing young lady!! 

I am so very blessed to have her as a daughter!!

I love you Carly Marie