Random life moments.

Well...it's a Thursday morning here on the West coast and I'm currently drinking my favorite drink (coffee, obviously) and the kids are riding Mikey's Mater power wheel all through the house so I thought I would write a few things down. (if only that thing weren't SO loud but here goes;)
                  Strange things you always hear in our house:
                                                "I see you fake crying..look at those fake tears" I have no clue why but it usually works like a charm and they stop crying and just start laughing. No joke. So it will continue. 
                   To Ava: "Look at those little hands, I love those little hands" but no really, to me her hands are adorable and she's so into all things crafty so she's always doing a little project with those tiny little hands trying to get it just right. And now she turns it back around on me, so if I'm feeling frustrated about something she'll come up and put her hands in my face and say, "look at these little hands." and it's pretty adorable. Weird? Probably, but I think we all are whether we admit it or not. At least that's what I'll keep on telling myself..
              If Mikey is whiney, or even if he's not, I just get down to his level and say, "run to Mommy!" and he'll run all the way to the other side of the room, or a ways down the sidewalk if we're outside, and he'll say "I fassst I fassst!" and run into my arms all smiley and happy again. He'll do this basically anytime, it's his favorite.
                   And speaking of fast, childhood in general seems way to go by WAY too fast for me. I guess that's why I try to take in all of these strange, unique but real life moments that make them happy and then it ends up having the exact same effect on me. It doesn't mean there aren't Rough days, oh we all Know about those, but these kids are the ones that God had laid out for me and I'm pretty A-ok with that.

                             
     I thought I'd put a visual to give you an idea what in the, um I was talking about. Haha

                                                            And Ava doing her nighttime ritual
                                                      before bed.

                                           I hope you guys all enjoy your day.
                                                              And your weekend.
                                                            And life in general.

-M.

Life as of late.

So as most of you know, we said goodbye to Mike for the next 4 months.The week leading up to it completely FLEW by. As in, if this time can go even a quarter that fast, we'll be good to go. It's always interesting trying to explain to the kids about him going away and trying to get them to understand in their little 4 and 2 year old minds.
    Ava's questions went something like this, 1.) Will you be scared and lonely without me Daddy?
                                                                      2.) will we talk on the Skype?
                                                                      3.) will you miss me and mommy and mikey?
                                                                      4.)will you still tell me bedtime stories?
     
  and Mikey well, he didn't really have any questions but he's looked around the house for him a few times doing his lion growl which he always did with him usually before wrestling and being all around dude like.

    Honestly though, I'm so grateful for this life and even though there are difficulties, like having to be apart at different times, it's still such a blessing to be able to see the world and experience and meet so many new people. It doesn't mean it's not crazy hard at times, but it just makes it worth it.
 Now here are a few things that the kids and I do to stay busy..

                                             Always random photo taking going on around here.
                                   

 

Quaker peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
I just follow the recipe on the box of quick oats
and then add in the chocolate chips and 1/4 cup
of peanut butter to the dough because, I mean, who really needs a good reason for peanut butter
and chocolate (;                    

                                                                I think she approves.

And I'll leave you guys with some of the photos that we took

with my new tripod as one of my Mother's Day gifts from Mike

this year. They're not perfect but they're Us.

 

~Have a good Memorial Day weekend~

 

-M.

Camping at Home. Why? Why not.

                                           So as I've posted a couple of times now, Mike is getting
   ready to leave for Schooling with the Navy in the South. He decided to take "leave"
   this week beforehand to spend time with us and whatnot before going. We've been keeping
pretty busy with the usual sort of things but wanted to do a few special things with the littles too.
   
           So, we thought, what more would a 4 and 2 year old like to do than go camping in their backyard? (or something like that) so I loaded us up with the necessities like Smores ingredients (obviously) and found all of our tents and flashlights and we were ready to do. this. thing. And now photos because they basically speak for themselves.

So to sum up:

Smores.

story telling.

lack of sleep.

laughing.

sunset.

wake up at sunrise.

Coffee.

 

And Ava asking if we can go camping every night. (no)

But it was still a really Good time. I'm pretty crazy

for these people in my life.

In honor of All the Moms. Anywhere and Everywhere.

                                Moms Rock.

       So, a little earlier today I was rushing around like a crazy person trying to get myself ready (as in showered, dressed, hair done the whole deal) and get the kids ready as well, before we headed to the store and wherever else the day would take us. The kids were being...um, KIDS and not really listening, running around, wanting anything to do with getting dressed and just being all around
goofballs. As I was trying to do Ava's hair, Mikey was using a random unrelated toy as a sword and striking us, (you know the usual)  and Ava was totally cracking up and moving all around making it pretty impossible to get her hair done..I got annoyed and said "ahhhhh you guys seriously I just. can't. win." And then my little girl looks up at me and says, This.
    "You know momma, it's not a race, you don't have to win anything." Boom. And just like that
   I'm totally struck by the truth that comes out of their sweet little mouths and hearts and I realized in that moment that I Will slow.....down....and take the advice of my 4 year old and stop making each day a race and just Live. and Breathe. and Enjoy my life and my kids. All the mess, all the crazy,
 all the hard times And all the totally Awesome times that you guys all know about.

  And lastly I just have to say that any amount of patience or understanding that I have in my life I owe to my own Mom. She was nothing but caring, sweet and amazing to my siblings and I and also her, along with my Dad, taught me my faith and how God listens, cares, loves and helps us day in and day out. If I can be Anything like her than it will be a win in my book.

And all of you other Moms...you're amazing. Keep on giving, keep on trying, keep on being you and most importantly Loving the people in your life.
Faith/hope/and love. But the Greatest of these is Love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

                                        
Have a great weekend everyone!

~Michele

To blog or not to blog...YES.

                                                                Mikey Lately:
                                                      He. is. funny. and has us cracking up all day long.
                                                    Some of his best wording for things lately is, man-man
                                                        is spiderman. I yuy you mama I hugs you (I die:)
                                                   Dadoo is Daddy although Just in the passed couple weeks
                                                    he's starting to drop this..sigh...(he could have called him that forever
                                             and I would have been A ok with it) and before bed at his cross, that's
                                                   Yesus! I kiss him mama.
                                                       

                                                                 Ava Lately:
                                                  She has Loved robots since she
                                                    was about 1 and now at 4 is still Crazy for them.
                                                  She will downright shock you with her memory.
                                                      She tells me about when I was pregnant with Mikey
                                                   and things that she said, like "He'll come out of there
                                               and stay with us Forever?? Oh boy." Haha Btw she was
                                             a little less than 2 at that point.
                                                 She loves to sing, and has a pretty in tune little voice
                                               if you ask me, ride her New bike, and Anything
                                                 crafty/cooking/baking/mess related.
                                 She's either going to bring out the hidden crafty in me or break
                                               me trying...we will see..

      
        So welcome to our Navy family life here in Seaside California! (for now anyway)
             Soon enough we'll be heading off to a whole new place, one we don't even now yet so bare with me, and I'll be sure to tell you guys when the Navy lets us know..(;

Cheers!