Sunny Days are here to stay

Let's see how I rate in the good mom department?!?!
Emma has been dying to have me spray tan her legs. I did Airbrush tanning as a business several years ago so the girls think it's so cool. They watch Toddlers and Tiaras and see all these little kids getting spray tanned. So....anyway...Emma finds my machine and just begs me to tan her legs!!! What's the harm, right?! She's so excited and we... are bonding. Here comes Olivia....PLEASE MOM!! I give in and we're tanning her legs. Big deal....it's just her legs. Then comes another...giggling and begging....Before long I had Emma, Olivia, Sophie, WILSON AND JACKSON in their underwear (and a tshirts:) in the backyard getting their "spray on". Then I gave into the pressure and sure enough, I'm in my bloomers, tanning my own legs. I don't know if I should be reported or rewarded. One thing I know for sure....The Christopherson's are all bronzed and beautiful!! I think we could get a reality show:) And it was ONLY their legs....although someone I know is bronzed from head to toe....ME!! LOL!

Time goes so quickly....

You know we hear that all of the time.  You run into a little old lady at the grocery store when you're walking around with your stroller and she says, "Enjoy these times....they go by so quickly!"  Last night that hit me like a ton of bricks!!!!!!

I went into Emma's room to kiss her good night.  She's 12 years old...5' 6" and 120lbs so to say that she doesn't look like a baby is an understatement.  But as I sat there (reading her text messages) while she was sleeping, she looked like a little girl again.  She actually curled over towards me in a ball and snuggled up.  And that's when the memories started flowing....

I can clearly remember driving home with her in the car from the hospital.  We had a Chevy Malibu and I sat in the back seat, right next to her, to make sure she was safe!!  We got home and our two beagles went nuts.  Those sweet dogs that I used to think were my babies suddenly became just two dogs.  Not that I didn't love them, but they were howling and jumping and I was so concerned about my precious little angel.  She was the top priority now.  In one moment (or 12 hours of labor:) my whole life had changed.

I also thought of when we moved from Colorado back to Arizona.  Emma was about 14 months old.  Ryan and I were staying with his mom at her home.  We slept "Lucy and Ricky" style in 2 twin beds with Emma at the foot of mine in a play pen.  Within a few weeks she would climb out of that play pen in the middle of the night and dive into my legs!  She'd stay perfectly still for a minute or so, as if I didn't notice her sneaking out and then she'd snuggled up right in my chest and go to sleep.  I used to get stressed about this!!  I mean what if she doesn't sleep in her own bed when we move!  She's not getting a whole night of uninterrupted sleep??? Why can't "I" get ONE good night's sleep!!!  Is this healthy for her???  What I'd give to have another night like that!!!!

I also thought of the most special memory that Emma and I shared when she was 7 yrs old.  She had been asking if we could stay the night in a hotel, just the two of us, for one night.  She had seen an ad for a Best Western and kept telling me how nice that hotel was.  The boys were born and our lives had become pretty chaotic with 5 kids.  This was something she wanted SOOOO badly!  I'm am so glad that I actually followed through on this one....

We got my mom and dad to watch the girls and Ryan had the boys.  It was planned for Saturday.  Emma was running a fever that morning and I knew we'd have to cancel.  We spent the first 2 hrs of the day at Urgent Care.  She had bronchitis.  I assured her that we could go in a couple weeks but she just wouldn't have it.  She wanted to move forward with our Best Western plan.  And we did....

We went to the hotel and checked in.  Emma alternated Tylenol and Motrin all day in order to have some fun.  We actually went swimming in a heated pool but the precious moment happened while we layed in our room and watched an all day marathon of Drake and Josh.  She quietly said to me...."Mom, who's your favorite person!"  I just didn't know what to say.  I'm trying to think of the politically correct way to say that mom's love all their children the same.  I actually told her that SHE was my ALL-TIME favorite 7 yr old and Olivia was my favorite 5 year old and....on and on.  Then in this precious little voice she said, "Well mom, you're my favorite person in the whole world!"  I cry everytime I think of that moment!   It made all the work and all the sleepless nights seem like nothing.  This day that she had waited for so patiently became my FAVORITE memory of her that I will cherish FOREVER!!

I'm still in the midst of parenthood.  My girls are 12, 10 and 8 and the boys just turned 6 this past weekend.  I get plenty of those young "tender" moments on a daily basis with the smaller ones.  I have so many special memories with each one of my kids.  But the truth of the matter is that it DOES go by so QUICKLY!!  Cherish those precious moments with YOUR kids!  Take time to enjoy spending time with them and don't worry about the dishes, the laundry, making dinner.  Sometimes it's just a 5 minute interaction with your child that you'll remember for the rest of your life. I mean that!!  I know that I don't do it enough and today is a day that I'm going to try just a little bit harder to let things go and just enjoy that blessings that God has given me with my children.  I hope that you will try to do the same.....:)

Country Livin"

Well, it's official....we have moved!!!  We went from living in a beautiful community conveniently located within walking distance to the yoga studio, grocery stores, coffee shop, hair salon and tons of wonderful neighbors.  What a blessing that has been!  Who in a million years would have thought we'd end up moving to a rural area out in the country but still be living in San Diego?!?!  It truly feels like a dream come true.  And the conveniences that we grew so accustomed to are no longer available and, quite honestly, if you're low on gas (as a friend found out this weekend) you may not make it from our house to the gas station in time:)

I thought we were destined to stay in our little slice of Suburbia.  It was fun!  We made tons of friends!  The beach was 10 minutes away!  Every date night we shared, we found another fantastic restaurant that we hadn't tried yet. There wasn't a place we couldn't get to in 5-10 minutes and it's exactly what I thought we wanted and needed to nurture our souls!  I was sadly mistaken.  Although, I do feel like we were meant to be there for the time we were, we are clearly living EXACTLY where we were meant to be for THIS season of our lives.  This has been so incredibly God lead and I couldn't be happier.  I'm thrilled to see how this "move" changes and strengthens our bonds with family and friends.

We are now living in Fallbrook, CA on 7 acres!!  Our last house was on one of the larger lots in the neighborhood and I think it was about 10,000 sq ft.  What a change!  I can hear birds chirping in the morning and pretty much NOTHING else, unless there is a crazy cricket or a cow off in the distance.  This is something that feels so "right" and so "soothing" about that.  It's silly and really simple but it makes me realize how chaotic my life had begun to feel.  I'm so thankful and look forward to sharing many stories about our adventures here.  Chickens are the beginning of that story.....

We got 10 chickens today....OH YEAH!!  We actually have a chicken coop that they will transfer to after we "brood" them another 3 weeks.  Ryan came face to face with a coyote this morning while he went on a walk (on our property).  The kids have been riding a go cart and mini motorcycle up and down the 200 ft driveway since Grandpa showed up with it on Tuesday.  My dad is going to rent a tractor so he can mow down the overgrown grass so the kids can run around on a track surrounding the house.  The girl's have become friends with a gopher (or so they say).  There's a vineyard on the property. I am humbled by the fact that God has blessed us with an opportunity to experience this amazing lifestyle that is WORLD'S away from where I've been heading but feels just like coming home.  I'm so happy! 

It just continues to confirm to me how important it is to seek God in all decisions and when He leads, just follow.  He will always make your path straight.  I am going to take it day by day and enjoy the precious morsels that He gives me daily.  They are available for all of us.  I'm sure I've been missing them for years.  Maybe it took this move to just get my attention.  I'm listening and paying attention......

Just had to share....

I know when the Lord is speaking to me because literally the air around me changes.  There is a stillness that settles all my raging emotions and questions and simply bids me to be silent, listen and consider what I hear.  And then it's almost as if it comes from the center of my being-the answer, the revelation, the instruction and it is sealed in this definite place inside of me that I can't describe.  I only know that I must do what I've been prompted to do.  If I resist I can't breathe, but when I say yes and obey the most incredible sense of knowing and peace overtakes me and the matter is settled once and for all.  -Michelle McKinney Hammond

This spoke to the center of who I am....as Ryan and I are making a very big decision to move to another area in California.  I know it's what God wants for us and I'm at peace for that reason alone.  Julie, aren't you happy to hear this?!?! 

One of those days!

This post is from last week but I forgot to hit POST.

It's only 8am and I feel like I've been up for 6 hrs.  Truth is, it's been almost 4 hrs.  Today is my bible study day and I'm thankful for that because I certainly need a "chin check".  I woke up at 4:30 to Wilson climbing into bed and snuggling up.  Sounds great, doesn't it?!?  He then started sounded out words....C...AT!.....B....ER....D!  D...AD!....And on and on.  I was trying so hard to fall back to sleep.  He did this for about a half an hour while talking to me periodically in between.  I just kept whispering, "It's still nighttime, go back to sleep"  Finally, I thought he was asleep and decided to get into the bath.  SOME PEACE before I start my day (since I can't go back to sleep)....
....Here comes Wilson, in the bath with me.  Oh well, it's all good.  So, he decides to start asking questions about my boobies!!!  I won't go into total detail but I'll just say this wasn't an EGO BOOST:)  He also wanted to know why babies breast feed, where the milk comes out, why people have hair in certain areas....OH YEAH, nothing like having the 13 year old talk with a 5 year old at 5:30 in the morning.  Finally we get out, he gets dressed and gets on the computer.   SOME PEACE for a moment.....
....Here comes Olivia.  She wants to take a bath now.  No problem.  In comes Sophie, who also wants to take a bath but Olivia doesn't want HER in the bath!!!  They break out in an argument.  Keep in mind, it's about 6am now.  After I get them under control, I hear the boys screaming and wrestling.  Wilson went in and jumped on Jackson while he was sleeping and they are in a full on wrestling match!  The peace is gone and I know it AIN'T coming back....
....Here comes Emma!  She is TICKED off because she can't find her jeans and she can't believe how annoying everyone is, including HER DAD...who walked into her room to see if she was up TWICE.  HOW RUDE!!!!  She is tired and doesn't feel good.  Wilson is on the computer again and she WANTS TO SIT DOWN.  She's tired!!  She needs me to put her hair in a bun and can't believe (again) how rude everyone is.  "MOM.....get Wilson OFF the computer!!!"  I need to sit down.  (By the way, the computer is in my bathroom:)  PEACE be with me....please!
....We go downstairs to eat breakfast.  This is always a joke and I won't even go into it.  I'm packing lunches.  Olivia's crying because someone ate her starburst that she was going to bring to Paige in her lunch.  Jack can't find his shoes.  Wilson is counting to 10 in Korean AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS!!
....And the blessing in all of this is that I can still find myself being THANKFUL for all of this NON-SENSE!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?

I JUST hit send on my last post and I hear, "MOM, MOM, MOM!!!" over and over again and it's not an emergency.  Here comes Olivia downstairs CRYING because Wilson kicked her in the face when he woke up and now Will and Jack are fighting over who will get to play on the computer first.  I'm going to keep a positive attitude but seriously, this seems like one of those times that I want to break out the CRY on them.  Unfortunately, it's only 8 AM!!!  Wish me luck.......

Getting through it....

Ryan has been gone for 6 days!!  He is coming home today and I only share this because often times we momma's think we're all alone in our craziness.....we're NOT!! 

Ryan left on Tuesday morning.  I had a great attitude and I was ready to tackle this "gig" all by myself and I was going to keep this great attitude all week.  He travels often so it's not new to me but when he's gone a length of time, it does break down the balance in our house and when "they" know I'm alone and weak, they seem to attack all at once!! 

Tuesday morning I went to bible study.  Great way to start my week with my hubby away.  I had a great time!  I was motivated!  I had lunch with my neighbor.  Couldn't wait to pick the kids up from school (almost)!!  That was the first of three days that I cried.  Yes, I cried!!!!  I picked up Emma and the drama started.  Something about school and friends and then a "freak out" about a form I didn't sign that SHE ASKED ME TO SIGN the night before.  I calmly said, "If you noticed that it wasn't signed, you should have asked again.  You need to be responsible for your own stuff."  I'm NOT going to lose it!

We get home and my phone rings.  I forgot to send Sophia with her permission slip for her Girl Scout field trip.  While I'm on the phone, I notice two piles of dog doo doo IN THE HOUSE....and they are not firm in consistency!  The tears are coming but they aren't here yet.  I get off the phone to another phone call from my daughter, Olivia's BFF.  I answer because it must be an emergency.  NO, it's a scam to have a play date on DAY ONE of my solo gig.  We have horseback riding and volleyball today so it's a NO!  She pushes back and I'm getting stressed.  I state the obvious answer...."We'll see!!"  WHY OH WHY do I EVER say THAT?!?!?!?

All the kids come home.  Sophie is crying because she didn't get to go on her field trip.  I'm cleaning up dog doo doo!!!  Olivia is begging for a playdate and Emma comes out to PROVE to me that I didn't sign her form.  The tears start falling!  I can't help it.  I'm totally overwhelmed and it's day ONE of a SIX DAY "gig" as single mom.  OMG!!!!  I start crying and yelling, my neighbor comes to save the day.  I cry harder.  I want to just have a good cry.  I'm totally defeated even though I do this all of the time.  Sometimes things just seem magnified and this is one of those times.

So, that was day one and this is day six!  I had some really precious moments this week.  Both with my kids and without.  I had lunch with another friend, my cousin and her two angels came to visit for 2 days, and I had a night out with friends.  I even went to another bible study on Thursday.  I really have so much to be thankful for.  I experienced TONS of tender moments with the kids at the end of the night BUT it's just hard being a parent. I literally cried 3 times this week.  I would go to bed defeated and wake up refreshed:) 

That's the good news, I guess.  God never gives us more than we can handle and I can handle this!!  I had a Grandmother tell me yesterday that someday I will miss all this chaos.  I will actually miss the NOISE, the FIGHTING, the DRAMA!!!  Can you imagine that?  But I think she's right.  I will continue to take it one day and a time and just do my best.  And I must add, the days I cried.....the kids were REALLY good!!  I might get an Academy Award for my new tearful pleas.......I hope they aren't on to me!!!

Out of the mouth's of my sweet boys....LOL!

So, I'm laying in bed with Wilson and Jackson telling them a story.  All of the sudden Wilson says, "Momma, know what I'm gonna be when I grow up?"  I say, "No, what?"  He says, "I'm gonna be a teacher...well maybe....and I'm going to go to the bank every day."  Then he says, "Do teacher's make a lot of money cuz if not, I'm going to be a Pei Wei restaurant guy so I can get free drinks from their new soda fountain!"  I start laughing and Jack (who doesn't pronounce his "r's" at all.  They sound like "w" so it makes the story even cuter) pipes in with "Mom, I'm not gonna work when I grow up.  I'm gonna just stay home with you EVERYDAY!"  I say, "Jack, that would be nice but if you don't work, you'll never have any money."  He says, "Oh, that's okay Mom!  Wilson is going to go to the bank everyday so I'll just get some money from him!!!"  Gotta LOVE it!!!

French Onion Soup....the perfect rainy day for this recipe!

This is one of my favorite soup recipes and I make it several times a year.  I don't use a recipe so I did my best to follow one and make changes.  The figures might not be perfect....but you can't really mess this one up. I make a huge pot and eat it for days.  It's super easy and delicious!  Enjoy!

 

French Onion Soup Recipe

• 6-8 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced
• 1 stick of butter
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup flour
• 10-12 cups of beef stock
• 1 bay leaf (I never do but the recipe calls for it)
• 1 cup of dry red wine
• 1 loaf of toasted French bread (I use toasted baguettes sliced or even large croutons will do the job)
• 1-2 cups of grated Swiss Gruyere

Method

1 In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the butter on medium high heat until well browned, but not burned, about 30-40 minutes.
2 Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the flour and mix it thoroughly with the sauted mixture. Add the wine and cook it off until the color but not much liquid remains. Add beef broth. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.
3 To serve you can either use individual oven-proof soup bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned. Serve immediately.

True Story...(in honor of the Shrimp that survived in Finding Nemo)

This is just one of those stories that you have to share.  It could be considered a cooking story...but maybe not so much.  You decide.
So....I have a couple of girlfriends over for a glass of wine.  Ryan's out of town and I'm alone with the kids so this sounds like a really fun Friday night.  I stop by Trader Joe's to pick up some food for the kids and decide to get some shrimp.  I think a Shrimp Cocktail would be a nice addition to our little girl's night. 
Amy sends me a message that she and Nancy will be coming soon.  I better get that shrimp defrosted, right?!  I put it in a bowl with cold water for a quick defrost.
The gals arrive and we sit down and start chatting.  Now is the perfect time to bust out our delicious appetizer.  I go over to the sink and I feel like the shrimp just doesn't look right.  It's from Trader Joe's....you know it's going to be amazing!  I place it into a bowl.  I get the cocktail sauce and plates and we're ready to roll. 
I'm not sure and I say so.  Amy isn't either.  Nancy says it's great.  Amy mentions that it's kinda funky.  I think it's mushy.  Nancy is still on board, just being a sweet as she can be.  Amy says that it looks like it's not deveined.  Oh, yes it is!  I'm going to check the package.  I pull the package out of the trash and begin to read.....It's UNCOOKED, peeled and deveined shrimp.  So, what's the problem??  I've already spit mine out.  Nancy might go for another piece, just to be nice.  Amy is with me on this.  Something is wrong.  UNCOOKED shrimp!!!  And, let me remind you....I didn't COOK it, I just defrosted it!!
OMG!!!!!!!....we all just ate a RAW piece of shrimp.  I don't even want to know what that means for all of us.  Amy had mentioned that they are bottom feeders and she's said something about worms.  YUCK!
Both of my dear friends were so sweet!  They both stayed, drank another glass of wine and even ate a LITTLE bit of the Shrimp Scampi that I COOKED! 
I have laughed and laughed about this.  The more I think about it, the more embarrassing it becomes.  I mean, who does that.  Apparently I do!!  Hopefully, we'll all be around tomorrow and.....if I'm really lucky, we'll all stay friends!  WOW!

So blessed....

We have just started a new series at bible study.  To say that I feel overwhelmed with gratitude for this group of women would be the understatement of the year (I know, we're not far into the year but seriously!!).....We are beginning a series called "Navigating a Life Interrrupted" by Priscilla Shirer.  She went into great detail on what an "interruption" in life can be and we have all experienced many interruptions.  When things are going one way and God picks you up and leads you in a whole new direction.  Many times that interruption is not comfortable and would not be something we wanted or thought we needed.  It got me thinking about the many times my life has shifted gears in a moment.

I have been extremely blessed with so much.  I know that!!  Although there were some dark times in my past, I'm thankful for what God brought me out of and how much he's given me. In fact, I think daily about the scripture in Luke 12:48....To whom much is given, much is required (or expected).  I always relate that to my kids/family.  I feel like God entrusted me with 5 of his precious children and if He didn't think I was capable of doing a great job of raising them, He wouldn't have given them to me.  That's just how I feel about it and what God has placed on my heart.

Today was a reminder of that moment when I found out we were having twins.  Talk about an interruption!  I remember feeling like it just wasn't fair that I was pregnant.  I had finally gotten my baby weight off from Sophie (baby #3) and I was excited about the stage of life I was in.  It was selfish in many ways but it was where I was in that moment.  I'm so thankful that I realized very quickly the gift that God was blessing me with. 

I remember just KNOWING that I was having twins (before we found out) and having to pray before my ultrasound appointment that I wouldn't be disappointed if I was wrong and actually wasn't having twins.  I was estatic when we found it!!  I felt so lucky....like I'd won the lottery!  I just couldn't believe it.

 
I think that it's important to remember that God is always there....always!  Regardless of the interruption.  I know that this particular story is a good one, a happy ending...and sometimes that's not the case.  But no matter what, I believe that God has our best interests at heart.  That's what I will continue to focus on and continue to encourage others with.  In the grand scheme of things, our time on Earth is short.  Making the most of it and having faith through the ups and downs is what it's all about.  I feel blessed and I hope you do too!

What's for breakfast?

Sometimes you have to improvise!  Makes you wonder though.  Am I improvising on the syrup container or the syrup itself?????????  What is really in that shot glass?  A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do:)

Gotta love it!

So....Sophie gets up and starts getting ready for school.  I'm trying to not be so controlling and let the kids be a little more independent when it comes to getting ready.  She runs in and says, "MOM!  I found these really cool leggings with feet in them that I'm going to wear today!"  I'm wondering what pants she found.  Right before we're ready to leave she runs down in THIS get up!  She is wearing TIGHTS, not leggings...with a shirt, not a skirt.  I asked her to put a skirt over them and off she went to school.  Doesn't she look super sassy?!?!  The last time this happened, her teacher asked me if I was out of town...LOL!

My twin boys....that don't look like TWINS!

My Girls

I guess I TOLD YOU!!!

So, tonight I'm leaving to drop my daughter, Emma (12), off at youth group.  Olivia (10) wants to go with.  I am on my way to pick up the other girls that are going and the two of them start fighting.  I have had it!!!  Who cares that I'm on my way to YOUTH GROUP, right?!?!?  I just let them HAVE it!  I tell that that I've had enough of the drama....I'm not going to deal with the drama....THAT'S IT!!  Got it?????  If you aren't going to change, I AM!  I won't tolerate this anymore. Period.  So, there is pure silence.  They are both looking straight ahead and not saying a WORD.  Total success.  I finally made my point.  They are scared.  They won't do this again.  We drive for another 5 minutes and I think, WHAT'S UP!!?!?  No one is going to say a THING...Really???  It was then that I realized that both girls had their iPod's on and earphones IN their ears for, I'd imagine, the WHOLE ride.  I don't even think that heard my rant!  Sure felt good though:) 

What's for Dinner

I love to cook and really, really LOVE to bake!!  I used to cook dinner every night, trying to be creative.  I also used to bake several times a week.  Over the years, my meals have gotten less and less creative and I bake about once a month.  Not because I don't want to, but because my life and priorities have changed.  Let's face it, having a family is busy in itself and I'm hear to tell you that having 5 kids means that you have to let some things slide and not beat yourself up about it.  So, I've been there and done that!!  My goal for 2012 (since after 12 yrs at home I finally have all my kids in school) is to make more homecooked meals, bake some fabulous desserts to share.....and actually sit down at the table.  I'd love to be able to share some success stories with all of you.  Tonight we're having baked chicken breasts and drumsticks (something for everyone) and some yummy rice recipe that Emma found in her Paula Deen's My First Cookbook!!!  I'm going to set the table and enjoy some time with my family, regardless of how unruly everyone behaves.  Wish me luck!!!  I'm post some pics later......

Learning not to sweat the small stuff

One thing I have learned (or I'm trying to learn) is that regardless of whether I'm stressing out about stuff....ie. keeping the house clean, getting the laundry caught up, getting dinner prepared, homework done....the outcome really doesn't change.  But if I have a positive attitude and just let things go a bit, I see how much smoother a rather stressful situation will resolve itself.  I have wasted more time sweeping my floor over and over during the day instead of spending precious time with my kids.  I have 96 petshop people standing around the edge of my shower 6 days a week.  I can't ever hear anyone who calls me on the phone.  My kids put on performances daily and want my undivided attention while doing them.  I can complain about these things OR view them as the true blessing that they are.  I've got a full house, tons of laughter, many fights between siblings....but we're making beautiful memories.  They won't remember how clean my floor was.  Instead, I could just sweep it at the end of the day and start over again tomorrow:)  Time is precious and it goes so quickly.  I'm learning.....it's a process.....but I am starting to let the little things go and not sweat the small stuff.  I encourage you to try to do the same!!