A Beautiful Weekend

I had a beautiful Mother's Day weekend. I attended a Mother's Day brunch in downtown Chicago with my mom, grandmother, and aunt. We were able to get a professional photo taken of the four of us, which I know will become a treasured possession of mine.

On Sunday, hubby and I took the children to church and then went to dinner with my mom, dad, and brother. We ate good, my children behaved fairly well, and I recieved a gift set from Bath and Body Works in the Paris Amour fragrance. I love it! 

Read the descriptoipn of the scent:

"Our exclusive Paris Amour is a dreamy blend of French tulips, apple blossoms and sparkling pink champagne, inspired by a romantic stroll through the streets of Paris."

Yes. It smells as good as it sounds.

To top it all off, my friend treated me by giving me an opportunity for a Mother's Day "photo shoot moment." So many times we moms end up being the one always behind the camera, so this was a great gesture. Here is one of the photos...

Wordless Wednesday ~ Pink Converse

I always admire these when I see them at Target!

Photo Credit

Adventures in Postpartum Life

Halle has been with us now for 5 days and I have had a fairly predictable schedule to attend to. It generally repeats this cycle of activity:

Nurse baby.

Change baby.

Eat.

Drink.

Go to bathroom.

Nurse baby.

Sleep.

Nurse baby...and on and on...so forth and so forth...

In between this general cycle of activity I am:

• Letting our children take turns "holding" the baby.
• Frantically repeating "Don't touch her face! Don't touch her face!", while they do so.
• Becoming smitten by my newborn as I gaze into her dark brown eyes. I am convinced that when I smile at her, she smiles back. Oh, You think its just gas, huh? Well...just let me have it. Okay?
• Watching hubby run around the house cooking, cleaning, training, and tending to all of our needs and thinking to myself; "Man! That's alot of work!" "No wonder I'm always exhausted!" "He should really take a load off and get some rest. Poor guy."
• Navigating my way through engorgement. You'd think after 3 babies, I'd have this part figured out. Not so much.
• Appreciating my husband and feeling both blessed and overwhelmed that God has entrusted these 4 little people to us.
• Daydreaming of a trip to Target and Starbucks. Hubby and I agree I am not ready to venture out, just yet. But, to soothe my longing for a caffe mocha, he went out and bought me box of hot chocolate and some whip cream. I know. He's quite a guy. Its these simple acts of kindness that keep me entangled in his web of love.

Here is a picture of all my girls. Obviously, Halle is still trying to figure out who we are.

Clean Should Smell Better.

Have you heard about Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products? Mrs. Meyer's believes that "clean should smell better" and has a line of household products that come in a variety of fresh scents!

I found out about Mrs. Meyer's on the web and was able to do a search to find out which store location near my home carries her products. Wouldn't you know, my beloved local Target just so happens to have them in stock! I stopped by the cleaning aisle to take a sniff and I think my favorite scent is the Lemon Verbena.

These pictures are of gift baskets made by a Mrs. Meyer's customer. What a cute idea! You can find more of these pictures and others at Mrs. Meyer' s facebook page.

Mission: D & D

Imagine an inner-city gal turned surbanite.

What is happening here? You mean I don't have to drive around the block for 30 minutes only to find a parking space 4 blocks from my apartment? You mean I don't have to carry my groceries up 3 flights of stairs? What? No carrying 3 sleep children up those same stairs on nights we come home late? You mean to tell me there is no debris outside my door unless I put it there? Huh? No graffiti? No homeless guy sleeping in the entryway of the apartment? What is this strange land?

Okay, okay. As you can see, I am enjoying my new home and my new neighborhood. However, I do have a confession to make: after being here for a few weeks, I was beginning to really, really, really, miss one inner-city luxury: being able to walk 3 short blocks to Dunkin Donuts from my aparment.

Hubby has been driving our only mode of transportation into the city everyday to work. This leaves me home to enjoy our yard and whatever I can get to on foot: which didn't seem to be much... until today.

See, we don't live far from a major street that pretty much has everything on it once you drive west about 40mph for about 2-3 minutes. However, that street has no sidewalk and I would surely be mistaken for a pregnant hitchhiker with 3 kids if I attempted to walk down it. Not happening.

However, last week I drove east at 40 mph for about 1 minute down the same street and to my surprise, just past a long fence and a street of trees, I noticed a small strip mall. A strip mall with a Dunkin Donuts in it! "OMG! could I make it there on foot somehow?" I thought to myself.

Again, there is no sidewalk, so I knew I would have to devise a plan to take some kind of "back road." So, every time we drove home in the car, I began longing and staring in the direction of my desired destination, trying to figure out if it could be done. Today, I made my move.

After breakfast, I got the kids ready and I headed east down a residential block with fire in my eye and determination in my heart. I figured I would walk as long as I could to see if I could get to my destination in a reasonable amount of time and if not, I'd turn back. No need to torture the kids for a cup a java...yet;)

We walked about 5-6 blocks east. These blocks are not regular blocks, mind you. They are those long "suburban" blocks that equal about 1 and 1/2 city blocks. Still, we pressed on. And then: a dead end!

"Nooooooooooo!" I thought. "Its right there, but its blocked by this huge fence!" Nevertheless, I proceeded to walk toward the fence anyway. Was my plan to throw my kids and my stroller over the fence and jump it, you ask? Well, like I said, I am an inner-city gal. But no, I just still had a ray of hope in my coffee-addicted heart.

And wouldn't you know, just to the left of that fence was a small hill. And right over that hill was the parking lot of my brand new, suburban Dunkin Donuts.

Mission Accomplished.

A Joke for *Real* Coffee Drinkers

On Wednesday night I had this conversation with Noelle:

Noelle: "Mommy, I'm sick. I don't want to go to bible class tonight."

Me: "What?! Girl, don't you know that the church is a hospital? That is where you can get your healing!"

That conversation led to this conversation on Thursday morning:

Noelle: "Mommy, I'm still sick. You told me you would give me some Vicks."

Me: "I did say that. I forgot. I'll give you some later. Right now, put on your shoes so we can go to Dunkin Donuts."

Noelle: (looking baffled) "Oh. Is Dunkin Donuts a hospital?"

At first, I didn't get it. But then, I remembered the conversation we had last night. After I had a good laugh, I answered:


"Yes baby. For many, Dunkin Donuts is a hospital."

Photo Credit: The Honey Bunny

The End of a Thing

"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." -Ecclesiastes 7:8

I can't think of a better way to describe the end of last week than Ecclesiastes 7:8. Yesterday marked the end of my week home without hubby, and boy was I glad to see it finally arrive!

It just so happened that hubby had 3 different out of town trips scheduled all last week. He left last Sunday and was only in Chicago twice throughout the week to get more clothes and to transfer from one trip to another. He finally returned for good this Sunday.

As for me, it just so happened that this same week called for many errands and important plans to be tied up on the home front. Can I just say that after being responsible for running all over the city of Chicago to take care of business, still taking care of 3 kiddos, being 5 months pregnant, and by myself, I am convinced that there ought to be a national holiday to acknowledge the work of single-parents! Seriously, in case you were wondering: yes, division of labor is a beautiful thing!

By the end of the week, I was both frazzled and fragmented and in actual physical pain! Needless to say, I thank God for my parents and for hubby's parents who were a big help by taking care of the children while I went to my prenatal visit on Wednesday and while I "recuperated" from the week on Saturday.

I thought about using my time alone on Saturday to go get my hair done at a salon; however, I quickly realized that my aching body would benefit more from of epson salt and ice packs than deep conditioner and a curling iron. Thus, I dropped off the kids around 11am and because my motto is simple: There is no relaxation independent of iced coffee, I picked up a venti iced caffe mocha from Starbucks before going home to soak and ice.

Hubby finally returned from his final excursion on Sunday, and we met him at church. Afterwards, we went with our dear friends, the Grimes, to a great little restaurant called Take Me Out. The restaurant is known for its signature wings known as "little hotties." They are worth a trip to Pilsen if you are ever in Chicago!

Here are couple of pictures we took after dinner:

Girlfriends

If you want to catch me when I am least motivated to do anything remotely productive, come see me on a Monday morning. Seriously, it is then that you will find me doing anything but what I should be doing. Today was a good example of that.

I met a friend of mine at the local McDonald's so that our kids could eat and play together in the indoor playground. Meanwhile, we enjoyed some kind of coffee drink and caught up. That's kind of productive, right? I mean, I was feeding my children and arranging opportunity for physical fitness and socialization, right?

Nevertheless, I thought afterwards that it is sure is good to have friends to get together with on a Monday morning, when you are looking for a way to avoid a good day of hard work:) Furthermore, it is sure is good to have friends, period! I'm convinced they come from God!

In fact, Hubby asked me some weeks ago how I deal with stress. I mean, serious- "I can't take this anymore" -"I'm about to lose my mind" - stress. At first, I told him the obvious; "I pray, I read the bible, I listen to Christian music, I get out the house, etc". But, after I thought more about it, I told him that after I have tried those things and I am really at the edge, I call my friends.

I told him I don't even see how I would have made this far in my Christian walk without girlfriends. Most times, I call them with no expectation of them solving my issues, at all. I find it helpful just to talk about my issues or to hear that they got issues too! I can hear their kids crying in the background and that their husband had to work late, again. Or that they are fishing for new ways to save money and I can say "Whew! Okay, thanks girl. Its not just me!"

Isn't it interesting how girlfriends can see the good in your life, even when you are momentarily in the fog? It takes them to remind you, "Didn't you just tell me..." Didn't God just answer your prayer regarding..." "Girl, God will work this out, he always does!"

In addition, I find that my girlfriends never cease to amaze me. I may not share all the same interest, hobbies, or strengths that they have, but I sure am impressed by theirs and they inspire me to perfect my own. They are also a great source of laughter. You can laugh with girlfriends over stuff that men "don't get." Its so nice to have someone who "sees it your way."

For all of the reasons mentioned above, I laughed SO hard when I found this clip of Nicole Johnson!

Nicole is a "motivational entertainer" and is known for her performances, books, and DVD's about the "challenges facing today’s mega-multi-tasking woman." You can check out more from her at: Fresh Brewed Life.

Blog? What Blog?

Well, hello there.

I'm just "stopping by" so you'll know I am still alive and well.

Recently, I have been quite the busy bee. For the sake of time, I will just give you the highlights:

• I have been toying around with a new schedule:

Monday- Errands or Bedrooms (alternate)

Tuesday- Dusting and Vacuuming

Wednesday- Bathrooms and Kitchen/Mop

Thursday- Laundry

Friday- Mail/Filing/Homeschool Planning

Saturday Morning- Library or Alone Time (alternate)

Sunday- Church

So far, this has been working out fairly well. Nevertheless, this week both Monday and Tuesday turned into errand days. Actually, Friday is going to turn into one too.

I find that its weeks like this one, when I have many errands that have to be extended over more than one day, to be the most challenging when it comes to keeping up with any kind of weekly schedule. Of course, I can keep adjusting the schedule. I am open to any suggestions as to how I might improve it!

• Urban Prep is on Spring Break this week. As a result, hubby has been able to work shorter days. This, coupled with the beautiful weather has meant some exciting trips to the park for 3 special little people!

• I have discovered a new source of ruin to my diet: the Mocha Frappe at McDonald's . Have you tried it? Don't. You will be hooked. HOOKED, I say! Hooked!

• Believe it or not, I have been working on quite a few blog post ideas, although they have not made it to the blog just yet.

There are times when blog post ideas are just flooding my mind and oozing out of my ears. Then, there are times when I am stumped and can't think of anything to say (if you know me, you know that these time are rare).

I've been tempted to ask you, the readers, what you would like to see more of on this blog. However, after I think about that for a while, I keep coming back to the same conclusion: that is not a good idea.

You see, if I ask you what you want me to blog about, then I would have this pressure to write about those things. With that comes the added pressure to be all witty and relevant and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I mean, that can be challenging, in a good way.

Or, it could suck the life right out of take away from what makes blogging fun: free expression. Free to do what I want to do.

But, I digress.

What I'm trying to say is that I have some exciting new blog post ideas and whenever I find time between all of my errands to put them up, I'm sure you will enjoy them!

Until then, I will leave you with this subliminal message interesting advertisement:

Simply Mickey D's

Conveniently, there is a McDonald's with an indoor playground just 3 blocks from our home. This is especially dandy during times like these, when we would rather not take our children to an outdoor playground where the cold Chicago wind can get them!

Tonight, since we wanted to go somewhere we knew our children would actually eat all of their food, McDonald's was our dinner location of choice.

Here are some pictures of the girls right before they finished their nuggets and started to play:

Sure, at face value there doesn't seem to be anything particularly phenomenal about spending a Saturday night at a local McDonald's with your family. Even so, to me there is something so wonderfully special about evenings like this.

Think about it. Here I am, with my iced coffee to the right of me, and the man of my dreams to the left. Here I am, watching the man of my dreams as he holds our son, who is peacefully sleeping. The same son who we so eagerly and earnestly prayed for, and who is now almost a year old. Our blessing. Our legacy.

Here I am, watching my curly-haired, mini-versions of myself, run up and down the indoor playground equipment, enjoying one another and occasionally calling me, just so I will look up for a minute and wave. I shake my head as I realize they are trying to make friends with the other kids, amazed at how fast their growing.

Here I am, laughing and pondering life's delights and challenges with the man whom God has given me as a head, a leader, a protector. We converse about something job-related and then he somehow casually slips in that he thinks I'm beautiful. I say, "Huh? Oh Really?" and we both chuckle and move on. We reminisce on old times. We laugh at inside "you had to be there" jokes that only the two of us can understand.

In a world where so many are chasing money, power, and prestige, by the grace of God, I am sitting in a McDonald's on a Saturday night, enjoying something that money can't buy. There is just something so marvelous in the simplicity of that. This is the kind of simplicity that I am coming to value more and more.

Mrs. Anna T. writes beautifully on the subject:

I'm living a wonderful life...A life of simplicity and finding joy in the simplest things.

You will be encouraged by the stories of countless people who spend less and live more, people who made choices of frugality and simplicity, people who cut up their credit cards and have never been happier. Frugality isn't just spending less. It's being creative and resourceful, patient and thankful.

In our day and age, home life is – sadly - devalued, unappreciated, and sneered at; good home life, with its orderliness, cheerfulness, peace, contentment and simplicity is so very rare, that some people of my generation grew up without knowing it at all.

Simplicity and letting go of non-essentials has been a blessing in all areas of my life...It's sweeter than I could have imagined, to simply let go...It's so important, so essential if I truly want to delight in the beautiful and simple life of a wife and mother - a life I was so richly and abundantly blessed with.

You can read more from Mrs. Anna T. and the value of simplicity at Domestic Felicity.

A Great Excuse

Did you know?...

According to some industry statistics, women purchase about 75% of the chocolate candy sold each year.

Did you further know?...

About 75% of chocolate candy purchases in the days before Valentine's Day are made by men buying it for women.

Can you see how we win in both of these scenarios? How woman of us.

Although many of us indulge all year-round, Valentine's Day is such a great excuse for chocolate! And according to the statistics, not only can we have a guilt-free indulgence, but we can have one that we don't have to take responsibility for.

"Oh honey! You bought me chocolate? You shouldn't have. But, since you insist..."

Happy Chocolate...ahem...I mean...Valentine's Day!

Life at 4

Noelle's 4th birthday was not only fun, but quite unforgettable!

We started the day with a mad dash to the a morning show of Alice in Wonderland at the Stahl Family Theater.

Once the performance was over and the actors had taken they're bow, Alice surprised us all by announcing that it was Noelle's birthday. She called her to the stage and everyone in the auditorium sang Happy Birthday to her!

Poor thing. You should have seen her face. The girl was in a state of pure shock!

Here is a picture of her and Bella with some of the actors.



After the performance, we went to Dunkin Donuts for munchkins and iced coffee (because what would be a birthday without iced coffee?)

Later, we stopped at Target (because what would be a birthday without a trip to Target?)

In the evening, we had cake, ice cream, and the birthday girl opened her gifts.

Before she went to bed I said to her, "The Lord really blessed you, huh?"

She replied, "Yeah, I got everything I always wanted."

Ah, life at 4...so simple, yet so extraordinary.

Why I Love Being Married #1: I Look *Good*

I've concluded that there are some things that can only occur in the context of this holy, sacred, kinship-forming, gift from God called marriage.

There are just some things that can only carry a certain weight when coming from one spouse to another. No other human bond can match it.

Take this conversation I had with hubby for instance...

Hubby returned today from a weekend in Texas. In the midst of our catching up on each other's lives, our conversation took a turn like this:

Me: (feeling sorry for myself) "Yeah, I've been dieting all weekend. I actually have a hunger headache, like right now."

Hubby: "Honey, you've had 3 babies. You look good."

Me: "No, but I..."

Hubby: (cutting me off mid-sentence and looking me straight in the eye) "Babe, you look GOOD!"

Me: (holding my head a little higher) "Oh...okay."

Well then, I guess that settles that. I look GOOD.

See what I mean? Now, pass the chocolate!

I Tried

I really did try to resist buying the Mocha Frappuccino Ice Cream that you now see in my freezer next to the peas. Really, I did.

Imagine my dilemma: I see a coffee and chocolate flavored ice cream, while shopping at Target, on payday! With that combination of simple pleasures, I was doomed!

I guess since its in there now, I'm going to have to have a taste;)

I just hope I don't eat so much that what happened to Mary happens to me. Somehow, I don't think that I could pull it off as adorably as she did!

Iced Coffee Day!

New CD/DVD "Live Revelations" Now Available

Perhaps you remember this post, when I explained how big of a Third Day fan I am. I actually downloaded some of their music to a cd and listened to it during my labor and delivery.

A while back and signed up for their email list, and it just so happens, that yesterday I received a notice that they have a new cd/dvd available! I'm yet to be disappointed with any of their music I've purchased, so I thought I'd let you know, so you can be blessed by it too! 

Are there any other Third Day fans out there? Holla!

Simple Pleasures Make Life Good.

I love Target. So do my friends.

Actually, one of my friends jokes that her and her husband "date" there. And why can't they? There's plenty to see and do.

The simple fact that there is a Starbucks on site is just the very tasty icing on the cake! Holding hands with your man, while shopping, and sipping on a caffe mocha? Come on, surely there is romance in that.

In need of a lil' simple pleasure #2

My husband has the book, " "101 Ways to Spoil Your Wife" by Ron Brown. I don't know where or when he got it. In fact, I've never even seen him reading it! So, how does he know how to spoil me so well?!... I'm at a loss.

Regardless of how he does it, I do thank God for a husband who knows what I like and can usually percieve my needs. Moreover, I thank God he likes to spoil me with those things from time to time. For example, tonight my husband will be taking the children with him to choir rehearsal, in order to give me some needed "me time." With everyone gone, this may be a good opportunity for me to enagage in a little of my simple pleasure #2: pampering!

In terms of my simple pleasures, my hubby makes sure I always get my fair share of good conversations and laughing each day. As for chocolate and iced coffee, I usually I stock up on my supply when I go shopping. Recently, I had the opportunity to take a road trip to Ohio this summer to visit a friend and fortunately, my perfume stock is doing fairly well these days too. Nevertheless, pampering is one simple pleasure that can be hard to come by. I find that alot of my "grooming" time gets lost in the shuffle somewhere between changing diapers, washing dishes, and vacuuming the floor each day. Thus, looking forward to "me time" tonight!

Have you any interesting "self pampering" ideas I can use tonight or in the future?

Image by: kitsa sakurako

Need more ways to incorporate chocolate into your diet?

Of course you do! Who doesn't?

I found this recipe for "Chocolate-Strawberry Smoothies" in Bob Greene's book, "The Best Life Diet." Perhaps this suggestion will be a healthier alternative to the chocolate ice cream, chocolate brownies, and chocolate cookies we all love so much!

I've tried it a few times and found it to be a healthy, yummy, chocolatey treat (when what I really want is a chocolate shake)! The ingredients are affordable, and the recipe easy to make. 2 servings are only add up to 192 calories!


Here it is:

2 cups of chocolate soymilk. (The book suggest 8th continent, but I like Silk Light Chocolate).

1 medium banana, cut into chunks.

2 cups (10-ounce bag) frozen unsweetened strawberries. (I use the ones from Aldi...tastes great to me!).


Place soymilk, banana, and strawberries in a blender. Cover and blend on high speed for about 1 minute. Wait until the smoothie is smooth and enjoy!


Photo by: tofutti break

Pregnancy Brain

This was sent to me by one of my good friends who is also expecting. It's so funny how once you've been pregnant there is a certain humor only those who have shared in that experience can appreciate:)

Thanks db!