Where have you been...

Well for the two readers I may or may not have left in this blogosphere, we have had a glorious fun filled summer. We were lazy. We slept in. We stayed up late. We watched too much tv. We swam. We went to the beach. We went to Disney. We ate ice cream...A LOT. We laughed. We snuggled. We sweated. We did nothing "educational"(or so the kids think). We checked NOTHING off the "To Do" list. We checked EVERYTHING off the "Summer" list. It was everything a summer is supposed to be... ...And then it ended. We are slowly getting back into the groove. The kids are enjoying their teachers this year, even Brady !

Happy 1st Bee-Day Sophie!

Dear Little Miss So-n-So!

You are now officially one year old.  I don't even know where to begin.  You are this amazing little girl who is so incredibly smart.  You love music and love to dance (even when no music is playing).  You are still oh so very serious.  It is definitely a challenge getting you to smile for other people...when it's just us, you are full of smiles and silliness and lots of crazy giggles.  And I hate to admit this, but you have a bit of a mean streak in ya! WOW...when you don't get your way...everyone better watch out.  You can go from 0-60 in the temper tantrum department.  You are certain to let someone know when you're not pleased, especially Brady.  That boy brings a smile to your face just by a shear picture of him, but you squawk at holler at him when he is antaganizing you (which he does A LOT).  I don't know what it is about you two, but Brady seems to be your favorite and you his.  I think deep down, you two are probably the most similar in personalities.

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We had your first birthday party the weekend before you turned one and I had so much fun making the decorations.  We even had your "Aunt Bee" come over and help us set everything up.  I think we had about 30 people over.  The weather was AWFUL!!!  It began sprinkling the minute the first guests started arriving and then the flood gates opened and continued the whole rest of the day.  So much for the pool party, we just moved it all inside.  We had little ham and turkey sandwiches made by Nanna & Grandpa that were so yummy.  We also served chips & dip, veggie platter with dip too, fruit tray and I made some bee brownies.  Then we had cupcakes (you had your own cake) for dessert. 

They were able to get in the pool for about 15 minutes before the thunder came rolling back in.  The big kids entertained themselves with all their 21st century toys! The littles entertained themselves the old fashioned way with some 21st century mixed in!

Sophie, my dear, you L.O.V.E.D. your cake.  Once you put that first taste in your mouth, there was no stopping you.  You not only enjoyed eating it, you enjoyed (for once) the attention everyone was giving you while you ate.

I can't wait to see what's in store for this next year.  We love you so much.  Happy 1st Bee Day, Baby Girl

I will update with 1 year old stats after your doctor's appointment next week.

R + F

Refreshed + Flawless.

Rejuvenated + Feathery

Restore + Fix

Rodan + Fields

Ever heard of them before? I hadn't either until I started seeing my good friend April post things on facebook.  Every few days she would have something about turning back time on the aging process.  Or restoring sun damaged skin.  And as a mother of four who has passed her *ahem* mid 30's I of course was drawn to find out what she was doing.  I got in touch with her and we chatted via facetime (we joked it was very Judy Jetson of us).  She was kind enough to send me a sample facial. 

Now, Peeps, you have to understand my skin care regimen is: let the shampoo run down my face and call it clean.  Every once in a while I will splurge and buy the Nutrogena Face Wash, but again that's only if I remember to use it.  Now I'm not gonna lie to you...I have been blessed with pretty good skin in the sense that even as a teenager, I rarely had pimples blemishes.  I often forget run out of time and go without makeup.  So for the most part my skin isn't too damaged...or so I thought.  I did my facial and was STUNNED/SHOCKED/AMAZED/*insert more adjectives.  The softness of my skin was truly remarkable.  I couldn't believe the difference. 

I decided to try out another product too.  Being a stay-at-home mom, I'd say my hands have aged faster than anything else...no comments from the peanut gallery should there be any disagreements!  My hands are constantly in less than desirable conditions, whether it's changing dirty diapers, bathing the little splash monsters, washing dishes, washing hands, washing hineys...I mean really, the list could go on.  I've noticed the skin on the tops of my hands have gotten very thin and dry.  Thank goodness we had a mild winter this year, because during the winter months my hands get so cracked and raw that hand sanitizer actually brings tears to my eyes.  I can't wait to try the REDEFINE Brightening Hand Treatment.

So, if you're feeling a bit aged.  If the kids have given you a few more wrinkles than you care to see each morning.  If the baby oil sunscreen you used when you were sixteen hasn't been so kind, please take a look at the products Rodan + Fields has to offer.  And please contact my friend April (click on any of the highlighted links above to get to her website).  She is a stay at home mom(of 3 beautiful children), a homeschooler, and an all around amazing lady!

Invisible Mother

I saw this on facebook this evening and thought I'd share it.  It was written (I believe) by a woman named Sonia Dos Santos.  How true it is for most moms out there!

Invisible Mother

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

Some days I'm a crystal ball; 'Where's my other sock?, Where's my phone?, What's for dinner?'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history, music and literature -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when she turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'With admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

4) The passion of their building was fuelled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A story of legend in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof. No one will ever see it'

And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.

No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, no Cub Scout meeting, no last minute errand is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, he'd say, 'You're gonna love it there...'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible mothers.

Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know.... I just did.

The Ultimate Blog Party 2013 #UBP13

Welcome to The Ultimate Blog Party 2013 #UBP13.  This is my first ever blog party and I'm excited about opening up to new adventures.  I am Kerry, wife, mother daughter, sister but most importantly a faithful servant.  I started this blog almost 5 years ago which is hard to believe.  It was mostly to keep out of town family members up to date on the family.  It turned into my on-line scrapbook.

I was never very good about keeping track of the baby books, but found this a much easier alternative.  And I love that it is available to share with friends and family.  My husband of 19+ years and I have four beautiful children (3 girls and 1 boy).  You will mostly find posts about the goings on in our household, but I've just recently become interested in the PR side of blogging.  I hosted my first giveaway a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it.  I'm looking forward to meeting new people and hopefully hosting more giveaways and reviews.  Thanks for dropping by and feel free to leave a comment.

If you give a mom a minute...

One morning, bright and early a mom woke up and asked for just a minute to check her computer.  When she opened up her emails she saw a message reminding her of an upcoming event.  So she went back to her bedroom to get her phone so she could add the date to her calendar.  While she was in there, she noticed the bed needed to be made.  So she made it.  When it was all made, she thought, "Well since I'm in here I may as well get dressed!"  After she was done getting dressed, she decided to put her dirty clothes in the hamper.  When she got to the hamper, she noticed it was full.  So she grabbed a load of clothes and threw them in the washer.  Of course, some of the pockets had papers in them.  Important papers!!!  So she took the papers to the office to put them with the other important papers.  While she was in the office she noticed that one of the important papers was a bill that needed to be paid.  She decided to pay all the bills, but she needed the check book.  The checkbook was out in the car, so she had to go get it.  While she was in the car getting the checkbook, she spotted a dirty sippy cup that had rolled under a seat.  There were other things under the seat, so she cleaned out the car.  When the car was all clean, she took the checkbook and dirty sippy inside.

As she got to the sink, she thought, I'll just rinse it out and put it in the dishwasher.  There were other dishes in the sink, so she washed those too.  While she was doing the dishes, the kids said they were hungry, so she made them breakfast...AND washed those dishes.  When they were done eating she took them in the bathroom to get cleaned up.  The kids were "wearing" their breakfast, so she changed their clothes.  Since the kids were all dressed, they asked if they could go outside and play.  The mom pulled them in the wagon, pushed them on the bicycles, played tag, threw the ball, kissed boo boos, tickled some giggles, investigated some bugs, listened to some birds and climbed a tree.  While in the tree, the kids realized they were hungry for lunch.  So the mom took them inside to wash up.  After she fixed their lunch and ate a quick bite herself, she remembered what a mess the bathroom was after washing up the kids.  So she decided to clean it.  As she finished up the bathroom she noticed the kids were sleepy.  So she put them down for a nap.  When all was quiet, she said "I think I'll take a minute to check the computer"...ANNNDDD, we all know what happens if you give a mom a minute!

If you enjoyed this because it is a typical day in your house, please feel free to take a "minute" to share!

***Credit to the "If you give a mouse a ..." Book Series***

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

I am very excited to announce the winner of the My Memories Suite Giveaway is my very dear friend Lydia who is about to have her very first baby ANY.Day.NOW!!! Make sure you go visit her in the next few weeks to see her beautiful creations! She is so very crafty and talented I can't wait to see what ideas and masterpieces she comes up with!  Don't forget, any one of you including our winner can click on the My Memories Suite button to the left side of my blog for a coupon code to receive $10 off any order!

Congrats! I will email you the winning code.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway