Catch me if you can!

A word. Busy.  And it's only going to get worse.  I mean 5 kids = non-stop action.  So here's a little rundown of what we've been up to the past little while.  Totally random of course.

Tiff:

• Just finished my semester of school.  My grandma was right.  Going to school while having one child is much easier then going to school with five children.  Live and learn.
• Did a couple photo sessions.  Loved it.  Lots of fun.  Would love to do more if I could find more time.
• I've been on a major de-junking and de-crapifying mission.  I've worked on the garage and the bedrooms and the playroom organizing and simplifying.  I also started filing all our paperwork after a three year break.  Yeah, that's a lot of paper to shred.

Dave:

• Work, work, work.  
• Travel, travel, travel.  In February Dave was gone for two weeks traveling to offices in California and Iowa and Massachusetts.  He enjoyed lots of yummy food and new sights.
• Soccer.  Dave's indoor soccer team won the championship in their division.  That means they got a cool trophy and the team voted Dave the MVP and gave him the trophy!  He also got asked to try out for a semi-pro team.  Awesome!

Emma:

• Growing up too fast.  She's a great babysitter. Love's to ride her bike and swim.

McKay

• Has soccer practice twice a week and games on Saturday.  He loves it.  He's really improved his skills and has scored quite a few goals!  Also, still loves those video games (where did he get that from?)

Sophie

• Super excited to start Kindergarten in the fall!  Loves to play outside and find rolie polies.  Manages to do something silly nearly every day to make me laugh.

Layla

• Also loves to play outside and find rolie polies.  Loves to play with Sophie.  If not playing with Sophie she is my little shadow and follows me everywhere.

Charlotte

• Oh my cuteness!  I just love our little baby who is quickly growing into a toddler (how sad!)  She is eighteen months old.  She is pure happiness.  She loves to dance and tag along with her sisters and brother.  She is finally drinking from a sippy cup which means she is finally weaned!

Random pictures for your viewing pleasure (I claim to be a photographer by profession but not in real life!  I am so awful at taking pictures of normal everyday stuff)

Layla enjoying some Spongebob.

 Squishy, I want to squish you!

 Soccer boy run hard.

 Run some more.

 Grandma Ju Ju came to visit for a whole week!

Sophie is hiding behind a mustache. And look our yard is green.

Charlotte Meets the Camera

Don't worry, it sounds worse then it was.  

The Force

Love this!

The BEST enchiladas you will ever eat!

Not kidding.  Best ever.  Forget about your sour cream chicken enchiladas.  These rock the house and are in a whole different league.  If you don't fall in love with these and proclaim them the best ever, I don't know if we can still be friends.

 I stole this picture from my cousin's blog after she made them from my recommendation

Honey Lime Enchiladas
6 Tbsp. honey
5 Tbsp. lime juice 
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded 
8-10 tortillas
1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup whipping cream

Mix first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let marinate for at least 1/2 hour or more. 

Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Fill tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese.

Mix remaining enchilada sauce with the whipping cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 30 min. in a 350 degree oven.


Now go. Make them as soon as possible and thank me later.

Jedi Training

For McKay's birthday party we had a Jedi Training Party.  The first activity was a physical training with Yoda.  The kids had to haul Yoda around on their backs as they ran through the swamp, balanced on one foot, jumped and ducked over objects.

Young Jedi trainee Charlotte formed a particularly strong bond with Yoda (pictures to come at a later date).

Next came the light saber training.  Master Divad  instructed the younglings in the proper techniques and skills needed to wield a light saber.  When everyone was sufficiently proficient with their light sabers, they were prepared to go on their first galactic quest.  They followed clues around the galactic empire and brought important information about the empire back to Yoda.

 Yoda deemed them ready to face the empire and all of the newly trained Jedi were sent to destroy the Death Star.  In the end, the force was indeed with the Jedi, and the Death Star was destroyed and order was restored to the galaxy.

Even Master Divad joined in to help destroy the Death Star.

Something to think about

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER 

by Erma Bombeck

(written after she found out she was dying from cancer)

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the “good” living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television, and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderful growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I never would have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.”

There would have been more “I Love You’s.”

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute… look at it and really see it… live it and never give it back.

Stop sweating the small stuff. Don’t worry about who doesn’t like you, who has more, or who’s doing what.

Instead, let’s cherish the relationships we have with those who DO love us. Let’s think about what God HAS blessed us with. And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, as well as spiritually.

Life is too short to let it pass you by. We only have one shot at this and then it’s gone.

My little cutie

I love babies!  Charlotte is almost 15 months old and I just love this stage of her babyhood.  She is learning all sorts of new things.  She can say dad, mom, gog (dog), hi, ouch.  She loves to make silly faces with me.  She has eight teeth.  When you ask her for a kiss, she gives you about five in a row.  She loves relaxing in a bubble bath.  She likes to compete with her siblings to be the loudest.  She still likes to chase the vacuum.  She has already mastered going up and down the stairs in our new house.  She still likes to get up 2-3 times a night.  Her hair is slowly coming in and we have no idea what color it is.  It's kind of an auburn color.  Her eyes are changing and are currently grey.  I just love this little cutie and am so grateful she is in my life.

McKay's Birthday

McKay turned 7 on January 3rd.  Yikes time flies!  He requested a Millennium Falcon cake.  I did my best.

Deer in the headlights

Make a wish!

Christmas

In Pictures

(Yeah, I need to do better at taking pictures because this is all we got)

11 times in 9 1/2 years

Moving that is.  That's not a lot right?  We moved at the beginning of December which is the best time of year to move (note the dripping sarcasm in my voice).  But we absolutely love our new house and I'm hoping to eventually get unpacked (hopefully before we move again)!  Here are a few pics of our new place, which we love. Did I mention how much we love this house?  Cause we do.  L.O.V.E. it!

The backyard is basically our own personal forest/park.  The kids play outside all the time now.  It's so great!

And the house backs up to a greenbelt, so no houses behind us.  Just lots of trees.

The Front (look the leaves do turn colors!)

Looking toward the front door/entryway and the beautiful hardwood floors.

Front room/piano room

The Kitchen

Dining area with our totally ghetto folding chairs (we can all sit at the table now that there is room for the table to be away from a wall!)

The Family Room (in need of some wall decor) And how perfectly does that red wall match?  Yeah, perfect!  And it's not overwhelming, just a punch of red.  Love it!

The upstairs is still a work in progress so I'll have to post those pics later.  We are loving the extra room in this house and all of the nice extra touches the owners added to the place.  I hope we don't move for a long time!