Lessons learned...

I know every parent complains about how fast time passes, but as a child you just don't get it.  Then you grow up and you realize, there are no truer words.  As a teen every day seemed like a week and every year a decade.  The wait from getting your driving permit to your license was pretty much the end of the world.  Everyone tells you to slow down, enjoy the moment.  But as a teen there is no slowing down, no cherishing of time.  Every day is lived longing for the next.  Then you have kids and you wish you could go back to your teenage self and tell them how fast it all goes.  To live in each moment, the good and the bad.  Learn from each moment.  Because those moments you will never get back.  They will always be apart of you but never like they are when they are happening.  

Nothing makes me feel older than watching this gal grow up.

My sweet little Goddaughter, Abigail, left for college this year and my heart is still hurting.  Not only did I get to be a big part in her upbringing, she has played a important role in my kids lives.  She is the girl I hope Evie grows up to be.  She is fun loving, self confident, wild and crazy.  She loves her family (most of the time) and carries with her a strong sense of faith.  She stands up for herself and others, oh yeah, and she is a pretty amazing soccer player.  I couldn't have asked for a better role model for my kids.  

Apparently we kind of love her and trust her enough to be Evelyn's God-momma.

Abby, you're enthusiasm for life is truly inspirational.  You have taught me so much.

If there is one thing I can teach you, let it be to live in the moment.  The future will come quicker than you could ever imagine, but the past you will never get back.

  Show Gonzaga who is boss.  Have fun, be safe, come home to visit often and always know that we are here for you!

We love you Abigail!

Making a comeback... Hopefully!

Wow, life has been crazier than I ever could have imagined.  Being a mom to four is no joke!

Everyday is a challenge in one way or another.  I let this blog go because I was convinced that no one cared about my trials and tribulations of being the mom of a large family.  I felt like all I did was vent about my misbehaving kids, or my dirty house or my husband that works too much.  It became just one more thing that I had to do.  One more thing that I was failing at.  But,  as the time went on I missed it.  I missed sharing our ups and downs.  I missed sharing my journey through motherhood, the good, the bad and the ugly.  I missed having a place to share my photography.

So, here we go.  

This is what any given day looks like at our house.  Pure chaos.  Fun chaos, but nonetheless, chaos.  The boys are growing up and keeping us busy with sports, practices, homework and everything else that comes with having 3 boys.  Evie, she is another story.  She loves mommy, her bobo and dolls.  Oh, and anything that her brothers may have that she wants (ie. backpacks, lunch boxes, candy, balls, ect.).  She is gaining such the personality and I am starting to realize she is not going to be the docile little girl that I thought she was.  She can hold her own with these three boys.

This summer was spent celebrating my wonderful parents and the family that they have created in their 50 years of marriage.  Hawaii was everything that we could have dreamed it would be with four kids.  Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and no one was quite ready to come home.  To this day, the boys are asking when we can go back.  

Tyler got to play in his first traveling baseball tournament.  While they may not have won any games, I am pretty sure the boys still had fun.  Going from a winning season to a losing tournament was mentally tough for them, but I think they took it as a learning experience.  There is always next year. 

The boys may have lost but Evie was in for a win.  She finally took her first steps!!

The rest of the summer was spent jumping off the high dive, bar-b-queing with friends, tubing and riding the boat, going to Suncadia and Lake Chelan with friends, and soaking up the not so relaxing days before the chaos of school began.

So there we are.  

The first of what will hopefully be many more posts to come!