Tick-Tock

Wednesday was my birthday (my twin brothers too!)

35 and counting.  I want to celebrate, I love having a day of guilt free my way day, but for me, it also reminds me that 

  I am running out of time... 

"Teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

                                                                    Psalm 90:12

I'm trying to squeeze a lot out of this life, but I see that as I grow older, that some things just require more time, energy, and attention than others. That is where the wisdom has to come in.  I need to seek God,"what do I really need to be doing right now?"  I hate wasting time.  Probably because there seems to be so little of it.  I pray that the things that are most important to God, are most important to me.

Birthday Happenings!
After the usual early morning routine,
and taking the boys to school and getting gas,
I went to meet Paul at the ARC with the girls.
He was taking me to pick out my birthday present,
but before that, I was surprised with cake from our most wonderful staff.
I was also gifted by my 2 of my Comrads, an aromatic candle on my desk and later a decorative plate that is SO my taste and goes with my dream kitchen of cobalt blue and white and my heart for my home.
Paul put a lot of effort into my birthday, because he took me and the girls to a really nice shopping mall that of course he first "researched" to make sure they had the food and store I wanted.  We ate at this really delicious Japanese place.  I had teriyaki salmon salad.  Very fresh and delicious.
Then he wandered the girls and I around the mall to the Lady Footlocker store where I picked out a quality pair of running shoes.  I figured it's time to get serious with the shoes.  I don't want to hurt my feet.  
I had to hurry home after dropping Paul off at the ARC so I could change into my uniform and get the boys in time from school.  Then back to the ARC with a stop in the Thrift Store to buy David a tye-dye shirt for his 70's day today. 
We ate dinner and headed to Chapel.  Mary was quite the stinker because in all my birthday festivities she didn't get  her nap.  BIG mistake.  And that girl will not sleep anywhere but her crib.  Paul took the girls out for Chapel because it was my birthday and I wanted to sit with my sons and hear the sermon.
When we got home around 7pm, we still had more celebrating to do.  Paul had snuck home at some point and decorated!  I was really surprised.  We had cake with trick candles, and then Paul and the kids had me "hot and cold" for my hidden birthday gifts.  One gift card to Ross from each of the children- that made 5!  It was so much FUN!  (loud too)   And can you believe that I waited to open my birthday present from my Great Aunt Ruby until my birthday.  A lovely stationary set.
I was blessed- happy, content, refreshed.
God so loves us!

Happy Birthday Mary!

Happy Birthday to our sticky-sweet Mary!  One year ago the Lord added you to our family (sorry Mary ha!ha!) and we have loved every minute of it.  Mary is walking up to 12 steps at a time, but because that's not fast enough, she breaks out into a crawl to get what or who she's after.  She says: up, ma-mam, da-da-da, ea (for eat), bye-bye, and points like crazy at stuff.  She loves to "read" books and play with baby dolls, even sits and rocks them while she burps their head.  She wants to be involved in everything to try and keep up with big brothers and sisters. 

Cake
Icecream
Presents
Cards
and an "anything you want" day

   all for Mary.


And a quote I've read before...
"Whoever says you can't love the fifth child as much as the first, never had a fifth."

Thank you, Lord, for Mary!

Happy Birthday David! and some more

Another year has passed for our David! 
He turned 11 in the wee hours of this morning while we were all sleeping. 

We went to Dairy Queen last night after Youth Activities for his birthday dinner since today is a full day. I told him his birth story, which he loves to hear.  I stayed up late to decorate the dining room,wrap his gift, bake a cake,  (and catch up on other stuff too!).  When he gets home from school we will celebrate with cake, icecream and cards/presents in good old Chouinard party style. Raise the roof. 

Then he has a baseball game in Dufur.  Paul will go with him because the other kids and I need to go to Elijah's Aesops Fables school play of which he is starring as a frog. 

And since it is David's birthday--- I must "announce" how I am so very proud of him that he is representing their school in the County Spelling Bee at the end of April!  I am more excited about it than him. David mentioned it to me nonchalantly.  The principal called home to tell us and everything!  I just love spelling, even when I was a kid.  I'm thinking that between school and all of our mini-spelling bees we've done in the car when we're driving long distances has paid off!  Even when David was a babe, Paul and I would compete.  Smile. 

The girls and I have CBS this morning which I love, love, love because of the in-depth Bible Study, the women, and the Children's program.  It is my one "selfish" treat that I look forward to all week.  I walk by the girls' room often in between meetings to watch their happy faces singing songs, hearing Bible lessons, crafting and snacking.


We are so enjoying the Spring days.  The weather has been so beautiful.  The girls pick me flowers all day long from the yard.  They have even re-planted several.  I know I kept ruining their fun when I tell them all the reasons why the flowers won't grow.  So now I just smile and act just as hopeful as them that their flowers will grow to reach heaven.

Off I go, I hear Hannah insisting to Ann that she's a winner not a loser, which means Ann has called her a loser again....

Thank you, Lord, for our beloved David and for Spring!

Happy Birthday Ann!

Yesterday was Ann's 5th Birthday!

She started out her day waking up to lots of birthday decorations.

Then she brought sugar cookies with hot-pink frosting to her Tuesday morning pre-school class.

Then we went to dance class.

When we got home, Ann could do anything she wanted, it's her day!

So... we played a very long restuarant/tea parlour game. 

Then she chose to watch Max & Ruby and Olivia and Spongebob.

Then she and her brother Elijah made a rocket

out of the box that Grandma and Grandma sent Christmas presents in.

Then we ended up ordering Cheese with extra cheese Pizza for her dinner party.  Ann's favorite! (I was going to make it, but I was too busy playing with the birthday girl!)

Ann with her presents.  She was very spoiled!  She got a couple of gifts from her grown-up friends at church.  Grandma and Grandpa sent a package.  Our DC sent a card with $5.  A gift from brothers and sisters, and a gift (actually 3 this year!) from Mommy and Daddy.

Getting to see her cake.

Blowing out her candles.

Opening Grandma and Grandpa *S* gift.

Waaay to much tape and plastic bags.  We're guessing that Grandpa wrapped it?!  Ha!Ha!

Paul had to break out the scissors.

So.. let me tell you Mommy and Daddy's gift story...

after Christmas last year the BEAUTIFUL big and poofy Christmas dresses were on sale at Fred Meyers for 75% off.  So I bought 2 of them for Ann and 1 for Hannah and spent like 20 bucks for all three.  I stashed them under my bed all year, so that I could give them to Ann for her birthday.  She loves big, pretty dresses!  The other thing that she's been asking for over the last several months were "bumpits"!! (She's holding them in the pic above)    I still giggle!  Everytime we saw anyone out and about who had poofy hair, Ann would turn and point and get all excited that they might have a "bumpit" on.  (A wee embarrassing!)   She got a Barbie toy from her siblings, but she was still most excited to have her very own "bumpits"!

Elijah wrapped up a couple pieces of his own gum to give to her.

Ann with a quick, sloppy bumpit hairdo.

David tried on the little one.

Elijah too.

Thank you, Lord, for my little girl!!  What a JOY she is!!