Maria- The Big 5

Every once in a while I can get a great shot.

Maria can't be defined by one word. She is every good word in the book. She really wanted to start a blog so we did. Her 2nd post talked about her love of deer. She wants to grow up and train deer to do tricks and run quickly. She is sensitive and tender. She is brave and not a whiner. She is quick to listen and help.

She is a miracle.

She is the reason and the "proof" of divinity... because nothing so wonderful could have come from anywhere else other than heaven.

Maria loves to read and has beautiful handwriting. She is a perfectionist.

She is a social butterfly and loves her friends.

She loves her brother and loves playing with him.

She adores her sister. They are best friends and it fills my heart that they have each other.

Ah Maria, words always seem to fail me when it comes to trying to describe how utterly beautiful your soul is.

Maria's Beauty and The Beast Party- 5 Years Old!!!

I feel like I have the most beautiful children in the world. They are so special and unique and wonderful. I am so blessed. Understatement!!! I always want to give them the very best I have. They get so excited for their birthdays and I wasn't sure how things would go with my lack of sleep. However, careful planning and people fulfilling their delegated roles made this par-tae a success.

FOOD:

I had fun this year doing cupcakes! I loved the wrappers I found at Michael's and using buttermilk! I was able to make these a couple days in advance and they kept really well.

Birthday Cake Drama: Mom was delegated the responsibility of picking up the cake. Safeway FAILED! They had just a yellow lump, no body.... yeah. 40 minutes before the party I called Savemart and the super baker there whipped one out with 20 minutes to spare! Maria took 2 licks of her cake... and decided to save it for tomorrow. She really wanted to open gifts at that point.

Maria wanted Port Of Subs, fruit salad and chips. We also got some pizza. It was just the right amount!

Friends and Family:

Yaya! Cake and ice, check!

Papa!! Chairs, table, CHECK!!!

Yaya Sofia and sweet Mingo Star!!!

He's so handsome and suave.

Everyone was so awesome! It was a little cramped, but we're all homies so it's all good. If it wasn't so cold, we could have gone outside and there would have been plenty of room.

I really wanted a picture with Lateef and Ramya, but what can you do.

I also wanted a picture of Lateef with all the Alphas and everyone just looking at each other awkward.

Sigh.

I plus also, thank you Junie B., wanted a picture of all the kids together.

Next year is the year. 

My Aunt Pam is awesome! I seriously have such wonderful family. I really wish she still taught. She was the very best Kindergarten teacher EVER. 40 years!

And Tobi and her "ladies".

Our cousins are so beautiful. This was a tender moment with Whitney. She was telling us a sad story. We talked about how people need to be less angry and more happy in life.

Miss Mya boo. She is the life of the party. I could watch her happy little self for hours!! She was right in there with the big kids. At the end of the party, she was just hugging everyone and smiling. My Yaya fell in love with her! Easy to do.

I think we had about 20 kids total. It was fabulous. A little chaotic. But chaotic fun.

Games:

I was excited the dollar store had these beauties. I was even more excited when there was NO PAINT ON THE FLOOR!!!!! Woot Woot!!

The kids really took their time and they turned out beautiful!

I'm having a moment. A Jingo sadness moment. My girls were sooooooooooooo excited to play this Jingo game, but only a handful of kids knew how to play. I guess it is an "older children" game. However, I'm not too sad because we have the game and it's laminated and we can play anytime we like.

Indoor games aren't as fun. However, dropping the rose petal on the X seemed to be liked by the kiddos. I'm just glad no one fell down the stairs.

Again, a little bit too "advanced" of a game. I think this pass the book around game would have worked well if 1. I had gotten the music to work. 2. They could have kept the #'s in the book and 3.??? The whole premise was to pass the books around like a backwards cake walk, draw a number and then have that person share something they'd like from the book. Because Belle liked books. At least my Aunt Pam thought it was a great game! Yeah teachers!! I tried to adapt by just having them all share their favorite pictures when the music stopped.

El Piñata!!! There's just something great about a good ol' piñata.

The way children rush it.... especially mine.

It was fun to see Joe and Reg work together getting all the kids in a line! They make a good team! This is the first time that we have a boss as a friend. It's nice to have family in common and they are good friends/brothers with the whole frat bit.

At one point Amber was like, "Do you want me to take off my shirt and show you what's underneath?"

No dear.

No dear, not at all.

To which she responded, "I really can. It's cool."

Ummmmmmm....

Hey homes... let's go cleanse together.

No really, they are cleansing together.

With something they found on Pinterest.

???

I loved watching Mya jump in. It was like a pit. But honestly, how else will we teach children about hoarding. It's a special milestone in childhood.

Gifts:

Ramya = best creative aunt ever!! I mean, how fun is this? Maria loves loves loves Elanor of the chippettes. And I love that it was in a bag that says, "Outgrowing your birthday suit already?"

Fab-u-louso.

I love everything about gifts and the craziness of it all. I love how it is a force and that there is nothing you can do... children will swarm, wrapping paper flies and all a mother can do is remind one to say thank you... and whack away other children who are trying to open the gifts too.

I love this because I dragged Maria to take a picture with Ciera who was leaving... and she just really wanted to open her gifts. Ciera was such a cutie pie! She walked in the door to our house, went straight up to my mom and sat in her lap, and they worked together on the stained glass rose. It was so sweet as my mom held her and she licked her lollipop and painted.

Favors:

I always seem to luck out with favors. My whole goal of parties are for the children to just really enjoy themselves and have fun. I feel like if they are going to take the time to get a gift for us, we should get them something nice too. 

Maria wanted an all girl party, but I knew there might be a couple "little brothers" so I prepared some inventor kits for them. Goggles, pipe cleaners, gloves, mini-screwdriver kit, popsicle sticks, paper towel rolls, bungee cords... things to invent with! I found stuff on clearance and then the dollar tree pulled through, so cost was probably $2.25 a favor.

For the little princesses we had Belle and Beast paper dolls, coloring crayons and a cardstock paper crown to decorate, a gold hair bow and either a Belle puzzle or Mrs.Potts/Lumierre toy I found on clearance at Target. Again cost for girls was probably around $2-$2.50.

Now I love parties, but I think my favorite part is the after party!!! I love looking at the mess and chaos, seeing the girls playing with new toys and munching on leftover food.

The After Party:

My dad's face says it all.

Abbey was part of the after party because her family forgot about her...

....

....

Granted they do have 8 children, so....

Maria was so excited to put on her Elanor outfit and do a beauty salon. We put on nail polish, lip gloss and all sorts of stuff that sparkled. When I asked Maria what her favorite part of the party was she said, "Everything Mommy. It was perfect."

I'd have to say she's what made the party perfect!!!

Maria's Birthday Morning!

My plan for next year is to keep Maria home from school for 2 weeks before her birthday. We must break this sicko cycle... I want her to be completely healthy and happy!

She said it was the "best" day of her life... but I think she's just a happy, positive little person full of love. She had doughnuts, got to watch whatever movies she wanted and just rested.

She loved her simple gifts... especially the regifted video Nina found in the playroom at the last minute. Christina thought of doing that all by herself. They're just so thoughtful. And she made her a beautiful card. She was really excited about the gumballs we got her!

Thank Dollar Tree. I wanted to get green balloons and you were all out. Booooooo.

5 for 5!

5 months old

Ready to walk...

Ready to crawl... not really, he "dislikes" tummy time. Despite this picture.

Sitting up by himself for a good 20 seconds.

Just plain gorgeous, fun, sweet, happy and 100% squishy squeezy perfection!

The Mother Mastitis

This post is a tribute to a loving Heavenly Father. I know He understands me because I am this fat woman and He is right there with His arms open ready to catch me.

To say this weekend was difficult would be an understatement. Yet, we survive. And I find myself just so grateful for life. For my children. For my Heavenly Father. For my Savior. Because I know that miracles haven't ceased and my life is proof.

Friday at 4 the mother of all mastitis hit. I couldn't move. It was like I was hit by a truck. My fever and chills lasted 2 nights which really isn't a lot, but with an infant it seemed like forever. I couldn't kick the pain.... and of course, Joe was gone. He came back for a few hours but had to leave again and I was barely on the mend. My parents took the girls to church so I could try to rest, but again with the baby that was kind of hard. My mom took the girls to see a movie on Monday which they loved.

The fever left and I could feel my strength come back. I received a blessing and felt calm and peaceful that all would be well. And it was. I'm alive. Tired. But alive. I feel so loved and blessed.

Today, Maria woke up saying her ear hurt and she had a fever. Double ear infection. Yup.

Miracle it happened on a day the doctor was open and not at night!!

Maria has now been sick every single birthday of her life... except possibly her first... I need to check.

Last year double ear infection.

Year before that Bronchitis.

Year before that flu.

Um. Fortunately she's on meds and the doctor says she'll be all better by Thursday!!

The doctor's and picking up of prescription took about 3 hours and I'm already feeling drained.... however, we somehow made it. That somehow is a loving and caring Father. Some might say, well isn't He the one that let all of this happen to you? Sure. But I've gotten to a point in my life where I trust Him more than anything. I know He is there. I know He will take care of me and my family. It may not be how I would want, but He knows best. And He loves me, I can just feel it. It's very humbling because I don't deserve it. And I feel like these things that happen in our life are for our benefit. Sometimes hard things make you stronger. Right? What doesn't kill you??

And now, I'm going to take a nap... hopefully for more than 10 minutes.

But if not, it's all good.

He'll catch me.

LOVE

So my super talented friend Alicia took this picture at the fun wedding we went to a while ago.

This picture makes me want to cry it's so beautiful.

This is my Maria to a T.

She is just the most loving, kind, wonderful little child.

She is full of goodness and tenderness and adores our sweet Eli.

There isn't a mean bone in her body.

She is going to be such a good mother. She just is concerned, caring and always happy to help.

She wanted to dance with her little brother, so I was holding him while she did her thing.

I am so blessed.

My children are beautiful beyond words.

Guess who I'm calling for Easter pictures?

And!! She brought a beautiful blanket and peanut butter candy that was delicious.

Martha is a scab compared to her.

Thanks Alicia.

Glasses!!!!!

Wow. Times have changed. It seemed like getting glasses for Christina was quick, easy and efficient.

I guess she has horrible vision.

I blame myself. And Joe.

Because she eats all her vegetables.

Maria was super helpful coat girl. She was so patient and asked intelligent questions. I'm proud of my kiddos.

I had a very proud moment when the doctor was like, I don't know how you do it with 3 children... and Christina answered, "My mommy doesn't have 3, she has 4 children!"

"Time" supposedly heals, but it doesn't. The pain may not be as raw, but everyday I think about my Joe. Every single day I pray he has a good day in heaven. Every single day I think about what life will be like once we're reunited. Every single day I have to confront the fact that he is near me, but not like others perceive.

I have 4 children.

And I'm a proud mother of all my children.

And it's Ok that one of my children has passed on.

In our home we don't pretend death is some stranger, it's here and can happen at anytime. In our home we accept and respect death and realize that God is good and it'll be OK.

The doctor responded very awkward, but kindly.

:)

Fortunately I have the most wonderful best friend ever who saved us a buttload of money. She referred us to Costco where they even had a coupon! It was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper than the doctor's office. Thanks Ronjula.

She tried on at least 20 pairs. Was very thoughtful and narrowed it down......

to these beauties!! They have these really cool butterflies on the sides and are Guess.

Is it possible that she even looks smarter? Perhaps with glasses they'll take her more seriously and test her for GT like we requested at the beginning of the school year.... 7 months ago?

Seeing as she finished Matilda in 3 days.

Dear Maria, how I love you peeking out from behind.

Must. Be. In. The. Picture.

And our sweet Eli was the best. He is just such a good baby. He was super fussy at the doctor's office and wouldn't eat, but as soon as mommy started dancing with him he smiled his way to sleep. He is my little mango flesh. I adore him.