Totally out of order, but here is October!!!

Always an eventful month, October is my absolute favorite time of the year.  If you have ever lived here on the central coast, you know October offers the best weather.  If you like wearing a wig and crazy fancy false eyelashes, you know October offers Halloween.  And if you like getting older, well... hold on a second....  If you like celebrating, you know October is my birthday!!

So, here you have a visual representation of October:  

(in no particular order, of course)

Halloween!!  Jane threw this look together about an hour before trick or treating.  She said her Cinderella dress was too itchy.  I sported my wig and awesomely audacious feather headband (of course with my rad falsies - eyelashes people!).  Clark was the most adorable cow you ever saw.

So, my birthday was October 13th.  I wanted to have fun.  So we had a big party!  Blaine bar-b-qued (LITERALLY) non-stop throughout the night, beer pong contests got a little hairy (ha ha), and i, a-hem, did a keg stand.  It was the world record longest keg-stand.  Especially because I did not drink any beer.  Instead, I laughed uncontrollably while simultaneously popping every blood vessel in my face.  Ewwww.  But still really funny.

Jane continues to be the best big sister in the world.  She is kind and gentle to her brother, finding him amusing and cute rather than tormenting and annoying.  She shares with him (like her popsicle, and as you can tell, he appreciates her), she cheers him on (crawling, talking, walking, etc), and generally just loves him!  Jane is still doing gymnastics once a week, and going to "spanish class" for preschool.  She tends to make up spanish words and phrases when she doesnt really know them.  Then argues that she is right!  ha!  It is pretty funny.

Clark continues to be the best baby boy in the world.  He is sweet as can be, slobbers kisses all over your face (or maybe just slobbers), and has recently started saying "day-doo" (Thank you).  Seriously.  Don't believe me?  Why not?  Because he STILL WONT SAY MAMA!?!  Well, just check my facebook page for proof.

Just have to share this great photo of Jane....  Mind you, I have NONE of these falling asleep in the highchair as a baby photos.  I was a NAP NAZI.  Every now and again, her naptime was the drive time from Soledad to Salinas, but I never got a cute photo of her sound asleep half on the livingroom floor or something.  Until today.

Oh, Jane?!

Jane?

Are you still playing Sesame Street?

Jane??

I wonder if anyone with a pHD still sucks their thumb.  I bet there are some.  I'm not worried.  Not one bit.


Not at all.


Totally Calm,
Stacey

30 Days of Thankfulness

I jump around all over the place on this here bloggy-blog.

But I try to lift my spirits often.

Today I read a little thankfulness remark on a friend's facebook page.  I recall reading a few similar ones last year.  Commitments to noticing something great and wonderful to be thankful for everyday during this very month of Thankfulness.


I like it.

A lot.


Today, November 1, 2011
I am thankful for many things.  But I am sitting here staring out at an amazingly beautiful crisp fall day, and for that I am thankful today.


Join me?
Stace

saw this online.

doing it.

tomorrow.

Start by doing one body-weight squat and 10 pushups. Rest for 30 seconds, and then do 2 squats and 9 pushups. Gradually work your way up to 10 squats and down to 1 pushup. You'll complete 55 reps of each exercise by the time you're done 

(http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/training-day/201110/best-cardio-workouts-youve-never-tried)

Are you in???

For some reason I can't type in the body of this blog on my iPad!? What the what? I miss you and will be home soon!

August 12 on the 12th

Flying into the eye of the hurricane... or, Tuesday TOP 13!

Tomorrow, the kids & I depart for North Carolina.


"But wait, isn't there a hurricane a-brewing in North Carolina?", you ask.


Why yes, there is.


But there are bigger fish to fry than a weenie little stage 3 or 4 hurricane. There was also an earthquake.


Ha.


No, no. I am off to North Carolina to babysit my nephews Trevor & Parker while their mom & dad fly to China to pick up their sister Katelyn!!! Isn't this amazing news?!


In honor of meeting my mom's 13th grandchild soon (and me needing a little positivity today), I am posting a TOP 13!!!!

Woot-woot!

TOP 13 PEOPLE I'M GONNA PRAISE GOD FOR:

1. Me. That's right. Who's #1 baby?! I am healthy physically (no one said anything about mentally). I am blessed beyond measure: food every day, always clothes to wear, a roof over my head, and some beautiful hardwood floors under my feet. Totally blessed.
2. Blaine. He is faithful, a hard-worker, and excellent cook, fabulous provider, lights up Clark's little face, and reads Jane the Jesus Storybook Bible each night (even last night when the power was out - with a headlamp!).
3. Jane & Clark, Clark & Jane. Adorable, healthy, smiley. Oh, and adorable.
   
4. Yvonne. She is my workout partner. (aka my free therapist) She motivates me, encourages me, listens to me, and is simply rad.
5. (#5-10) My siblings. sorry guys, not gonna rank you. I love you all! Actually, I only love the ones who read this blog. I'm totally safe to say that - since whomever reads this will receive my love!! Mwuahaha!! We are so blessed to have shared our experiences with each other and have each other to lean on (and off sometimes as it so happens) through our ups and downs.
   
6. (11) My parents. They did what they could with 6 (SIX!?!!) kids. That is wild & amazing. We learned manners, common sense (most of us ;) - again: only blog readers), and in my case how to fly - in more ways than one!
7. (12) My sisters (& mothers) in Christ. You know who you are! You have prayed for me, rallied behind me, and given me the what-for. I appreciate it. I do not wish to be a fool, but instead be a wise woman who - when the light is shined on me and tough truth revealed to me - adjusts myself to the truth. I want to be that kind of woman. You are helping me to be her.
8. (13) Stormie O'Martian. Oh lady, you wrote this terrible little book that is very difficult to read! I wanted to learn how to have an easy marriage, and you made me start by praying that God would change ME! Might I actually finish reading your wise words this time. Thanks for being straightforward. I totally need it.

Ah, I feel more positive already,
the wicked witch of the West

Where the **bleep** we've been...

Even though I haven't blogged in forever, I have been living.

Here are some things I've done:

Today was Jane's first day of school. Spanish Immersion Preschool at Lincoln School. She was super excited, as you can tell by her face in this photo...

I ran the Salinas Valley Half Marathon. It was brutal. Hills. Ouch. Yvonne stuck with me even though she could've gone faster for sure. Our time of 2:17 was slower than the last time, but I AM still alive, so I'll be grateful for that!

We spent a week at Bass Lake. ELEVEN kids, one house, lots of mayhem.

Clark is seriously crawling. So proud/so scared.

Amy & Brad & family stayed with us for a couple nights. We went to the beach in Monterey on one of the rarest of rares: an amazingly beautiful & hot day!

We got all gussy'ed up in blingy/fringy trick rider costumes (Jane & Clark) for the Kiddie Kapers parade. I painted the 101 sign. Another rare beautiful day!

Jane got cuter, taller, and more sassy.

Clark got chubbier, cuter, and more sweet.

We laughed, we cried, we loved each other!

And we went Berry Picking in Watsonville.

Whew. I'm almost done with my 12 on the 12th pages, too.

Watch out world! Thank you for naps and preschool!!!

Missed ya,

Stace