Someone stop me...it's not like I don't have laundry to do...

I"m seriously starting to question my grip on reality...or my sanity...or, well...let's just say I have NO time management skills whatsoever...

Maybe it's OCD or maybe it's ADD...and I don't mean to poke fun at those diagnosis one bit...

Because really...when the house is quiet and Little Munchkin is taking a nap...wouldn't you suppose that would be the most opportune time to get house cleaning completed or editing finished on the computer...or maybe work on getting dinner started or cleaning the bathroom...

Apparantly, my brain doesn't work that way...instead it says, "Holy cow, I've got this cool idea...let's go down to the basement and see if we have enough "materials" and let's do another PROJECT!!!" 

And then I end up with this:

It's called a Lens Pet...I found a scrunchie that my kids don't use anymore and then got out the button box and some felt from Little Munchkin's felt board...and    WaLa...this is what I got...

I sat here at my desk and sewed this little number up in about 30 minutes...well, that after I had tried to locate materials throughout my house...

People...it is apparant that I need help...somehow I must teach my mind how to focus and stay on task instead of going after every whim that enters my head...good grief!!!

So, now you KNOW what I'm thinking...I've got all sorts of other lens pet ideas in my head and trying to figure if I have enough buttons to last me....I guarantee you'll find me at Joanns tomorrow with a few coupons in hand...

Honey...come home soon...I need some distraction...or rather, someone to help me stay focused:) 

love,
Mamarazzi unleashed and running on adreneline...

YAY...the week got here...

I have that a little backwards...I know...

It wasn't that this weekend wasn't INCREDIBLE...it just turned into the NEVER-ENDING WEEKEND by Sunday night...

It started off with an awesome Worship retreat:  Faith, Footers and Foundation with our new Creative Arts pastor...and I soaked up his passion for Christ...I wrote notes as he shared his heart and then we headed into more of a vocal training session...all this after bacon & eggs and hangin' out with a bunch of creative/artsy people...and it was just a perfect start to the day...

Then...I got to teach at my Snap-shop for the afternoon...you can read about it here  But, it was just soo great to get back into the "classroom" type setting again...so much fun!

About 15 minutes after all the ladies left, I had to quickly reapply some make up and head out the door to church, it was my weekend to sing...I got to sing this song with the band...and I just love it...I could only find this utube video with the song included...

And then I woke up the next morning (Sunday) and had an awesome worship time with them all again for the remaining two services...

Italian Stallion had to get packed up as he's heading out this week...my eldest has school testing this week...Peanut is still workin' on losin' that 2nd front tooth...and Little Munchkin...

Well...I'll leave you with this today...

She told me, "Mommy, I not sleepy...I don't need a rest..."
I replied, "Alright sweetheart, go into the playroom and just have a quiet time and I'll come get you when quiet time is up..."

This is how I found her 20 minutes later:

Yep...this is me, savoring my moments once again!

the post in which i can't make up my mind and you get to read about it:)

Decisions, decisions, decisions...

Life is full of them...everyday...seemingly every moment...

brown or black, jeans or sweats, brush your teeth or chew some gum, eat a hershey kiss or scarf down a snickers bar...(Yes, I make THESE types of decisions...please don't judge me based on my dental skills and abilities)

being "decision-making challenged"...I struggle...and I mean STRUGGLE with coming to conclusions about things...

oh sure, I THINK about them...I think and then TALK AND TALK AND TALK about them too...I can list for you pros and cons and more often than not, I can talk myself OUT of anything as well...

In the midst of my "Crafty February" which has now seeped into March, I have yet again come to another crossroads with regards to another "project"...

Now, let us not forget that I'm about to teach a Snap-shop/workshop this Saturday...I still have Cds to burn, a camera strap to make, name tags to print and treats to fix...I'd also like to finish that scarf I started and I probably should keep my CTPhotoMemories blog and facebook pages running...I have to edit the Cranel Longevity Awards Luncheon that I attended and I can't find my jewelry making stuff to fix a pair of my earrings...

And then BAM...another "idea" floats in my head and I'm running around in circles again...

I'm not good at compartmentalizing, and therefore I feel the urge to "get it out on paper a.k.a the computer" as soon as possible...

What is this "idea" you ask?

Yes, well...it was brought to my attention the ability to print, in book form, your personal blog...(this is where the crazy sets in)  You see, we're heading to Nevis (don't ask where it is, b/c I don't know...it's just somewhere VERY warm and I get to purchase some "pretty tops" to wear)...with this knowledge comes the fear that always presents itself with regards to me leaving my children behind for a few days...

THIS is where the whole idea of "printing out the blog" comes in...Now, I COULD just give my password and info to my "peep" and give her instructions that upon any untimely death (on my part) she should find all the necessary information in order to create these "keepsakes" for my children's well-being...

But, THEN...I get all excited about the whole Project life idea and Month at a Glance Family yearbooks...and if you don't know what that is all about, it's basically the whole take a picture a day concept and journal about it...but I can't do it everyday, so I do the "monthly" version....and with my love of photography, I love the idea of keeping up with my scrapbooks in a less time-consuming way. 

What to do?  Money doesn't grow on trees ya know...at least not in our yard and all these "projects" cost something...the incentive is that they have "sales" going on right now until March 9th...so if I "act now" I can take part in the discounts...

I just don't know which route to take...

There are numerous other things on my mind, that probably would have made MUCH better blog posting topics, but in this speck of a minute in this time that I call my life...I snipped out this topic to blog about...not my study of Isaiah, or my heart for my dear little girl in Honduras (whose name is Cindy btw and I'll have MORE about that in the days to come), or my nervousness about entering the "teaching" scene again this weekend...NOPE...

THIS dear friends is my quandry at the moment...

Well...that and whether I should eat the leftover cookie dough that is sitting in the fridge...hmmmmmm????

Notes to Self

Note #1: Self, do not take it personally when your many small children point out the "jiggly" parts of your anatomy as you are exercising.

Note #2: exercise when many small children are in bed and asleep and all the blinds are closed and wear large loose fitting articles of clothing

Note #3:  when you allow Little Munchkin to go potty "all by herself" please be aware that clogging and overflows WILL result due to over usage of toilet paper

Note #4: the purpose of skyping is so that other people can actually SEE you while you are conversing...keep this mind and be sure that you are actually "presentable" before allowing video contact.

Note #5: pouring milk will result in spill-age...expect this...embrace it...

Note #6: quit buying cutesy socks for the girls...the basket of unmatched socks out numbers the socks that are actually in their drawers...purchase all white, all the time, one size fits all...it will solve the sock dilemma (and make mornings much more bearable)

Note #7: staying up too late the night before will result in over-tired and crabby rhetoric by yours truly...attempt going to bed before midnight, at least once a week...your family will thank you.

Note #8: "treasures" in your basement will never be found WHEN you need them...therefore, although it is not wildly accepted by your hubby, it's best to just leave stuff out and spread all over and then you'll be able to find what you are searching for:) 

Note #9: if you actually carry forth with note #8, it will not go well for you in winning your husband over to your "need" for treasures in the basement...learn a new tactic!

Note #10: In case you are prone to forget...on the nights that sleep doesn't come...on the days that whining and arguing seem to plague your household...in the moments of getting everything ready for dinner only to realize that you are out of your key ingredient...THIS is a good life...THIS is a gift...Self, remember to be thankful...even when it hurts to be thankful...be thankful...scoop them up, savor it all and thank Jesus for all he's given you...

Take the Time

I can't write it more eloquently...please read this post, if you missed it earlier this week from Ann Voskamp. 

We're adding to the family:)

Did I totally scare some of you into thinking that I'm pregnant? 

NOPE...it's not that...but, don't get me started about it b/c my youngest is almost 4 and I'm on the upswing headed to 40 and I've got to be honest that it's a little unsettling to realize that I'm ending an "era"...

but, I digress...and get way too weepy and nervous and indecisive...so let's just skip that whole talk and get to the good stuff:)

I want to share with you something our family is doing...

I hesitate to share b/c, as my husband has gently expressed to me his desire to "take our prayer shawl to the closet where no one else can see" (Matt. 6:6) And therefore, I do not boast nor want to bring attention, whether good or bad, to our new endeavor...

but, rather, I was opened up to a new perspective and some parenting holes that I possess with this decision and I thought I'd write it down to commit to prayer and memory...

First off, my husband is a quiet man...and a very generous man...and someone that I admire greatly.  I wish I COULD boast about all his "behind the scenes" work and the ways he gives both with time and in many monetary ways...but, as I have said before...he's NOT going to go for that...so you're just going to have to trust me on this...

Because he works so very hard and thinks about things, sometimes much more deeply than I, I have just followed his lead with regards to giving...where moneys need to be directed, where time needs to be spent, sacrificing one thing for something else, etc...

For about year now, however, I have had a real desire to sponsor a child (and do a whole lot more in a completely different way than where we have in the past...) the problem is that 1) money 2) we'd have to pair down some more 3) my husband would have to see this "need", b/c we weren't going to stop doing all the other things as well...

Short and sweet:  God just saw fit to do it all..BAM...just like that...

And so began our "Family board meeting"...where we decided to sponsor a child in Honduras...

This is where the parenting got a bit hard...to make your own children, who have never known a "want", who've had all their needs met, who get "extras" all the time, who are only cold b/c the car hasn't warmed up yet, who help themselves to 3 and 4 pieces of pizza....

to get them to grasp the poverty in other countries...it's mind-blowing...extremely difficult...they can't imagine or fathom it at all...

For Peanut, it was a logical decision..."this little girl doesn't have something, okay...she can have mine"..."can I have another piece of pizza now?"

For Sweetpea, it was a whole 'nother thing...her mind was reeling and her heart was aching...and yet, she didn't quite know where to go with all this information...she had an easier time giving all her money to go and BUY something rather than give something of hers away...

and THIS is where I saw my flaw...my intense desire to "hang onto things"...in my quest for savoring moments and memories and treasures...I forgot to instill the simple fact that things are just things...

This is where she and I struggle...the letting go, the sacrifice of things that are dear...

but, we're learning...we're revamping...and we're striving in a new way...

Our pastor is down in Honduras right now, with video camera and point and shoot in hand...handpicking a little girl just for our family...and we are on pins and needles waiting to hear back!

My mother in law who speaks fluent Spanish, was a huge help to us in this endeavor...as yesterday, I posted this picture:

I wrote a little book about our family to share with this little girl...


Each page has a different person from our family giving a little introduction and asking questions of her..

I wrote it all out on one sheet and sent it to my mother in law, who in turn, translated everything into Spanish...that way, someone, hopefully will be able to read it to her when Pastor Terry hands it over to her.

The booklet was put into a backpack that Peanut worked hard to earn one summer through reading books at the library. Pastor Terry told us he didn't have much room left, and so we couldn't go with a big package...he wanted it in a small bag...so we thought a backpack would work best, as she will be able to now attend school with a sponsorship.

We put as much stuff as was "scrunchable" into the backpack for her...we don't know her age, family life, grade level...only that we love her already.

I know that many people sponsor children...and I don't post all this to say, "yay, for us, we are so great cuz we're sponsoring a child"...there are a gazillion prayer warriors out there (this is an area where I lack and I am incredibly envious)...there are many others who do so much in other ways...there are many ways that even in our family, that Italian Stallion has led the way...but, as I said, although those things are tremendous...I selfishly wanted to make it more personal, if not just for me, for my girls...

and in just the decision, we saw where we need to work even more on our 'outward focus'...

I am excited about all this, but I will be completely and utterly vulnerable by saying that I know that even this great thing, can have a tendency to become a 'sin' thing if I allow my actions to be boasted to the world...I think there is a reason why Jesus asks us to come to Him privately...He knows that we can get prideful, even in doing the "right" things...

I find myself doing it all the time, "Oh, you read that book?  It's awesome, I've read this and this and this...and oh the wonders that God has taught me..."

Umm, excuse me there Mamarazzi...I believe you need to take a big piece of humble pie.

I have to tread that fine line between thankfulness/excitement/joy AND boasting/pride/look at ME!

Believe me...I'm a "look at me" kind of person too!  YIKES!

So, there you have it...that was my little "story" for the day...I will let you know when we find out her name once we receive it.  Although, I probably won't tell you about anything else that our "family board meeting" discussed...b/c we're sorta meeting in a "closet":)

Does anyone else find it odd???

...that just a few short days ago, kids were outside playing in the sunshine?  that you could open the windows in your house to actually air out the stale air from the frigid temperatures of the week prior?  that the apple juice was able to thaw in the garage after it froze 3 days before?

Okay..so maybe noone else leaves their apple juice in the garage...but the point is that it was gorgeous outside...about 3 days ago....

It was this little teaser of spring...

and now we're back to whippin' wind, horizontal sleet and ice pellets that bang on the windows like a rampant snare drum!

But, I'm learning to be thankful for the small things...the incidentals...and so, with my camera at my hip...I joined my elder daughters outside on their excursion into the wild unknown, aka our backyard that they haven't seen for about 3 months due to what I just mentioned above...

I found them doing this:

Do you need a better view?

What is it you ask?

They informed me that it was a home for animals...complete with soft cat's tail and small twigs for a bed.  Sweetpea even came inside for bread pieces to lay out as crumbs...

Here's the finished product:

My sweet girls...it's like they knew the spring weather wasn't going to last...so they made a "provisions" for others...

It reminds me of something else that's goin' on in our family...that idea of seeing beyond...

I'll be posting about that alittle bit later...but we had a fun weekend putting together a little something....:)