we camped

Well, we are back. We camped. 

I have always loved camping. Camping with an 8 month old, a bit more complicated. Add some rain and a puking 3 year old, not exactly ideal. But I have to say it was really fun. We went with the Andersons this year. So there were 4 adults, 7 kids (ages 3 to 11), 2 dogs and a baby.

 It is always an adventure when we head up the mountain to Saddlebag Lake. This year, I did not expect rain to be one of our obstacles but we were greeted with a steady drizzle on our first day. I stayed in the car with the baby while everyone else set up camp in the rain and the kids played in the dirt and got dirty; the kind of dirty you can only get with wet dirt. 

 The second day we took a water taxi accross the lake and went on a hike along some little lakes and let the dogs run free and swim and prance. We also did a tiny bit of fishing until it started raining again. 

The third day it rained in the morning. Dan thought it would be a good idea to have some "family time" inside the tent and play UNO and Go Fish. He's so silly. Of course it was not what he imagined with Winter laying on the cards and the baby fussing the whole time. Mya enjoyed herself though, even when she lost. 

The rain cleared up so we decided to do some fishing. That was actually really nice. Everyone got to reel in a fish and we cooked them as an appetizer for dinner. 

Dan goes all out with camping food. It's quite the ordeal. He spends the entire day before we leave prepping for dinners. The first night we had ribs and homemade coleslaw. The second night, steak, semi-homemade potato salad, corn on the cob and "Grandma Betty's Baked Beans." I've never met Grandma Betty but her beans are pretty good. The third night we had chicken, asparagus and more of Grandma Betty's beans. 

Breakfast was team effort...

There were lots of eggs to be cracked so everyone got to try their hand in the kitchen.

I didn't want Dan to hog the praise for the meals so I made some banana bread for breakfasts and oatmeal cookies for desserts. That was pretty much all I did on the camping front. I mostly held fussy Addie the whole time. That girl does not like being thrown off of her schedule. She likes her bed and her floor to play on. She napped in the Ergo I borrowed (THANK YOU STACY!) and slept with Dan and I on the air mattress. She wasn't a huge fan of the pack 'n' play. I don't blame her. It was in the 40's at night. Even though she was bundled, it was much warmer under the covers next to Mommy.

And Winter! Oh goodness. She puked every night and once on the ride home. Her tummy does NOT like Saddlebag Lake. This happened last year. Altitude sickness possibly... we aren't really sure. 

Mya, true to form, asked if she could clean the tent after Winter was asleep. She did great up there.

The dogs were walked about 25 times around the campsite by all the kids. Everyone had to have a turn.

The Andersons had their own adventures. The nights were rough and none of them had jackets. The first time is always a learning experience. No one expects super cold weather in July. 

We all arrived home in one piece. We will see what next year holds. Dan says he doesn't want to miss a single July at Saddlebag, ever.  

babies vs. little girls

Mari and I were talking about this the other day. It's so sad that the babies get all of our patience, love and energy while the other girls get very little. 

When the baby cries, I say, "Oh poor witto baby, what's the matter huh?" When the girls cry, it's "Why are you crying?!" 

When the baby wakes us up in the morning, it's "Awe, did you wake up? Did you have a nice sleep? Mama loves you." With the girls, it's, "Get out of my room. Go watch Diego. I'm still sleeping." 

When the baby gets hurt it's, "Dan, look at her head. Is she bleeding? She can't get a concusion just falling over right?" With the girls it's, "You're fine! Go play." 

When the baby is hungry, I cut up a peach and an apple and blend it in the Vitamix. When the girls are hungry, I say, "Go get a granola bar." 

I hope they don't resent her...

what have I agreed to?

For a few years now, Dan and I have gone up to Saddlebag Lake Campground right outside Yosemite for a few days to camp. The first time, Mya had just turned a year and I was very pregnant with Winter. The next time, we did it with a 1 and 2 year old. Then a 2 and 3 year old which wasn't bad. I was pregnant with Addie, however. Now, we are going with a 7 month old. I insisted on a camping trailer but Dan quickly talked me out of that... not sure how. 

The next thing I know, I have agreed to camp for 4 days and 3 nights with 1 husband, 2 little ones, 2 dogs and a baby who is going to start crawling any day... all in the same tent! We get VERY dirty and smelly. That first shower afterward is SO nice. I am usually on the "glass is half full" side but I am not hopeful. We have never had a good night up there. We've had crazy wind, freezing temps, a puking toddler and pregnancy bladder keeping us up in the past. 

Why go you ask? It's actually worth it. It is so gorgeous up there. It is also Dan's happy place. And there isn't cell reception which is great so even if I wanted to get in touch with anyone I wouldn't be able to. It makes you disconnect from the craziness of everyday life and just breath. I haven't really slept well this year anyway! Here's hoping for just one night of good sleep for everyone... I'm kind of excited.

Here is last year. Dan said, "This time next year, we'll be up here with a baby." I laughed. I didn't know he was serious.

july kid quotes

Dan: Mya, you stink, what is that smell? It smells like menthol or something. Did you put cream on?
Me: (smelling Mya) Did you put something on sweetie?
Mya: No. (Whispering with a smile) I put my finger in my butt.

Me: Did you hurt yourself?
Winter: No Mya hurt myself!

Winter: I love my sister baby. Her was in your tummy?
Me: uh huh
Winter: And her was eating and sleeping in there?
Me: uh huh
Winter: And her was playing with baby toys in there?
Me: mmmm no.

Mya: Did Winter really go to outer space or was this just a picture?

sleepy prayers

I know that I should be in the bible daily and I would love to. Ideally I would spend an hour in the morning studying my bible and praying. But most nights, I don't get enough sleep, so waking up before 6:00AM when the baby wakes up (sometimes 5:30) just ain't happening. Sometimes I am too exhausted and overwhelmed to even read a short devotion. I read the bible when I can and read devotions via email but that is not a daily thing for me. 

Yes, I have time to blog but it is usually interrupted by a baby needing something new to play with so mommy gets 5 more minutes on the computer or Winter needing her hiney wiped or Mya needing help spelling something so she can write a card to her best friend. I just don't think a bible study in 3 minute increments is beneficial to anyone. 

Nap times and bedtimes are when I can do laundry, dishes, sweep, eat, pee (seriously), shower, have an uninterrupted conversation with the hubby or catch up on texts and emails (only the important ones)... and all the other things that have to be done daily.

So realistically I think I would have to be superhuman in order to have a 60 minute bible study or prayer time. The thing is, I NEED God. I NEED His help. I NEED the Holy Spirit to guide me through my crazy day. Otherwise, I'm just a psycho, yelling, mean mommy reaching my breaking point every day. 

So recently, I thought to myself, How can I spend time with God everyday, realistically? How much time can I give Him? I came up with this. This is the bear minimum:  What I've been doing lately is when I get into bed, right before I close my eyes and fall asleep, I think about what it is that I'm struggling with. As a mom, I know I'm not alone when I say I need help with my bad attitude, I need more patience, less anger, a lot less yelling, and more loving my kids and teaching them about God's love. 

So I say a prayer. Sometimes I don't even get through a full prayer before I fall asleep. That is how tired I am most days. Some days I have enough energy to write out the prayer in my prayer journal I keep by my bed. Some nights when I feel like being a prayer-overachiever, I remember others I need to pray for too. Either way, I am intentionally carving out a few minutes to thank God for his blessings and ask for help where I need it. And at the end of the day when I feel defeated it is nice to tell Him about it. 

And as a result, the next day doesn't get easier, but my attitude is completely different. I experience God's peace and am constantly reminded of the bigger picture. I am raising my kids for God. It is my job to teach them about God's love. And that doesn't always come through when I'm yelling, BE NICE! STOP FIGHTING! HURRY UP! BUCKLE UP! STOP YELLING! haha, you get the picture ;) It doesn't mean I don't yell. But it does take longer to reach my boiling point if I have spent some time with God the night before.

My Heavenly Father loves me and He wants to help me with the things I struggle with. All I have to do is ask for His help.

a proud moment

Yesterday I was remembering this one time I did something I've never told anyone about because it's pretty embarrassing. It was like 4 years ago so I think it's safe to share...

I was invited to a baby shower that was at a pretty nice house. I asked if I could bring my 8 month old (Mya) and the lady said "Of course, we love babies!" So I sat on the floor most of the time and played with my baby while the other ladies sat and drank lemonade in nice glasses and ate fancy appetizers in a fancy room with fancy furniture. 

Then I smelled something awful. Mya was the queen of giant poops. She pooped like every 2 or 3 days and they were massive explosive blowout poops. So I quickly grabbed her diaper bag and found a fancy bathroom. For some reason there was no rug on the floor. It was just fancy cold tile. Maybe they had a fancy cat and that was the cat's bathroom... Anyway, I didn't want to change Mya on the cold tile so I grabbed a fancy towel from the towel rack and put it on the floor. It was a big one, not the little hand towel on the sink.

I proceeded to change Mya's massive poopie diaper. I don't remember what I did with it afterward but what I do remember is that of course I got poop on the fancy towel. I tried so hard not to but it was all over the place. I wiped it off with a baby wipe and thought to myself... What now? I decided that it would be way too mortifying to let the lady of the house know that I had used her fancy towel to change my poopie baby on. I hung it back up on the rack really pretty like she had it and exited the bathroom and never spoke of the towel again. 

The towel was dark red and there was not a shower in that bathroom so it was strictly for looks. So no one actually used it. And a week later it was probably washed and no one knew about the poop that was on the back... right?

3.5

If you're 3.5, you may...

-refuse to sleep in your bed so you fall asleep on the floor next to your bed

or half on half off...

-throw your floatie in the middle of the pool after everyone is all dried off. Why? Why not? 

-"help" with dinner so you can have some free samples

-step in mud then rinse your feet off in the dog bowl, then tell the dogs to take a drink.

-sit next to your sister and say, "She's touching me Mom!"

-tell Mommy to let go of the baby while she's holding her in the pool just to see what happens.

If you're 3.5, your mommy may seem a little batty... It's not her fault.

sistalove

I was disappointed when the doctor told me Winter was a girl. I wanted a boy so I could have a girl and boy like my little bro and I who grew up pretty close and played barbie and GI Joe together. I'm so glad God knew better. Sister love is a love like no other. 

patterns

We get all of our girls' clothes from the Andersons. They are pattern people. They love stripes, polka dots, animal print etc. They have triplets who are 6, two girls and a boy. That works out great for us since Mya and Winter are wearing the same size. It's like having twins. One problem I've run into with Mya is that while Cameron and Morgan kind of knew what to pair with pokadots or hearts, Mya is a tiny bit challenged in that area. 

I haven't yet figured out how to blow up a picture on this blog... not sure I can. So I'll just explain her ensemble: We have a Minnie Mouse heart hoodie over a yellow animal print tank with purple and grey striped leggings, striped hot pink socks and sparkly Hello Kitty shoes. And she did her own hair. 

Mya: Do I look so pretty Mommy?

Me: Oh my! So pretty. 

What else does one say to that? 

mom rules

These are my general mommy rules. 

1. Go to God first. I need to be in the Word and in prayer constantly. He created my kids and he created me to be their mom. Why would I consult anyone else when challenged? This doesn't mean I'm reading the bible daily like I should but I am always trying to be better about it.

2. Never compare. Never ever compare. Every mom, kid, husband and family are unique. Admire but don't envy. I don't know what is going on behind closed doors. Things may look perfect on the outside but they rarely are. No mom has it easier. No mom does it better. We're all different. We all have our faults. We all have our insecurities. We all need Jesus. All the time.

3. Go with my gut. I am the boss of my kids. Not the doctor, not the popular parenting books, not my family or my friends. I am the one who knows my kids best. I spend every waking minute with them. I know when something is off and when they are just fine. It has taken a while to realize that everyone has an opinion and that's cool but my mommy instincts are better than any piece of advice I'll ever get. The fact that those instincts are so razor sharp leads me to believe that it's probably the Holy Spirit whispering in my ear and I should probably listen.

4. I need help. No, I don't need a shrink. I need friends, family and Hubby in order to raise these kids. (This includes my church family) It takes a village! I have been so blessed with all three. I don't know how anyone does it alone. I wouldn't dare to try. As far as I'm concerned, it is impossible. And it doesn't make me tougher or more awesome if I handle so much that I start to lose it. That just makes me stubborn and stupid. 

5. I need an outlet, something that is fun for me. Right now, it is this blog. Usually it is running or some kind of exercise. Too tired these days. I need something that makes me feel like I am more than just a mommy. And while being a mommy is a huge part of who I am, I'm still Amie. I need to grow in other ways while I'm growing as a mom.

6. I can't take this mom thing too seriously. Kids don't take life seriously. Why should I? Yes, I'm shaping them but why does everything have to be such a serious topic? How is my baby sleeping, eating, walking, talking, behaving, learning, reading, writing and on and on. That child will grow at her own pace and I don't have as much to do with it as I once thought. If I just step back and let her be, I can actually enjoy seeing her blossom into a little lady. I need to let the small things go like matching outfits and tidy hair. If they want to wear their pj's to the store, who cares? If they fall in that giant puddle at the park, it's all good, I have extra clothes in the car. Kids need room to breathe and grow. Have fun!

7. Those older people were actually right when they said that time would fly by with my little ones. It started out like a slow rolling ball but that ball has picked up speed over the last few years and it is not slowing down. Seeing the time fly by makes the little things like being woken up at 3:00AM to a hungry 7 month old not as annoying as it was with the first one. In fact, I don't mind so much waking up to that smile. I'm going to blink and she'll be sleeping in a big girl bed telling me she doesn't wanna get up and go to preschool.

4th pics

Here's Addie in her 4th of July dress... I swear I've seen this pic before.

Oh yeah, July 2010 :) (Mya 11 months)

Sparklers! Always the kids' fav.

summer stuff

The girls graduated to big girl bunk beds. We still find Winter asleep on the floor but she says she likes her new bed.

If you would have asked me if I planned to be a Sunday-school teacher 10 years ago, I would have said, not a chance. But here I am teaching Sunday School for the first grade class. I'm just a summer fill-in. Nothing serious. The hardest part of the job is finding a way to get them to stop talking and listen to the teacher! I used to be that chatty-kathy. Pay back's a... ;)

We went to the beach with our bible study group and a few others. 

This is Mya's "smore." She just likes the graham cracker. Winter just eats the chocolate :)

The little girls got together and started a fire in a near-by fire pit. I think the previous party left some smoke but they stirred it up and made a full on fire. They chanted over and over, "We made a fiiiya! We made a fiiiiya!" It was kind of scary but amusing.