My Reese is Three today!

Oh, what a boy! What an amazing, persnickety, marvelous boy! He is passionate and determined and very smart. He has captured my heart and driven me to the realm of craziness more than a few times! He is a lover of all things "Thomas the Tankin Engine" and all things sugar! Oh my...Does he like his sugar. Not good. He loves meatballs and nuts and juice. All other foods are on the "iffy" list. He likes to draw, he hates to go to bed, he loves Rae Rae, he does not love Rae Rae...he is a bit finicky and does not like to kiss if asked. We think him a bit of a control freak, actually. He loves presents and trips to the swimming pool and he loves his Grandpas and he calls his Grandmas, Grandpa! He can give the funniest evil eyes and can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, syllable by syllable! He is three today, and I can hardly believe it! I remember grabbing him under the arms as I was birthing him, and pulling him to me in an amazing first hug...it just seems like a few weeks ago! So here is to my little Reesie Piecie, Happy Birthday, sweet boy. I love you with all my life and soul and heart and nerves and brain cells and sleepless nights and bank accounts...I love you, Bubbas! ~ Momma

Happy Birthday, Elisa!

I have a sweet friend
She moved far away
I think of her a lot
Almost everyday

She taught me to spit
And to try biking down hills
She gave me inspiration
She encouraged my will

She lived west of the mountains
Then she moved East
My heart cried fountains
But it soon found peace

I see her once a year
If the winds blow our way
She changes and grows
I want her to stay

To stay always my friend
As the years roll by
We are kindered spirits, we are
Today I wish I could fly

To fly to her home
And to give her my love
For today it's her birthday
I wish her peace from above!

Love you, girlfriend! Have a blessed day!

A Thank You From the Chavez Family

Dear Julie and Blake,
Please let all the wonderful families who pitched in with Blessing us with a new bed. Thank you so much. We are really enjoying the bed.It is very comfy. Cuddle time in the morning with kids is a more enjoyable. What a suprise it was. When Alex got home that evening we told him we had something we needed to show him. He got into our room and I was like "suprise". It took him a minute for it to register. He looked at the bed and was like "what is this"? He was looking at it as if there was an alien in our room. The kids and I laughed. I told him the whole story. He was really suprised. Julie thankyou for the extra blessing of new bed set.You are sweetie. Blake and Jeff thankyou so much helping set up the bed,and Jeff for taking our old bed away for us . One less thing we had to worry about. You guy's are awesome. Thanks So Much Again to all the families that helped. We are truly blessed to have people who love us so much.

Lots of Love,
The Chavez Family

It's about time I update this blog, don't ya think?

Well, I have been a little caught up in my new blog, the weightloss blog, that I have been utterly neglecting this one. Sorry, faithful readers (if you exist). We are on our third week of sickness at the Paine household....We did have a one week sabbatical from the yuckies in which Blake, RaeElise, Riley and I went to the Happiest Place on Earth. Of course I do mean, Disneyland, if you are not familiar with the 1955 advertising slogan that still describes the Magic Kingdom today.

It was a dreamy trip. It was delightful. Blake and I had never been there together, it had been a full 21 years since he visited Disneyland and I think he was moved beyond words at our whole experience. I think we will be going back sooner than later.

Reuben went with my mom and dad and sister and I in 2001. Becca went this past Sept. With her Grandmother Jodie and Papa Dick. It was time to dazzle the #3 and #4 Paine kids. Like all the other trips, we managed to keep it completely a secret until the day of departure. This was fun! Riley was originally more jazzed about the airplane ride than D.L. itself. He was not disappointed. We had a fabulous flight, and Riley listened through headphones to the cockpit conversation the whole trip. On the way home, we had the most awesome views of Mt. St. Helens and Rainier. Just breathtaking!

The trip was a birthday gift to me. Originally, Blake and I were just going to go on a little romantic getaway, but I really wanted to include the kids. I wore a happy birthday badge at D.L. on Friday(the day before my bday and our last day at the park). It was so much fun, having all the Disney staff people wish me happy bday. Even Cinderella, herself, gave me a kiss and it was enough to choke me up...Me, at 36, getting choked up! I guess my "inner child" still lives.

Thank you, Blake, for such a magical trip. Thank you to Sundee for keeping Reese while we were gone. Thank you to the Gwaltneys and the Woodwards for watching Becca and Reuben. Thank you to Jodie for overseeing the house, the kids, the dog, and for cleaning my home for me! What a beautiful gift. I know that was no small task. Thanks to Ryan and Sarah for dog sitting, too.

37 Reasons I love Elicia!

1) It's her Birthday! Happy Birthday, Babe!
2) She shares a birthday month with me...we are so connected!
3) She is a year older and wiser than I am.
4) Her Eyebrows
5) Her Brain...She is the smarts, people!
6) Her tiny waist...like Elizabeth Taylor in Gone with the Wind.
7) Her ability to bounce back after severe disappointment.
8) Her love for Julia
9) For Julia...she is so special and Elicia has made her that way!
10) Her love of Poco Loco Burritos (now transferred to Taco del Mar)
11) For taking a chance on a sugar sweet Christian girl from Maple Valley.
12) Pre-wedding night advice...what would have done without that?
13) Her glorious voice that sang me down the Aisle!
14) Her sweet rendition of "Baby's Request"
15) Her drum set
16) She allowed Reese to play her drum set.
17) Faithfully writing to me while she was in France.
18) Forever encouraging me and praising me for beauty I can't seem to see in myself.
19) Asking me to be her matron of Honor at her wedding.
20) Creating fun acronyms that only we know about: GBYPF
21) Talking with me until 4 AM everynight we roomed together...we had to separate due to medical reasons.
22) She bought her daughter the "Thinking Chair".
23) She is studying Phi
24) She has been to real castles
25) She has expensive taste
26) Her love of horses.
27) Her devotion to Ernie.
28) She befriends anyone...she embraces many without judgment.
29) She writes poetry daily, or as close as daily as possible.
30) She writes spy novels.
31) She chases after her dreams.
32) She understands the definition of "hot air", or just "blowing air".
33) She can tolerate cockroaches.
34) She can decorate with scarves and fancy fabric.
35) She can be proud of an accomplishment without feeling egotistical.
36) She gave me my first taste of wine and my first "real" Champaign.
37) She speaks French to my daughter.

The Mattress was delivered to the Chavez Family!

It is finished! Thanks to about 10 different families, the Chavez's have a new Sealy Posturepedic pillowtop mattress, plus all the bedding. Woody and Blake drove down to Fife yesterday to pick up a mattress at a discount warehouse...They saved a bundle and they were so sweet, delivering the mattress and even helping us put the dust ruffle, the sheets and arrange pillows. Ruthie was speechless. She was overwhelmed. Alex wasn't home to see it all, yet, but I am sure he appreciated getting rid of the other "Sealy" they were sleeping on. A 2 1/2 inch thick Sealy that was manufactured in the 1950's...It belonged to Ruthie's Grandmother! Yikes. Anyway, thanks for all the help. I wish you all could have been there to see it arrive. I absentmindedly forgot my camera. Maybe I will stop by later and take some photos for you all.

Great Mattress Deal

An update on the mattress fund! I found an amazing mattress at Costco that has a great coupon ($115 off). It is fancier than I had hoped to find, but it is such a good price and Blake said, "We should just get that one for them." So...I am hoping to get a few more donations. There is the matter of sheets, too. I have a mattress cover I can give them, but we will need to buy some sheets, they just have double sheets. Anyway, just thought I would update you all. Those sending checks, please pop them in the mail. I hope to complete this joyous transaction by this weekend!

Meet our new baby!

We have another R to introduce you to...This is Rascal! He is not quite 6 months old, he is a purebred Black Lab, and we are adopting him from Ryan and Sarah. He has such a sweet disposition and fits his definition perfectly: Rascal: One that is playfully mischievous.

Update on Mattress Collection

I currently have $200 pledged (as of 1-29)...Thank you everyone. I think It will cost about $320 total. If anyone who hasn't pledged yet, has been thinking about it, we still have a need! See post below if you are totally lost.

Some Friends Need Our Help

Hello, faithful readers! I am putting on my PWOprah hat and asking for some responses. A wonderful couple, who we all know very well, but whose names I will keep anonymous for the moment, are really in need of a new Queen mattress. They are very tight, financially, and buying one on their own will just not be feasible. They have several children and they have many demands on their lives, and I just thought it would be great if a few families could chip in and we could collectively meet this very practical need of theirs. What do you say? Even $10 would help pay the tax or delivery fee on such a big item. Email me, or leave a comment here and I will get in touch of you.

Look Alikes

I think that these photos of my dad resemble my sister's little boy, Aidan.

My Daddy and His Brothers

From left to right: Ed (my dad), Ken, Ron, and Dick Schoolcraft
____________________
I scanned this photo today of my dad and his 3 brothers. So cute!

My new obsession

My children and I are fully consumed with the joy and the need to accumulate millions of tiny little people and their belongings and play acting with these tiny people until our brains feel dusty and empty of creative purpose. Playmobil has become my new chocolate.

What's Inspiring You To Live Your Best Life?

Inspiration....I often am moved purely by inspiration. Obligation is also a factor that gets me going in a productive direction, but I much prefer inspiration to be the catalyst. How about you?

Here are some things that inspire me to live my best life.

Great People. In this list, I would include those around me that I see everyday, such as my husband, my girlfriends, my church family. I also look to the well known "greats", such as Mother Teresa, Oprah, MLK Jr., Mattie Stepanek .

Great Works and Creativity. Bach, Van Gogh, Jane Austin, Da Vinci, and yes, even Bill Gates, inspire me with what they have created. Inventors, organizers of great systems, artists, this group of people inspire me to realize that there are no limits. Mankind is an amazing creation that can create amazing things. I am driven to try harder, explore my natural giftings, make time for creativity to flourish in my day. Put down the laundry and write. Have the kids load the dishwasher and play my flute.

Tragedy. This inspires me to give, sacrifice, empathize, walk in the shoes of my fellow man, and to make a difference in the lives of the hurting, disappointed and the shattered. I feel like I have an ability to function well in a trauma, seeing the needs of others, and keeping a cool head. I know I can really shine during tragic times and I am often looking to fulfill such needs for people. We are all human, we all hurt, and we can give comfort because we ourselves have been comforted by him who created such a blessed way of coping with the worst days of our lives.

Examples, bad and good. These inspire me to embrace or about face(sorry for the rhyme). I have never been one that has to goof a thing up on my own to get the point of a matter. I can learn from the mistakes of others. I can also learn from the successes of others. I can glean their "tips" and "tricks" in accomplishing a tough task. I love picking people's brains for how they make it all happen in their lives and I love reading the personal stories of great overcomers.

Books. What can I say about books? I feel like they are the air that I breathe, a lot of the times. If I had the time, and was unemployed and not needed by 5 beautiful, highly demanding children, I would be reading my way through the library at least 6 hours a day. And I love to be read to. Audio books are my new candy. I download them to my ipod and as I work out at the Y, some talented actor is reading to me, bringing the story to life. Weather it is information or imagination, a book is my best friend.

The Mirror. This inspires me to change the most. I just read a book about a man who was in a drug rehab place. He had such a struggle looking at himself in the eyes. He could look at every other part of his face, but he always stopped at his lower lashes. He was filled with shame. I feel like if you can truly stare at your own soul through your eyes in a mirror, you can learn a lot about yourself. If you quiet your mind and your thoughts long enough to gaze at the truth of who you are, you will run and hide, or embrace a new path, or rejoice at where you have come. We have to be honest with ourselves. I am not a good liar, accept when it comes to myself.

So...Your turn...What inspires you to live you best life?

Friendship

Friendship comes in many shapes and sizes. I hope we all have a generous list of people who surround our lives with fun, help in time of need, and large ears and soft shoulders. I have spent the past few days really thinking of my circle of friends. I am amazed at what different roles they all fill in my life. I have friends I chat with daily via email and blogs and IM. I have friends that I see weekly at church or at the kids co-op, etc. I have friends that I receive airmail from and my heart does a flip-flop, just as it did when I got off the bus in high school, went to the mail box, and saw that familiar, yet foreign sticker on the envelope.

I have friends who would die for me and friends who might. I have friends who will watch all my children for an afternoon, and those who can take only one at a time. I have friends who live far and friends who vote for the same city council members. I have friends who are easy to be with and yes, some who are more high maintenance, but I love them both the same.

I have friends who count on me and friends who don't inform me of their life's troubles until they are comfortably in the clear of them. But most importantly, I have more friends than I can even wrap my mind around, could I give you a count if you asked? No. I can't even guesstimate. I guess I could quote to you the number of Christmas cards I make each year, but that just doesn't seem to cover it...And I am adding more friends as I cruise along this life. Maybe not daily, but certainly with each passing season, I seem to meet, greet and add to my list of people I know and admire. It is amazing how the heart can just keep stretching to hold more and more love for more and more people. I think it has infinite stretching capabilities.

The one New Years Resolution I hope to fulfill each day is to be a better friend to all those who would call me theirs. Starting with my sweet husband, and on down the line, I would like to be more dependable, more available, more thoughtful and more present for my friends this year.

Delurking Week

Have you been a Lurker here? Have you read but not commented? Let me know who you are. I promise to visit your blog in return! On another blog that I love, the writer promised the loss of weight and the defeat of terrorism to occur for all who commented. I can only hope these things upon you and the world, but what have we got to lose, right?

Elizabeth of Hungary 1207-1231

Today I read to my kids out of the book Trial and Triumph. It is our church history living book. Often, the characters they feature are amazing, but today, we met a truly uplifting woman who was married to Louis, Prince of Germany. Her name was Elizabeth and she was a princess from Hungary. In her lifetime, there was a great famine in France and the people were starving. She did more than anyone could have done for these people, including using up all of the treasury to feed 900 a day at the castle, as well as hand delivering food to a nearby village for those too weak to travel. She received such criticism from those in power at the castle, criticism from all accept her dear husband, Prince Louis. He exalted all she did, encouraged her to do more, and silenced all her accusers. Unfortunately, he died of a fever while off fighting a "Holy" war and those who were against her, kicked her and her four children, all heirs of the throne, out of the castle. She and her children were forced to beg and she eventually got sick herself and died at the age of 24.

I encourage all to read about her. I am going to do more research about her. Suddenly the name Elizabeth, is the sweetest name I know. (Not meant to mock the great hymn) I truly did her bio an injustice. There is so much more to her story.

Started a path I was on 7 years ago.

Today I started to walk down a familiar path. Today I consumed 1114 calories, drank 8 glasses of water. Peed at least 8 different times! Ha! And it is so amazing how one day can bring your whole life back into control. I am following the Prism diet. I had great success on this eating plan 7 years ago, after the birth of my third child. I am confident of the success I will have this time around...I just wonder why it took me this long to return to what works for me. For anyone interested, I have a blog that you can join to journal your own health path. Several ladies belong to it and it is a great forum to encourage one another.

Happy Birthday to the Man of My Dreams!

Here he is, the man of my dreams, hanging out on the computer, with his gift table in the background. We have a family tradition of "the gift table." The night before a birthday, I stay up after the special one has gone to bed, and I wrap and decorate their table for them to wake up to. It is like having your own personal Christmas Morning! Usually, the gifts are all opened in the morning, before Blake heads to work, but Blake had to leave so early this morning, he decided to wait until he gets home to open them.
Oh, honey! You look so dapper in your bow tie! This look really works for you, babe. I just have to tell you that you mean the world to me. You really are the center of my life. Each day with you is a gift and I love seeing how you strive to be a better person and challenge yourself to grow and change for the better. Truth be told, I would love you if you were the same guy I married 13 years ago....you are my hero, my love, my best friend, my joy. I hope today and the rest of this year treats you kindly and that you can look back with absolutely no regrets. I hope you find the peace that you seek this year. I know it is there, waiting for you. God bless you, honey. I am so proud to be your wife! Love, Jules

Motto for the year!

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Mother Teresa