So, I've been feeling very picked on lately because my life is not going how I want it to. It's been raining set backs and dissappointments and I feel like the proverbial camel with too many straws on it's back. But while I was wallowing in self pity I decided that I should work on being the happy optimistic person that I used to be. So here goes exercise 1 in positive thinking: Count your blessings.

• I have a beautiful little family. Three healthy, happy, adorable kids and a husband who adores both them and me despite my many flaws.

• I have a home I LOVE in a neighborhood that is safe and friendly.

• We are blessed that Casey has a job that pays the bills and I get to stay home with my sweet kids.
  

• I have a fabulous, large extended family that I can always rely on. They give me a tremendous amount of strength and support.

• I found photography. I love it. It eases my stress and makes me feel fantastic, and also occasionally brings in a little money. :)

I know it's a little thing, but sometimes I just need a little reminder of everything that is good in my life. It's too easy to get bogged down in all the bad things. I just have to remember that it's not forever. The bad things will pass, but so will the good so I should be enjoying the sweet things in life while I have them.

Busy... Busy... Busy

The thing about blogging is, you need something interesting to blog about. My life has been very busy, but not so interesting lately. I have recently started jogging, which I love, but I am so so sore afterwards. I am hoping this will go away with time but secretly, I fear that my complete lack of muscle tone will do me in. I have been struggling with some blood sugar problems for the past few months, but now I think I've got it under control. It's so nice to have some energy back. I've been getting steadily more busy with photography, and I am so excited to see where this road takes me. Already I have had some amazing experiences.
Hailey is fast approaching 2 years old and it shows. She's big into temper tantrums, but she's still small so they're easily managed. And she's so cute when she runs down the hall to her bedroom, I can't help but laugh. She colors all over my house, so I've been hiding the markers in progressively harder places but she always finds them. She hauls a little chair around our house to reach anything she wants. She gets her own water from the fridge, and clears her dishes at dinner. She says "Thanks, Mom!" When I give her something she wants, and her favorite game is "Look. Mommy!" but I can rarely tell what she is pointing at. She's so fun, and her siblings adore her.
Logan will be 5 in just a few days. He's starting to sound out words and loves to count to 100. He's so excited to start Kindergarten, and says he will even go get shots as long as he gets a sucker after. His favorite foods are cheese and chocolate, any way he can get them. He loves to torment Kaitlyn, and he is really getting good at it. He loves He Man, which I find odd, because I have no idea where he even saw He Man. He is all boy, and loves to play sports. He's amazing at baseball.
Kaitlyn is 6 and 1/2 . She's super smart. She's finished all the 1st grade requirements and now she gets to check out chapter books from the library. She loves it. She reads constantly. She loves to read to Logan and Hailey. She's really good with math too. Her teacher is always raving about how fast she picks up each new concept. Kati loves school, and has formed a "dance club" with some girls in her class. They meet at recess and play dance. She's very social and has lots of friends. She loves her dance class, where she learns ballet and tap dancing. She has one heck of an attitude, and is very stubborn.
Casey got a new run at work, so he's home everyday. It's so nice to have him around. He has been working really hard to be healthier and has lost a bunch of weight. I am so proud of him. It's really wonderful because we spend more time as a family now. We go on hikes and we play at the park. He has really helped us all to be more active. In May we will have our 8 year wedding anniversary. I can't believe it's been that long, and at the same time it feels like we've been together forever. I can't imagine my life without him.

So, I attended a reunion party for my madrigal group from high school. It was a fantastically good time! In the process of telling old friends about my life, I realized that Logan will be 5 in February. Now it may not seem like a big deal, but 5 is a BIG deal! It's much older than 4, which is still little and sweet. 5 year olds go to school. They have friends I've never met, and talk to adults I'm not familiar with. 5 quickly turns into 6 which is mouthy and oppinionated. And while I am having a panic attack about this birthday, I think about my sweet little boy and envision the kid he will inevitably become. And then I picture him as a teenager, and even older, becoming a daddy himself.  And I start to feel very old. But then my little boy runs up the stairs all excited to tell me about the latest episode of story book factory, which is his favorite cartoon right now. And I calm down a little, and remind myself that he's still only 4. He won't be 5 until February, and even then he'll only be 5. I still have years of driving him to birthday parties, and soccer games and tee ball. And he still calls me Mommy, and needs me to help him tie his shoes. And I still have work to do, so that when he is a teenager he'll love school and be nice to his sisters, and when he does become a daddy he will be the very best. No, my little boy is not grown yet, and 5 isn't that much older than 4. And Logan is going to LOVE kindergarten. :)

Be Drug Free week

Kati's school did a Be Drug Free spirit week. They had a crazy hair/hat day. Kati wanted crazy hair, which I thought was fun because she usually just wants to wear hats. So she came up with the idea for her hair all by herself. And she looked adorable. :) Then they had silly sock day. And then wear red day. I think she looked so cute in her red outfit. Until this day, she would never wear that jacket, because I bought it without her, but now she loves it. I think it was because her friend told her it was adorable. :)

Pumpkin Carving

We carved pumpkins for family night.

Kati picked a cat pattern. She marked it out and did most of the carving by herself. She's very proud. And it turned out very cute. Logan picked a spider pattern, but it was too big for his pumpkin, so Casey recreated it for him. I thought it was an amazing job freehand. Logan tried carving but it was a little too much for him, so he poked the pieces out after his daddy cut them. His spider turned out very cool.

Family Pictures

 We went on a drive and took some family pics. Hailey had a little diaper mishap so we didn't get any pics of the whole family. Another day...

A day at the lake

The mud people. :)

Hailey, after eating her weight in sand.

Having a very serious conversation

Building a sand castle with Uncle Rick and cousins.

Logan stirring up trouble. Nothing new here. :)

We went to the lake for a picnic to enjoy the final days of summer. The kids had a blast playing with cousins. They found a patch of clay and proceeded to smear it all over each other. Fun times! I must say I am going to miss summer when it's gone, but we are looking forward to going back to school, and our regular routine, with great anticipation. Kati will be going full day now for first grade. She is excited to eat in  the cafeteria and I am excited to have 6 hours between drop off and pick up. :) I am also looking forward to Fall. It's my favorite time of year for pictures, and hosts some of my favorite holidays. Casey is currently driving a day run, which means he is home every night. We are loving the new schedule. With any luck he will get a permanent day run this fall. Cross your fingers for us!